Post by grayn on May 12, 2013 14:59:25 GMT
The Eastman E20 OM is very conventional or "classic", in it's looks/design. Drawing
it's inspiration from the Martins of yore. I am no expert on that subject but I have
played a ton of contemporary Martins, from 15s to 45s. Infact I could count myself as
a Martin fan, my all time favourite being the 00 18V.
Having said that, this Eastman doesn't sound like any Martin I have played. If I had
to make a comparison, I'd say it's somewhere between a Martin OM and some of the high
end, hand made, mini-jumbos, I have played/owned.
In some ways, the E20 OM has achieved something quite special, in that it has a large,
projected sound, that has a remarkable, clarity and separation. Kind of, big and
airy, yet tight and articulate. I hope this is making sense.
I'm not, by any means, trying to portray the E20 OM, as some kind of supreme guitar.
I'm just trying to give an idea of it's sound and how it appears amd appeals to me.
The shop I bought it from didn't have any high end acoustics but had a couple that
were a bit pricier, than the Eastman. And on comparison, they weren't in the same
league. It's funny because over the last year or so, my mind/ears have been
discerning the intricasies of single coil pickups, spring reverbs, valves and
latterly, overdrive. Yet it hasn't taken long for me too get back into to subtleties
of the acoustic stringed instrument.
My little, Takamine, koa 00 sized guitar has been and is there for me, with it's easy
going, attractive sound and feel. But the Eastman is a very different beast. Larger,
louder, more articulate and demanding of one's attention.
This all-solid Eastman, has rather unusually for a lower-mid priced guitar, an
Adirondack spruce top. I can only surmise that this has something to do with the E20
OM's distinctive sound. These tops are known to be powerful and need some playing in,
to really flower. If that's the case, then I can't wait, as it sounds great already,
to my ears.
The rosewood back and sides are not specified, as to type. Going by looks and tone, I
wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't East Indian but I can't be sure. The grain is
straightish and the rosewood is darkish. Nothing we haven't seen before. But fairly
attractive and beneficial to the guitars sound production. At the base, is a strip of
maple, with a rosewood strap peg.
The internal bracing is hand carved and scalloped, with the X brace pattern. And I
have to say that internally, the Eastman is very neat indeed. It's as well presented
and detailed as the exterior.
The neck is mahogany, with an ebony (1 3/4 inch at the nut) fretboard and a 25 inch
scale. I have always much preferred ebony to rosewood fretboards. It just feels so
much better to my fingers. I'm sure others feel differently. Personally, I'm always
disappointed when a mid or high priced guitar has a non-ebony fingerboard. The bridge
and end pins are also ebony. The saddle and nut are bone. So, all the right stuff
there.
The guitar's decor is all very Martinesque, with Herringbone purfling, off-white
plastic binding and a number of concentric, black & white circles, for the rosette. I
do like the patterned strip that runs up the centre of the back and the Gotoh,
vintage, open backed tuners are a nice touch. The body is nicely glossed. The neck
and headstock are matt. I much prefer the looks of a gloss neck/head but the matt
finish is slightly, more comfortable, for playing.
The overall finishing is very good. The fretboard is very accurate and comfortable to
play. The varnishing and craftsmanship is high on the whole guitar. There are a
couple of tiny imperfections though. Near the heel cap, there is a tiny amount of
varnish bleeding from the heel, onto the binding. There is also a miniscule nick on
the side of the fretboard, near the nut. I can't feel it but it's visible, in a good
light. Neither of these make a toss of difference but I thought I'd mention them.
The action is just about right. High enough for string tension and tone but low
enough to be very comfortable. The neck profile seems to be of the shallow C variety.
This again, is to my liking. I'm not a fan of soft or full V, neck profiles.
This guitar definitely delivers on the sound and feel department. As I've more
recently been used to my 00 sized Tak, the Eastman does feel quite large. But it's
all comparative really. Yet the guitar's tone reflects that image. It's big and
quite classy. The guitar is defintely expressive and sounds rather lovely with
flatpicking and my owned brand of (fleshy) fingerpicking. I'm still finding out what
the guitar can do and I'm sure, as the adirondack top develops, things will get even
more interesting.
(with my Takamine EF407)
As I've said before, the guitar's looks are classic, rather than innovative or
artistic. But that was Eastman's intentions. If I was to change anything, I'd have a
less conventional rosette, maple binding and a gloss front to the headstock. But then
it'd be something it perhaps wasn't intended to be.
Overall then, a more than decent guitar. Especially in the sound and feel department.
