Eastman E20OM, Just how good is it?

[docwatsonfan]

hmmm... almost a 2 year old thread

but I'll bite!

my 2015 E20 OM is good, I mean really really good

I don't see any flaws, fit and finish are as good as any other makers

for bare finger fingerpicking I prefer the E20 OM over all my other guitars,
and that includes a

2015 D35
2001 D28
2012 Woody Guthrie Southern Jumbo
2010 Eastman E10D
Recording King RO G9M

it has clarity, volume, and balance between the strings....
pretty much a small cannon!

[backdoc]

I have two Eastmans and two Martins. One of my Martins was never right from day one and is now on it's way back to Martin for a neck reset. My other Martin is perfect to me. Both of my Eastmans are not good guitars for the money, they are GREAT guitars period. Yes, I was able to buy them because they are reasonable (not cheap), but they are fabulous.

I played an E20OM the day I bought my E20OOss and that one was fabulous sounding, but there was one issue with it that kept me from jumping on it. That, and the fact that buying two, thousand dollar guitars on the same day wasn't going to happen anyway. I will say this: When my 000-18 comes back from Martin, if I am not absolutely thrilled with it I am going to sell it and buy an Eastman E20OM TC.

After my Martin experience, I will never buy a new acoustic that I can't play first.

[Zissou Intern]

I much prefer the tone and ergonomics of my 2017 Eastman E6D over my 2016 Martin D18. The E6D still lives with me. Whereas the D18 does not.

I do have to say that the Eastman is not on par with Collings, but then neither was the Martin.

[PeteD]

I've really wanted to move 'up the food chain'. I have recently purchased two very desirable guitars (to me)...a Martin HD16R and a Taylor 812 (new, revoiced model). These were 'drool' guitars for me.

My E8D beat out the Martin by a long-shot. Wasn't even close.

My E10OM beat out the Taylor in all except the low end. But the E10OM was a much more evenly balanced and tonally interesting guitar to me.

My 'drool' guitars are no longer with me...but my Eastie's are still here.

Fit and finish were every bit as good as the Martin...not quite as good as the highly CNC'd Taylor.

My ears of course and these specific guitars...but don't count Eastman out just because it was made in China and the price point is lower. Or do...and the rest of us will continue to enjoy them.

[GKing34]

I recently acquired an E20OM, and I have to say that I am thrilled with this guitar. This guitar has a huge voice for an OM. I knew it would be a great fingerstyle guitar, but it’s a great strummer as well. Strumming it with a flatpick, the whole guitar just vibrates.

[Pura Vida]

I have an E40OM and an E20OM-SB and would recommend them both! The E40OM is perhaps my most balanced guitar I own, while the E20OM-SB is less than a year old and just beginning to show what it can do.

Eastman OM twinsies:


E20OM-SB and E40OM rosewood backs:

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by PeteD

I've really wanted to move 'up the food chain'. I have recently purchased two very desirable guitars (to me)...a Martin HD16R and a Taylor 812 (new, revoiced model). These were 'drool' guitars for me.

My E8D beat out the Martin by a long-shot. Wasn't even close.

My E10OM beat out the Taylor in all except the low end. But the E10OM was a much more evenly balanced and tonally interesting guitar to me.

My 'drool' guitars are no longer with me...but my Eastie's are still here.

Fit and finish were every bit as good as the Martin...not quite as good as the highly CNC'd Taylor.

My ears of course and these specific guitars...but don't count Eastman out just because it was made in China and the price point is lower. Or do...and the rest of us will continue to enjoy them.

Shush!

[brancher]

Originally Posted by PeteD

I've really wanted to move 'up the food chain'. I have recently purchased two very desirable guitars (to me)...a Martin HD16R and a Taylor 812 (new, revoiced model). These were 'drool' guitars for me.

My E8D beat out the Martin by a long-shot. Wasn't even close.

My E10OM beat out the Taylor in all except the low end. But the E10OM was a much more evenly balanced and tonally interesting guitar to me.

My 'drool' guitars are no longer with me...but my Eastie's are still here.

Fit and finish were every bit as good as the Martin...not quite as good as the highly CNC'd Taylor.

My ears of course and these specific guitars...but don't count Eastman out just because it was made in China and the price point is lower. Or do...and the rest of us will continue to enjoy them.

Hmmmm Interesting post. I, too, am about to go after a 'forever' OM - I love my Martin D18 and haven't found anything I would ever replace it with.....and I am enamored with the new OM-28. But I simply cannot stop thinking about the price difference between the OM-28 and, say, the E20 OM Torrified or the E40 OM -- either of these is easily $1k less than a 28.............

Any thoughts or advice? Really, I want somebody to tell me what to do so I won't have to take responsibility for my own decisions....

btw - Pura Vida's pics are - well, stunning! Wonder if the sound matches the visual?

