Eastman AR503CE ... Anyone tried one yet?

[Jim Soloway]

I know there are at least a few Eastman AR503CEs in the US now, anyone tried them yet? What was the weight like? Neck profile? Comfort & balance? And anything else you'd like to mention.

[West LA Jazz]

Here is a link of how the Eastman AR503ce sounds.
It looks like Barry is playing an AR371ce.

John Pisano & Barry Zweig at Eastman Guitars 9-14-11 - YouTube

Here is Barry's website. I'm sure a quick email will bring some answers.
I LOVE the sound!

Guitarist Barry Zweig - Contact

I'm in love with the AR805CE but according to the Eastman website the 503 and the 371 are better for gigging.

16″” & 17″” Archtops

[AZanshin]

I Own One Next my sheraton 2, Am trying to get more of an electric sound out of it though any suggestions.
It's a big sounding box very clear but can be a bit shrill on the upper registers.

[West LA Jazz]

Nice! I own a Sheraton that I purchased in 1985! Great guitar.
I think I'm going to pick up an AR503ce.

I'm wondering if eq setting could help the shrillness in the upper register?

[AZanshin]

Originally Posted by West LA Jazz

Nice! I own a Sheraton that I purchased in 1985! Great guitar.
I think I'm going to pick up an AR503ce.

I'm wondering if eq setting could help the shrillness in the upper register?

I Love the sound of my Sheraton but after I play my AR503ce I feel the sheraton is real unclear and not as full. There's something about the sound of a full hollow body which I just love.

Am still trying to tailor my sound on the eastman though. At the moment am trying to EQ it to produce a more electric sound.

[West LA Jazz]

I'm guessing that the Sheraton will be at home in modern Jazz tunes that require a more electrified rhythm section while the AR503ce will be great in solo, duo, trio or small group settings. I'm sure it will sound amazing even in a big band setting (not saying that's what you'll be doing but I'm just saying)!

I'll probably pick one up this Christmas!

[West LA Jazz]

What amp and outboard gear do you use?

I've heard the Roland Cube 40xl or 80xl are more than adequate.
I also stumbled on an Ibanez Wholetone amp that supposedly is magnificent and just as affordable as the Roland.

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by AZanshin

I Own One Next my sheraton 2, Am trying to get more of an electric sound out of it though any suggestions.
It's a big sounding box very clear but can be a bit shrill on the upper registers.

Can you tell me what the weight is like? Most of their carved guitars, which I like, but laminates tend to be heavier. Is yours light weight? And can you describe the neck profile?

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by West LA Jazz

Here is a link of how the Eastman AR503ce sounds.
It looks like Barry is playing an AR371ce.

John Pisano & Barry Zweig at Eastman Guitars 9-14-11 - YouTube

Here is Barry's website. I'm sure a quick email will bring some answers.
I LOVE the sound!

Guitarist Barry Zweig - Contact

I'm in love with the AR805CE but according to the Eastman website the 503 and the 371 are better for gigging.

16″” & 17″” Archtops

Thanks. I'd seen those videos but I hadn't considered writing Barry. Good idea.

[AZanshin]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Can you tell me what the weight is like? Most of their carved guitars, which I like, but laminates tend to be heavier. Is yours light weight? And can you describe the neck profile?

The guitar is much lighter than the Sherry. The neck is less meaty than the sherry.

However the neck is very comfortable to play allowing you to easily make those tough stretches. This guitar has a beautiful electrical tone, now i just have to find a way for making that tone more prominent by slightly reducing the acoustic tone.

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by AZanshin

The guitar is much lighter than the Sherry. The neck is less meaty than the sherry.

However the neck is very comfortable to play allowing you to easily make those tough stretches. This guitar has a beautiful electrical tone, now i just have to find a way for making that tone more prominent by slightly reducing the acoustic tone.

Thanks. I'l be ordering one tomorrow and taking delivery in about 8 or 9 days. I'll let you know how the tone quest goes after it's been here for a day or two.

[West LA Jazz]

Jim - I can't wait to read your comments. I am in the market for one of these myself. I went over to one of our local Eastman dealers to play the AR803CE. Lovely ax. I am buying the AR503CE as a consolation prize because I've read about the feedback that the fully carved archtops can produce. Plus the 503 is supposed to be a better gigging guitar and better at controlling feedback.

Good luck with the new ax!

[West LA Jazz]

I found what must be the old incarnation of the AR503CE


AR503CE

[stegre]

Actually that was a beta test site for our regular website. There is no information on that site that we would claim to be accurate.

Steve- Eastman Guitars

[West LA Jazz]

Drat, thanks for the heads up! Those hyper efficient trawling bots of the beloved GOoOgle empire!

Hey Steve - I'm trying to find an AR503CE to play before buying which I intend to do shortly. The two dealers in LA that I know of either will not have it on their walls yet. Does Eastman have a showroom in Los Angeles? Thanks in advance!!!

