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  #1  
Old 07-17-2013, 10:26 AM
Xcer Xcer is offline
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Default Martin D18 vs Eastman E10D - Can you hear the difference?

http://youtu.be/d3bDGkcpFqs

To my ears it sounds like the Eastman has a louder mid and bass but a weak treble whilst the Martin is a little more "closed" in its sound but also more balanced with a clear bass, clear treble but fairly weak mid.

It's very much like my Eastman E8D, the guitar sounds VERY open and loud, the mid is great, it's crispy and nice, but the high notes on the E & B strings don't always sound that crispy and it's hard to make them sound clearly whilst doing a loud bass picking simultaneously.

Price in the US (I don't live there)
E10D: $1000 Amazon
D-18: $3400 MF
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Old 07-17-2013, 10:30 AM
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More accurate picture of pricing is ~ $900 for the E10 and ~ $1800 for the 2012 version D-18, FYI.
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Old 07-17-2013, 10:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brencat View Post
More accurate picture of pricing is ~ $900 for the E10 and ~ $1800 for the 2012 version D-18, FYI.
It's a Golden Era D-18GE
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:15 AM
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You have to actually listen to the video before you realize they are using a D-18GE and not a regular D-18 ... really sort of like comparing a Ferraris to a Ford in both price and performance.
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:24 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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They chose the Martin that had the same specifications (more or less). To my ears the Martin has a richer tone ... probably why I own a D-18GE ... ...
That said, I have an Eastman AC420B (like the new E20D) that I preferred to my Martin D-35 (eventually sold it). It's always about the particular instrument, and never about the specs.
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:30 AM
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They sound very similar to me. The Martin might be a little brighter while the Eastman is a little more subdued. Both sound good though. Also they should specify that it's a Golden Era model in the video description.
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:42 AM
bozz_2006 bozz_2006 is offline
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I'm the only one hearing the difference? wow. The winner is the Martin, by knockout, 1:54 of the first round.
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:53 AM
jeepnstein jeepnstein is offline
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I really like that D18GE. Both were pretty much equal until he started flat picking. Not that there's anything wrong with the Eastman but it doesn't have that Martin bark. I wouldn't kick either one to the curb.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:01 PM
slimey slimey is offline
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To my ear the difference between nice and really good guitars always seems to be in the mids. For me one of these instruments has a quaky sound in the mids. Not a tone I like.
I must say the Eastman is really good for the money.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:06 PM
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Somewhat as expected, the Martin appears to have a more resonant sound and a bigger presence. The Eastman was a little less balanced and lacked "meat". Still, for under $1000, the Eastman is giving you a lot of guitar.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xcer View Post
It's a Golden Era D-18GE
Ah okay, got it. Can't open YouTube at work so maybe you should edit the OP then.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:19 PM
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You're not the only one. I totally agree. Very nice guitar, against a truly great guitar.

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Originally Posted by bozz_2006 View Post
I'm the only one hearing the difference? wow. The winner is the Martin, by knockout, 1:54 of the first round.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:22 PM
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Even the youtube says D-18 and not D-18GE ... it is only when Tony starts to describe the guitar that you suddenly realize he's describing a D-18GE and that they are comparing a $1,000 guitar to a $3,000 guitar.

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Originally Posted by brencat View Post
Ah okay, got it. Can't open YouTube at work so maybe you should edit the OP then.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:28 PM
jeepnstein jeepnstein is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackville View Post
Even the youtube says D-18 and not D-18GE ... it is only when Tony starts to describe the guitar that you suddenly realize he's describing a D-18GE and that they are comparing a $1,000 guitar to a $3,000 guitar.
And it's a fair comparison. Different bracing is the biggest difference. Of course if we were comparing a D18GE to a Bourgeois nobody would be paying attention. The Eastman is coming in second place in that test every time. I find it interesting that the comparison was even made.
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Old 07-17-2013, 12:37 PM
Earwitness Earwitness is offline
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I've even posted recently that I played one of those Eastmans in a store and was amazed at what it sounded like at that price point. When I saw the thread and then the video, I was kind of pulling for the underdog to upset the favorite.

Still, as the "earwitness" here, let's be honest: that Martin was WAY up in class from that Eastman in sound.
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