I have an Eastman 815, a higher end F-5 style model. Mine is X-braced though they are/were available both with X bracing and the parallel tone bars favored by most bluegrass players. I've had mine for nearly four years and it just keeps sounding better as it ages. It's loud and sweet with plenty of woody tone, not thin sounding like so many of the inexpensive Pac-rim mandolins.

As mandotim said, “Experimenting with string gauges and pick types allows you to draw a good range of tones from them too...” I started out using D'Addario J-75 strings but now have moved to the Gibson Sam Bush monel set for a darker tone.

Most Pac-rim instruments on the market come from a few large factories. There are far more brands than there are makers. But Eastman instruments are made in a single shop where only Eastman instruments are made. Their original products were hand-made violins. At some point they realized that their craftsmen were skilled at making carved top instruments and decided to add mandolins to their output. Now they've added archtop guitars as well. All tops are hand carved and I think all their instruments are of solid tone woods, not laminates.

There is a fellow in Friendsville, TN, Steve Perry, who has made quite a business of improving the tone of Eastman mandolins. As Gianna Violins, he's also a large Eastman dealer with great prices if you call him. I always intended to have Steve "MandoVoodoo" my 815 but I'm a procrastinator and haven't done it yet. But in the time since I got the idea, my mandolin has improved so much that I may forego the process. I'm still on the fence with that.

For the serious player, I'd really recommend spending the extra money and popping for a model 805. You'll want the longer neck joined at the 15th fret and the better grade tone woods. Also the boxed ivoroid binding and Ebony veneer on the back of the headstock are very attractive.

I replaced the tailpiece on my 815 with a James Tailpiece. They are cast as well but they have a more traditional look and, most importantly, make changing strings soooo much easier. If you're a serious player, you'll want one of these sooner or later. I also added a King Brown mandolin arm rest to my 815 to protect the finish and to keep my arm from muting the top of the mandolin while playing.

Good luck and let us know how yours works out.

      - Mark