Hello all,

I posted a week or so ago that I was planning on an Eastman OM. However, I ended up going the other direction and ordered a new E10D-TC from The Acoustic Shoppe. I have been interested in this model for a while and decided to take the plunge.

The folks at The Acoustic Shop were great. Incredibly patient and helpful on the phone, and very efficient once I placed the order. They set the guitar up for the strings I usually play, D’Addario EJ17’s, and shipped it right out. There was a hiccup with UPS, so the guitar sat in the cold warehouse for a couple extra days, so I was glad to finally take delivery on Friday. Due to the cold weather, I let it sit overnight and opened it on Saturday afternoon.

When I opened the case and looked the guitar over, I could tell it was an incredibly nice guitar. The fit and finish seems even nicer than the couple of Eastmans I have owned over the years, and those were very nice guitars.  The fretboard and frets seem flawless on this one.

So I tuned it up and was really expecting to love the sound of this guitar. Unfortunately, as I played it for a bit, it really did not sound good. I played it for a couple of hours expecting it to warm up after a bit, figuring the several days in the shipping box and cold weather must have had some affect. The store had also just gotten this one in, so I really don’t think it had been played hardly at all. I went back in to the study a couple more time Saturday night and played for a while, and it still sounded incredibly tight. So as I was laying down to sleep that night, I was telling myself I would give it some time, as The Acoustic Shoppe allows returns up to 14 days.

So I got up Sunday morning and took the guitar out on the patio (as to not wake the rest of the house) with my cup of coffee. Well, the guitar sounded significantly better. The bass notes still seemed muted, but I was encouraged at least.

Today was Monday, and I was finally able to take a break in the afternoon and do some playing on the E10D-TC. Today, it sounds fantastic. It’s sounds completely different form when I first played it on Saturday. The bass is there, and the guitar is so responsive. I’m guessing this is characteristic of the TC, the single notes sound thick and warm, not shrill at all. Playing rhythm, the guitar sounds great with heavy handed strumming and strumming with a light touch. The notes really pop with finger style too. I expect that this guitar is still early in its development, as would be expected with a red spruce topped guitar. So I am excited to hear how this E10D-TC sounds as it continues to break in.

Sorry for the long story, but I’m definitely very pleased. These are not the best photos, but here they are.

Noticed that the case that came with my 'used' Dave's Guitar Shop AC622 has a pleasant smelling case. I'm airing it out in any event. The two Eastman's I got a year ago came with strong smelling cases. I left them open for months with the guitars on stands. Difficult to get the unpleasant smell out of those. Can still smell it. Also, I posted pics in the other 622 thread today.  Bob

Here's another pick guard thread. I've been searching around trying to find a source for a high-quality, ready-made replacement for the pick guards that come on the current lineup of Eastman OM guitars. Many of the threads I found are years old and the guards mentioned aren't available.

Does anyone know of currently-available source for an off-the-shelf guard that's a good fit, or am I looking at needing a custom job if I want to replace it?

Part of me just wants to leave it off, but I kinda want a backup plan in case I need to replace it.

Thanks!

Anyone replaced the pings with some Gotohs? I'm interested in switching out the ones on the E10SS/v. I think it would look really sharp with open gear with a white button (https://g-gotoh.com/product/sxb510v/?lang=en) or the vintage tuners (https://g-gotoh.com/product/sd510/?lang=en). But I have no idea how easy they would be to replace.

Wondering if anyone has tried.

PS I just realized Eastman switched to the Gotohs for the new Madagascan Rosewood models. Just wondering if they'd fit right in.

Thought about this for a long time and watched/listened to many YouTube videos. The video of that guy Josh Turner that was posted here a while back was probably the final decision maker.  

We'll see how much I like it when it arrives.  It was a step above my comfort level money wise but if I like it it will stay. I had been putting money away for quite a while.  Might have to unload my D18 or E10OM though but hoping it all works out.

Hey everyone,

Just discovered Eastman and I’m sold on a T486. I have a question about the finishes though. Appreciate any insights. Dealers tend to use nitrocellulose and varnish terms to describe the finish. The T486 comes in gold burst, classic and red. It’s the classic finish I like, but it’s that a varnish or nitro? The Eastman website describes the finish as “gloss finish” which sounds like neither??
Many thanks in advance!

A friend of mine recently scored an ~10 year old AC712 for a pretty good price and I offered to clean it up and swap the strings out. Little did I know the fingerboard was "seasoned" like a cast iron skillet. The body also has its share of dings and scuffs.

I cleaned the fingerboard, polished the body, and put on some new strings. A little elbow grease and it's looking great again. The only thing I'm a little concerned with is the saddle height is very low. The action is good, but there's definitely a neck reset in its foreseeable future.

Interestingly enough, this guitar has a similar issue to my old AC510 - there's a portion of the top that's unfinished near the bridge. Must have been a common problem back in the day.

