PV's Guitar Collection

[Pura Vida]

I posted this photo here (and a few other places) recently, and it generated several good discussions, both publicly and privately, about the differences between the different guitars.  This might turn into a long post, or I might break it into several posts, as time permits (work is keeping me busy).

In the meantime, if anyone has a question about a specific guitar, please ask here, so we can get the discussion going.



Rack 1:
2016 E40D
2017 E20D
2017 E20OM-SB
2018 E10SS/v
2017 E40D

Rack 2:
2019 AC630-BD
2018 BR-240A (Blueridge)
2016 E10D
2017 E40OM
2016 E8D

Stand:
ACTG1

** Missing:
2018: E1OO-LTD (my daughter's Eastman)
2019: E6D (just arrived on Friday)

** I'll add photos of these two later in the thread.

[Pluteus]

Didn't you also have a T185MX in a classic finish? Still have it?  Also, trying to figure out your rack organization...seems like you could do all rosewood backs on one and mahogany and maple on the other.  Or the traditional series (E6D, E8D, E10D, E20D, E40D) on one rack and everything else on the other.

[Pura Vida]

Oh, yeah.  These are the acoustic guitars.  And my rack configuration is completely random!  The first space on the second rack is reserved for whichever guitar will get some Tonerite action b/c I dangle the power cord over the left side of the rack (outlet in between racks).  I was just thinking last night about re-arranging it with some sense of order, so maybe I'll take one of your good ideas.

As for the T185MX, it's a 2016 that I purchased used about two years ago.  I really love the sustain, which seems to go on forever, if I allow it.  My acoustic guitars are analog therapy from a long day in a digital world, so sadly, I rarely plug in the electric guitars.  I bought a couple of Hercules wall mounts, so I could hang it and my 2001 Brian Moore i1 in the music room, in the hope that easier access would translate to more playing time.

[GK34]

Very nice collection! Thanks for posting!

[Pura Vida]

Thanks!  I'll add some descriptive details about each, as time permits.

[sagebrush tom]

Guitars still missing from PV's collection,

Rack 3:
E6OM
E8OM
E10OM
E10OM-SB
E20OM
DT30D*

Rack 4:
E10 00 SS
E20 00 SS
E10 00
E20 00
E10 00 SS/V*
E20 SS*
E10P
E20P

*soon to be added or already in route (another thread coming soon on the AC Models) 

[sagebrush tom]

I figured if divorce wasn't in the mix by now, then you're definitely in the clear. I will have to say that you have assembled one of (if not the finest) best personal collections of Eastman's anywhere in the world.  

The flack i get every now and then from my wife about my meager collection, you'd think i've wasted thousands of dollars on something trivial. Being home quarantined, I'm glad that i have few guitars to switch around periodically. Todays go to guitar is the E10 00, tomorrow something different. 

Brian, congrats on your E6D, the mahogany is spectacular even more than most 10 series. Nice grab.

[Pura Vida]

Thanks, Tom.  I deleted my previous response, as I didn't want karma to find me.  She's very supportive of my endeavors, but if I got into a third or fourth rack, I might be sleeping in the music room.  

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Ok, so let's start off with a guitar "appetizer."

ACTG1 - travel guitar

Sitka Spruce top (bear claw), Sapele body, Mahogany neck, Rosewood board and bridge, open pore finish.  23.5" scale, 1-11/16" nut width.  Compares favorably to a Taylor GS Mini.  The name is AC series + TG travel guitar + 1 (Sapele).

I won this guitar at an Eastman event in 2017, and with my preference towards large body guitars, it wasn't even on my radar.  But what I learned is that Eastman really knows how to voice instruments of all sizes.  This guitar sounds way too good for something this size and price point.  The sound is warm, as you'd expect with Sitka with good volume for its size.  The Sapele body provides a little brightness and some overtones, and the open pore finish provides plenty of responsiveness in that little body.

I thought that I'd sell it, but my daughter took it over -- first to learn, and later to take to guitar class / club at her school.  I've hung onto it in case my son decides to take it up.  As the name suggests, this is a great guitar for weekend travel or as a first guitar with someone with smaller hands (great for kids or adults).

