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Old 03-23-2019, 05:58 AM
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personatech personatech is offline
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Default Eastman E1OM vs E6OM

Just looking for quick comments regarding the Eastman E1OM (their bottom-of-the-line traditional series 000) and their next model up the food chain, the E6OM. As far as I can tell, the differences between the two are:
  • The E1 has sapele back and sides; the E6 has mahogany.
  • The E1 has scalloped X bracing (CNC?); the E6 has hand-carved scalloped X bracing.
  • The E1 back and sides have an open pore finish; the E6 has satin nitrocellulose.
  • The E1 comes with a soft case; the E6 has a hard case.
  • There are a few minor cosmetic differences between the two (and, frankly, the tortoise binding of the E1 would appeal to me more than the black plastic of the E6).
Does the slightly different bracing result in noticeably better responsiveness/tone for the E6? Is there that much of a difference between sapele and mahogany?

If anyone here tried either (or, better yet, both), I'd really appreciate your comments!
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Old 03-23-2019, 06:30 AM
Cuki79 Cuki79 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by personatech View Post
Just looking for quick comments regarding the Eastman E1OM (their bottom-of-the-line traditional series 000) and their next model up the food chain, the E6OM. As far as I can tell, the differences between the two are:
  • The E1 has sapele back and sides; the E6 has mahogany.
  • The E1 has scalloped X bracing (CNC?); the E6 has hand-carved scalloped X bracing.
  • The E1 back and sides have an open pore finish; the E6 has satin nitrocellulose.
  • The E1 comes with a soft case; the E6 has a hard case.
  • There are a few minor cosmetic differences between the two (and, frankly, the tortoise binding of the E1 would appeal to me more than the black plastic of the E6).
Does the slightly different bracing result in noticeably better responsiveness/tone for the E6? Is there that much of a difference between sapele and mahogany?

If anyone here tried either (or, better yet, both), I'd really appreciate your comments!
I tried 4 E1-OMs and 3 E6-OMs.

Note that overall I think the E6OM has a slightly thinner neck than the E1OM.

>Does the slightly different bracing result in noticeably better >responsiveness/tone for the E6?

Yes but it does not mean the E1OM is a lesser guitar. I almost bought the E1-OM at many occasions. The main differences are dynamic and "air". The E6-OM has a stronger top end which is typical of a more expansive guitar. I'd say the E6 string to string note separation is also better.

The E1-OM bass compresse earlier. It gives a more woody/warm/organic feel to the E1OM that can be really nice. Note that I've seen E1-OM with impressive dynamic too.

To conclude the two guitars are pretty close...

Send me a PM and I will send you recordings of both.
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Old 03-23-2019, 07:42 AM
Matt McGriff Matt McGriff is offline
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The bracing on the 1 series is also hand carved and scalloped according to the specs on their website. The differences seem to be materials and finish and the volute at the head/neck junction.
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Old 03-23-2019, 08:05 AM
Cuki79 Cuki79 is offline
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From the website:
* E1 OM: Bracings:Hand Scalloped X
* E6 OM: Bracings:Hand-Carved Scalloped X

Also the E1 has a rosewood bridge plate
Under-the-Hood-on-the-E1OM?
The E6OM has a maple bridge plate.

Here are my notes during my Eastman Sitka/Hog quest:
1) E1OM I tried (Hannover, Germany)
Very resonant (too much?). Thick, fat tone. Compression on the low E and A string.
Bluesy tone. A bit too dirty on fingerstyle arpeggio. Very rewarding in strumming.
Finish is thick. Very comfortable (open pore).
Not much Sustain/Ring. Marvellous neck. Has a metallic zing quality associated to lower end guitar: but not in a bad way.
Feel good guitar.

2) E6OM (Hannover, Germany). Really really good. Sounds like a higher-end guitar. A bit too bright. Very balanced.
Neck is a bit thinner than the E1OM. Great tone in both strum and fingerstyle. saddle was too low (only reason why not bought).

Nota Bene: A year later, the E1 is gone not the E6.

3) E6OM (Den Haag, Netherland)
Warm tone, a bit muddy when recorded. nut is cut too high.
That day: Best tone was E40om, best neck was E20om

4) E1OM (Schramberg, Germany). Very Balanced. No obvious compression from low strings.
Very straight sounding guitar, almost stiff. Tone can become metallic and harsh when hard strum. Neck is OK, no better or worse.

