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I'm new to the Eastman brand but have a 30-year-old Martin D2832 Shenandoah which I knew was going to need big repairs. I had them done but then got the itch to pick up a newer instrument and rededicate myself to playing. The good people at Soundpure set me up with a fun afternoon comparing a new Eastman AC522CE with a Taylor 710CE short-scale (2005), a Martin GPC28E (2016), and a Taylor 614CE (2017). I fully expected to like the bright sound of one of the Taylors best, and they did sound good -- all three did, of course. But the Eastman was much richer to my amateur ear, just as playable, and the least expensive. It turned out to be an easy decision and that surprised me, which is why I'm posting this. My old Martin still sounds good and it really booms out chords (I'm really just a strummer, not so good at fingerpicking still), but the Eastman sounds rich and beautiful and melodious and has a surprising amount of power to it. It's been a month now and I'm delighted that I got the old one repaired (major neck work) but even more delighted that I got the new one. For anyone who's wondering about whether Eastman belongs in that particular playing field, my answer was a clear yes. And no, I'm not getting paid to say this.
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