Talk me out of an Eastman AC712!

[jdinco]

You really shouldn't buy that Eastman, leave it for the next guy to buy and come on the AGF and tell us how great it is!

I just ordered a E20SS, if it's 1/2 as good as the E20D they had, I'll be in heaven!!

[mattwood]

Originally Posted by slewis

Well, they're made in China. That's enough for me to not own one.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your Breedlove model made in Korea? Kind of splitting hairs aren't ya?

[wooglins]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

So all the famously lightly-built pre war guitars from Martin and Gibson aren't going to last much longer now I s'pose ? Best avoid one of them then.

I do not think you understood my post. Guitars that are lightly built that last are built individually with attention paid to to characteristics of the individual wood that is used, and the bracing is adjusted to match. A skilled craftsman can build a lightly built instrument that will hold up well but only when they have the freedom to do so. That freedom is not always available on an assembly line where all of the tops are the same thickness and the bracing is the same regardless of the characteristics of the individual components will comprise the guitar.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by wooglins

I do not think you understood my post. Guitars that are lightly built that last are built individually with attention paid to to characteristics of the individual wood that is used, and the bracing is adjusted to match. A skilled craftsman can build a lightly built instrument that will hold up well but only when they have the freedom to do so. That freedom is not always available on an assembly line where all of the tops are the same thickness and the bracing is the same regardless of the characteristics of the individual components will comprise the guitar.

Sorry, but I don't think those pre war ones, especially the Kalamazoo Gals' specimens, were built with any great attention to fine detail, or any real thought of potential longevity.
But here we are, paying $$$$$$ for a nice one, 70 odd years later.
Maybe all Eastmans will implode in 10 years time, but I can't really see why, if you looked after them.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by wooglins

I do not think you understood my post. Guitars that are lightly built that last are built individually with attention paid to to characteristics of the individual wood that is used, and the bracing is adjusted to match. A skilled craftsman can build a lightly built instrument that will hold up well but only when they have the freedom to do so. That freedom is not always available on an assembly line where all of the tops are the same thickness and the bracing is the same regardless of the characteristics of the individual components will comprise the guitar.

I think they did. Eastmans are hand built, not on any assembly line - at least not as we know it. I agree that YOU shouldn't buy an Eastman though. More for those of us that appreciate them for what they are.

[wooglins]

Originally Posted by roylor4

I think they did. Eastmans are hand built, not on any assembly line - at least not as we know it. I agree that YOU shouldn't buy an Eastman though. More for those of us that appreciate them for what they are.

I just do not know yet on the Eastmans, but I really like them. Time will tell, they may turn out to be very solid 20 years from now, but it is hard to predict. My point was Eastmans today are great for a player, but with no promise of longevity because the light build has not had enough time to be tested. I do agree that Martin and Gibson did pay attention to individually voicing the tops on the older instruments. They were making so few per year that they could dedicate the proper amount of time to doing just that.

[slewis]

Originally Posted by mattwood

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your Breedlove model made in Korea? Kind of splitting hairs aren't ya?

Nope. There's a huge difference between China and Korea in my book.

[nuggy]

I've been checking this thread every break I get from work and the more i read, the more I want to just clock out, run to the guitar store, fist fight any potential old lady in the proximity of the (nay, MY) guitar and just throw my wallet at them as I run out the store with the guitar!!

[pjroberts]

Originally Posted by nuggy

I've been checking this thread every break I get from work and the more i read, the more I want to just clock out, run to the guitar store, fist fight any potential old lady in the proximity of the (nay, MY) guitar and just throw my wallet at them as I run out the store with the guitar!!

I think you should! Fantastic way to kick off the weekend, and of course you then have the weekend itself. I just spent months looking for a D-28/HD-28, and could not find one, or my patience ran thin. Along the way I started trying alternatives, including lesser expensive SCGC and others, plus some local Collings, though they were tipping my budget. Toward the end I kept going back to the Eastman 20D (Adi/RW) until all the Martin's started getting compared to that as the benchmark. Finally I said, oh, duh! Can always come back to the Martin hunt, hopefully they will get more consistent, which is my main Martin beef.

Now, you don't have this us vs them, east vs. west thing going, you're already next door. So support your neighbor craftsmen and pick up that guitar this afternoon. It's getting late down there, hurry up!

Let us know that you get it and prove it with some pix.

[Sike]

Look, an argument about China and guitar builds...

On topic, the Eastman's do sound great from my limited experience.

[David C]

Originally Posted by nuggy

What would the main complaint be?

Only complaint is that I only have two of them!