5) E1OM (North of Paris, France). Very Very good. Balanced. Good resonance. A bit bright depending on room. Perfect neck.
Low end is not lacking. No noticeable compression. Was hard not to buy... But the 000-15m next to it had WAY more mojo.

6) E1OM (Center of Paris, France). Way louder than (5). lot's of lows and boom. Still balanced. Bad condition for test (noisy room), had to leave.

7) E6OM (East of France) . Neck a bit thin, very similar to the one from Den Haag. Top wood less beautiful. Like the one in Den Haag, the strings is a little high in the low positions.
For the rest the setup/playability is out-of-this-world. Sound is balanced. Much much sustain and nice ring for fingerstyle and arpeggios.
Tone is perfect in both strumming and fingerstyle. May be a bit resonant on the high strings but the playability enables to forget your fretting hand and focus on adjusting your pick position/attack.

To conclude:
My personal opinion is that
the E1 has a slight metallic/harshier character (it is obvious on the E1D). The E6OM is rounder with a better sustain/ring. But they are GREAT E1-OM out there. What is weird is that the first one I try was the most impressive... It was the cheaper sounding guitar but the resonance/boom was exactly where I wanted and the neck was stellar... It had something special. However, it felt dull in fingerstyle and I was immediatly impressed by the E6OM afterward. The next E1OM sounded more balanced but were not as interesting, although they were more versatile.
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Martin 00-18V Goldplus + internal mic (2003)
Martin OM-28V + HFN + internal mic (1999)
Eastman E6OM (2019) Trance Audio Amulet
Yamaha FGX-412 (1998)

Gibson Les Paul Standard 1958 Reissue (2013)
Fender Stratocaster American Vintage 1954 (2014)
http://acousticir.free.fr/

Last edited by Cuki79; 03-23-2019 at 08:26 AM.
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Old 03-23-2019, 09:36 AM
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personatech personatech is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuki79 View Post
From the website:
* E1 OM: Bracings:Hand Scalloped X
* E6 OM: Bracings:Hand-Carved Scalloped X

Also the E1 has a rosewood bridge plate
Under-the-Hood-on-the-E1OM?
The E6OM has a maple bridge plate.

Here are my notes during my Eastman Sitka/Hog quest:
1) E1OM I tried (Hannover, Germany)
Very resonant (too much?). Thick, fat tone. Compression on the low E and A string.
Bluesy tone. A bit too dirty on fingerstyle arpeggio. Very rewarding in strumming.
Finish is thick. Very comfortable (open pore).
Not much Sustain/Ring. Marvellous neck. Has a metallic zing quality associated to lower end guitar: but not in a bad way.
Feel good guitar.

2) E6OM (Hannover, Germany). Really really good. Sounds like a higher-end guitar. A bit too bright. Very balanced.
Neck is a bit thinner than the E1OM. Great tone in both strum and fingerstyle. saddle was too low (only reason why not bought).

Nota Bene: A year later, the E1 is gone not the E6.

3) E6OM (Den Haag, Netherland)
Warm tone, a bit muddy when recorded. nut is cut too high.
That day: Best tone was E40om, best neck was E20om

4) E1OM (Schramberg, Germany). Very Balanced. No obvious compression from low strings.
Very straight sounding guitar, almost stiff. Tone can become metallic and harsh when hard strum. Neck is OK, no better or worse.

5) E1OM (North of Paris, France). Very Very good. Balanced. Good resonance. A bit bright depending on room. Perfect neck.
Low end is not lacking. No noticeable compression. Was hard not to buy... But the 000-15m next to it had WAY more mojo.

6) E1OM (Center of Paris, France). Way louder than (5). lot's of lows and boom. Still balanced. Bad condition for test (noisy room), had to leave.

7) E6OM (East of France) . Neck a bit thin, very similar to the one from Den Haag. Top wood less beautiful. Like the one in Den Haag, the strings is a little high in the low positions.
For the rest the setup/playability is out-of-this-world. Sound is balanced. Much much sustain and nice ring for fingerstyle and arpeggios.
Tone is perfect in both strumming and fingerstyle. May be a bit resonant on the high strings but the playability enables to forget your fretting hand and focus on adjusting your pick position/attack.