PS: Maybe it might be a good idea to have your web engineers insert watermarks on the existing pages? Just a thought

[Leopold71]

I have used the Recording King ROS-16, and about this one I would say, this piece is built with the same care and attention to detail as all Recording King instruments. The Troubadour was designed based on the classic Nick Lucas style guitars of the 1920’s. To achieve the classic Recording King tone, the top is made of solid Sitka spruce and voiced with hand-shaped, fully scalloped x-bracing. The back and sides are made from mahogany. The 4 1/2” extra-deep body helps to add significant volume and bass for players looking for full, round tone and projection. The “C” profile neck is mahogany with dot inlay on the rosewood fretboard.
With a classic 1 3/4” nut width, a truly historic scale length of 24 3/4” and a bone nut and saddle, the Recording King Troubadour has been carefully assembled to fit vintage specifications down to every last detail.

[Tom Karol]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Thanks. I'l be ordering one tomorrow and taking delivery in about 8 or 9 days. I'll let you know how the tone quest goes after it's been here for a day or two.

Jim - did you get it yet? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

Jim - did you get it yet? Inquiring minds want to know!

Not yet. It should be today or tomorrow (although the holiday may mess up shipping a bit). You can be sure that I;ll give you a full report within hours of its arrival.

[andy4297]

how can i get an eastman guitar in europe (romania)?. i know the company is from US and I don't know if they have any dealers round here?
Thanks in advance!

[West LA Jazz]

Eastman is a Chinese company. There is a company in England called FOULDS I believe that carries the brand.

[Al_F]

Isn't Eastman an American corporation producing instruments in China founded by a Chinese national?

[West LA Jazz]

Eastman started of as a violin company in china. They only added guitars maybe 15 - 29 years ago? They have alway been based in China. If it's an American company that's news to me.

[Al_F]

BTW, I'm not sure if Eastman is a US corp or not, that is has been my impression hence the question.

[Tom Karol]

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

Not yet. It should be today or tomorrow (although the holiday may mess up shipping a bit). You can be sure that I;ll give you a full report within hours of its arrival.

So Jim, you must be camping out on your front doorstep anxiously scanning the distance for an approaching truck!

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

So Jim, you must be camping out on your front doorstep anxiously scanning the distance for an approaching truck!

I am. I checked on Monday and they told me that they hadn't shipped it last week but that it was scheduled to go out that day. They've treated me far to well for me to get upset with them, but I am starting to vibrate a bit. Hopefully the big brown truck will arrive today with bot the guitar and a piece of master grade koa for the final custom order that closes my book. It's a bit late as well. (I guess delayed shipping is a sign of the season)

[Jim Soloway]

Well the big brown truck finally arrived at 5:30 this evening. My first impression is that this is an enormous amount of guitar for the money. It was incredibly well packed. The case is first rate and the guitar looks beautiful. The neck is very clean with well dressed frets. It's very nicely setup (although much stiffer than my aging hands are comfortable with). And it sounds pretty much like I was hoping: more acoustic content than an all laminate 175 type and much better feedback resistance than a traditional carved archtop. I'll try playing it for a while with these strings, but if it fights me too much I may have to give in and put something a bit lighter on it.

If my first impression means anything, I have to think that Eastman should have a huge hit with this model. It's an extremely practical guitar with a really nice tone and a look that far exceeds my expectation for the price. I'll try to get some clips and photos posted by the end of the weekend.

EDIT: My wife just got home and took a quick look and listen. Even she's impressed (although her first comment was "it's a big sucker". She's very accustomed to the guitars that we build which are much smaller so I had to explain to her than in the world of archtops, this is actually a little sucker)

[jazzrat]

Nice Jim. Glad you like it. I've sure appreciated the couple Eastman guitars I had. That's one of the things I like about you....you are responsible for one of the best recent guitar designs but you remain a guitar nut like all of us and get excited about an incoming guitar.

[Tom Karol]

Congratulations! As mentioned in another thread, I tried an AR403CE recently (all laminated) and was very impressed. The 403 and the 503 are at the top of my list. I'll look forward to your follow-up report!

[Jim Soloway]

Originally Posted by jazzrat

Nice Jim. Glad you like it. I've sure appreciated the couple Eastman guitars I had. That's one of the things I like about you....you are responsible for one of the best recent guitar designs but you remain a guitar nut like all of us and get excited about an incoming guitar.

Thanks. I really am just another guitar geek. I'm just a little more obsessive than most.

Here's a short clip that I just recorded with it this morning. It's strung a little heavy for my taste so I may change it but I wanted to get some kind of recording done before I made any changes.

http://www.jimsoloway.com/MiscDemoCl...stman503-2.mp3

And here are some photos.

Btw, it's 5 lbs 10 oz and unlike the specs for the model in general, the sides and back on this one is laminated mahogany over maple. I thought the figured mahogany on the back was an especially great touch.

[Tom Karol]

Jim -
Looks great/sounds great! Enjoy it in good health!
What strings are on it now - .012-.052 roundwounds?