[Padma]

I have had an Eastman AR804CE, a maple and spruce oval hole archtop with a floating pickup, for about fifteen years. Nitrocellulose finish. For years I played it acoustically only; lately I have been playing it amplified through a Roland JC-22. I mostly play with my fingers, no fingerpicks, occasionally with a pick. At the moment I have acoustic phosphor bronze strings on it; I have had flat-wounds, TI Be-Bop, etc. I play mostly traditional blues, but also roots type music and a bit of jazz. The sound is very bright, as I would expect from a maple guitar, but deeper, with a more robust sound. It is a small guitar -- 16" lower bout I think, so not all that loud. It would cut through a mix of acoustic instruments, but not be very loud. It has that typical "tinney" sound of an archtop, but richer, with a bit more bass -- it has good tone and is pleasing. Amplified it is extraordinary, with a rich, open sound that is extremely clear -- perfect note separation. I highly recommend an oval hole archtop over a traditional amplified f-hole, of which I have a couple, if you play the kind of music I do.