"Are Eastmans A Good Value?"

[Blueser]

I've played over a dozen Eastman guitars and have yet to find one that I would purchase. If I'm looking with a critical eye, the materials and build quality range from just ok to good as did the sound. I've not found any to be really great guitars and for the money ($1200 - $1500), I would look at some used options for other guitars that are a clear step above, IMO. In that range, Larivee OM or L bodies come to mind along with Martin 18 series or mid range Taylors, Gibsons, etc.

I know the statement above will not sit well with some Eastman lovers here, but this is my subjective view based on my experience. It's great to have choices.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Blueser

I've played over a dozen Eastman guitars and have yet to find one that I would purchase. If I'm looking with a critical eye, the materials and build quality range from just ok to good as did the sound. I've not found any to be really great guitars and for the money ($1200 - $1500), I would look at some used options for other guitars that are a clear step above, IMO. In that range, Larivee OM or L bodies come to mind along with Martin 18 series or mid range Taylors, Gibsons, etc.

I know the statement above will not sit well with some Eastman lovers here, but this is my subjective view based on my experience. It's great to have choices.

Well, I am an Eastman lover and you have your own experiences and opinion.The phrase "clear step above" is where we will definitely part ways based on my experience. The "sound" part is 100% subjective, the Eastmans didn't sound as good...to you. I like their sound.
Like yourself, I'm happy for the choices.

Also, you are comparing used to new..that's not apples to apples value-wise.

[bobster7]

Originally Posted by Kupuna50

Yes, Eastman guitars are a good 'value'.
The dilemma I see is that many are comparing them to the likes of Martin, Taylor, Collings, etc.
For a 'value' guitar, they are worth the money.
But..............they are NOT comparable to those mentioned above.
IMHO

Can't agree with this at all. They are absolutely comparable with the aformentioned brands (i own a Collings, H&D, Gibson, Dave King). I find it quite bizarre that people baulk at the notion of an Eastman 'being as good' as a Martin, Collings or Taylor but then often (not the above poster of course) have the audacity to lump them in with the derogatory termed 'pac-rim' brands such as the Chinese guilds, fenders, alvarez or Blueridge etc etc. They are leagues above these brands its actually quite concerning that people can't see and 'hear' the differences. Eastman are not a 'value' brand like many of the Chinese brands but rather a high quality brand offering outstanding value which is an important distinction.

Originally Posted by guitar george

I have checked out Eastman guitars in two local stores. They are very fine guitars. They seem to be well built. Most of them sound pretty good. The question in this thread is "Are Eastmans a Good Value?" I feel that they are quite expensive, when compared to other Chinese made guitars, and would probably have been made at a fraction of the cost of a North American or European made guitar.

You can't compare them to other Chinese brands that's the point they are head and shoulders above these other brands at present.

Originally Posted by Zissou Intern

I respect your opinion, but do not share it. I worked in a Martin, Guild, Bourgeois, Collings, Gibson, and SCGC shop. I have owned all of those brands as well H&D, Blueridge, Seagull, Taylor, and Eastman. Tonally, Eastman guitars can and do hang with anything. That being said, Collings fit and finish is beyond everything else. Bourgeois and SCGC workmanship is usually beyond Martin.

Agree 100% with this Collings fit and finish is unsurpassed.

By my count, I have owned 11 Martins, all 14 and 12 fret dreads. My latest was a 2016 D18. My 2017 E6D is a better guitar, in both tone and ergonomics, than the D18. My wife's AJ816 (Engelman top over carved maple back and sides) is flat out the best jumbo I have ever played including numerous Guilds and Taylors.

Your ears must be wrong because something built in China can't possibly be comparable or sound better than an American guitar!

Originally Posted by jdto

You can compare any guitar to any other guitar. I have played several Eastmans that I have preferred over Taylors and Martins in similar or higher price brackets. They are guitars that stand on their own merits, rather than “poor man’s X” guitars.

Exactly. I feel if Eastman were built in say... Canada everyone would be raving about them.

[rokdog49]

I'm going to make a blanket statement here which I believe to be quite valid with one qualifier, the word "Generally"

Generally speaking, I find that the tendency here to dismiss Eastman's value as something less than what they are or compare them to mass-produced PAC-rim instruments is either borne from limited personal experience, no experience or just plain bias.
When I read posts from folks on here who own Martins, Collins, Gibsons, Taylor's, and other brands and they say the Eastmans they own are comparable or in some cases better guitars, I can't dismiss those opinions as a personal bias in favor of Eastman. These are real people with the ability to compare Eastmans with their own guitar collections and the other brands they own. If folks want to be dismissive of these opinions, oh well.

[AgentKooper]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Generally speaking, I find that the tendency here to dismiss Eastman's value as something less than what they are or compare them to mass-produced PAC-rim instruments is either borne from limited personal experience, no experience or just plain bias.

