Advice and opinions on Eastman guitars?

WindmillGuitars

@LPManic - We're a main Eastman Dealer, drop me a DM if I can assist or answer any questions for you. 
Cheers 

Dave_Mc

Hattigol said:

Two words.
Buy. Used.

Or if you've got an irrational dislike of used like I have, make sure you shop around. Prices can vary an awful lot. Like £70-£800 or even more. You can often get a higher model for less in one shop than another shop is selling a lower model for. That's probably due to the price they were bought in at, but it's still worth bearing in mind!

My T64v is great.

BigLicks67 said:

I bought an Eastman 805ce back when they first appeared in the U.K. Based on that experience I’d say they were both overrated and overpriced. Don’t ignore brands such as Ibanez who make fine guitars in both China and Japan.

I did try an acoustic several years ago that I didn't much like- it was one of the cheaper all-solid more modern-style ones. However, it was on offer and it was an older model and I suspect it was just a bad one that the shop was trying to get rid of. (Or the older ones weren't as good.) Kind of annoyed, that put me off them for years and I suspect that was a one-off. 

Probably worth trying a newer one, just in case your experience was similar to mine.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I bought a T486 a few years ago that was a beautifully built thing, but the pickups had been swapped out to something that I didn't think suited the guitar (or at least suited what I wanted the guitar to do). I also found the wide nut a bit weird to adapt to. The fact I couldn't be bothered to source and fit new pickups meant I moved it on fairly swiftly. 

A few months back I bought a T64 with Bigsby and it's absolutely bloody brilliant. Same excellent build quality, the relic work is brilliantly done, and the Lollar P90s absolutely sing! Yes, the nut is a bit wider than my other guitars but now I've given it a proper bit of adaptation time I don't even notice it. 

Definitely won't be moving this one on any time soon! 

Basher

Fiftyshadesofjay said:

I’ve been gassing for an Eastman for ages but that extra nut width just puts me off. Really wish they were standard width.

Me too.

I know people say it's not a problem (or even that noticeable) but we're all different. Despite being a porky-trottered little swine, I really don't like wide nut widths. I'm fine finger picking on standard-width acoustics and maybe playing a bit of mandolin helps. I don't have any problem on my 40mm wide Casino.

It's confusing as some models have the regular Gibson width and others have the wider 1 3/4" nut. I'd love a T64 but, frustratingly, they come with the wider nut width. (Although I have read somewhere that there are more recent models appearing in the USA with a narrower nut width.)

I don't know why they seem to go to great lengths to cop a lot of the vintage Gibson vibe and then go and muck about with a key specification (for me). I can only assume that there are a lot of sausage fingered Texans who love the wide necks. I suppose they should be applauded for offering a choice but it's annoying that you can't get some models with the standard width.

I do have great respect for Eastman's quality though. I've had a couple of their mandolins and I still have an all mahogany 12-fret OO size acoustic that's a great little thing. My friend had a really nice OM from them that wasn't even one of the higher spec. models.

kelpbeds

I've got an Eastman, beautifully crafted guitar.

Roundwound

FYI Not all Eastmans have 1-3/4 nut widths. Several models have narrower nuts. Eg this sb59/v at 1.68 (42.6mm), similar to American Pro fender etc. So worth checking the specs.

https://www.peachguitars.com/eastman-sb59-v-antique-black.htm?opt=40340

theatreanchor

chris78 said:

Had the 335 style and lp style with the worn finish. Both lovely guitars with stellar pickups. The 335 style is the best 335 a like I’ve ever played, but of course, it has the wrong name on the headstock 

My experience echoes this. But I would say that the finish isn’t great! I could live with the headstock, they sound incredible, play well. 

Hattigol said:

Two words.
Buy. Used.

And this is also true. 

BigLicks67

Dave_Mc said:

Hattigol said:

Two words.
Buy. Used.

Or if you've got an irrational dislike of used like I have, make sure you shop around. Prices can vary an awful lot. Like £70-£800 or even more. You can often get a higher model for less in one shop than another shop is selling a lower model for. That's probably due to the price they were bought in at, but it's still worth bearing in mind!

My T64v is great.

BigLicks67 said:

I bought an Eastman 805ce back when they first appeared in the U.K. Based on that experience I’d say they were both overrated and overpriced. Don’t ignore brands such as Ibanez who make fine guitars in both China and Japan.

