#31
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I also get the impression that he builds these guitars very quickly because he always seems to have different archtops for sale. Most are attractive, some quite ugly, especially a blue one he listed recently that almost looked liked he had applied the blue stain with a paint brush. Most of the comments about his work have been positive, but mostly in a cost versus quality arena. His guitars are in the $1000 range and it seems that most of his customers feel the guitars are well worth that money. -Barry
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Mastering the guitar is extremely easy. You just keep playing until tiny beads of sweat begin to form on your forehead and your finger tips start to fall off. It's really just that simple! Last edited by avid_cyclist; 12-13-2005 at 10:24 PM. |
#32
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FWIW...I e-mailed Gary Stroup this morning. He replied in a few hours. Very nice guy and had some suggestions. He also (chuckle) mentioned the "blue " one on eBay...I thought...YUCK!..Wood should never be blue. I'm going to follow up with him and check out some more details with him. He is VERY proud of his product and I find that to be quite impressive.
Still interested in the Eastmans, though. I found one at a super bargain..gently used. I'm just wonderin'..how much difference in "feel" would you guess one would expect between a 16 and 17 inch lower bout..and how about projection? The ones I currently have are 15 1/2 and 18 inches....my tendency is to go small....thoughts?
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Barrett |
#33
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I play one by this guy (www.pacinfo.com/~sholst); I would highly recommend him. Mine is more traditional looking than many on his site, but each is custom. Mine was quite affordable.
Do you puruse archtop.com? I like the looks of the Trenier instruments, which are very attractively priced (the builder's site is http://trenierguitars.com). Charlie |
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Charlie, those are fine looking instruments. Especially, the Trenier archtops. For custom made archtops, even I have to admit , they are very reasonably priced.
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There are still so many beautiful things to be said in C major... Sergei Prokofiev |
#35
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I have found, since I started researching this thing, that the options are enormous....and the price ranges are all over the place and seem to have no real relationship to sound and playabilty so much as appearance. Right now I need the prior and would be willing to sacrifice a bit of "bling" for projection and tonal clarity.thanks again.
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Barrett |
#36
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You may want to check out the user reviews at Harmony Central for all the guitars you're interested in. Typically I wouldn't give much weight to those opinions but good archtops tend to be owned by good players that can be extremely critical, and their opinions can be helpful. With Eastmans coming from Beijing, China I had concerns about the people who make them. It turns out they are well paid and have good working conditions. I think there's a photo tour of the mandolin facility at their website. Their mainstay is viol family instruments and bows and getting quality instruments into the hands of students who would otherwise be playing lesser Asian fare. Hmmm....maybe I need a fiddle. |
#37
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An interesting note on this...I did read some reviews on Harmony Central. Many folks compared Gary Stroup's guitars to Eastmans as far as playability and many say that they are much louder acoustically..he concurrs , of course.heehe...Finishwise there is no comparison but. I find it somewhat intruging that this fellow is so approachable and seemingly committed. I like to give a guy a chance when I can but, am not in the position to be a guinea pig. Could be that this fellow will grow and flourish..I hope so. We need more committed luthiers in this country. I like his philosophy of producing at reasonable costs with the understanding hat there are some sacrifices cosmetically. I just wonder to what degree. I will talk with him some more. Thanks.
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Barrett |
#38
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Thats the one I let slip away, but it was a Cherry Burst. And the GC price was suprisingly a good one, which I have yet to see beaten on that model. Who could know ? It was roughly the same price as 53 pairs of levis, at the time.
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Slightly off key, and a little bit late, but definitely in tune... "Now these three remain, Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love" <>< McPherson 4.5W RW/ZI Taylor 812ce - Taylor 514ce - NS32-ce Adamas W-597, Epi John Lee Hooker Sig #23 of 220, Squire Black Strat Jay Turser Maple OM Taylor W14ce / 422-R Babies x 3 Fishman 130W Tri-Amped Performer Acoustic Amp |
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Barrett |
#40
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I think they call it an AJF28C, or AJF22C.
I don't recall the distinction. I get the feeling that Fender dropped it from the lineup, although it may have predated the buyout.
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Slightly off key, and a little bit late, but definitely in tune... "Now these three remain, Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love" <>< McPherson 4.5W RW/ZI Taylor 812ce - Taylor 514ce - NS32-ce Adamas W-597, Epi John Lee Hooker Sig #23 of 220, Squire Black Strat Jay Turser Maple OM Taylor W14ce / 422-R Babies x 3 Fishman 130W Tri-Amped Performer Acoustic Amp |
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Barrett |
#42
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This brings up another issue of what you're going to do with it. There's a reason many models (of Gibsons lets say) are made with laminate tops, and that's because they're intended to be amplified through traditional means and get a fat sound....a setup not as friendly to something like an Eastman or Stroup. My ES-150 for instance acoustically stinks but the neck pickup sound is wonderful and can be played at near ES-335 (block of wood down the center) levels. As to the earlier Eastmans that don't say 'AR' before the model number, there's ring that comes from the metal tailpiece that you can retrofit with ebony, but that's about it, far as I can tell. |
#43
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Barrett |
#44
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There certainly should be no knee-jerk reactions about Eastmans simply because they're made in China. They are not production-line instruments in that they do have hand-carved tops and the people who make them are reasonably skilful and, one would hope, reasonably remunerated as a result. At the same time, the fact that they are produced in this way has led to various QC issues - indifferent finishes, varying scale lengths for any given model, never mind the official Eastman spec, and so forth. If you need a celebrity connection for Eastman credibility, well Richard Thompson went and got one, but I don't know what he uses it for. (I think I'm on safe ground in saying "He went and got one" - Eastman does not advertise, or does not know, that he has, so they probably didn't give it him.) All of the above said, I do have reservations about Eastmans in that they are variable and I wasn't thrilled with the two I tried. I would like to find one I can take home but given that they aren't even on sale where I live, that's pretty difficult. Richard |
#45
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So far, all I have heard and seen on the Eastmans is excellent. My only real issue at this time is size..16 or 17"...the one I've found used is 17".
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Barrett |