Even at it's full retail price, I'd say it was a bargain. Even more so, at the price
I got it for. It's as an OM should be. Versatile and rich, with very decent
projection.
it's inspiration from the Martins of yore. I am no expert on that subject but I have
played a ton of contemporary Martins, from 15s to 45s. Infact I could count myself as
a Martin fan, my all time favourite being the 00 18V.
Having said that, this Eastman doesn't sound like any Martin I have played. If I had
to make a comparison, I'd say it's somewhere between a Martin OM and some of the high
end, hand made, mini-jumbos, I have played/owned.
In some ways, the E20 OM has achieved something quite special, in that it has a large,
projected sound, that has a remarkable, clarity and separation. Kind of, big and
airy, yet tight and articulate. I hope this is making sense.
I'm not, by any means, trying to portray the E20 OM, as some kind of supreme guitar.
I'm just trying to give an idea of it's sound and how it appears amd appeals to me.
The shop I bought it from didn't have any high end acoustics but had a couple that
were a bit pricier, than the Eastman. And on comparison, they weren't in the same
league. It's funny because over the last year or so, my mind/ears have been
discerning the intricasies of single coil pickups, spring reverbs, valves and
latterly, overdrive. Yet it hasn't taken long for me too get back into to subtleties
of the acoustic stringed instrument.
My little, Takamine, koa 00 sized guitar has been and is there for me, with it's easy
going, attractive sound and feel. But the Eastman is a very different beast. Larger,
louder, more articulate and demanding of one's attention.
This all-solid Eastman, has rather unusually for a lower-mid priced guitar, an
Adirondack spruce top. I can only surmise that this has something to do with the E20
OM's distinctive sound. These tops are known to be powerful and need some playing in,
to really flower. If that's the case, then I can't wait, as it sounds great already,
to my ears.
The rosewood back and sides are not specified, as to type. Going by looks and tone, I
wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't East Indian but I can't be sure. The grain is
straightish and the rosewood is darkish. Nothing we haven't seen before. But fairly
attractive and beneficial to the guitars sound production. At the base, is a strip of
maple, with a rosewood strap peg.
The internal bracing is hand carved and scalloped, with the X brace pattern. And I
have to say that internally, the Eastman is very neat indeed. It's as well presented
and detailed as the exterior.
The neck is mahogany, with an ebony (1 3/4 inch at the nut) fretboard and a 25 inch
scale. I have always much preferred ebony to rosewood fretboards. It just feels so
much better to my fingers. I'm sure others feel differently. Personally, I'm always
disappointed when a mid or high priced guitar has a non-ebony fingerboard. The bridge
and end pins are also ebony. The saddle and nut are bone. So, all the right stuff
there.
The guitar's decor is all very Martinesque, with Herringbone purfling, off-white
plastic binding and a number of concentric, black & white circles, for the rosette. I
do like the patterned strip that runs up the centre of the back and the Gotoh,
vintage, open backed tuners are a nice touch. The body is nicely glossed. The neck
and headstock are matt. I much prefer the looks of a gloss neck/head but the matt
finish is slightly, more comfortable, for playing.
The overall finishing is very good. The fretboard is very accurate and comfortable to
play. The varnishing and craftsmanship is high on the whole guitar. There are a
couple of tiny imperfections though. Near the heel cap, there is a tiny amount of
varnish bleeding from the heel, onto the binding. There is also a miniscule nick on
the side of the fretboard, near the nut. I can't feel it but it's visible, in a good
light. Neither of these make a toss of difference but I thought I'd mention them.
The action is just about right. High enough for string tension and tone but low
enough to be very comfortable. The neck profile seems to be of the shallow C variety.
This again, is to my liking. I'm not a fan of soft or full V, neck profiles.
This guitar definitely delivers on the sound and feel department. As I've more
recently been used to my 00 sized Tak, the Eastman does feel quite large. But it's
all comparative really. Yet the guitar's tone reflects that image. It's big and
quite classy. The guitar is defintely expressive and sounds rather lovely with
flatpicking and my owned brand of (fleshy) fingerpicking. I'm still finding out what
the guitar can do and I'm sure, as the adirondack top develops, things will get even
more interesting.
(with my Takamine EF407)
As I've said before, the guitar's looks are classic, rather than innovative or
artistic. But that was Eastman's intentions. If I was to change anything, I'd have a
less conventional rosette, maple binding and a gloss front to the headstock. But then
it'd be something it perhaps wasn't intended to be.
Overall then, a more than decent guitar. Especially in the sound and feel department.
Even at it's full retail price, I'd say it was a bargain. Even more so, at the price
I got it for. It's as an OM should be. Versatile and rich, with very decent
projection.
Jo whoever he is.