To conclude:
My personal opinion is that
the E1 has a slight metallic/harshier character (it is obvious on the E1D). The E6OM is rounder with a better sustain/ring. But they are GREAT E1-OM out there. What is weird is that the first one I try was the most impressive... It was the cheaper sounding guitar but the resonance/boom was exactly where I wanted and the neck was stellar... It had something special. However, it felt dull in fingerstyle and I was immediatly impressed by the E6OM afterward. The next E1OM sounded more balanced but were not as interesting, although they were more versatile.
Thanks so much for this - very helpful!! I should have mentioned that I do not play fingerstyle at all, just strumming and flatpicking, which may have an impact on which way I go.
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Old 03-24-2019, 03:23 AM
ii Cybershot ii ii Cybershot ii is offline
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The E6OM I owned briefly was awesome sounding. Was like a warmer tamer version of my E10OM. Great guitar.
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Old 03-24-2019, 01:05 PM
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Pura Vida Pura Vida is offline
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personatech, generally speaking, the Sapele on the E1OM may be a little brighter than the Mahogany on the E6OM. Likewise, the Sapele may have some more overtones, while the Mahogany will be a little more fundamental in tone. Also, the open pore finish can provide a slightly more responsive sound and feel (aesthetically, people seem to love it or hate it). If you're looking for something a little more mellow and fundamental, then I'd recommend the E6OM, but if you want a little more sparkle, then the E1OM might be a good match for you.
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Old 07-16-2020, 11:53 AM
tpedroso tpedroso is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuki79 View Post
From the website:
* E1 OM: Bracings:Hand Scalloped X
* E6 OM: Bracings:Hand-Carved Scalloped X

Also the E1 has a rosewood bridge plate
Under-the-Hood-on-the-E1OM?
The E6OM has a maple bridge plate.

Here are my notes during my Eastman Sitka/Hog quest:
1) E1OM I tried (Hannover, Germany)
Very resonant (too much?). Thick, fat tone. Compression on the low E and A string.
Bluesy tone. A bit too dirty on fingerstyle arpeggio. Very rewarding in strumming.
Finish is thick. Very comfortable (open pore).
Not much Sustain/Ring. Marvellous neck. Has a metallic zing quality associated to lower end guitar: but not in a bad way.
Feel good guitar.

2) E6OM (Hannover, Germany). Really really good. Sounds like a higher-end guitar. A bit too bright. Very balanced.
Neck is a bit thinner than the E1OM. Great tone in both strum and fingerstyle. saddle was too low (only reason why not bought).

Nota Bene: A year later, the E1 is gone not the E6.

3) E6OM (Den Haag, Netherland)
Warm tone, a bit muddy when recorded. nut is cut too high.
That day: Best tone was E40om, best neck was E20om

4) E1OM (Schramberg, Germany). Very Balanced. No obvious compression from low strings.
Very straight sounding guitar, almost stiff. Tone can become metallic and harsh when hard strum. Neck is OK, no better or worse.

5) E1OM (North of Paris, France). Very Very good. Balanced. Good resonance. A bit bright depending on room. Perfect neck.
Low end is not lacking. No noticeable compression. Was hard not to buy... But the 000-15m next to it had WAY more mojo.

6) E1OM (Center of Paris, France). Way louder than (5). lot's of lows and boom. Still balanced. Bad condition for test (noisy room), had to leave.

7) E6OM (East of France) . Neck a bit thin, very similar to the one from Den Haag. Top wood less beautiful. Like the one in Den Haag, the strings is a little high in the low positions.
For the rest the setup/playability is out-of-this-world. Sound is balanced. Much much sustain and nice ring for fingerstyle and arpeggios.
Tone is perfect in both strumming and fingerstyle. May be a bit resonant on the high strings but the playability enables to forget your fretting hand and focus on adjusting your pick position/attack.

To conclude:
My personal opinion is that
the E1 has a slight metallic/harshier character (it is obvious on the E1D). The E6OM is rounder with a better sustain/ring. But they are GREAT E1-OM out there. What is weird is that the first one I try was the most impressive... It was the cheaper sounding guitar but the resonance/boom was exactly where I wanted and the neck was stellar... It had something special. However, it felt dull in fingerstyle and I was immediatly impressed by the E6OM afterward. The next E1OM sounded more balanced but were not as interesting, although they were more versatile.
Thank you for this. Very helpful.
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