Eastman AC422CE vs E20OM head to head

phydaux · #1 09-25-2021, 02:29 PM

I swung by Johnson Strings in Newton Lower Falls MA today. Their web site said they has several Eastman guitars in stock, but when I arrived they didn't have any on display. After talking to the floor rep she disappeared and came back a few minutes later with an AC422CE and an E20OM. That was great, as I specifically wanted to play rosewood guitars today.

These were both BEAUTIFUL guitars. Much more beautiful than the Eastman E6OM TC I played last week at Strings n' Things in Concord NH. The AC422CE had a wonderful, balanced sound, and it didn't take long for my brain the start saying "This is the one."

Then I played the E20OM. The E20OM has a slightly different tone, more chime-like. More highs & lows. As I went back and forth between the two, both flat picking and finger picking, digging-in to both the bass notes and the treble melody, I actually decided I liked the E20OM better. It seemed more "opposite" to my '86 spruce & mahogany Guild D-25.

I'm still saving up my nickels & dimes & bottle caps & breakfast cereal box tops for my next guitar, but as of now it will definitely be an Eastman, probably of of these two, and highly likely the E20OM.

mawmow · #2 09-25-2021, 04:15 PM

Thanks for sharing : It does help me !!!

dhalbert · #3 09-25-2021, 05:52 PM

I bought an E2OM in person from Johnson String Instruments at the beginning of the summer, after waiting about six months for it to come back into stock.

If you call them, they will pull what you want to play from the warehouse and bring it to the store.

jklotz · #4 09-25-2021, 06:00 PM

I like my e20-OM. It's my gigging guitar. Somewhere around the 2 year mark, it somehow changed and really opened up. Meaning, if you like it now, buy it and play the crap out of it, my guess is you'll like it even more in a couple of years.

phydaux · #5 09-25-2021, 06:15 PM

That's what they say about Adirondack spruce.

I honestly went into this expecting to love the AC422CE more. And I DID like the AC422CE a lot. It actually took me by surprise that I ended up liking the E20OM.

I'm actually kind of ticked that I've got this 35 year old vintage Guild mahogany & spruce D-25 dreadnought sitting here next to me. If I didn't already own it then my next guitar would be the mahogany & spruce E10OM orchestra model for strumming & fingerstyle. Then I'd get an E20D dreadnought for flat picking. That, in my head, would be the perfect acoustic guitarsenal. I'd be "done."

But since I already have the mahogany dreadnought then that means I'll probably get a rosewood OM. And THAT means I'll probably want to get a mahogany OM down the line.

I suppose I could sell my Guild to help fund my new acquisitions, but THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

jklotz · #6 09-25-2021, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phydaux

I suppose I could sell my Guild to help fund my new acquisitions, but THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

Nah, don't ever think about getting rid of that Guild. It, and myself, have a lot of wisdom we've garnered since the 80's. Lot's of other guitars out there, but all you have to do is strum a G chord to know the effects of aging are irreplaceable. Same goes for the guitar.