Advice and opinions on Eastman guitars?

Basher

Good point @Dave_Mc - we need to compare apples with apples and suchlike. A used Eastman can be a spectacular deal!

I completely agree about the advantage in having top-notch pickups like the Antiquities or Lollar P90s that come in some of the Eastmans (Eastmen?). I love thinlines but you're looking at a potential world of pain swapping out pickups compared to most solidbodies. For me it'd be the cost of the pickups plus a significant (and completely warranted) extra charge to get them fitted. I actually feel like a dreadful shyster taking a 335-esque guitar to a tech for a pickup swap as I know what a dreadful business it is.

PS: Sorry for sounding annoyed at the nut-width thing. I just don't quite get it, particularly as they never (to my knowledge) give a fraction of an inch with their mandolins, which is an area where a mm of fingerboard makes life so much easier! 
Oh, and I go about this life being annoyed at everything these days. Stomping around, harrumphing and generally muttering under my breath at some irritation or other. It's best just to ignore me.   

roberty

guitarmanessex89 said:

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. 

I am surprised you found the Duncan 59s horrible. It's a different guitar but I love them in my semi hollow

LPManic

OP here - thanks for the all the chat.

I think I will go for the black Juliet with the bigsby for a range of reasons. While I do think there is something valid in the points about certain shapes of guitars and the wrong name on the headstock, I think it is fantastic that Eastman are producing their own shape of guitars that are lookers. The headstock on the Juliet is very elegant as well.

I want a guitar to play some dirty, angular, outside rock and it really needs a trem or bigsby to do that, so the Juliet ticks those boxes. Plus the fact James Dean Bradfield of the Manics has been playing one live and on the album they are making obviously pushes me towards the Juliet. It's a pity @WindmillGuitars sold the one they had recently (especially as I am in NI for the summer) but I agree with @Dave_Mc about shopping around. Seen some Juliet's near £2k and some nearer to £1500-1600.I wouldn't want to be paying more than that.

After a few years of having and moving on various Gibsons and Fender, just looking for something different. I think it might push me to play live again which is perhaps what I am subconsciously moving towards...

Keep the chat coming!

WindmillGuitars

@LPManic .. more on order - should have an eta this week on a restock of the black Juliet

KevS

Dave_Mc said:

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...

For me I factored in new pickups and the work done by a tech in my original decision..
I find many pickups loved by others I sometimes don't like and the more I have experimented,
the more I have got to know what I do like,..We all have different taste and reasons stuff works for us..
When it comes to Strat and Tele Single coils,I have it narrowed down to a favourite set..
Other pickups may work,but finding them can end up being pricey..
The Lollars I came across when buying a guitar with them..
I intended to put Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in  the 386,I adore the neck pickup....
Then I found out the Kent Armstrongs really work well in it,they are not going anywhere...

I could go into what I like and hate in pickups on different guitars,,lol...
We would be here all day...

Even at the end of all of that,,sometimes your go to pickups don't work on some guitars..
They all seem to have their own personalities / personality disorders in the case of a few..

LPManic

WindmillGuitars said:

@LPManic .. more on order - should have an eta this week on a restock of the black Juliet

Please keep in touch @WindmillGuitars. Would prefer to buy from local.

Musicman20

If I was going for a Gibson-esque guitar in 2023, I'd go for an Eastman. Probably far better QC as well.

The Juliet is their original model and I think it's damn cool!

Roundwound

Interesting to note that Eastman have apparently moved away from nitrocellulose on much of their line. They now advertise truetone vintage gloss or antique varnish. I think the truetone (if not both) is a thin poly.

I have a very nice blonde nitro AR372ce, the laminate ES-175 style model. It’s the best archtop I’ve had (albeit I’ve only had “cheaper” ones up to £2k max) and I prefer it to the Eastman 503ce archtop I previously owned, which had a solid carved top.the AR372ce is the best archtop on the market under £1500 IMO.

That all being said, a lot of Eastman owners seem to have bought and then sold… “great guitar, I used to own one” type of situation. Which may or may not be relevant.

