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Old 05-01-2024, 12:27 PM
OddBod OddBod is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2024
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You're talking about this recently released model? https://www.eastmanguitars.com/e1p_ltd_cla

I may be biased because I bought one recently, but I think it's an excellent guitar.

The stand-out feature for me is the Adirondack top - I'm yet to play a red spruce topped guitar I don't like. (I know there's a lot more than top material to how a guitar sounds, but it seems to my ears to give something extra that I don't hear with other woods.) It's not a feature you see often at this price point.

I bought it with the factory phosphor bronze strings on it, and I thought it had a really tight and thumpy low-end, slightly boxy mid-range (subtle enough to be charming rather than grating to my ear) and clear almost biting treble. It had a personality that was almost a bit intense but it felt like you were always in control of it as the player. I play mostly alternating bass fingerstyle, folky and alt-country stuff, and for me it was perfect for that - I felt like it wanted to play what I wanted to play.

I feel it softened a bit with breaking in, but I've also switched to Monel strings (Newtones) and I haven't decided yet what I feel about those. The sounds is mellower and there's less boxiness & more balance across the strings, but the bass is a bit looser. It's an almost classical sound to my ear. It's striking to me how sensitive this guitar is to the change in string material, my previous guitar (Eastman E2OM) didn't respond as much to different strings.

The shop where I bought it had 2 of the Bluesmaster parlor in when I bought mine, and the other guitar was noticeably different to me - a bit smoother and jazzier sounding than the one I bought. Still nice though. But if you're looking for a specific sound it's probably worth trying before you buy.

The "Classic" stained finish is probably my least favourite thing about the guitar, though I'm slowly warming to it. It looked a bit plasticky when new, but is settling down a little bit now. That aside I get the impression Eastman have upped their fit-and-finish game, this guitar is super cleanly finished.

Hope that helps!
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