This is a snippet of an original tune I've been messing with for a few years, "Waiting."  It's a simple little thing in G.  Played my AC320 on a beautiful Sunday morning in Oklahoma.

Hey guys -

This video is a bit overdue; I wanted to capture my new Eastman E10OM-TC in action for the folks here on EGF.  As with any recording, the microphone, room and other variables can impact the final recording, but this hopefully provides a good feel for the tone of the TC.  I just got the guitar back from the shop today with a fresh setup, and it plays like a dream.  Brand new Elixir Phosphor bronze installed.

I think most folks know this classic Stevie Wonder song - the arrangement is by Adam Rafferty... thanks for watching/listening!





-Tim

Brand new Blueridge BR-162, 000 body size, rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top. Same body size as BR-163, differences are 1) 12 frets to the body and 2) 1 3/4" nut width rather than 1 11/16" and 3) Bridge is further away from the sound hole creating theoretically a warmer, more mellow tone. The BR-162 has a standard scale length like the BR-163 and BR-160. Price is $940 shipped no case, no gig bag. Shipped with case $1010. Personal check ok, or Cashier's check. On Musician's Friend presently for $1299, free shipping, no case, with occasional discount offers.

Eastman E10 00M, 12 fret to body, all mahogany on AGF. Great price, just lowered to $650 shipped. No mention of case...
Listing says nut width is 1 3/4". The all mahogany 00 model 12 fret is no longer listed on Eastman's website, but both
the 00 12 fret models (adi tops) E10 00 and E20 00 12 fret, specs show a 1 13/16" nut width. 

No affiliation...
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru...p?t=539338

Anyone in Utah looking for a deal. Price drop to $599. The usual caveats apply. I just thought it was a good price.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Eastma...-Guitar.gc

PS - Obviously in Salt Lake CITY not in the actual lake.

G'dday mates - 70 degrees outside and I am eyeballing the fishing stuff and feeling fine......I got my E40D last July so I have had several months to really settle in with it - outside of a case issue (which Eastman corrected quickly and pleasantly, new case,completely hassle-free) everything has been 5 star. The 40 was my consolation prize for not being able to get a Thermocured Eastman Dred at the time. Turns out I couldn't be happier with the "substitute" git - it will compare favorably with most of the high-dollar stuff that is out there with regard to sound, playability and volume - gotta have volume when there are banjos lurking about....and is also pretty awesome in the cosmetics department - really feels like "my" guitar - living in dread of the day when some poseur grinds the tuners on his beater Epiphone into my Adi top - know it's gonna happen, just a question of where and when....Anyway, really happy with tha guitar.
Eager to hear some feedback and/or news on the Dred double tops.........

My first Eastman was a gorgeous rosewood AC708 with a sound that I loved, but it had to go back to the seller because of severe finish crackling. You can see it in some pictures here.

I heard there have been some problems with the AC line and that it may be corrected now. I just ordered another Eastman - an E8OM that was manufactored in 2017. I'm hoping it sounds as beautiful as the AC708, and that it won't have the finish problems.

Has anyone else encountered this?

Dan

I know ER4 is supposed to be a jazz guitar but I don't play jazz solo or comp, but I do play plugged-in and love the acous/elec vibe.  No flat sounding round wounds or fuzz box screeching elecs for me, eek - get back in that box, nooo.

It came with NYXL 12-52 (wound 3rd), ok but had too much throaty bass.  Next came NYXL 11-50BT (unwound 3rd) much better but again, tad more bass than I need.  After the first set of NYXL 11-49 (unwound 3rd) I decided to try another set... bingo.  The tad less bass blends with the mids/trebles just right for me.  

Love the unwound 3rd, bend that 3 for a spot of blues.  Bought a 3pk while they were on sale a couple weeks ago, good to go.
 

There was a deal online today that I just couldn't pass up - so my next Eastman is incoming   It's a Eastman AC122-1CE.     I did have some explaining to do this morning with my wife, but I think I've got it smoothed over!