Dave_Mc

Basher said:

Good point @Dave_Mc - we need to compare apples with apples and suchlike. A used Eastman can be a spectacular deal!

I completely agree about the advantage in having top-notch pickups like the Antiquities or Lollar P90s that come in some of the Eastmans (Eastmen?). I love thinlines but you're looking at a potential world of pain swapping out pickups compared to most solidbodies. For me it'd be the cost of the pickups plus a significant (and completely warranted) extra charge to get them fitted. I actually feel like a dreadful shyster taking a 335-esque guitar to a tech for a pickup swap as I know what a dreadful business it is.

PS: Sorry for sounding annoyed at the nut-width thing. I just don't quite get it, particularly as they never (to my knowledge) give a fraction of an inch with their mandolins, which is an area where a mm of fingerboard makes life so much easier! 
Oh, and I go about this life being annoyed at everything these days. Stomping around, harrumphing and generally muttering under my breath at some irritation or other. It's best just to ignore me.   

Yeah I wonder if techs get mainly absolute-pain jobs like 335s or whether they get enough regular jobs from people who can't solder at all that it evens out? You've got to figure they get more of the annoying jobs than the handy ones...

No worries about the nut width, it's a very important thing that some people notice and some don't. If you do notice it it's hard to get past...

@KevS LOL me too! And you're right, sometimes certain pickups just don't work in certain guitars... or what you think will work doesn't (and vice-versa!).

BGG

Teyeplayer said:

I own an sb59 which I swapped the pickups for Fletcher low wound unpotted elysiums. The only les Paul types I have played that were better imo, were a fantastic Ryder and a Custom shop that was 4-5 times the price. It’s a great guitar within my budget. I also have a p90 equipped Juliet, seriously just do it -stunning instrument! I’ve also owned an T59V and an E1OM acoustic, both were great guitars that would still be here if it wasn’t for gas. I am yet to play a bad Eastman.

How are you getting on with the Juliet? I have serious GAS for a P90 or black with Bigsby one 

guitarmanessex89

roberty said:

guitarmanessex89 said:

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. 

I am surprised you found the Duncan 59s horrible. It's a different guitar but I love them in my semi hollow

In all fairness, that’s totally subjective. I find them scooped and subdued. I daresay they’d perhaps work better in a 335 type of guitar. 

My issue was that the neck was set wrongly and completely pissed.
I sold it with the upgraded pickups and maximum tweakage to a nice chap who was happy, but in good conscience, really lowered the price.
There’s a red LP version with the Lollars at GG in Epsom that is an absolutely fantastic guitar. Up there with a good custom shop model. Flies under the radar. I say that owning a M2M 58 (the best one I could find), 67 SG Special, upgraded 90s Classic, 70 Custom and a particularly good 90s 335. No brainer for LP Standard money.

Lebarque

If anyone's got a T59V they fancy shifting, give me a shout. I fancy myself some Eastman.

TheMarlin

Excellent guitars, worth every penny 

Teyeplayer

BGG said:

Teyeplayer said:

I own an sb59 which I swapped the pickups for Fletcher low wound unpotted elysiums. The only les Paul types I have played that were better imo, were a fantastic Ryder and a Custom shop that was 4-5 times the price. It’s a great guitar within my budget. I also have a p90 equipped Juliet, seriously just do it -stunning instrument! I’ve also owned an T59V and an E1OM acoustic, both were great guitars that would still be here if it wasn’t for gas. I am yet to play a bad Eastman.

How are you getting on with the Juliet? I have serious GAS for a P90 or black with Bigsby one 

Bloody fantastic guitar. The p90s are perfectly balanced and for want of a better phrase ‘it plays itself’, it’s just easy. It’s comfortably lightweight (I believe there can be extremes of lightness so I want to know the guitar is there) and the ergonomics are bang on with the subtle forearm carve. I also adore the neck which is a perfect chunk. All in it is has become by far my favourite guitar.