But Eastmans ARE mass-produced Pac-rim instruments, aren’t they? I’m not at all intending to bash Eastman. I like the company’s story, and I think they make cool instruments.

[Tuberoast]

I use a E6OM for practice and on the bandstand, I love it. I would say D and C for a response.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by AgentKooper

But Eastmans ARE mass-produced Pac-rim instruments, aren’t they? I’m not at all intending to bash Eastman. I like the company’s story, and I think they make cool instruments.

Yes, you could say they are and not be wrong. My understanding is they build a few hundred a week without the use of CNC machines or any automatic equipment. That would be the biggest difference. As I said earlier if the way they build them means nothing to the prospective buyer, fair enough.
When I pick one of mine up with the knowledge it was made with a hand-carved neck, hand-cut wood pieces, hand-sprayed finish etc., etc., and it's done that well,it brings me joy.

[Scolaguitar]

I would also put them somewhere between C and D.
Someone said they did a good job of "copying" gibson or martin. They're not any different than any other boutique builder that has their own interpretation of the classics. Collings has their dreads, slope shoulders, etc.

So with that being said, they're not trying to be Martin or Gibson or Taylor. They are their own thing like others have said. They have their own voicing and many are impressed by it.

I have 2 flattops. My all Sapele GA that was under $500, we actually prefer it to the Taylor 314ce. I had a luthier do some tweaks on it and he was in disbelief with how inexpensive it was and how good it sounded. I'm planning on selling the Taylor.

I have the E20SS and I love it. I just got a D-18 which is getting most of my attention these days but then I pick up the Eastman, I find it more loose and responsive than the Martin. It's rosewood so it's doing what rosewood does. They're different and great in their own ways. The D-18 is punchier but with all the wonderful bass and it can take a hard strumming. It has medium strings and the Eastman has lights so that could be why.

My husband got one of their arch tops. All solid wood, nitrocellulose finish. Gorgeous to look at. He rarely lets himself get a new toy but this one impressed him enough to take it home.

So that's my spiel on Eastmans. They're like any other good brand. I've played plenty of Taylors and Martins that didn't speak to me so it's no different with Eastmans. They won't speak to everyone. It doesn't mean they're inferior.

[AgentKooper]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Yes, you could say they are and not be wrong. My understanding is they build a few hundred a week without the use of CNC machines or any automatic equipment. That would be the biggest difference. As I said earlier if the way they build them means nothing to the prospective buyer, fair enough.
When I pick one of mine up with the knowledge it was made with a hand-carved neck, hand-cut wood pieces, hand-sprayed finish etc., etc., and it's done that well,it brings me joy.

I hear you. I’d love to check out one of their sunburst OMs.

[baw3]

Yeah What scolaguitar said. And just for the record I sold my Taylor 810 and will keep my Eastman e20d cause I think it sounds better than my Taylor did. I'm just glad I bought my Taylor when it was only 2000 bucks, otherwise I would really be pissed. Just my 2 cents. Also have a Eastman E10ss that I will never sell. Both guitars to ME are great sounding.

[rokdog49]

I'm going to post some pictures of the "critical areas" of my E 10 OO SS soon so people can look and decide for themselves about the Eastman "build"

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

Yes, you could say they are and not be wrong. My understanding is they build a few hundred a week without the use of CNC machines or any automatic equipment. That would be the biggest difference. As I said earlier if the way they build them means nothing to the prospective buyer, fair enough.
When I pick one of mine up with the knowledge it was made with a hand-carved neck, hand-cut wood pieces, hand-sprayed finish etc., etc., and it's done that well,it brings me joy.

Jamie, my understanding is that the number is way lower. Eastman told me that they're making ~4k annually, so that would be less than 100/week. I wouldn't consider that mass-produced, although also not as small as a boutique builder making just a handful. They utilize an assembly line, where someone may work on tops, another person on bracing, necks, finish, etc.

[backdoc]

Originally Posted by AgentKooper

But Eastmans ARE mass-produced Pac-rim instruments, aren’t they? I’m not at all intending to bash Eastman. I like the company’s story, and I think they make cool instruments.

They are absolutely NOT mass produced. They are all hand made, no CNC machines to be found at the factory. Production is not keeping with demand at the moment as Eastman will not just hire workers off the street. That is why prices have just gone up.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by devellis

I agree. I currently have another archtop, an oval-hole 804, styled after a Gibson L-4 from the 1920s. This is a very nice guitar. Good archtops can command very high prices and this one was a relative bargain. Quality of materials and construction are very good, especially at the price point these sold for (they've been discontinued). Here's a picture of the beautiful maple used on the back, and a full picture of the front.

That is a true beauty!

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by AgentKooper

But Eastmans ARE mass-produced Pac-rim instruments, aren’t they? I’m not at all intending to bash Eastman. I like the company’s story, and I think they make cool instruments.

No, that is incorrect. They are still a relatively small factory employing a lot of craftsmen.