I'll share more detail once it arrives.. 
Tim

I recently got the urge of an ES-335 style guitar and began looking around at what was available. I was aware of the Eastman brand through positive reviews in Guitarist Magazine in the UK, but like many, was wary of a Chinese-made guitar at this price point. But the name kept coming up as I searched online, so I couldn't dismiss the brand completely. Where I live, there's a lack of high end guitar dealers, so I couldn't try what Gibson have to offer, and although I'm not one to bash the Big G - I have several of their guitars and love them all - I wouldn't risk buying one blind.

A couple of weeks ago I travelled across the pond to New York and tried all the Gibson 335s I could find, save for the Custom models. I have to say, I was underwhelmed with all of them. None of them were bad, they had no flaws in fit or finish, all of them played perfectly well, but none of them had that bit of soul that I expect from such a guitar. They were all ... meh. None of them felt or sounded significantly better than the Epiphone Lucille I already have.

(As an aside, the one guitar that really did it for me was a used Heritage Prospect at Guitar Center on 14th St, it really was something special, and I already regret not buying it.)

Fast forward to this weekend past, and I happened to be in Belfast for a book festival, and I had a look in the city's main guitar shop. Tucked away in one corner was a cherry Burny/Fernandes 335 copy and an Eastman T386 in sunburst. I tried them both, and the Burny was quickly dismissed. There was nothing wrong with it, it was a perfectly fine instrument at its price, but it just didn't do it for me. The Eastman, on the other hand...

The T386 was light in weight and extremely resonant. It had that lovely 335 bark when you dig into the strings that was lacking from all the others I'd tried recently. And the feel was right with that nitro finish and no new-guitar stiffness. Plugged in, it sounded more impressive than I expected, with the Kent Armstrongs giving a surprisingly good account of themselves. Then I checked the price tag and saw it had been discounted from the usual UK street price of £999 down to £699. Decision made, I took it home with me.

Now that I've lived with it for a few days, I'm still happy. There are no problems with the frets, and only a very few minor finish flaws such as I'd expect to see on a Gibson, the typical beauty spots you find on any hand-finished instrument. The only real issue was that the nut needed attention: the 1st, 2nd and 4th slots needed to be deepened, and the 3rd had to be filled and re-slotted because it was too wide. The action is now nice and easy, the guitar feels great to play, and is acoustically alive with loads of zing and dynamics. Just what I wanted from a 335. My only gripe is the string path along the flared headstock; that there isn't sufficient clearance for the 4th and 5th strings on their way to the tuners is just bad design.

So onto my questions, and they concern modifications:

The first is about hardware and wiring. Browsing the internet, lots of people discuss upgrading the bridge and tailpiece, or the switches and pots. I'm wondering why? The bridge and tailpiece are both good quality Gotoh pieces, and I see nothing wrong the tuners, other than how they're located and its effect on string path. Online specs say the switch and output jack are both Switchcraft, and from what I can see from outside the f-holes, the pots are full size and seem good quality, and certainly perform well. I don't know if they're CTS, but they don't scream "replace me". So why are people bothering with that? I can't judge the quality of the wiring itself, but if Eastman are using good quality hardware components, it would seem daft to scrimp on the wiring and caps. Has anyone taken the guts out of a T386 to see what the harness is like?

The second question is in regards to the Kent Armstrong pickups. They sound surprisingly good, but given the guitar's acoustic qualities, I think it might be a rare case of the guitar flattering the pickups. Being an inveterate tinkerer, I am of course looking at replacing them with some Gibson Custombuckers that I have in my parts box. Now, I've replaced pickups and wiring in thinline semis before, and it's always a massive pain in the arse. I see that the T386 has a cavity beside the bridge pickup which should make things a little easier. Anyway, the question for anyone who's replaced the pups in one of these: were you able to just bring the volume pots out through the f-hole to solder the pups in, or did you have to take the entire harness out to work on it? As thinline semis go, was it particularly difficult?

Any thoughts welcome!