Talk me into or out of an Eastman E10SS, sight unseen

[JHey!]

The title sums it up. I’ve been wanting to add a slope shoulder in the spirit of the J-45. I don’t want to spend a lot. I’ve done some research and it seems Eastmans are generally well-regarded in terms of bang for the buck. It also seems E10ss owners give positive reviews, with the most common hitch being the narrow nut width. Unfortunately, I haven’t found one I can demo before buying. There aren’t any stores close to me that have one in stock, at least not that I’ve found. There are some new ones on Reverb, primarily the E10ss/v, which has a relic’d finish. I prefer the standard finish. My local retailer (Long & McQuade in Windsor, ON) can order one from its distributor, but they tell me it’s going to be about a 90 day wait. There’s also a non-refundable re-stocking fee of 10% (if I recall correctly) if I don’t want the guitar, as it’s not something they typically stock in any store.

If you were me, would you roll the dice and place the order? Based on your experiences, what can you say about the good, bad or ugly of Eastman, and the E10ss in particular?

[baw3]

The only way you will know is to roll the dice. Whats the worst that could happen. You might lose a few bucks on the fee but I think it would be worth it. As you can see by my signature I own an Eastman and I will never sell it. I actually have another on order, the E10om-tc. Your call though.

[Goodallboy]

No, I wouldn’t “roll the dice” unless you’re ok with any guitar rather than a really, really fine one. That’s player specific, so wherever you are on the scale will determine what you do.

Most will tell you to go for it.

[JHey!]

Originally Posted by baw3

The only way you will know is to roll the dice. Whats the worst that could happen. You might lose a few bucks on the fee but I think it would be worth it. As you can see by my signature I own an Eastman and I will never sell it. I actually have another on order, the E10om-tc. Your call though.

I’m leaning towards roll the dice. You used to own an E10ss, right? Why did you part with it?

[JHey!]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

No, I wouldn’t “roll the dice” unless you’re ok with any guitar rather than a really, really fine one. That’s player specific, so wherever you are on the scale will determine what you do.

Most will tell you to go for it.

Is that your general feeling about buying any guitar sight unseen, or does it depend on the manufacturer? I’ve acquired a Collings and a SCGC sight unseen, both of which met and maybe exceeded my expectations, but only after reading a lot of comments by people saying they’d buy guitars from those builders sight unseen. In this case, based on price and builder, I’m not quite sure how to my manage my expectations.

[tomcstokes59]

Preface - I like Eastman guitars. I have owned several and still own 3.

I have owned both the standard E10SS and the /v. I think they are great guitars. The standard IMHO has a more refined sound and the /v is lighter, louder and maybe a more raw tone to it. The only reason I don't still own one of them is the nut - 1.69" and the neck. I am fairly new at learning to play guitar (about 4 years). I have found that I have a preference for a1.75" nut and string spacing of a minimum of 1.50". Additionally the neck was just a little thinner than I prefer. With those exceptions, I think either guitar is very good and not just for the price. The fit and finish is typically excellent. The playability right out of the box is good, although I have had a couple with really high action and needed some relief, nut and saddle adjustments. If they make a slope shoulder design with a beefier neck and wider nut I would probably buy one again.

Caveat: If you are thinking of the E10SS or /v to scratch that Gibson tone itch, I think you will be disappointed. Neither of ones I tried reminded me, even remotely, of a Gibson slope shoulder. The tone was just different - neither good nor bad. Good luck with your search.

[baw3]

Yes I did own a E10ss. To be honest I do regret selling it. It was a fine guitar.I was going thru a lot of guitars at that time. Some of them just wasn't for me. If I remember right I was selling it to help pay for another guitar. I have just got to the place where I'm happy with what I have. I have one more Eastman on order but after that I'm slowing down for at least a while. I try to keep my herd to just 5 guitars.

[Tricitynomad]

My Eastman E10SS arrives tomorrow, I purchased it without seeing/playing it. After much research and reading through comments in forums and videos I decided to pull the trigger. I'm very excited about this purchase and after a few days of playing and getting a feel for the guitar, I'll come back to this thread and share my first impressions.

I own a Yamaha A1m which has a 1" 11/16 width nut, so I don't think the neck width will be much of an issue. I also own a Seagull S6 Original which has a much wider neck (1.8 nut width), so I'll compare the necks and see if I notice a difference in the feel and shape.

[JHey!]

Tricitynomad, congrats! And please do let me know what you think. And please share some photos!

[Cool555]

Go for it! This is an Enablers’ forum right? As long as your significant other gives you their blessing. I’d go for the E10-OM-TC or E20-OM-TC but we all have our different preferences. Happy hunting!

[lowrider]

The biggest problem with Eastmans is that they are generally not available locally so people have to buy them to try them. And they seem to be inconstant. I've tried around 5 Eastmans, 3 of them being used, at two stores near me. One of them was a J-45 copy and it was a very nice guitar. The others were nothing special.

It's up to you, but for me, I like to have better odds than what I've seen from Eastman.

I get a Yamaha LL16 before I'd take a chance on an Eastman.

(If they were available in stores, I might change my mind)

[Scotso]

might wanna try some Eastmans to make sure you like their noise. They have their own vibe. Some like it . Some do not. You have some nice acoustics so that is an important comparison.

[bunnyman]

Originally Posted by Scotso

might wanna try some Eastmans to make sure you like their noise. They have their own vibe. Some like it . Some do not. You have some nice acoustics so that is an important comparison.

What he said^. Given your line up of boxes, I think it will be a tough comparison for you.

[JHey!]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. To the last three posters’ points, it’s hard finding examples to demo locally. I’m a US citizen residing in Windsor, ON and working in the US. There’s absolutely nothing (that I can find) in Windsor (without placing a special order through the local music store and being out a chunk of change if I decide I don’t want it). There’re couple of stores across the border that stock Eastman (one being Elderly Instruments), but the stock is limited and nothing spec-wise similar to the E10ss. Also it’s a considerable drive and crossing the border for anything other than work right now is a big no no and will result in a mandatory two week quarantine at home. Ugh. So, I feel like I’m currently constrained to buy sight unseen if I want an Eastman E10ss, or at least order sight unseen and then potentially be stuck with a restocking fee. The local music store does have at least one or two J-45s in stock, I think. I can’t go in play them though because most things here (including music stores) are currently curbside pickup, only. However, they will rent a guitar to me, allowing me to demo it for a day. So that’s an option. But I really don’t want to pay big box prices for new J-45. The least expensive spruce/mahogany J-45 they have in stock right now is a 2018 standard that’ll run me about $2400 USD with tax (13% - yikes!). They might negotiate, but I’ve found them to be pretty unwilling in the past. Plus, all the Eastman hype I’ve heard on here and elsewhere has me really curious. If there’s that much bang for the buck I don’t want to miss out! Anyway, sorry for writing a book here, but it’s helping me work it all out in my head.

[lowrider]

What about a J-15? It's going to have a lot more J-45 vibe than the Eastman, and it is a Gibson.