I did try an acoustic several years ago that I didn't much like- it was one of the cheaper all-solid more modern-style ones. However, it was on offer and it was an older model and I suspect it was just a bad one that the shop was trying to get rid of. (Or the older ones weren't as good.) Kind of annoyed, that put me off them for years and I suspect that was a one-off. 

Probably worth trying a newer one, just in case your experience was similar to mine.

You may be right, to be fair mine was one of Eastman's top end models and now retails north of 2k. The price structure is definitely a problem for me, for example, If you are in the market for a 335 the Eastman you would be looking at is around £1500 with the seymour duncan pickups in it. For £800.00 you can get an Ibanez AS113 (335 style) with artstar neck and super 58 pickups. I'd be asking why am i paying £700.00 more for a guitar built in the same location, with an uglier headstock and a name with less pedigree. (finish is better on the Eastman though). Or for £1500 you could be get a used Gibson ES335, that's if you are lucky enough to find a decent one, that you could sell for same price if needed.

TheMarlin

I have a T64v with Bigsby. Just an awesome guitar 

Teyeplayer

BigLicks67 said:

Or for £1500 you could be get a used Gibson ES335, that's if you are lucky enough to find a decent one, that you could sell for same price if needed.

Not in the current s/h market you couldn’t. I think that is why in part that companies such as Eastman have become such an attractive alternative. That and greater consistency.

KevS

I have an Eastman  T386..I was looking for a Gibson ES 335..
No longer though,I think the Eastman is way better..Seriously..
I have heart problems,I don't want a boulder of a thing either.
So tidily well built and playable,the little stripes on the binding..
I own 5 Gibsons at the Moment...So I'm not just saying that out of inexperience..
Even the Kent Armstrong Pickups on the one I have,it kind of suits the instrument..

The String Spacing at the nut was slightly wider,I got that altered to Gibson spacing,
apart from that I haven't adapted anything,nor do I want to..

I had one of the higher end Les Paul copies,a SB59 V Anique Classic....
Not as good as any of my Les Pauls..
I would say my Les Paul Tribute budget Job was better to play than the Eastman..
Also the neck heel on the Eastman LP was just plain silly,it restricted upper neck access... 
I liked the Lollar Pickups though..I now have a set and the same caps on one of my own Les Pauls..
I like the cheaper Eastmans without the ageing and upmarket features much better I think..
The T386 and the attention to detail is ridiculous,if only Gibson built them that well..

Oh and the Bridges don't rattle like Epiphones..
having dabbled deeply with modifying Epiphones,I think they are a bit of a dead end..
I am keeping my Sheraton with Jescar Evo Frets,quality electrics and Seymour Seth Lover and Custom Custom Pickup...
I spent a fortune on it in reality,but it has a great feel and sound..
The Eastman is in another League entirely though..

I also have the Gibson ES175 copy the Eastman AR 372 ce,,really nice guitar..
I just don't play it much Sadly..

That's my experience..

BigLicks67

Teyeplayer said:

BigLicks67 said:

Or for £1500 you could be get a used Gibson ES335, that's if you are lucky enough to find a decent one, that you could sell for same price if needed.

Not in the current s/h market you couldn’t. I think that is why in part that companies such as Eastman have become such an attractive alternative. That and greater consistency.

Sorry, my mistake. I saw that Bax shop were knocking out the satin natural ES-335 for £2200 and assumed the used price would reflect that at some point. Clearly used prices have gone a bit mental.

roberty

BigLicks67 said:

The price structure is definitely a problem for me, for example, If you are in the market for a 335 the Eastman you would be looking at is around £1500 with the seymour duncan pickups in it. For £800.00 you can get an Ibanez AS113 (335 style) with artstar neck and super 58 pickups. I'd be asking why am i paying £700.00 more for a guitar built in the same location, with an uglier headstock and a name with less pedigree. (finish is better on the Eastman though). Or for £1500 you could be get a used Gibson ES335, that's if you are lucky enough to find a decent one, that you could sell for same price if needed.

I got a D'Angelico Excel DC new for just under a grand last year. It has Duncan '59s. It is an exceptional instrument. Rings like no other semi hollow guitar I've played. Genuinely prefer it to the Gibson 335 I used to have. The neck is slimmer than I would choose it to be, and the finish is a tad plasticy and shiny, but really it sounds and plays so well that I can live with it. It's a joy to pick up and play 

If I was shopping now I'd probably look around for a used Eastman at that price, but I can't honestly say that it would be a better guitar

KevS said:

Oh and the Bridges don't rattle like Epiphones..

