Eastman Guitars - Any experience?

Subject: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: wilco
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 07:40 PM

Anyone had any experience with Eastman Guitars? We are just now getting the acoutics in the USA.

Thanks!!!

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Lucius
Date: 11 Mar 07 - 09:42 PM

I just got back from a Music Conference that had a Jazz Cutaway on display. Not bad, but it seemed a little loose on the overall construction. The neck is probably an 8 out of 10. The finish was exquisite, as it had a light stain and french polish. The salesman was trying to sell me on the sound quality, as it is how Eastman finishes their violins. Seemed like a waste of finish, who plays jazz guitar without plugging in? (at least since Freddie Green died). I didn't check out the electronics, the Gotoh tuning machines seemed over-geared. Nice, but still, I wouldn't trade my C Fox for one.

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 03:55 AM

If Eastman guitars are as good as their mandolins then they should be very good.

eric

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 06:32 AM

The Twelfth Fret in Toronto (wwww.12fret.com) recommends them at every turn it seems. The ones I've played have been hands down the best Asian instruments yet, though I've only played archtop and solid electrics...Do they even build flatops? My fiddle bow (not that I'm any kind of fiddler) is an Eastman and though I had it tweaked and rehaired it was the best of many the seller had to offer. The guitars are very good, and good bang for the buck too. Nice balance, good hardware including pickups, quality woods and finish, and nice designs. Very high on my list of considerations.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Songster Bob
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 12:16 PM

If I didn't have a 1944 Epiphone Zenith archtop, I would be very interested in one of the Eastman archtops. They are that close in quality to a classic vintage guitar.

They don't make flat-tops, to my knowledge -- just archtops and mandolins (fiddle bows? -- maybe they make fiddles?). Good bang for the buck, to my eyes and ears.

Bob

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: wilco
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 02:34 PM

Eastman does make flattops: I have dreadnaughts, jumbos, and orechetral models in my store. They are supposedly the first in the USA. I only stock the mahoganay and rosewood. I am considering adding the maple. I'm in bluegrass country here, where we are unplugged, and I gather that the ample is more for plugged-in finger-pickers?

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Mooh
Date: 12 Mar 07 - 04:28 PM

Bob et al..I like their fiddles and mandolins too. For the dollar, it's hard to beat the violins.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: English Jon
Date: 13 Mar 07 - 04:01 PM

American design, far eastern construction = brilliant for the money.

Jon

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:35 AM

I work at Stars Guitars in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and we are now the Iowa dealer for Eastman Guitars. We've been selling their mandolins and fiddles for several years and just acquired the guitars too. The archtop jazz guitars are very nice indeed. I haven't played one of the flattops yet but once the archtops are properly set up with the right strings and action, they are wonderful. They are available with or without electronics, some with floating neck position pickups only and some with dual humbuckers a la Gibson 335.

You can check out the various models at the Eastman Guitar website.

I've been playing my Eastman 815 mandolin for over a year now and it's really become a great bluegrass instrument. I'm thinking of taking it to Steve Perry to see if his process helps it even more. I'm not saying the era of the $12,000 mandolin is over but for most players the extra ten grand is going to weigh heavily on the side of Eastman.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Eastman Guitars - Any experience?
From: GUEST,Dan
Date: 16 Jan 11 - 03:58 PM

I just purchased the Jazz 16 from Jazznguitars in Summit, NJ. The finish is phenomenal, the sound is well balanced, and it plays like my 1965 Gibson ES 345. I highly recommend this for the money.