Eastman neck profiles? Dread owners please...

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by JERZEY

A 12 fret dread all hog from Eastman with a slotted headstock is all im asking for

I have been asking for 6 years. Maybe you’ll have better luck!

Originally Posted by Rad

If you love the guitar and it is a keeper, take it to a luthier and have the neck shaved to match the one you like.

It’s an easy job, and not very expensive if you skip refinishing and just go with a tongue oil “speed neck”.

[Fret-O'File]

If you love the guitar that much other than the neck profile, I would try to play a few more E8-D and see if you find one that sounds as great but has a better neck feel. If not I would reshape the neck to my liking. If you arent comfortable doing it, take it a good luthier to do it for you.

[rumble]

Originally Posted by Rad

If you love the guitar and it is a keeper, take it to a luthier and have the neck shaved to match the one you like.

THIS WORKED FOR ME! loved the guitars tone ,look response but that chunk c needed some modified V chamfering to ease the side to side shoulder girth.. refinished with nice thin tung oil French like polish. Just love it

[Rad]

Originally Posted by rumble

THIS WORKED FOR ME! loved the guitars tone ,look response but that chunk c needed some modified V chamfering to ease the side to side shoulder girth.. refinished with nice thin tung oil French like polish. Just love it

Well done.


I just built my dream Strat and I finished the custom Warmoth neck with tung oil. I put on 6 coats. I love the stuff, beautiful look and wonderful feel.

[Brent Hutto]

A little late to the thread but my new (to me) E1D, built in late 2020 according to the serial number, has the following neck dimensions.

Thickness at 1st fret, bottom of neck to top surface of fretboard 0.875"
Thickness at 9th fret, bottom of neck to top surface of fretboard 1.005"

Width of neck at 1st fret 1.800"
Width of neck at 9th fret 2.040"
Width of neck at 12th fret 2.115"

Width of nut 1.755"
String spacing at nut 1.470" (center to center of strings)
String spacing at bridge 2.180" (center to center of strings)

The neck is a C shape with no hint of a V at all.

Bonus random factoids:

The guitar weight 4 lbs, 2 oz
The center strings are 0.53" above the soundboard, at the bridge

[Italuke]

Interesting that my thread here flares up again now. After much delay, health issues, family stuff, life in general, I'm finally taking the E8D in for surgery on Saturday. Found a respected local builder who says no problem. Wish me luck! I'll report back...

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

A little late to the thread but my new (to me) E1D, built in late 2020 according to the serial number, has the following neck dimensions.

Thickness at 1st fret, bottom of neck to top surface of fretboard 0.875"
Thickness at 9th fret, bottom of neck to top surface of fretboard 1.005"

Width of neck at 1st fret 1.800"
Width of neck at 9th fret 2.040"
Width of neck at 12th fret 2.115"

Width of nut 1.755"
String spacing at nut 1.470" (center to center of strings)
String spacing at bridge 2.180" (center to center of strings)

The neck is a C shape with no hint of a V at all.

Bonus random factoids:

The guitar weight 4 lbs, 2 oz
The center strings are 0.53" above the soundboard, at the bridge

That's super light for an Eastman Dread. The E10D-TC and E6D-TC I've had were closer to 4lbs 10oz.

[Wellington]

Not the advice you're looking for, but the Guild D40 has a super super comfy neck and it's a fantastic guitar, 1 11/16 nut width so a 1/16 narrower than your eastman. Made in the U.S but still a really good price, around the $1500 mark usually.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

That's super light for an Eastman Dread. The E10D-TC and E6D-TC I've had were closer to 4lbs 10oz.

That was certainly my impression. I would not have been surprised to get somewhere between 4-1/2 and 5 pounds. I did notice that, of the three E1D's at my local dealer, they varied in subjective weight. One of them was noticeably heavier than the other two and also seemed to balance a little neck-heavy. The one I bought was not the heavy-feeling one.

Your comment made me doubt my little notebook scribbles so I just went and weighed mine again. This time I got 4lbs, 3.4oz and the only thing that's changed is I installed a strap button on the neck heel (which weighs less than an ounce). So I might have written "2" instead of "3" originally. Still pretty darned light either way.

