NGD - Eastman AC822ce Koa LTD

[Cool555]

Congratulations! Great looking Koa guitar! Enjoy playing and bonding with it!

On a side note, I’ve considered buying an all-Koa guitar many times. Taylor K24CE and other makers like Maestro. As Eastman is made in China, I think it is highly likely that the Koa is Farmosan Koa and not Hawaiian Koa. Just my guess. Did you happen to ask Eastman what Koa this is? More information on wood types are found in “The Wood Database”.

[tomcstokes59]

Never even thought to ask. That might be an interesting piece of information. From my understanding acacia is the family of woods that includes Hawaiin Koa as well as Australian Blackwood. From what I read on fermosa koa (acacia confusa) the maximum trunk diameter is only 3 feet and only on very old trees. I wonder if that is thick enough to make guitar tops and back. It was introduced to Hawaii several decades ago and is now considered an invasive species. I will pose the question to Eastman and see what response I get.

[tomcstokes59]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Congratulations! Great looking Koa guitar! Enjoy playing and bonding with it!

On a side note, I’ve considered buying an all-Koa guitar many times. Taylor K24CE and other makers like Maestro. As Eastman is made in China, I think it is highly likely that the Koa is Farmosan Koa and not Hawaiian Koa. Just my guess. Did you happen to ask Eastman what Koa this is? More information on wood types are found in “The Wood Database”.

Full Specs on Eastman AC822ce Koa LTD from TFOA website

Body Shape: Grand Auditorium
Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose
Body Material: Solid Hawaiian Koa
Top Material: Solid Hawaiian Koa
Lefty No
Body Details: Figured Maple body bindings, multi-layered body trim, pearl rosette, tortoise pickguard
Neck Material: Mahogany
Neck Profile: C-shape
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Fingerboard Radius: 16”
Neck Details: abalone dot position markers, figured maple fingerboard/headstock bindings, ebony/maple trim, ebony headstock overlay
Nutwidth: 44.5 mm - 1 3/4"
Scale Length: 650mm - 25 9/16"
String spacing: 55 mm - 2 5/32"
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Gotoh gold w/ ebony buttons
Pickup LR Baggs Anthem
Condition: New
Cosmetic Condition: None
Modifications/
Repairs: None
Tech Notes: None
Travels in: Hardshell case
Accessories: Certificate of authenticity

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by tomcstokes59

Full Specs on Eastman AC822ce Koa LTD from TFOA website



Body Shape:Grand Auditorium

Finish:Gloss Nitrocellulose

Body Material:Solid Hawaiian Koa

Top Material:Solid Hawaiian Koa

LeftyNo

Body Details:Figured Maple body bindings, multi-layered body trim, pearl rosette, tortoise pickguard

Neck Material:Mahogany

Neck Profile:C-shape

Fingerboard Material:Ebony

Fingerboard Radius:16”

Neck Details:abalone dot position markers, figured maple fingerboard/headstock bindings, ebony/maple trim, ebony headstock overlay

Nutwidth:44.5 mm - 1 3/4"

Scale Length:650mm - 25 9/16"

String spacing:55 mm - 2 5/32"

Bridge:Ebony

Tuners:Gotoh gold w/ ebony buttons

PickupLR Baggs Anthem

Condition:New

Cosmetic Condition:None

Modifications/

Repairs:None

Tech Notes:None

Travels in:Hardshell case

Accessories:Certificate of authenticity

Wow! Congratulations once again! You got yourself a great deal! I wouldn’t feel totally satisfied if I wanted an all Hawaiian Koa and got Formosan Koa instead. Enjoy your Hawaiian!

[Pura Vida]

FYI: Formosan Koa wood grows in Hawaii, so it could be Formosa and still be Hawaiian Koa wood. Eastman would be the best source for this answer. But keep in mind that Qian Ni prides himself on acquiring great wood supplies for his instruments.

[tomcstokes59]

I emailed Eastman CS to see what information they can provide. I probably won't receive an answer until after the holidays

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by tomcstokes59

Never even thought to ask. That might be an interesting piece of information. From my understanding acacia is the family of woods that includes Hawaiin Koa as well as Australian Blackwood. From what I read on fermosa koa (acacia confusa) the maximum trunk diameter is only 3 feet and only on very old trees. I wonder if that is thick enough to make guitar tops and back. It was introduced to Hawaii several decades ago and is now considered an invasive species. I will pose the question to Eastman and see what response I get.

I was actually thinking of Taiwanese Koa (Formosan Koa) that I guessed Eastman may have imported the Koa from. Since Taiwan is so near to China.

I didn’t know that Formosan Koa is now an invasive species in Hawaii.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Cool555

I was actually thinking of Taiwanese Koa (Formosan Koa) that I guessed Eastman may have imported the Koa from. Since Taiwan is so near to China.

I didn’t know that Formosan Koa is now an invasive species in Hawaii.

