I wonder, especially as a new E20D owner who is definitely pleased with his new acquisition: I know that the E40D is reputedly made by Eastman's top luthiers, that the grade of the wood is better, as is the fit and attention to detail (not to mention the additional 'bling' of the abalone fret markers and trim, which, if I'm to be honest, doesn't much matter to me).

But... given that there's a $700+ difference in the retail pricing from the E20D to the E40D, is there a really significant difference in the sound of the two models that makes the up-charge worth it?

Those of you who have owned/played the two models, what's your opinion? It's curiosity makes me ask this, as the E40D is decidedly outside my budget at $2100+ retail, so unless I have a musical relative who for some reason leaves me theirs in their will, I'm unlikely to ever have one—and no one locally has an E40D in stock for me to play (which may be a good thing!)

The guitar UncleJesse passed on (thank you again) at The Mandolin Store arrived today. This is the reliced version of a slope shoulder dread - Adirondack top with mahogany back and sides. Scale length is 24.75". I am a little concerned with the slightly narrower nut - 1.69" and string spacing 1.44", but maybe it will get me to improve my technique/skills. The neck depth is similar to my E15SS. The set up was ok. The nut slot depths are good, but saddle height is a little high. I will eventually do a full set up when I do the first string change. I wonder how a set of NB strings would sound on this guitar?

Surprisingly this is a newer guitar. I was kind of thinking this might be old stock which was the reason The Mandolin Store was moving it a used price. The COA has a date of 06/10/20. The S/N begins with M which I believe Eastman only went to recently. Finally it has the smaller guard as opposed to the large bat wing that I have seen on most newer models. I have had issues in the past with Ping tuning machines but this set seems to be very smooth and even. I added the armrest (obligatory for me) and a strap button. I think for now that is about all intend to do to the guitar. 

Some first impressions - LOUD. Keep in mind my other guitars are OMs and a 00, but his baby moves some air. It has a very deep bass which I feel I was missing with my other guitars. It is 'modeled" after Gibson J15/35/45/50 but I wouldn't say this sounds like a Gibson or has that unmistakable Gibson thump. I previously had a Gibson J35 reissue and from what I can remember there is a distinct tonal difference between the two. I also had an E10SS for a few months and unless I am mistaken there are differences in tone between the SS and SSv. I think the thinner antique varnish finish on the SSv has an impact. All and all I am glad I decided to take a flyer on it. Now to improve my skills.

Following are the obligatory pics as well as a current family pic. 

There are a number of videos and online articles that walk through the steps to remove and replace a pickguard.  I've seen other methods posted and definitely don't claim this to be the "best" or only method.  But it's been effective for me, so I thought I'd share with the group.

The only tools I use are a bridge pin puller, scotch tape, dental floss, and a hair dryer.

REMOVAL: 10-15 minutes

Step 1: I loosen and remove the 1st and 2nd strings.  If you plan a pickguard removal and replacement around a string change, it's easy enough.  Otherwise, just loosen the strings enough to remove them at the bridge, while leaving them wrapped at the post, so you can revert the strings into the bridge and tighten them back up at the end.

Step 2: get a piece of floss that's at least as long as the guard.  This is used to get in between the guard and guitar without damaging or scratching the top.

Step 3: turn on the hair dryer with a warm setting.  The hot air will loosen the glue that's holding the guard onto the guitar.  Focus it on the front tip of the guard, so you can get that tip to separate first.  I point the hair dryer at the tip, but with a small waving pattern, so it doesn't direct the heat into any one spot for too long.  Likewise, I only run the heat for a few seconds at a time, so it doesn't overheat the guitar or risk loosening any glue for bracing inside the guitar.



Step 4:  once things are beginning to loosen up, I slide my dental floss underneath the front corner of the guard and work it as far as it will go.  I gently, but firmly, pull up on the guard to keep it from falling back onto the guitar.

Step 5:  I continue to alternate between heating with the hair dryer to get a little more glue to loosen up and gently/firmly pulling on the guard to separate a little more from the guitar.  I always work it parallel to the grain, slow and steady, until I get to the end.  You can continue to use the dental floss, if it's helpful.  But I usually just work it with my hands, holding the guard with one hand and the hair dryer with the other.

Did I mention... SLOW and STEADY?  Don't force it.  Allow the glue to separate and work a little section at a time.  Remember, the slower you remove it, the less risk of it pulling anything from the top.  Going in short bursts is also advised, so you don't overheat the top of inside bracing.



Step 6:  when I get close to the end, rather than pulling that last second straight across and risk pulling off part of the top with it, that's when I work it perpendicular to the grain and slowly lift off the back edge of the guard, while still using fanned heat from the hair dryer to loosen this last section.


CLEAN UP: 10-15 minutes

Step 7: remove any residual glue from the guitar top.  The glue is sticky and will capture dirt, dust, hairs, carpet fibers, etc., and all of those things will be trapped underneath your new guard.  This debris might be visible, but it could also inhibit the adhesive on the new guard.  You can use drops of naphtha, if you have it, or you can roll it into little glue balls with your fingers and pull them from the guitar top.  Either way, it's a little tedious... but the cleaner, the better, especially if you're applying a different size guard.



(Full disclosure: I took my time and really cleaned up the glue on my E10OM, not shown.  But since I was applying the same size guard in the same general placement, I cheated and didn't remove all of the glue on my E6D.  Instead, I made sure any glue balls and other debris were removed, so there was just a thin layer of glue remaining.  It was really sticky, so I figured it wouldn't negatively affect the adhesive from the new guard.  The difference in glue thickness was negligible.