[sagebrush tom]

Brian, I like your idea of starting a appetizer review of one of your guitars. Maybe we could move to a model that both of us own or anybody else, the E20 OM-SB, Eastman's version of Martin's 000-28 or the 000-28EC in which i think it has alot in common with. The E20 comes with an Adi top, Rosewood back & sides, Ebony fretboard & bridge, short scale, 1 3/4" nut width, 2 5/32" string spacing at the saddle, "C" shaped neck (not as chunky as the 1 13/16" nut width necks), Nitro finish and a sunburst finish that Eastman does better than most (natural finish E20's should be included here too).

Mine is five years old now and it has the incredible rosewood bass sustain with trebly tones from the scalloped braces. Easy to play and is probably my best sounding guitar i own (my 00-18 is a close second). The only negative i can find is the guitar's weight, which is a tad on the heavy side and is probably close to a pound over weight to my 00-18 & 000-15m which both come in well under 4lbs. It has been my experience that rosewood guitars can be heavier than mahogany models. Even my E10 00 is lighter but that model is a different subject at a different time. 

Anybody who has an E20 OM please chip in and share your thoughts. Or any other Eastman OM to compare for that matter.

[Pura Vida]

Right on, Tom!  That was my intention with this thread -- to stimulate some new conversations.

I've written at length about my E20OM-SB and how I've compared it to its sibling, my E40OM.  The E20OM-SB is the more interesting discussion.  It started off tight and kinda brooding, but after 1.5-2 years, it began to open up.  It turns 3yo next month, and it's still evolving... it moved from brooding to a little cold and shrill, and now, it seems to have found its voice: scooped with growly lows and strong highs.  It has plenty of clarity and overtones, plus a strong vibrato that's different than my other guitars.  In fact, it's the only Eastman that doesn't sound like my other Eastmans... it's closer to a Gibson voice.  It's great for strumming, but I think this guitar would flourish as an instrument for a fingerstyle player (which isn't me).  I learned about the patience that can be required for an Adi top, and I'm glad that I didn't give in to temptation and sell it early on.

It's worth discussing the sunburst finish.  As Tom mentions, Eastman does a great job with these.  Mine is a glossy black with tobacco burst style.  I must mention that I'm usually partial to natural finishes, so this was stepping out for me.  But I'm really pleased with it, and the burst is so nice that I've never brought myself to placing a pickguard over it.  Incidentally, I bought this guitar last minute, when I got cold feet on an E15SS, which was a limited run modeled after Gibson LG2/B25.  But I was partial to the ebony boards, slightly bigger size, and the unique back on my E20OM-SB, which looks like Madi Rosewood (even though everyone swears it's EIR).

My E40OM is the same age (got them within a month of each other), but the look, sound, and appearance are completely different.  This guitar is a natural finish, and it was super responsive and warm from day one.  The clarity and note separation are off the chart, and everything is present without being overpowering.  Aesthetically, it's gorgeous with premium woods and color set abalone (which is real abalone pieces, not Abalam laminate that most others use).  It probably makes no sense, but because this guitar is so consistent, I find myself playing the other ones more (perhaps I enjoy being challenged).  But if the house was one fire, it's one of the two guitars I'd have in my hand.

Eastman offers traditional players several options:  open pore, traditional nitro, and thermocure.  In the 00 and SS, they also offer antique varnish.  Each of these offer their own benefits and tradeoffs, and I wouldn't say any one is better than another.  It's all personal taste.  For the "40" models, some people assume a buyer is paying for "bling," and I can understand that.  But having owned both "20" and "40" OM and D models, I don't know if it's the premium woods or how they voice the tops, but I can hear a difference (honestly, I'm not just hearing with my eyes).  Think Martin 28 vs. 42 models, but with a smaller difference in price.

The two lessons I learned from my OMs: (1.) every guitar has a different voice and (2.) every guitar works on its own time table.  The E40OM was incredibly easy to bond with, and it hasn't changed a ton over three years (normal evolution), while the E20OM-SB has taken me on a long, interesting journey.

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Here are two photos from when I purchased the guitars in 2017.  I need to take some updated photos of the E40OM (the burst hasn't changed very much, LOL).

E20OM-SB and E40OM front:


E20OM-SB and E40OM rosewood backs: