Did you know that D'Addario draws their own wire?  Check out their History tab & other things they do:

http://www.daddariowireworks.com/

Question - is it possible to polish out scuffs from a guitar with a (tobacco burst) UV gloss finish? I was too bloody lazy to stand up, and reached out for my guitar only to knock it off its stand!!! As a consequence I have four areas of cosmetic abrasions. I haven't invested any effort on learning how to place pics on the forum otw I would do so.

When I owned a Yairi classical.... this is a recording of a tune I wrote long ago.  yikes, fingerstyle.

My buddy Bert (Jack Russell/Basenji canine dog) provides the yodels in second part of the recording, paying tribute to Bro Ray with a little improv:

https://soundcloud.com/bertramd-1/berts-classical-mood

I bought an Eastman T145-SX used at a pawn shop a while back, and it did not come with a case. I took it to a local Guitar Center, and had no luck finding something that really held it very well. Does anyone here know of a decent alternative to a case for one, or am I stuck using a gig bag?

Not sure if any of our forum members are from Denver or familiar with the Denver area, but I will be traveling out there next week...and ultimately moving there with my wife later this summer.  Curious to know if anyone can recommend the best Eastman retailers (shops that carry Eastman acoustic and/or electric guitars).

Thank you!

Anybody got a number for neck depth at the first fret for a current E1D? Thanks!

I need to vent to a sympathetic audience.

I sold my "like new" Larrivee on Mandolin Cafe a couple weeks ago. It was truly perfect with only some swirls on the pickguard. It could be sold as new in any Larrivee dealer. Even the case was perfect, and the warranty card is unregistered. These sell for $1500 new and around $1K used. I sold it for $925 plus $100 including shipping/insurance/PayPal fees. The deal is, he returns it, he pays shipping both ways and the guitar comes back perfect, as it went out. 

I shipped it off to SC from WA. The buyer wanted me to use FedEx so he could have it held for pickup. I wanted to use UPS because it's about 20% cheaper, but I acquiesced. I worked in a guitar shop for 6 years and have bought and sold guitars, dobros, and mandolins. I have packed and shipped probably 200 instruments, maybe more. I always pack out the headstock and the box. The guitar doesn't move in the case and the case doesn't move in the box. Never had an issue. 

The buyer texted me the night of the arrival and says there's a 1-2mm gap at the neck heel, treble side. He sends pictures. Yep, there's a gap. I check the pictures I sent to him as I packed the guitar, and that area isn't clearly visible. (But there was no gap when I shipped it!) He wants to reverse the sale and I should refund his money and he'll ship the guitar back. I tell him no that he sends it back and I refund. I offer him $200 off just to not deal with it. He is miffed and says I should trust him. (Ever get your money back from a department store over the phone promising that you'll bring the merchandise tomorrow?) 

I ask him to open a dispute with PayPal, so I can have proof that the guitar is on my way back. Then I refund when it arrives. PP immediately takes $1025 out of my account. What? I call PP and ask them how do I make sure that I get the guitar back before I give him my money? She says that I need to escalate it from "dispute" to "claim". I do that. He ships the guitar. I get it and there is no damage to the box. There is, indeed, a gap. There is also a hint of glue clinging to neck at the gap that makes me think it took a big hit. And there is a big gouge and dent in the neck of the case at the treble side (bottom). I mean a gouge that you rarely see in cases. That didn't happen in a box fully packed out in bubble wrap. I texted him with pictures of the case and he says it must have been there when he got it. Not hardly. My guess is he dropped it or bashed it somehow, virtually right out of the box and decided to return it. 

Ultimately, he got $1025 back from PayPal, but had to pay return shipping. And I am out $127 for shipping and probably $400-450 for a neck reset. I am sad to lose $500-600, but I am even more upset about the damage to a beautiful guitar and case.

I'll never again use PayPal as a seller. I'd do it as a buyer, because it is clear that they fully favor buyers over sellers.

I recently saw a E20OM FS and wonder how it would compare vs. my 412.  The only knock I have on the 412 is it feels really heavy in my lap - it's an older model.  I know the sitka vs adi makes some difference in sound, and I could stand a tad more brightness.  Would this be an upgrade or more of a lateral?

Hey everyone,

Forgive any typing mistakes - I’m writing this on my phone. I was just curious if anyone has shared this experience...

Five years ago I purchased a used T386 from a shop in Minnesota. I’m a professional jazz guitarist and music teacher in Nashville, TN, so I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped. I fell in love with the thing and eventually bought a new T486 from a local dealer three years later, thinking that I needed a backup and that the 486 should be even cooler.

Present day, two years later still, I still gig (and practice, and teach) with the 386 constantly. The 486, while prettier, is not nearly as acoustically vibrant, or warm through an amp - once again, I’m coming from a pretty “jazz” esthetic.

I’m just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with these two models. Of course, the 386 has been played much more than the 486, and they are at least five years apart in production date, but it still continues to amaze me that the new, more expensive one is just ok to me, while the older, less expensive one is amazing (outside of the cheap tuners?.) I know the Pu’s are different, but is there another design difference that I may be missing?

Thanks in advance,
Adam

What builders do you think offer a similar sound to Eastman flattop acoustics?

I have 3 USA Martins and one Eastman, and while they all are different I would classify the Martin’s in their own family of sound.

My Eastman E10D-TC, on the other hand, while specd like a Custom D-18, seems to have a sound of its own. It has some of the warmth and resonance of the Martins, but with a brighter, slightly more Modern sound. It’s great, just voiced different than a Martin.

What do you think is the main factor here? Individual builders? Wood supplies?

What family of tones would you describe your Eastman flattop as falling under?

What major builder do you think influenced Eastman’s traditional series the most?

I’ve heard others compare theirs to Collings guitars. I’ve never played a Collings so the connection there is limited.

I would love your thoughts on this topic.