[rokdog49]

I own a D18 and I like it because it does what a D18 does if that makes any sense.
Eastman Guitars in their various forms are unique as well. If a person has a Martin mindset it doesn't necessarily follow that an Eastman won't do, but Martins do what Martins do and they are great guitars.
My two Eastmans are really stellar guitars and both are loud. My E6 has a more balanced voice than the D18 and although it doesn't have the boom on the bottom, it is every bit as loud, every bit. In fact, for general "at home" play, I will grab it first.
None of us can tell you what to do and we shouldn't.
What you are asking is not possible. You really just need to try the Eastman you are interested in. The OM28 is a different animal.
My playing partner has an OM H that is gorgeous with a refined warm voice but it wasn't inexpensive.
The point is you not have to spend that much to buy an Eastman that you will probably love.

[backdoc]

Originally Posted by cooper59

might be in the same league as the larrivee but common. be realistic. nothing even close to the martin or collins. sorry eastman are in the same category as blue ridge. nice guitars for the money but thats all

Sorry, but as someone who owns two Eastman and two Martin acoustics, I respectfully disagree in the strongest way. The Eastman fit, finish and wood quality is absolutely on par with the Martins and seeing that I have a brand new 000-18 on its way back to Nazareth for a neck reset, I am not so sure of CFM's quality control.

They sound different. The Martin sound is very, very nice. The Eastman is different. Not better or worse, but different. I absolutely adore mine. I have played Blueridge and they are decent, but not in the same league as Eastman. Small boutique builders will certainly put out a better guitar than either Martin or Eastman, but you will pay several times more than either of them.

[AgentKooper]

Post deleted.

[AgentKooper]

Originally Posted by backdoc

Sorry, but as someone who owns two Eastman and two Martin acoustics, I respectfully disagree in the strongest way. The Eastman fit, finish and wood quality is absolutely on par with the Martins and seeing that I have a brand new 000-18 on its way back to Nazareth for a neck reset, I am not so sure of CFM's quality control.



They sound different. The Martin sound is very, very nice. The Eastman is different. Not better or worse, but different. I absolutely adore mine. I have played Blueridge and they are decent, but not in the same league as Eastman. Small boutique builders will certainly put out a better guitar than either Martin or Eastman, but you will pay several times more than either of them.

That hasn’t been my experience. I have not played Eastman’s newer, blingiest, highest end models, but I’ve had my hands on many of their their other E-class offerings. There was a fairly clear difference between all of them and my 00-18 in terms of wood quality, fretwork, and finish. I have two Blueridges that I like and play a lot, and I have nothing at all against imported guitars. Comparing Blueridge to Eastman, I prefer the nitro finish on Eastmans to to poly on Blueridges, but beyond that they seem pretty on par. Eastman does a great job with its sunbursts, and I’m very tempted by the OM-20-SB pictured above. But based on my experience, I’d expect a reimagined series 000-28 to be noticeably nicer. Whether the 000-28 is worth the extra price is debatable, but I do believe you’re getting a better product for the additional $$$.

EDIT: I referenced the 000-28 rather than the OM-21, since I think the 000-28 is closer to the E20-OM in terms of specs.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by backdoc

Sorry, but as someone who owns two Eastman and two Martin acoustics, I respectfully disagree in the strongest way. The Eastman fit, finish and wood quality is absolutely on par with the Martins and seeing that I have a brand new 000-18 on its way back to Nazareth for a neck reset, I am not so sure of CFM's quality control.

They sound different. The Martin sound is very, very nice. The Eastman is different. Not better or worse, but different. I absolutely adore mine. I have played Blueridge and they are decent, but not in the same league as Eastman. Small boutique builders will certainly put out a better guitar than either Martin or Eastman, but you will pay several times more than either of them.

I agree. In fact my D18 has slightly uneven binding all the way around. It's not 100% flush to where the top and bottom join the sides. Not a big deal to me at all, but it's like that.

[mickthemiller]

I have an E6OM and an E6D, both are, IMHO, really great guitars, and luckily only cost me £1100 for the pair. One a new return and the other new in a sale.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by brancher

Hmmmm Interesting post. I, too, am about to go after a 'forever' OM - I love my Martin D18 and haven't found anything I would ever replace it with.....and I am enamored with the new OM-28. But I simply cannot stop thinking about the price difference between the OM-28 and, say, the E20 OM Torrified or the E40 OM -- either of these is easily $1k less than a 28.............

Any thoughts or advice? Really, I want somebody to tell me what to do so I won't have to take responsibility for my own decisions....

btw - Pura Vida's pics are - well, stunning! Wonder if the sound matches the visual?

The E40OM's sound is unbelievable. They pull out all the stops for their "40" series guitars, using their best wood and assigning their best luthiers to hand-craft them. I don't know if it's the premium Adi or that they tap-tune the tops, but I can't imagine getting any more sound out of this instrument.

My E20OM-SB just began opening up a couple of months ago, so I'm still learning what it can do. Great volume and sustain, still awfully tight... but it's more responsive each month, so I think it's going to be amazing once it gets there!

I see that you're in NC, so if it's not too far away, make an appt with SoundPure, who are one of the largest Eastman dealers in that region. Finding a "40" series won't be easy... but I own three of them (E40OM, plus two E40Ds), all purchased online / un-played, and they are all stunning!