Hello folks,

I hope you'll forgive and humour a question which I imagine may be a bit naive for veterans of this brand. I had a look around some older posts to see if I it's been asked already but nothing popped out immediately so here goes.

For many years I've adored the canonical sound of a Gibson 335. I appreciate that there have been variations and iterations over the years of build / components / pickups but with this said, I think it's fair to say there's we could average these out and get something we might call a classical 335 tone.

Were money no object, I might take the no-risk option and pick up a standard Gibson USA edition but I don't have enough money to justify that kind of outlay.

I've taken a look at some affordable alternatives, namely Epiphone and Sire. Of course, some concession to build and components has been made, as great value as these guitars may be. I might be able to stretch to a Eastman T386 or T486 if they're the right choice for me. Having looked at some videos and checked the specs, I can see they're close to a 335 but perhaps significantly, use different pickups to the standard Gibson USA's. I'm not so bothered about tuners and knobs etc, it's my focus here is mainly about the tone.

So here's my question: If I really like the way a standard 335 sounds and would like to get pretty close to this but via an Eastman guitar, what is my best move? Are any of the Eastmans close enough out the box that all but the most discerning would say "yup, that's basically the 335 sound" or would there need to be a pickup retrofit to achieve this? Or am I barking up the wrong tree altogether?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

a lovely sunburst one 

I am a bit confused with the spec though....

The official Eastman web site for the archtops says the 403 ced has ebony fingerboard,tailpiece/bridge and perhaps the scratch plate too but the current ads in the stores  says rosewood!

Same for the metal.....Eastman says nickel but up to date current ads say chrome!

My serial number is L2000553 anyone know which is correct?

Thanks guys and nice to be here

Piano Man arranged by Kelly Valleau on my E8OM-TC. Didn't quite make the barre chords coming out of the solo but this is the closest I've come to nailing it! It's in CGDGBD which makes the 6th string a little floppy on the short scale but it's the longest I own.

https://youtu.be/P7n81dFlBhM

Hi guys. Looking for a guitar specifically for drop tunings (DADGAD, CGDGBD, etc.). I'll probably set it up with med strings. Anybody have experience with the ac 822ce-ff? The multi-scale part is appealing, and I like that the scale is not too severe between E's. Anybody played this model care to comment about it?

I apologize if this has been covered before. I didn't see it if it was.

I was reviewing the Eastman site today and noticed the AC122-1CE is now solid sapele back/sides.  The list price is $765.  I looked at my favorite online retailer, Alto Music, and their description still says sapele veneer with a price of $539; not only that, but you get 10% store credit.  They don't have any stock, so if you order, you would presumably receive the solid sides & back.  

https://www.eastmanguitars.com/ac122_1ce

The AC122-2CE is available with a solid cedar top as well.  https://www.eastmanguitars.com/ac122_2ce

I have a friend who has a Taylor 316CE (discontinued) that is solid sapele with a spruce top.  It listed for $2,000.  It sounds really nice.  I would expect the AC122CE to sound similar.

Inexpensive guitars have come a long way!

CJ

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/us/oz...g-jam.html

Hey Y'all,

I bought an Eastman T185MX a couple years back and I love it.  Unfortunately, I do not love the case it came with.  The pins in the handle and a couple of the latches began to break within just a couple months with VERY light use.  I've made do so far, but I am searching for a more hearty case.

In my search it seems like the cases with the best dimensions seem to be for 335 or 000 style guitars.  But I haven't found anything that seems like it will be a sure-thing.

Has anyone else experienced breaking pins in their cases, or have suggestions for which case would be a good choice for the Eastman T185MX?

Thanks in advance for your time and replies!

I've seen this brand mentioned repeatedly as a good value over at AGF. There's one in particular I'd be interested in: https://www.elderly.com/products/farida-...tic-guitar

Anyone played one? It's an interesting size, like the Eastman E15SS or the Gibson LG-2. The sunburst seems to look great as well. Might be an interesting addition but I wonder how it compares to other Eastman's.

Saw this one on eBay at a decent price. The LTDs had been getting some love here. Not mine but thought I'd flag:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Eastman-E10-Orc...3398534379

Last year, I purchased the AC422CE which came with a nice hard case.  Later last year, I purchased the AC222CE-OV that came with a bag.  Finding I prefer the case, I set out looking for a quality hard case.

First, I contacted the largest Eastman dealer in the US (so they claim).  Gave me lip service, but had no interest in helping me obtain an Eastman case.  Next, I went directly to Eastman, and they were very clear that they do not sell replacement cases, even if I was willing to wait for them to get one from China.

Scanning our forum, someone had mentioned that Access cases are very similar to the Eastman cases, to the point where possibly they supply the Eastman OEM cases.

The nearest Access dealer (not an Eastman dealer) was 70 miles from me, and today I took a road trip there.

A trial fitting found the Access Stage Three AC3DA11 was a very good fit for the Eastman Grand Auditorium models.  This particular Access case is designed for a dreadnought.  My Eastman GAs fit perfectly, except there was about 1 inch of clearance on each side of the center bout.  The upper and lower bouts were well supported.  No towels needed!

Comparing the Access and Eastman cases:
1) Access has 5 bright chrome latches, while Eastman has 4 that are satin in appearance.
2) The handles are different but I feel equally good.
3) Both cases have a hair-cell finish on the exterior, although they are quote a bit different in appearance.  I have no preference.
4) Both cases had 4 bumpers (similar but not identical) on the base, 3 on the bottom and 2 on the side opposite the handle. 
5) Both cases had 2 hinges that seemed to be of equal quality.
6) The trim (with the faux stitching) on the Access had a bright plastic appearance. It doesn't look bad in photos, but in real life, it looks cheap.  The trim on the Eastman closely matched the body of the case in appearance.  This was the one thing I liked better about the Eastman.
7) On the inside, both cases had good padding and provided support on the sides of the upper and lower bouts, as well as the neck.  Neither the Access nor the Eastman really supported the sides of the center bout, although there was about an inch on each side on the Access, and maybe a quarter of an inch gap on the Eastman.  No big deal either way.  The guitar is well supported and is not going to move during transport.  The Access case is deeper, but had thicker crush material on the inside of the lid, so the guitar was equally well supported and did not flop around inside the case.
8) Just looking at the closed cases side by side, the Access is obviously larger.  It is a tad higher (more crush material inside the lid), wider at the center bouts, and a couple inches longer.
9) There is no lock on the Access.  Does anyone use those things?

I would say the two cases are equivalent in quality.  I have a slight preference for the Eastman due to the cheap appearance of the trim material used on the outside of the Access.  It is just an appearance item and has no effect on the function.

The Access case cost me $139.99 plus state sales tax.  If you try to order through the Access website, you will find much higher prices, plus shipping.

If you are looking for a good quality case for the Eastman ACX22CE series grand auditoriums, the Access AC3DA11 is a good choice.

CJ
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