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  #1  
Old 03-16-2019, 08:36 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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Default Eastman or D'Angelico EX 63 archtop acoustic guitar?

I am looking into an archtop guitatr that I will play mainly acoustic i.e. unplugged. What would you choose between the D'Angelico EX 63 acoustic (around $1,300.00) and an Eastman archtop comparable in price ?
Thank you for your opinions !
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Old 03-17-2019, 08:08 AM
drive-south drive-south is offline
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Is the Dangelico all solid woods? Is the pickup set into the top or floating? I'd want all solid w/floating pickup.
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Old 03-17-2019, 10:14 AM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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The D'A is all-lam, with TMK a UST piezo bridge like the not-too-highly-regarded Epiphone Masterbilts (which at least have a solid top)...

I'd go with an all-solid/all-carved Eastman...
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Old 03-17-2019, 06:31 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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I can find a D'Angelico, new, on ale for around $900. But I can't find an Eastman archtop, new, for less than $1300. The D'Angelico is all laminate however I guess that they know how to make a good sounding archtop.
The Eastman is all solid carved wood...do you think it is worth yhe $400 difference?
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Old 03-17-2019, 08:15 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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At $900 I'd consider the D'A - FYI laminated tops don't seem to have quite the negative effect on tone they do on flattop instruments (something upright-bass makers have known for nearly a century - Gibson's L-48, Guild's A-50, and the current Godin 5th Avenue are routinely good-sounding guitars, and the best postwar ES-150's could provide stiff competition to many a contemporary L-7) - but if you're after ultimate tonal potential over the long term I'd go with an all-solid carved guitar every time...
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Old 03-17-2019, 08:59 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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Thank you for all your opinions. Also, the D'Angelico has a round hole while the Eastmans have "f" holes. I wonder if having a round hole could be a plus when play unplugged?
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Old 03-18-2019, 08:58 AM
paddybrumson paddybrumson is offline
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You might consider the Eastman AR 400. It's all laminated, but a thin laminate that sounds surprisingly good. You also have the option to add a soundhole pickup if you want to amplify.

https://youtu.be/RrvzvbqmeqY
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Old 03-18-2019, 09:58 AM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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I finally took my decision! I just purchased a brand new D'Angelico EX-63, sunburst, from an official D'Angelico dealer, on Reverb. Full D'Angelico warranty, 30 days return. After some negotiation I managed to get a great price (under $900.00 including shipping). It has been a difficult choice. I could have purchased a brand new Epiphone Masterbilt Century round hole, very similar in looks to the D'Angelico, for $500.00. This guitar has a solid top, however I read several reviews also on this forum and it looks like these series from Epiphone is not much appreciated. More over, it has a 11/16 nut while the DA has a 1.75 nut width, my favorite.
Another alternative could have been the Loar LH-300, but I was afraid to buy it unseen considering the inconsistencies in quality control that have been reported in this forum. A used LH-600 was also a very good option (all solid wood) but I have an idiosincrasy with buying used, especially on line.
Finally, I liked the sound of the DA for what I have seen on youtube. Maybe the large body (18 inches) and the round hole contribute to a very good volume, which is important to me considering that I never play plugged in.
I will post a review once I receive the guitar. Thank you for all your opinions. I am a flat top guitar player (amateur) and this is my first adventure into the world of archtop guitars, this forum is invaluable for me !
Here is the guitar played (plugged in) by a wonderful German player, in five styles:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...0aS3SeJOyjmkVH

Last edited by gerardo1000; 03-18-2019 at 10:15 AM.
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Old 03-18-2019, 10:46 AM
blackie51 blackie51 is offline
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Quote:
More over, it has a 11/16 nut while the DA has a 1.75 nut width, my favorite
.

Are you sure? This page http://https://dangelicoguitars.com/...63/#DAE63NATGT from the D'Angelico website indicates that the nut width is 1&11/16ths.

Tom

Last edited by blackie51; 03-18-2019 at 12:07 PM.
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Old 03-18-2019, 02:01 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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Yes, the seller sent me a close-up picture of the nut with a ruler on top : nut width 1.75, strings spacing from E to e 38mm i.e. 1.5 inches!

Last edited by gerardo1000; 03-18-2019 at 02:16 PM.
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  #11  
Old 03-18-2019, 06:36 PM
gmr gmr is offline
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Please let us know your thoughts on the D’angelico, when you get it and spend some time with it. Congratulations on your new guitar!
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Old 03-19-2019, 08:55 AM
OddManOut OddManOut is offline
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I just went through a similar process, though I didn't consider the D'A option(s). I did spend several hours playing the full line of Epi Century models and wasn't too impressed. A couple of them were decent sounding -I preferred the round hole models of the examples I test drove-but the combo of the thick neck and the 1 11/16" nut was not a good fit for me (I, too, prefer a 1 3/4" nut). The build quality of the Epis varied a LOT. They were $500 guitars, so seems to be a classic case of getting what you pay for.


Another I was considering was the Gretsch New Yorker. I tried one a few years ago and liked it...similar tone to the Godin 5th ave, but with a 1 3/4" nut. But at that $500 price point it's hard to know what one will get.



As I said in my recent post, I decided to up my investment to the all-solid Eastman AR805. We shall see if she's a keeper....


I hope you love your new guitar!!!
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Last edited by OddManOut; 03-19-2019 at 09:22 AM.
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  #13  
Old 03-19-2019, 12:11 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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I played extensively a Gretsch New Yorker at a local music store. It was OK but the strings tail piece was installed off center so the low E string was always slipping off the fretboard when played...
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