NGLW (Eastman E1om)

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by Beakybird

With some of the negatives, I would be asking, "Do I get a professional setup, or do I get rid of it?"
I'd compare it to some of the competition, being open to a laminated body.

No professional setup needed; I'm perfectly capable... just a matter of taking the time.

Put bluntly, none of the "competition" even vaguely interests me. I don't need a cheap guitar (I have plenty of good ones, and a couple of beaters), I need (want) a smaller body guitar that I like the tone and playability of. After lots of reading, I thought I'd take a chance... I've played lots of other inexpensive guitars, and have not been interested in taking any of them home with me.

If this ends up filling my need, then that's great. It was a gamble, if it doesn't pay off I'll probably sell it, and maybe try the E10-OM, but probably would start looking for a used Martin OM-18v or Huss and Dalton Road Series, maybe a Waterloo, and spend like $1500 more than I have in this. Not a whole lot else in the middle that interests me either. That's where I'm at.

Expecting this to fill that need is pretty outrageous, but I'm giving it a go.

[Long Road Home]

Originally Posted by jklotz

Then try the e10-OM - same guitar but with mahogany b&s.

Or the E6-OM. Also mahogany back and sides. E6-OM has a sitka top, while the E10-OM has an adi top. I had an E6-OM LTD and, with 20-20 hindsight, wish I had not let it go.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Thanks for the input on the E20OM-TC. Is this an updated torrefied version of the E20OM?

Sorry OP, don’t mean to hijack this thread.

I wouldn't say it's updated so much as it just has the torrified adi top upgrade. Otherwise identical to the E20OM. I never played a E20OM to compare to my TC. The TC models are kind of hard to find. I had to order it and hope for the best and I really like it. Good sound, good size and good playability. Eastman guitars are more balanced than Martins which tend towards the bass. I think because of that mine sounds incredible with a K&K/Red Eye. Much better amplified than my ceo7 sounds with the identical setup.

[Pura Vida]

Congrats on the new E1OM. Hope it suits you over time and the initial adjustments. I think the open pore guitars have a punchier "in your face" sound to them vs. the traditional nitro finish guitars. As others mentioned, if it doesn't work out, check out the E6OM or E10OM (Mahogany body, nitro finish, in Sitka or Adi tops respectively).

I'm partial to Rosewood, and I have an E40OM and E20OM-SB (both Rosewood/Adi, but very different sounding). The E40OM is perhaps the most balanced, best voiced guitar I've owned. I had considered selling off the E20OM-SB (to make room for an E10OM-TC), but it's just finding its amazing voice after two years, so I need to hang onto it and see where it's going to take me.

[Mobile1]

After looking at the picture of the internals of the guitar OP, is it common practice to not tuck the tone bar braces under the X brace?

[warfrat73]

I think that "tucking" braces is usually reserved for higher end guitars, because of the additional labor involved.

[warfrat73]

A couple of weeks on, and my impressions haven't changed much.

This is a loud, punchy, and articulate guitar. The bass is good and strong, though there's a bit of falloff on the attack of the low E string, but this is pretty common even on much more expensive guitars. The sustain is also quite good.

I put Martin Retro 12 gauge strings on it, and it helped tame some of the harshness in the treble. But I still do find it a bit brash and piercing above about the 5 or 6th fret on both the B and e strings. I don't go up there too much, but I do find it a bit off-putting. This might mellow out with time, who knows. Maybe I'll just leave dead strings on those.

There's also a definite quack to the attack when picking fairly aggressively, particularly on the D and G strings. Almost like a stratocaster. Weird that I don't hear this nearly as much on the lowest two strings.

I still think it sounds a bit "stringy" when i strum it, like the notes aren't really blending; I'm sure this is partly because it's a smaller guitar and lighter strings than I'm used to, and partly because of the articulateness and the strongly fundamental tone.

I like the neck fairly well, my personal preference would be for a bit more depth/mass. But it feels good. The finish feel nice too back there, not much friction. Actually I'm finding I kind of like the open pore finish in general.