Avoiding the obvious political rules of the forum, although China and Taiwan are in close proximity, they have a very difficult relationship, since China views Taiwan as a breakaway province of their country. Without any confirmation, I would expect importing Taiwanese materials into mainland China as more problematic than from other countries.

[GuitarMoxy]

I am considering purchasing this guitar. Do you have any other comments after playing it for a while? Is the sound balanced, as the salesperson said, or did it end up being too bright for you?

I'm on the precipice of an impulse-buy, so any comments you might have would be most welcome.

[tomcstokes59]

GM
It is very balanced and not anywhere what I would call bright sounding. I have two OMs that I also play and this one has a lot more bass. It is very balanced in its tone. I really cannot find one thing amiss with the guitar. I personally believe Eastman put some of their best people and materials into it. The Gotoh tuners are smooth as silk. The bevel armrest makes for a very comfortable arm position - I have a tendency to hug the guitar a little tight with my right arm. The sound hole does increase the volume to the player. I did not notice it at first until I started comparing it to the sound my from other guitars. My personal take is that it is an A++ instrument.

[merlin666]

Originally Posted by tomcstokes59

Never even thought to ask. That might be an interesting piece of information. From my understanding acacia is the family of woods that includes Hawaiin Koa as well as Australian Blackwood. From what I read on fermosa koa (acacia confusa) the maximum trunk diameter is only 3 feet and only on very old trees. I wonder if that is thick enough to make guitar tops and back. It was introduced to Hawaii several decades ago and is now considered an invasive species. I will pose the question to Eastman and see what response I get.

Hawaiian Koa is acacia koa. For instruments only old growth koa is used that has a limited supply as it can not be logged, and only fallen dead or diseased/dying trees are available for harvest. Even the small ukulele family businesses of Hawaii have challenges with finding suitable wood for their small instruments, and are moving toward non-traditional woods such as mango. So I also wonder where huge companies like Eastman get their wood from. The pictures suggest very low quality sapwood with knots etc, that would have been rejected by ukulele builders but may have been useful for other purposes, such as carving trinkets.

[GuitarMoxy]

Originally Posted by merlin666

Hawaiian Koa is acacia koa. For instruments only old growth koa is used that has a limited supply as it can not be logged, and only fallen dead or diseased/dying trees are available for harvest. Even the small ukulele family businesses of Hawaii have challenges with finding suitable wood for their small instruments, and are moving toward non-traditional woods such as mango. So I also wonder where huge companies like Eastman get their wood from. The pictures suggest very low quality sapwood with knots etc, that would have been rejected by ukulele builders but may have been useful for other purposes, such as carving trinkets.

Well that’s putting me off buying it....

[tomcstokes59]

Originally Posted by merlin666

Hawaiian Koa is acacia koa. For instruments only old growth koa is used that has a limited supply as it can not be logged, and only fallen dead or diseased/dying trees are available for harvest. Even the small ukulele family businesses of Hawaii have challenges with finding suitable wood for their small instruments, and are moving toward non-traditional woods such as mango. So I also wonder where huge companies like Eastman get their wood from. The pictures suggest very low quality sapwood with knots etc, that would have been rejected by ukulele builders but may have been useful for other purposes, such as carving trinkets.

Pertaining to the availability of Koa, I have read similar comments about scarcity, especially regarding acacia koa. It seems Taylor may be having the same issue with the use of sap wood.

Addendum - I forgot to include the link to the specific guitar. Note this is for aesthetic comparison only. I have never played an all Koa Taylor and cannot personally speak to their tone in comparison to the Eastman. I would wager to bet this is an amazing instrument. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...om-koa-natural

[jrdavies]

I caught the all Koa guitar fever a couple of years ago. I did some research and found this post from AlohaChris helpful. I also found a number of Wade Hampton's posts on Koa helpful. Hawaiian Airlines inflight magazine had an article on Koa that was informative. Koa can vary in density, color and figure. So not all Koa will make a good guitar. Playing before you buy is important.

As you probably know top quality Koa is expensive. I checked a couple of guitar makers websites and the upcharge for an all Koa guitar was in the neighborhood of $3,000. The is the upcharge price so that would be on top of the base price. After looking at a couple of sub $1,500 used guitars I felt that it would cost $5k or more to cure my Koa fever.

In this case the quality of the Koa may not be AAA but it might get you want you want. Do you trust Eastman to make a good sounding guitar that will be structurally sound? Do you trust the seller to sell you a good guitar? Could you arrange for a 1-2 day approval period?

In the end, after much searching and a lot of patience, I bought a Larrivee all Koa OMV for much less than I thought I would have to. I didn't get a chance to play it before hand but figured that it was beautiful enough to at least cool the fever. It is in great shape and sounds great.

Good luck!

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by jrdavies

In this case the quality of the Koa may not be AAA but it might get you want you want. Do you trust Eastman to make a good sounding guitar that will be structurally sound? Do you trust the seller to sell you a good guitar? Could you arrange for a 1-2 day approval period?

Are you asking Tom if he trusts Eastman and LA Guitar Sales about the quality of the product he already purchased and reviewed?