Eastman AR403CE-SB: Got it!

[Tom Karol]

I went up to Buckdancer's Choice in Portland, ME yesterday and bought the Eastman AR403CE-SB I had tried up there the day after Thanksgiving - I had put a deposit down on it by phone on January 6th - $715 including HSC plus tax (list is $950). According to the COA that came with the guitar, this instrument was made in the 1st week of November 2011, so it really is 'new'! Didn't get home until mid-evening, so this will be just a very preliminary report with more to follow (including pictures and eventual sound samples) over the next few days. Haven't fired it up through the Henriksen yet, but here are my intital impressions:

Excellent woodworking - everything is clean, neat, well-shaped and well-fitted - no buzzes or ratttles and no sign of filler. Inside looks clean too. The laminated maple top and body does not have much of a grain pattern but the sunburst finish is lovely! The pickup polepieces line up well with the strings. The tailpiece is not hinged, but is a single piece of metal under the rosewood cap bent at almost a right angle after coming off the end-pin area; this was good to see as I had heard of a few Eastman tailpieces of hinged design breaking at the hinge point.

The acoustic sound is surprisingly resonant and full for an all laminated 16" x 2 9/16" box (perfect size for me), albeit not real loud - ideal for practice when using the amp might disturb the rest of the family. The nut seems well cut. It has .012 to .052 D'Addario roundwounds on it - I will be sticking to something similar. The neck profile is a slightly shallow C-shape with Eastman's typical 1.75" nut and 25" scale length. I find it very comfortable. The tuners are copies of Grover Imperials; they look extremely cool and seem to work fine.

There are a few issues - I find that's generally to be expected at this price point - but all are easily addressable. The action at the bridge is too low (that's why it's adjustable), the pickup is too high (again, that's why it's adjustable), and the fret ends are too sharp/rough (that's why I have Dean, my ace guitar tech). It has acrylic 'pearl' block fingerboard inlays that are both too large and too white - almost cheezy, but I'm embarrased to admit that I actually like the 'bling' aspect! The case is an adequate flat-topped hardshell model, not the fiberglass case that comes with the more expensive Eastmans; it seems way deeper than it needs to be, but the guitar fits well and doesn't move around. It's fine.

So, tonight I'm going to raise the bridge and lower the pickup and try it through the JazzAmp and then take a few pics to upload. Stay tuned!

[Retroman1969]

Ah, congrats!
Thanks for sharing the initial impressions.
I went back to my Eastman dealer the other day to see if they had a 403 in stock to check out, but unfortunately they didn't.
I look forward to the pics and sound samples!

[Jazzman301]

I am interested to hear and see this. I have been talking to Lou at Guitarsnjazz about these. He highly he highly recomends them and says they are A LOT of guitar for the money and nothing else in this price point compares in sound or quality...according to Lou anyway...haha

'Mike

[Retroman1969]

Well if these are close to the experience I've had with the 371 so far, I'll have to agree with Lou. LOL!

[hallpass]

Nice! Congrats man! Seems like you got a good deal. Eastman has got something with the 403 and 371 it certainly seems. Makes me want to sell one of my Les Paul Studios towards one.

[Tom Karol]

OK, good: I raised the action enough to eliminate fret-slap and lowered the pickup a bit to ensure clean, clear, balanced sound. Raising the bridge gave the sound more authority acoustically and brought the intonation very close to spot on, so I didn't have to move it. Apparently they put it in the right place at the factory. Nice! It's still easy to play. Using 11's on my 25.5-inch scale guitars, the 12's don't bother me at all on the slightly shorter scale of the Eastman. Feels good/sounds good! It's pretty light, too, though I haven't weighed it. I'll take it to my tech for fine tuning the setup (and fret-end smoothing) after it settles in for a while.

How does it sound amplified? Well, I already have two other electric guitars (both strung with .011-.048 roundwounds) that can produce convincing, "Jazz Tone," especially through the Henriksen: a Hamer T-51 (T-style) with Bill Lawrence pickups, and a Crafter SEG480 (335-type) with alnico humbuckers. But this new one being fully hollow with a wooden bridge and a trapeze tailpiece and strung with 12's has a more organic/acoustic quality through the amp. With the Henriksen's EQ set dead flat and the volume and reverb on 9 O'Clock it sounds wonderful! It's delightful how you can hear the air in comparison to my other guitars. And it's still got that plywood 'thunk' that I like. The volume and tone controls are very effective too. With both of them at 8 it's crisp and clear but still warm. (I'm using my new 2mm Ultex Jazz III picks by the way.) With the tone at 5 I can get a much smokier sound, and with the volume at 10 I can generate some heat. It also seems to be relatively resistant though not immune to feedback, but I've got the other two electrics for higher volume contexts, so that's not really a concern for me. And the pickup is dead quiet in terms of hum and noise. I'll try to get something representative up on Youtube as soon as I can cajole someone into recording me.

And now, for the composite picture. My camera is having issues. The sunburst is not as dark as it appears: the middle part is more golden-yellow, and the shading is much more gradual than the pictures imply, moving briefly through red into a dark maroon. The side view came out a little more accurately. Oh well...

[Jazzman301]

Thats a great looking instrument man.

'Mike

[Retroman1969]

Cool, looks great!
Love the wood-grained headstock and matching rosewood pickguard.
Dead on about the finish. Pictures can't capture it, but the burst fade is more subtle, and instead of black, like it shows, it actually fades to a still translucent dark reddish brown.
I'm guessing you feel this one won't need a pickup change like most guitars in this price class typically do?

