Eastman vs All Others

[calstang66]

We are visiting my wife"s mother in Raleigh N.C. so they talk while I visit guitar shops. I've been to 2 Guitar Centers, Sam Ash Music, Sound Pure Music and 3 other guitar shops, a lot of fun. A lot of Taylor's and Martin's, also Huss & Dalton, Guilds, Bedells and Gibsons and Collings and Yamahas.

Eastman vs Martin - 2 different voices. Not sure what to say. High end Martins feel and sound expensive, near perfect and the sound is extremely balanced. My Eastman AC422 has the woods of a D-28 or 000-28 yet those Martin's are like Frank Sinatra (a "Quality voice and the Standard to which all are compared) and my AC422 is like an Andy William's (a beautiful noticeably prettier voice).

Eastman vs Collings - the Eastman "sound" in general has been compared to Collings'. Yes Collings feel and sound better but Eastmans project a similar beautiful chiming voice.

Eastman vs all others mentioned above - Eastmans I've owned in my opinion stand up in comfort playability and sound as either equal to or in some cases better than the other brands above...but I certainly understand that some folks just have a preference for the sound of a specific brand.

[Beakybird]

If you're Eastman is like Andy Williams, then every day is the most wonderful time of the year.

I bought one of the OP's Eastmans, and it is neither Collings nor Taylor nor Gibson nor nothing. It does its own thing, and it does it extremely well. It needn't try to be anything else. More voices = more choices!

[dkstott]

I'd take a Eastman over a Martin or Gibson everyday of the week and twice on weekends



The reality is that my left hand hates the Martin & Gibson neck profiles.

[Treenewt]

Originally Posted by Beakybird

If you're Eastman is like Andy Williams, then every day is the most wonderful time of the year.

This one made me laugh quite loudly. Well played!

I am an Eastman fan, and I concur. Just a great acoustic any way you slice it.

[musicman1951]

I was in the local store a few weeks back and played a $1,200 Eastman just to satisfy my curiosity. I thought it was a lot of guitar for the money - good fit and finish and nice sound. I didn't compare it to guitars at three times the price because that just seems like an exercise in futility to me.


I have a friend who's Eastman mandolin had a glue failure at the neck, but I assume this was unusual as I never hear other tragic stories here.

[Texmex03]

Really like the 2 Eastmans I have had and to me the important thing is how do they handle things when something’s goes wrong. If you check out my other threads you will see Eastman stands behind their products and really came through for me.


Added bonus they happen to also look, sound and feel great.

[llew]

I have one of the thermo-cured topped E20D models and it doesn't sound exactly like a rosewood Martin dread to me although it does have some of that voicing. A little more balanced overall. A little more shimmer across the board. A friend of mine is using it right now in the studio to do some recording that requires some "blue grass" licks. So he liked it well enough?

[roylor4]

I have owned 4 Eastmans - 2 dogs and 2 very good ones.

I liked the necks on 3 of them but the string spacing was kind of tight on all but one (they were all supposed to be 1.75" but weren't). They may have a better handle on building to the stated specs now, but were hit or miss early on.

Tonally they do have their own voice and I found them to be somewhere in the spectrum between Martin and Taylor.

I'm not sure if I will ever own another one but if I bought one it would have to be bought in person. Since they are hand built, there can be a great deal of variation tone-wise between two of the exact same model.

They have also reached a point in their pricing where I would be inclined to look at a used Martin or Taylor first for about the same money. YMMV

[mawmow]

I own some Taylors, Gibsons, Larrivees and Martin. I bought an Eatman AC122 ce last summer : the most I play it, the most I love it !
I am surprised you did not compare with Taylor since they use quite the same naming numbers...

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

..neither Collings nor Taylor nor Gibson nor nothing. It does its own thing, and it does it extremely well. It needn't try to be anything else. More voices = more choices!

Thanks for the thread Billy.

I won my first Eastman - AC420 - in a store giveaway. When I picked it up, there were a couple players in there, going crazy over another Eastman dread. They couldn't get over how open and Martin-like it was. Back then I naturally assumed that if a builder went to the trouble of copying the LOOK of a Martin (or a Gibson), that they'd try to match the sound too. What did I know? So I was initially disappointed that my new dread didn't sound at all like a D28, and later, that my E10SS didn't sound like a J45.

Reading this forum, and you know, actually starting to pay attention to the whole world of flat top ACOUSTIC GUITAR, I realized that to some extent, everybody's building Martin and Gibson clones. Don't know how many of them successfully capture either of those companies' iconic sounds, either by design or by accident. But I think we'd all agree that "imitators" who have gained lasting success have done so by building to achieve their own particular sound. I happen to like the one that Eastman's come up with. I definitely have some quibbles with them - a little more string spacing room would be nice - but at the same time, I keep coming back to them.

[Steadfastly]

I have had a similar experience with my Alvarez Masterworks MD-60 and the Martin D-18.

There are almost always going to be subtle differences but it goes to show you that you don't need to have a certain name on the headstock these days to get a certain tone.

[bobster7]

Outstanding guitars and I agree about the ‘chiming tone’ of Eastman guitars. Tonally my little E20p hangs comfortably with my Collings 000-2H and H&D 12 fret custom, guitars that should in all honesty put it to shame given the huge price differences. There is a crystalline beauty in the trebles of my little Eastman but it also has a lot of power when needed. Strung with my trusty Thomastik strings it’s a marriage made in heaven. It kinda annoys me how good it is given the comparative low cost!

[Pura Vida]

Over the last two years, I've quite literally gone all-in with Eastman guitars. I love the tone and quality, and as TexMex mentioned, they stand fully behind their products with outstanding customer service.

And I can totally understand Roy's comments about inconsistency in specs and sound. Their QC has become excellent (all of my Eastman guitars are 2016 or newer and spot-on to specs), and their sound is generally more consistent as they've learned more about making flat-top acoustic guitars. Also, they had issues with fragile finishes, but that seems to be resolved too.

Billy, I really like your comparisons to the other brands, which may be more accessible. I agree that the sound is nothing like Martin, Gibson, etc. They really have their own thing with balance, clarity, and a little extra shimmer on the top.

[rokdog49]

For a pretty much "under the radar" guitar builder, Eastman has done rather well. I came to know of Eastman right here on the AGF by reading posts from members who loved them.
I bought my first Eastman, an E20D, used. It was a little less than two years old and had a powerful, punchy voicing...a great guitar that I still miss. I payed $800 for it. Looking back, it stood head and shoulders above its cost. It has been moved on to someone I know who is enjoying it. My E10 00 SS is a great little guitar. It has its own cool voice and the build is truly excellent. It has an Adirondack Spruce top and the sides and back are a gorgeous Mahogany, all for under $1000 and of course, built by hand.
I will add another Eastman to my little collection one of these days...might be another E20D.