I sanded down the grooves on the saddle, and polished it with steel wool. Not sure what the story with those little groove is, the were very narrow and shallow, like as if somebody cut the blade of a knife into the top of the saddle; not really deep enough or wide enough to be string guides, if that was the intent. Seems unlikely that they could have been cause by the strings, being as narrow as they were, and on a new guitar to boot. Sanding out the grooves seems to have helped with the buzz on the D string.

Overall, it's a loud, brash guitar when driven hard. I think with single note flatpicking it could nearly hold its own in a bluegrass jam (haven't tried yet), though might struggle a bit with rhythm. A more musical and refined tone can be coaxed out of it with a gentler touch, which is not my strong suit. There's good tone in there, but I'm finding I'm having to adjust my approach to find it (not necessarily the worst thing). My Martin 000-17sm (my closest point of comparison) definitely sounds warmer and more open, the attack is a bit more rounded, and to me a bit more musical and lyrical.

I'm thinking about putting a K&K mini in it, I think it'll do just fine as a performer when I don't want to take a more expensive guitar.

Despite my rather lukewarm reaction, I do think it's really a great guitar for the money. It does a lot of things really well. And, honestly, if I hadn't spent the past twenty years playing and lusting after higher end guitars, I could see myself being perfectly happy with this for a long time.

I also learned that I enjoy playing a 14 fret 000 size guitar... so much so that I just bought a Martin 000-18GE... oops, GAS.

[rsfanforever]

I love my E20P, I alternate between my HD28 and E20P and my electrics. Awesome guitar, congratulations and enjoy!

[Pura Vida]

warfrat, good observations and fair assessment. A Mahogany or Rosewood guitar with a nitro finish will have a different voice than these guitars. But they're pretty great for sub-$500 and a great way to introduce players to the Eastman brand.

Last night, I was playing my daughter's E1OO-LTD, which is a 12-fret 00 with open pore Sapele / Adi. Such a fun guitar to play!

[BradC]

I'm currently considering an e1 vs e2 OM, and I really appreciated your thoughtful and detailed review. Like you, I'm limited to hearing these guitars via video and taking a chance on ordering one of them. In the videos I've found, I can hear some of the quack you mention in the mid-range of the spruce top (it almost sounds like a compressed sort of sound relative to the cedar, at least to my ear), but I also like the articulation and dynamic range that guitar seems to have. I want something that has a great sound when played fingerstyle or strummed, and I like the idea of the spruce quack mellowing as the guitar opens up but retaining the clarity and dynamic range. Do you have any thoughts after an additional month with the guitar? Or any thoughts on the cedar vs spruce top on this guitar?

[warfrat73]

I still do hear brashness in the trebles. Maybe just the slightest sensation that it's faded a bit... but more likely the strings are more played in or I'm getting more used to it.

Conventional wisdom about the difference between spruce and cedar would suggest that cedar is warmer, and that might tame the brashness I'm hearing. But I've not actually played the cedar topped version, so I can't really speak to it.

[Pura Vida]

warfrat, what strings are you playing? I've used GHS Vintage Bronze strings with success at taking some of the edge off of the high end.

[BradC]

Thanks warfrat73! I decided to give the cedar e2OM a try, hoping that it will tame the brashness slightly. I haven't played a spruce top (or any Eastman, actually) to compare, but I'm excited about the guitar given that what I'm looking for is very similar to what you described in your original post. Finger's crossed!

[warfrat73]

I've been playing Martin Retro Lights on this guitar, and mostly like them.

But I was getting frustrated by the flabby attack on the low E. You get a nice snappy punchy response from the A and the D, but then hit the E and it kinda goes thud.

So I pulled a low E out of a set of medium Phosphors and put that on, and it really helped, much more snap on the attack... so I think I'll be using bluegrass gauge on it moving forward.

[rmoretti49]

Originally Posted by jklotz

Then try the e10-OM - same guitar but with mahogany b&s.

Pretty sure the E10-OM has Adirondack spruce top, which is one reason why it costs so much more. I know my E20-OM is Adirondack.