Eastman solid bodies ( 56, 59, etc )

[uwmcscott]

Does anyone here own an Eastman singlecut? Not sure why I haven't really heard much about them, I know [mention]mickey[/mention] is singing praises about their acoustics from time to time.

It appears to me that they've got some really nice offerings in the hardbody cagegory too, with several singlecut models pretty closely matched up with LP specs ( SB56 p90 goldtop, SB59 and SB59V bursts, etc ). Even the base models are pretty supremely specd with Gotoh hardware, bone nuts, ebony fretboards, one piece solid back etc - and lots of different very nice american pickups ( SD, lollar, etc ). They also all appear to have nitro finishes with the exception of the "V" models which are a semi-aged look wiht a violin lacquer finish. Pricewise (new at least) it appears you are getting the equivalent of a Gibson custom shop spec for the same price as a Gibson USA model. And used, you seem to be able to find some pretty good deals as well.

Reviews are pretty stellar across the board, but it seems odd that resale value would drop if they are such nice guitars. Anyone here with experience? There are no shops that stock them anywhere close to me so I've never been able to pick one up.

I'm not a huge fan of aged guitars, but the 59 vintage is a very cool looking guitar and it doesn't seem like the aging is "overdone" like on an aged Gibby. I love the flat/semi matte finish in general. And the 59 in the dark burst is awfully gas-inducing



They also have a DC junior that was released recently and isn't widely availble yet, but also pretty tasty looking

[mickey]

You seem to forget the [mention]OMB[/mention] periodically sings the praises of their semi-hollows.
Guess neither of us are solid body types?

They make high quality stuff for much lower than expected prices.
I first heard about them because the Bluegrass guys sing the praises of their mandos.

The only reason I can think of as to why they don't hold their value is because they are made in China.
IMHO they are the best stringed instruments made in China.

[uwmcscott]

You seem to forget the @OMB periodically sings the praises of their semi-hollows.

I did forget that, thanks for the reminder. I did also see a lot of praises about the 335 style out there on the interwebz too.

Looks like I'll have to start a feed on Reverb for used eastmans

[nomadh]

I'm in the eastman choir also. My only upscale acoustic. It's pretty damn nice. I didnt know they even made solid bodies but if I ever saw one I would certainly give it my attention even though I dont need another solid at all.

[golem]

I've tried one or two, but not the models you're asking about. If you specifically want me to tell you something negative, the only thing I've noticed on used examples is they seem to show wear more easily than anything else I've tried. But other than that, they're great sounding and feeling guitars. In fact, what I mentioned might be a plus if you want the guitar to wear naturally.

I forgot to say that one of the best sounding Jazz boxes I've ever heard was a park ranger playing an Eastman of some sort in NOLA for a park sponsored concert they do a few times a day.

[OMB]

I have only owned the T486RB (335 style) and the quality was outstanding. Their acoustics as well as their Full and Semi Hollow guitars get high praise. They seem pretty consistent and I NEVER hear the types of various complaints like one would hear regarding many Gibson's. Their foray into solid bodies is relatively recent but I would expect that those would be on pretty sold footing as well. Can't explain the low resale values except lotsa folks want to see that G on the headstock. One of the things I liked on the Semi's was a 1-3/4" nut width but unfortunately the thickness at the firs fret was a little on the slim side. The solid bodies have a 1-11/16" nut width but that is al personal preference. The value ratio seems IMO to be pretty high.

[aullucci]

Like the others, I don't have any experience with the solid bodies, but I'm currently on a new acoustic quest and have played a few of their lower end models. I was impressed enough that I'd really like to try some of their better offerings, but there's nowhere around here to play them. The one local dealer has nothing but the lowest end stuff. I'm trying to find more...

[solteroblues]

I also have been interested in them. There's a couple youtube videos on them, and in the Darrel Braun Guitars video, the one he plays is gorgeous. The pictures on the website look amazing, but the only ones for sale I've ever found that had actual pictures are very plain looking. The pics show 5A flamed maple tops and the actual ones are 1-2A that I've seen. That turns me off for a guitar priced like that.

[Mr. Leyvatone]

A shop in Seattle stocks them. I went in to check out other stuff and the salesman compelled me to check out the Eastmans.
I played their semi-hollow and single cut models. Wow. I couldn’t get over the build quality, feel and tone. Eastman does a few things that are immediately discernible to the critical eye/hand/ear.
1. Quality components, wood and finish types
2. Outstanding build quality
3. Outstanding factory setup

So for those who can’t sample them in person, what you’d immediately notice are the smell (if you go for the aged violin finish), playability, and in the case of the singlecut the light weight.

Being an owner of two AL-3100s, the Eastman single cuts I held felt featherweight by comparison, but without any sense of it not being a quality instrument. IIRC, we’re talking below the weight of a chambered Gibby, from a full-thickness, non-chambered body. They really are selective with the wood stock used and the results are impressive. My shoulder could get down with an 8lb Eastman. LOL

Pretty soon after that chance to learn about them, the world as we know it ceased to exist, so I didn’t get into it enough to buy one. In the meantime I got my dream LP, so I am pretty set. And I am guilty (despite being lured by this crowd away from cork sniffery) of struggling to think a Chinese guitar for upwards of $2K is money well spent. As something to play, worth every penny. As an investment, probably less so.

IDK how many times I could tell the story of “No really! My Chinese guitar is legit.” without feeling like I am selling a used car.

But really, these Chinese guitars are legit.

[uwmcscott]

A shop in Seattle stocks them. I went in to check out other stuff and the salesman compelled me to check out the Eastmans.
I played their semi-hollow and single cut models. Wow. I couldn’t get over the build quality, feel and tone. Eastman does a few things that are immediately discernible to the critical eye/hand/ear.
1. Quality components, wood and finish types
2. Outstanding build quality
3. Outstanding factory setup

So for those who can’t sample them in person, what you’d immediately notice are the smell (if you go for the aged violin finish), playability, and in the case of the singlecut the light weight.

Being an owner of two AL-3100s, the Eastman single cuts I held felt featherweight by comparison, but without any sense of it not being a quality instrument. IIRC, we’re talking below the weight of a chambered Gibby, from a full-thickness, non-chambered body. They really are selective with the wood stock used and the results are impressive. My shoulder could get down with an 8lb Eastman. LOL

Pretty soon after that chance to learn about them, the world as we know it ceased to exist, so I didn’t get into it enough to buy one. In the meantime I got my dream LP, so I am pretty set. And I am guilty (despite being lured by this crowd away from cork sniffery) of struggling to think a Chinese guitar for upwards of $2K is money well spent. As something to play, worth every penny. As an investment, probably less so.

IDK how many times I could tell the story of “No really! My Chinese guitar is legit.” without feeling like I am selling a used car.

But really, these Chinese guitars are legit.

Most of what you say seems to be mirrored by the reviews - and honesty I haven't seen a single bad one, nor have I seen anyone go out of their way to bash Eastman like you see with Gibson, or other brands. They certainly are a much different type of company than the ones that mass produce/copy common models. I would imagine many have seen the factory tour video, where you see that they are a very old and storied instrument company and much of the work is still done with old-world hand craftsmanship.

Pricewise it does seem like you could probalby pick up a used Singlecut for not much more than 1K if you did your shopping right and were patient - maybe not the most desirable of finishes, but a nice one nonetheless. I really like that doublecut jr but they just came out are very hard to come by and will likely be selling for about $1200, which is pretty steep for a jr DC. But it's also one of the only ones ive seen with an ebony board and also has very high end parts all around.