Before


Some scuffs, but not too bad considering its age.


Unfinished top above the bridge.




Some mix of corrosion and an untold amount of skin grease and nastiness.


Non-stick fingerboard.


Pretty clean on the inside.


Fingerboard cleaning, phase 1: water and toothbrush.


Fingerboard cleaning, phase 2: board cleaner + toothbrush + a lot of elbow grease


After

The AC622CE that I had on order from Dave's Guitar Shop arrived Thursday afternoon. Opened the box per the 24 hour wait yesterday. Haven't taken any pictures yet, but here are some observations. It's a beautiful guitar, but there are reasons it was only $1350 and not more expensive. None of them are fatal flaws however.
  Scale is measurably longer than my E40D and AC722CE that I got new a year ago. The intonation is a bit flat on all strings but the 'D'. On my Super Snark tuner it's one half to one segment low. The side marker dots in the maple neck binding aren't plastic or shell, they are dark black and most of them are smeared. Some small finish blobs in the maple body binding. The high 'E' side of the top is noticeably darker than the low 'E' side. It will change a little with light shift. The high E string is shifted a little to the right as is the low E string. On the two afore-mentioned Eastman's they're perfect. It sounds good, but I don't hear any difference from my AC722CE. Very different materials used in those two guitars, with the 622 predominantly maple. 
  Will I keep it, yup! I'm hoping that as it breaks in that a different sounding guitar emerges. I thought that it would be brighter than the rosewood 722. The 722 has surprised me all along because it's quite mellow for Rosewood. It sounds more like Mahogany to me. I think the sound holes have an effect here.
  No Eastman COA was included, however Dave's included a 4X6 heavy card stock 'Quality Certification' in the case with my name, model, etc. The neck is about dead-straight relief-wise. A tiny amount of relief on the low E and about none on the top strings. Fret level is good. No neck twist. The back of the guitar is stunning flame-maple! The sides are good, but not as beautiful as the back. Worth $1350...absolutely!!!
  I don't think this was in the hands of another buyer before me. Didn't someone post here that these Dave's Shop used Eastman's come from Eastman?
  Lots of saddle, 6/32" to 7/32" exposed at the bridge. Action is 3/32 at the low E and down to 2/32 at the high E at the 12th fret.

Browsing the Eastman site I came across this model and was really impressed with the specs and slotted head stock so wanting another Eastman I ordered one from the Acoustic Shoppe in Springfield MO.  I played it for a couple hours tonight and so far I'm impressed but undecided whether it's a keeper yet or not.  It started out really tight with an anemic bass but started opening up at the end.  I've experienced this with other brand new guitars though and have learned to reserve judgement for a few days to weeks.  I've had what I was sure were dogs only for them to transform in as little as a day.  Construction, fit and finish are first rate though and I have a feeling this is going to be one of those transformers.  I'll report back as things develop.

Since wood is the traditional five year anniversary gift item, it seemed like a good occasion to recognize my five year anniversary with owning Eastman guitars.  Many of you know the story, but the recap is that I was about to purchase a Martin CS dread in late 2016, when a friend encouraged me to check out Eastman before I handed over my credit card.

I found a nearby dealer (decent selection, but wouldn't budge on price) and ultimately ordered a new 2016 E40D from LA Guitar Sales.  Only nine were shipped in the first year, and this may be the first one sold in the U.S.  This was when Eastman shipped guitars without pickguards pre-installed (thank goodness; they were terrible), and I eventually added a Holter Pickguard.  It's been played regularly for the last 5+ years, and it will likely remain with me for some time.

I was fortunate to latch onto Eastman after their early days, which saw some QC issues and brittle nitro finishes.  Those issues were mostly behind them by 2015, and Eastman really upped their game in the following two years: introducing the "40" models, improving the overall build quality, and evolving their instrument voicing (older models seemed to lack low end).

Their upward trajectory has continued over the last few years.  Eastman continued to become more consistent in build quality and sound, while introducing their Antique Varnish series, TC models, and experimenting with additional tone woods.  The best built, best sounding, and best looking Eastman guitars I own are the ones I've gotten in the last 2-3 years, and if I was buying an E40D/E40OM now, it would probably look, sound, and play even better than the ones I bought years ago.

That being said, those first Eastman guitars are really hitting their stride at 5yo.  The Adi tops are getting played in and the tops are getting some nice color.  For those reading this with new (non-TC) guitars, especially Adi tops, just wait a few years for them to keep getting better b/c they most likely will continue to evolve.

I'm excited to see what the future holds for Eastman, who are killing it on the Electric side, as well as with Acoustic guitars.  We are fortunate to be living in a new golden era of guitar making, even if the prices for these guitars have increased a lot over the last two years.

Here are some photos of my first Eastman, the 2016 E40D.