Tale of 2 12 fret 00s

[jonbee]

I've owned many dreads, GS's and other bigger guitars over time but because of age (69) and an old left wrist sprain playing them became a bit painful.
After reading about 12 frets' comfort, I bought a 2016 Taylor 812e 12 fret (sitka/EIR) and became an instant convert. No more wrist pain period. In spite of the GC body size (1/4" larger than 00) it has warmth, good bass depth and power, great volume, and superb sustain, clarity, and overtone richness.
For me it is the whole package in a small size.
That said, I wanted another, cheaper 12 fret for practice and such, and I settled on an Eastman E10 00-M all solid mahogany model. This guitar is about 1/3 the price of the Taylor.
I've been playing it all day, and I have a pretty good idea what it is and is not.
It is quite well made, nearly flawless, but not quite on a par with the Taylor, which is perfectly executed and with much more bling- wood binding, abalone, etc.
The neck on the E10 is a medium-thin C-shape, just over 1 3/4 nut, a bit chunky for me but that's a personal thing. I've always loved Taylor necks.
E10 frets are well dressed, neck has good intonation, and the woodwork is really lovely.
Sonic-ally, it is not nearly as loud as the 812, and the overtones are somewhat muffled in comparison. E-10 bass is good, but not as powerful as the 812.
But - I don't want to give the E-10 faint praise, as the comparison is unfair. The 812 is a $$$ thoroughbred, IMO. A musician friend who has played dozens of very fine custom instruments over many decades concurs that it is a very fine piece. When he first played it I could hardly get it out of his hands over a 2 hour period.
Compared to other Chinese made guitars at about this price ($1100 new, ~$800 used) that I've played, such as the Yamaha A or L series, the E10 has a bit more bass, sustain and openness to me. That makes it a great value, as I think the Yamahas are tough to beat for the $. And of course, the 12 fret design of the E10 is a key requirement for me.
I'm very pleased with the E10 00-M. It is easy playing, good sounding and looks great, just what I wanted. I've owned similar priced (used) dreads, notably older models from Yairi that I've liked better, but that ship has sailed for me.
As always, YMMV.

[KenL]

I've had 2 Eastman E10Ps, and both were really, really good guitars. Notice I didn't say "for the money." They were just really good guitars.

Both were sunburst, and Eastman does a great SB.

I'm glad you found what you were looking for in your Taylor. Those 12 fretters of theirs are something special. I wish the Taylor neck worked for me, because I would have one too.

[jonbee]

Originally Posted by KenL

I've had 2 Eastman E10Ps, and both were really, really good guitars. Notice I didn't say "for the money." They were just really good guitars.

Both were sunburst, and Eastman does a great SB.

I owned an Eastman E20 00 SS 14 fret for a while. It was quite good, but with 14 frets it didn't solve my problem. The all mahogany 00 M is definitely warmer and not as loud.

[Ameridane]

Eastmans are great guitars. So are Taylors.

You can’t really compare the two models here since the Eastman is all mahogany and the Taylor is Sitka/rosewood. Two completely different animals.

[DownUpDave]

I have a Taylor 512e 12 fret, cedar mahogany and an Eastman E100 LTD which is Adirondack spruce and sapelle 12 fret. They naturally sound different from each other, a good thing, both sound great. The Eatman is 1/3 the price of the Taylor and I enjoy it's sound, works great finger picked and strummed. It has a pile of headroom for a 00 size and can handle aggressive strumming very well. I am thinking of getting a Schatten Artist II pick up installed.

I am glad the 12 fret experiment has worked well for you and may you continue to enjoy those two excellent instruments. An 812 is on my radar if I go spruce and rosewood. Congratulations.