My D'Angelico had a rattling bridge. One of the saddles was rocking. It didn't affect the amplified sound but I play it unplugged around the house a lot and it was bugging me

I sent them a video of the problem and they posted me a new bridge under warranty. Great service

Ajayeff

I had an Eastman T64V and an S59V. They were both excellent guitars. Only sold them because I have a problem buying and selling guitars. Imo there are probably the best brand right now in terms of value for money :-)

Wazmeister

I owned a T64 and only sold it to fund my Martin D28 CS.

A wonderful guitar, at any price.

Really stable, superb relic, fantastic specs, and gorgeous sounding and lovely to play.

Highly recommended.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/248848/fs-eastman-t64-v-t-gb-sold#latest

DB1

I’ve had a couple of T64/v’s. Excellent guitars, and I’m sure that I’ll have another. Recently sold a T58/v and I’m really regretting that. I’m on the lookout for another one constantly. 

Rowby1

I have a T486B which is a really great guitar. The Phat Cats are (much to my surprise I must admit) very good pickups. When I bought the guitar I half wondered if I’d end up wanting some better pickups in it but they really do seem to suit the guitar perfectly.

I don’t find the nut width troublesome and the build quality is very hard to fault.

My advice is go and try one. 

willo

Interested that so many more people seem to have had experience with the semihollows, rather than the 59 LP equivalents. It's the latter I'm interested in, because they seem to be built quite special, especially compared to an LP Standard. But if that doesn't translate to playability or sound as per @KevS then it's a false economy. Unfortunately I live in that black hole of the country known as "not near Coda" and so there's bugger all to try near me. 

guitarmanessex89

I had an SB59 and the neck had been set at the wrong angle.. literally no amount of tweaking would really alleviate that. Great other than that very fatal flaw. That and the Duncan 59s were horrible, but I knew that going in. Thornbuckers and Seth Lovers that replaced them were much better. 

I think I was unlucky as I’ve played a few others that were great, and the concensus is good. If I could get one without this issue and a rosewood board, I’d be very interested. 

Dave_Mc

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

I bought a T486 a few years ago that was a beautifully built thing, but the pickups had been swapped out to something that I didn't think suited the guitar (or at least suited what I wanted the guitar to do). I also found the wide nut a bit weird to adapt to. The fact I couldn't be bothered to source and fit new pickups meant I moved it on fairly swiftly. 

A few months back I bought a T64 with Bigsby and it's absolutely bloody brilliant. Same excellent build quality, the relic work is brilliantly done, and the Lollar P90s absolutely sing! Yes, the nut is a bit wider than my other guitars but now I've given it a proper bit of adaptation time I don't even notice it. 

Definitely won't be moving this one on any time soon! 

I could be wrong but I think they might have narrowed the nut slightly recently. It's still "wider than usual" but now only slightly so. I think it's a bit over 43mm now, whereas at one point it was more like an acoustic.

But I do understand how even that could annoy some people (e.g. @Basher ). For a good number of years there after I started playing, I could only really play on 43mm or wider! I'm a bit better now but I still notice it. It's definitely a very important thing, and very, very annoying when a guitar is perfect apart from the nut width...

BigLicks67 said:

You may be right, to be fair mine was one of Eastman's top end models and now retails north of 2k. The price structure is definitely a problem for me, for example, If you are in the market for a 335 the Eastman you would be looking at is around £1500 with the seymour duncan pickups in it. For £800.00 you can get an Ibanez AS113 (335 style) with artstar neck and super 58 pickups. I'd be asking why am i paying £700.00 more for a guitar built in the same location, with an uglier headstock and a name with less pedigree. (finish is better on the Eastman though). Or for £1500 you could be get a used Gibson ES335, that's if you are lucky enough to find a decent one, that you could sell for same price if needed.

Yeah that's fair enough. 

I would say though that (a) I wouldn't really compare Eastman to other Chinese-made stuff, at least any I've tried and (b) those prices are basically standard pricing. As I said, if you shop around you can get them for a lot less. You can get the Antiquity-loaded 335-alike for under £1400 (new) if you shop around. Also (c) if you're willing to go used on the Gibson you could (presumably) go used on the Eastman for even less...

That's still no consolation if you don't like it, of course.

That's very interesting that you like the cheaper ones better @KevS . The main reason I'm looking at the dearer ones is I'm not sure if I'm up to a pickup swap in a semi-hollow! I just about managed my Patrick Eggle Vienna, but it was a pain and only has two knobs and a switch, all of which were really close to the F-hole...