REPLACEMENT: 5-10 minutes

Step 8: time to get out the new guard and 4-6 strips of scotch tape (note: blue painter's tape also works well.  Place the new guard (do NOT remove the backing!) where you'll want it, so it's sitting freely on the guitar.



Step 9: attach the strips of tape onto the bottom edge of the guitar, so each strip is divided between the guard and guitar.  Press firmly into the bottom edge, so it forms a tape "hinge" between the guard and guitar.  This allows you to lift the guard like a flap, and when it falls back onto the guitar, it falls exactly where you originally placed it.  The more tape the better, but if you have tape at the curves, it will be more difficult to lift it straight up.



Step 10:  practice raising and lowering the guard with the backing still in place.  Adjust, add, or remove tape strips, as needed, until you're sure that you can raise and lower the guard into its proper place.

Step 11: when you're feeling confident, lift the guard, remove the adhesive, and lower it back onto the guitar top.



Note: if you misfire on the drop, do NOT press the guard into the body, or it will be more difficult to remove and/or adjust.  I've never had to completely remove a new guard, but I have slide it slightly, just to get it perfect.  Once you're sure it's how you want it, press firmly and evenly across the guard, so it gets a good seal onto the guitar top.



Step 12: replace the 1st and 2nd strings and tune up to pitch.



Congrats! Take photos of your new guard to share online.

Final photo with new guard installed:

Looking to buy a T64/v with Bigsby, color doesn't really matter. Let me know if you have one you are interested in moving!

I made an offer on an E8D that was accepted.  It was very reasonable and I didn't honestly think they'd accept but here we are  

It has the fattest neck profile I've had on the 5 Eastmans I've owned.  The top is Sitka on this model but this is some serious wide-grained Sitka.  It really doesn't look that much different than the adi topped Eastmans I've owned which makes me wonder if it really is Sitka.  It doesn't make all that much difference to me as it sounds great.  I prefer the sound of this to the E10D-TC and the E20OM-TC that I owned previously.  The previous owner had a new bone saddle and pins set from Bob Colosi installed.  I'm going to put a K&K in this, slot the bridge, and put a new pickguard on this and put it to good use.

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Hey EGF family,

(LINK BELOW)

I found this really unique looking E2D on Reverb, and the seller sent me an offer for $458 including shipping. I may end up buying it for myself, but figured I'd share with everyone in case someone else wants a killer deal.

It has a very unique looking top cedar soundboard. I've never seen one like this. I call it the skunkburst!

My wife has already given me the green light. Should I buy it, or go with the more traditional ED1 with spruce top?

I wanna buy an Eastman dread asap, and if I buy one, it would be my 2nd Eastman along with the E6om I bought back in April.

Eastman E2D Traditional Series Cedar Top Dreadnought https://reverb.com/item/34060252-eastman...t=34060252

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I read an interview with Pepijn t'Hart in Guitarist  (September 2020) magazine. He says 'Next year [2021] we will start shaking things up with our own-design solid bodies. From now on it's going to be different. There's going to be an offset one ... a lot of interesting instruments. You see we get asked, for example, ''why don't you do an Eastman SG?'' But I don't want to do that, I don't feel there's anything we can add. So we've started to design a completely new instrument.' It seems he is the lead designer for Eastman solid bodies.

Hey there!

I'm a proud owner of a Eastman E6OM that I purchased back in April.  I absolutely love the guitar, but now I have GAS really bad!  I need a dread in my lineup.  I had a Washburn dread, but I gave it to my father-in-law so he can learn to play guitar. 

I don't want to spend a ton of money on my next dread, so I'm looking at the Eastman E1D and E2D. 

Does anybody own the E1D or E2D?  If so, what do you think about them? 

Or, should I just shell out extra money and go with an E8D or E6D?

Also, what strings do you all find sound best on Eastmans?  Again, I have an E6OM, and I'm trying to figure out which strings to buy. 

Thanks! Cheers!

Does anyone know what material was used for the pickguards?  For my E2D it says it is Tortoise Shell G-Guard.  I quick google doesn't seem to help.  Other than the Mario Prouxl one, all the others seem to be made to look like tortoise shell, but without disclosing what it is actually made of.  I'm asking because I wanted to possibly upgrade and realized Im not even sure what I have on there.

Back on 8/17, UncleJesse posted about a steal of a price on an E10SS from the Mandolin Store ($899!) -- I believe TomC here ended up grabbing it. I wasn't in the market for that model, but I checked out the website; they had an E20D listed there at $1409—and I have been watching for a deal on that guitar. I saved that URL in case they did the same thing with that model, since while they had a ton of Eastman mandolins in stock, it looked like their stock of Eastman guitars was very low and I wondered if they might be looking to move them.

I'd checked that E20D URL once a week or so since then, and last night I saw that the E20D's price had suddenly dropped to $999. I decided to take the chance and ordered it — it should be shipping on Monday and arriving a few days after that. I'm not a fan of buying guitars unplayed, but that seems to be the only way to get Eastmans here in Cincinnati, and the price was impossible to resist (for me, anyway). We'll see whether my third Eastman internet buy was as good as the other two... The required pictures will follow.

With the "one in, one out" rule in the household on guitars, that means that once I know I'm happy with the E20D, my Guild OM-140CE will go up for sale on Reverb (all solid wood: Sitka over Hog). If anyone's interested in that guitar, contact me via PM for the "friends and family" price.

AND... with the caveat that I know nothing about the Mandolin Store and am not affiliated with them in any way, the rest of their Eastman guitar stocks are an E6D, an E6OM, an E8D, and an E8OM. Right now the prices for those are pretty much standard retail. Don't know if those will eventually be offered at fire sale prices too, but if you're in the market for any of those, you might keep an eye on the site.