Quick EGF poll!   Who are you cheering for in the upcoming Superbowl?

If anyone is interested.....I spoke with my guy from A Plus Guitars today about when they anticipated receiving some     E20D TC's  - he in turn spoke with his guy at Eastman - bottom line is that it took longer than expected to "cook" the tops, but they are now complete and have been sent to the factory and their "best guess" at this time is another 90 days for them to get to the dealers. I worked in Manufacturing for 36 years, so I fully realize that "stuff happens", but I would offer a bit of unsolicited advice to the Eastman Marketeers - Be careful about managing expectations - It looks like I will have been waiting for 8-9 months or so to get this puppy - I ordered in August '17. Perhaps it would be better to wait until availability is firm before offering the git for sale - I am still an avid Eastman guy and I think I always will be but it looks like the Operations side of the business isn't talking to the business side.....

Nels Cline is one of my favorite guitarists.  He's been around for years, playing an eclectic mix of punk, jazz, and rock music.  For the last decade, he's provided a sonic wall of sound for the band, Wilco.  He's also an Eastman artist --- listed for playing the Mandocello!

Anyway, I'll post a few Wilco videos later on, but in the meantime, Guitar Player just released this video interview, where he discusses and plays riffs from five of his most influential songs.  Enjoy!

I am new here and was hoping to find some information and opinions on the PCH models and was hoping that some of you owned some of them or had the opportunity to play them.  I did not know that Eastman sold guitars in this price range until just a few days ago.  As I posted in the Introductions thread, I do not have an Eastman dealer near me and would have to take my chances ordering online.  I own an Eastman 486 and love the playability, sound, and quality of the instrument and am looking for an acoustic and was hoping that maybe these PCH models would be a good option.  

I want a guitar that I can play everyday with minimum hassle, play outside sometimes, take it with me when I travel, and not have to worry so much about getting an accidental scratch or ding on it.  As I understand it Eastman offers these model in a dread, orchestra, and cutout model.  I would probably lean toward the orchestra or cutout aw those are not quite as thick as the dread.  I called one of the dealers that offers them and was told the dread was 4-3/4, the orchestra was 4, and the cutout 4 1/4.  It may be because I am just not used to them but I learned to play on an electric mostly because the bodies were smaller and felt more comfortable to me.  My brother in law has a dread (Art and Luthrie?-Canadian guitar) that I play sometimes and it just feels huge to try to hold.

Anyway, would love to hear any opinions, reviews, etc. that any might offer.

This is the case of my brand new T486SB as you can see strips are separating from the case. 


I called my dealer and he said bring it in and perhaps they can fix it if not they’ll call Eastman. I have no idea how severe this is but I know it is unacceptable in a brand new guitar.

If it is a warranty claim I’ll keep y’all posted it will be interesting to see how Eastman handles this.

If you're like me you know that Eastman is making a lot of amazing guitars these days! So this is mainly for fun, but I'm wondering what is the best Eastman you've ever played? This could be a combination of tone, play ability, fit & finish. Why did you like the guitar so much? Is there another guitar model that you would compare the Eastman to as a reference point? 

If you have pictures of the guitar please post it here! I'm excited to read your responses. 

I'll start us off by showing off my Eastman E10D-TC. As far as tone the new thermo-cured series really captures the vintage sound. As far as playability the neck on this guitar is rather large but very easy to play. The fit and finish is almost perfect and the woods look amazing. I was drawn to this guitar because of how strong the bass response was. It has a loud thumping bass that I've only heard on some vintage spec'd Martin guitars.

Wow!  Looks very interesting...  Very cool to see Eastman continue to build new creations.

Not new to Eastman, but my others are lesser quality models.

This new E20D I bought this morning has a LR Baggs Anthem factory installed.. I do not know what model it is, but I assume it's the Anthem SL if that is the less expensive one. Eastman's site lists several Anthem models that might be optionally installed. I bought from a dealer here in town....and the salesman I used didn't know for sure which model it had.

Q1 - Anything you can tell me to educate me on the Anthem system? I have had a couple of A guitars I converted to AE by adding, each time, a K&K Pure Mini. I love that pickup, I love it doesn't "mess" with the sound and it doesn't need a battery so I can leave it plugged in. (I am too lazy to connect/disconnect each time I play!)

Q2 - Any idea how to determine the model? All I can say is it is Active, and has a tone and volume control. (The volume control works the opposite way as my K&Ks, so that will take some adjustment..........)

I almost passed on the E20D today because of the active pickup, but it sounded by far the best of the 5 or so guitars I tested (all unplugged) today, including a couple of Larivees D40s, a couple of Eastman E10Ds and one Eastman E10-OM. So I got it even knowing I'd rather have had it without the pickup; I would have just add a K&K latter. Having the dealer remove the Baggs and install the K&K would have made today's purchase too expensive......

I started with my most recent Eastman, an SB59. Next is my first, a T184MX. Let me just get the hyperbole out of the way; there isn’t really anything like the MX series in the Gibson line up, and if there were, Gibson would not be the measuring stick. An MX is more like a Collings than a Gibson. It is a boutique guitar in everything but price. The arches, top and back, are hand carved, not laminated and pressed, with the bridge and tailpiece anchored in a small block, no a full center block (more on this in a minute). The woods are top quality (though not all maple is flamey). The details are stunning x - gorgeous flame maple bindings on top, back, fretboard, headstock, heel cap and f holes. Everything else is high quality - Gotoh hardware, Duncan 59 pickups, silent, smooth, gradual pots. The fit and finish is flawless, and this guitar came off the rack with great fret work. 

They make the MX in 14, 15, and 16” lower bouts, and I can only speak for the 14, but the hand-carved box of air that is its body does not produce feedback problems, even at pretty loud club volumes with a full rock band. Plugged in, it responds to hands and amplification like a solid body guitar, not like an arch top. In fact, I’d say that the hollow body doesn’t contribute a lot to its amplified sound, though it does sound different than my SB 59, which has the same pickups and hardware. Unplugged, it’s perfect for noodling in the couch while watching TV. 

Anyone in the market for an ES-style guitar should play one of these before they spend a dime more. (About $1600, Street) They aren’t extraordinary guitars for the money, they’re extraordinary guitars, period. The one caveat is that like any very lightweight guitar with the strap button at the neck heel, it’s a bit head heavy. That problem is easily addressed with a suede strap.

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