Maybe Sapele is slightly less dense than Mahogony. I know the open-pore finish is supposed to be pretty light but I doubt that makes more than an ounce or two of difference.

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by Wellington

Not the advice you're looking for, but the Guild D40 has a super super comfy neck and it's a fantastic guitar, 1 11/16 nut width so a 1/16 narrower than your eastman. Made in the U.S but still a really good price, around the $1500 mark usually.

Interesting you mention Guild, I am well aware. My wife has a beautiful '96 DV52 which I love. Both guitars are 1.75 nut which I need, exactly the same string spacing and and exactly the same thickness at the midpoint of the first fret: .84. BUT the "shoulders" of the Guild are shallower, which I can feel immediately.

So we'll see, after my neck surgery... Maybe I'll end up with a Guild after all.

[Riakstonic]

Funny I posted about this topic on FB Eastman page .
I sold my AC822CE FF because I couldn’t bond with it one reason was the neck and that issue has kept me away from trying other models .

If I had a dealer close I would still give them a go but ordering online is out since they don’t offer other shapes that I know of .

I’m not quite sure why there so strict on that C shape neck . I guess if I fell in love with one and knew I wouldn’t let it go I’d take the rasp and sander to it . Lol

[Italuke]

Originally Posted by Riakstonic

If I had a dealer close I would still give them a go but ordering online is out since they don’t offer other shapes that I know of.

I’m not quite sure why there so strict on that C shape neck.

Completely agree. The trend in necks is skinnier these days. Eastman really should look at that.

BUT: I forgot to report back to this thread. I've had it back for 2 weeks now after surgery and...it is amazing. I could feel the difference even just grabbing the neck to pick it up. My luthier just took an ever slight amount of "meat" off of around the 10 and 2 points, if you imagine a semicircle. He nicely tapered it so the result is now it's a VERY soft V, but feels perfect to me. It's unfinished for now and SO smooth but I'll have him finish it after the holidays.

So this was quite successful. And he only charged me 80 bucks. I'll repeat though, if you have it done you need to find someone who builds and/or does neck reshaping a lot, not just a tech who will "try" it.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by Riakstonic

Funny I posted about this topic on FB Eastman page .
I sold my AC822CE FF because I couldn’t bond with it one reason was the neck and that issue has kept me away from trying other models .

If I had a dealer close I would still give them a go but ordering online is out since they don’t offer other shapes that I know of .

I’m not quite sure why there so strict on that C shape neck . I guess if I fell in love with one and knew I wouldn’t let it go I’d take the rasp and sander to it . Lol

Hey let them throw us ham-handed guys a bone

There are very, very few guitars out there for us to buy with necks that aren’t thin and/or oval shaped. At least among guitars that don’t cost five grand!

I felt like a kid in a candy store last month when I found four different Dreadnoughts on the wall at my local Eastman dealer.

[Zissou Intern]

Italuke: I am glad that reshaping worked out for you. If you like the neck now, just wait until it has several coats of tung oil on it…so smooth, so fast.

Brett: I agree with you; Eastman needs to keep the full neck profiles! In fact, they should add that as an option to the SS models. I’d buy one in a heartbeat if they didn’t have super skinny necks.

[Riakstonic]

If you look at my list of guitars the Guild Orpheum is the only one that has a thick neck the Blueridges and Guilds and newly added Recording king with the soft V neck are fine though I could with out the v neck lol

I another Guild CV-1 and it’s fine as well .

I put my name in the in the gate for the new Touchstone line between Bourgeois and Eastman but I forgot to ask about the neck which can be a deal breaker.


Unfortunately the AC822ce ff I had also was lack luster in tone. I’m not sure why Engelmann seems to be the issue . I also return a Yamaha L16 or something like it same body size and it had the C neck and Engelmann top it didn’t perform either and I finger pick mostly . Both guitars were beautiful though .

Guess I’m getting picky in my old age . Lol 😂