J45 or Eastman alternative?

rustneversleeps

Simples………Guild.

Honkycat

Only a Gibson is good enough.

BowynMadley

In my opinion I'd keep an eye out for a second hand Atkin. Their J43 is superb and they pop up from time to time. Another alternative is the master built alverez range however I found them a bit too bright and lacking lower mids and bass

Teyeplayer

On this subject, anyone tried the Martin DSS-17? Noticed Richtone have a s/h one in, looks good and this thread got me thinking. 

guitargeek62

timmypix said:

guitargeek62 said:

I've had one of the Eastman E10SS models for ~five years and I bloody love it - highly recommended, and the closest I found to a J45 tone without spending as much as a Gibson (or more!), or sorting through their QC.  I play mine regularly and it never fails to put a grin on my face.

This is encouraging to read, thank you! Did you get the chance to compare or just find it,like it and stop there?

I’d been slowly looking for a nice J45 type for a couple of years before that. I’d settled on looking for the ‘right’ Gibson one, until trying an Atkin J-43 and being blown away*, so I’d resigned myself to saving for one of those and then stumbled onto the Eastmans down at GAK one weekend. I played a couple there next to some Gibsons and others, and couldn’t hear a great deal of difference between them but preferred the vibe, build, and neck profile of the E10SS, so I went home with that I was very tempted by the E10SS-V, but the pickguard colour put me off - the vintage/relic finish is lovely on those though.


*The Atkin is still the closest I’ve found to an original 1947 J-45 I once tried that started me on this quest. That thing sounded like a cannon in all the right ways  

nickbigsby

I was in the same boat wanting a J45 on a budget . I tried a few different brands and like a fool tried the Murphy J45 in Birmingham GG , absolutely stunning but I was 4K short !! After much searching I’ve settled with a Recording King J45 and it’s been fabulous . Worth a look 

timmypix

nickbigsby said:

I was in the same boat wanting a J45 on a budget . I tried a few different brands and like a fool tried the Murphy J45 in Birmingham GG , absolutely stunning but I was 4K short !! After much searching I’ve settled with a Recording King J45 and it’s been fabulous . Worth a look 

They weren't on my radar, thank you! Will do some digging and keep an eye out.

ElectricXII

@timmypix Have you tried a Gibson J-35? Build-wise they are pretty much identical to J-45s, cosmetics aside, with the exception of the X-bracing. Sound-wise mine has more bass than the J-45s I've played, and the trebles are more prominent too.

Dave_Mc

ElectricXII said:

@timmypix Have you tried a Gibson J-35? Build-wise they are pretty much identical to J-45s, cosmetics aside, with the exception of the X-bracing. Sound-wise mine has more bass than the J-45s I've played, and the trebles are more prominent too.

I'm no acoustic expert, but (the one time!) when I got to try one head-to-head with a J45, I thought it sounded a fair bit different. And that wasn't even a great J45, I don't think. (Bit annoying because obviously it's a bit cheaper, but also I think I prefer the natural look!) It's close enough to the price of the J45 that if it doesn't do what you want...