[PTChristopher]

Looks great - amazing at the $$$.

>>> (and fret-end smoothing) after it settles in for a while.

The Mass. air is at its driest form now to about the end of February. Unless you are humidifying like crazy, the guitar will stay at it's winter shrunken state for about another 6+ weeks.

In my opinion, you will do best to get the fret ends done while the guitar is at its smallest, and the frets are projecting at their maximum.

Looks great, glad that it sounds great too.

Are those Jinho tuners?

[Tom Karol]

Thanks guys! Yes, I'm really happy with it. I agree about doing the fret ends now; my other guitars which feel real smooth for most of the year are exhibiting a touch of fret sprout about now. I've made an appointment with my tech to fine-tune it on Sunday - frets, truss rod, bridge. Surprisingly (to me) the nut is good as is. I'm good at ballpark setups, but he knows what I like and has the ability to make good into great.

Yes, they are Jinho tuners. There's a little bit of play when you first turn them, but they're smooth and they hold well.

Yes, my first impression is that I like the pickup alot. I think the overall height is now good though I'll continue to tweak the individual polepiece screws a bit, but I have no immediate desire to replace it. For one thing, it's mounted really well - doesn't move around inside the pickup ring when you touch it with light pressure. My understanding is that it's an Asian KA.

Oh, and you're right about the finish. Speaking of that, I'm hoping that the block inlays were a one-time experiment for Eastman and I'll end up being the only one with an AR403CE 'Custom' - We'll see!

Now, I've got to work all day before I can play it again!

[Tom Karol]

My tech did his magic yesterday: fret ends, nut, truss rod, action, intonation, making sure the tuner nuts were firm (I hadn't thought of that), plus a touch of lemon oil on the unfinished rosewood surfaces. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good! I'm still amazed at how nice a guitar this is for under $800 (even including the work he did). Here's an example of his approach to doing what I want (he always does the work in my presence and consults with me about my preferences in real time):
Dean: Do you want me to fix the nut?
Tom: I think it's pretty good already.
Dean: It not bad, but I can make it better.
Tom: OK!

[kris]

how it sound?

[Tom Karol]

Kris - I will get a sound sample up on Youtube and reference it here when I can.

[lpdeluxe]

Tom: as it happens, I have been communicating with Randy, and, also as it happens, a friend brought a very nice Eastman to church for the anthem and postlude yesterday. I mentioned that to Randy, and told him it appeared to be a very well crafted instrument. In return, he sent me the jpgs you had sent him. It's great to see the larger pictures here -- yours looks very much like the one at church, which appeared to have a spruce top and a similar finish. I was impressed by it and by yours. Nice guitar.

[hallpass]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

My tech did his magic yesterday: fret ends, nut, truss rod, action, intonation, making sure the tuner nuts were firm (I hadn't thought of that), plus a touch of lemon oil on the unfinished rosewood surfaces. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good! I'm still amazed at how nice a guitar this is for under $800 (even including the work he did). Here's an example of his approach to doing what I want (he always does the work in my presence and consults with me about my preferences in real time):
Dean: Do you want me to fix the nut?
Tom: I think it's pretty good already.
Dean: It not bad, but I can make it better.
Tom: OK!

Hi Tom,

Would you mind sharing (via PM) your tech's contact info? I live nearby in metrowest Boston (just south of Framingham). I don't have anything I need done right now, but it's good to have a good tech's contact info handy for when I do.

[Tom Karol]

PM sent, but I'm happy to give him a plug for those in proximity: His name is Dean Forman. He's at Barnstorm Music II on Rt 109 in Medway on Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun afternoons.

Hey, speaking of proximity, if you're just south of Framingham, sounds like we probably live about 15 minutes from each other. We should get together and play a few tunes!

[hallpass]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

PM sent, but I'm happy to give him a plug for those in proximity: His name is Dean Forman. He's at Barnstorm Music II on Rt 109 in Medway on Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun afternoons.

Hey, speaking of proximity, if you're just south of Framingham, sounds like we probably live about 15 minutes from each other. We should get together and play a few tunes!

We should definitly play some time! I live in Holliston. Play some real book tunes or something.

Love your new guitar by the way.

[Jazz_175]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

PM sent, but I'm happy to give him a plug for those in proximity: His name is Dean Forman. He's at Barnstorm Music II on Rt 109 in Medway on Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sun afternoons.

Thanks for the info, I also live nearby, just on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean....If you jam together give me a call......
Well, just joking....Congratulations for your new guitar.
It looks like an old vintage archtop.

[richard vandyne]

Tom: i really appreciate you giving us all the info on your 403. looking at it makes my want to get mine right away. i am impressed with the quality that eastman puts into their instruments. your really lucky to have a nice player like that. when you were trying out the guitar did you happen to try a 503? its an little more money but i am curious how it looked. i am now deciding on the 371,403 and the 503.cant make up my mind although since i play at home all the time it is nice to know that it sounds good acoustically also. thanks again

[Tom Karol]

Oops - double post. See below.

[Tom Karol]

My pleasure! Actually, I've never seen an AR371 or an AR503, or another AR403 for that matter. You can compare the specs on Eastman's website, but ...

AR371 - Single pickup ES-175 clone pure and simple. 24 3/4" scale, 3 9/32" deep. Retroman69 loves his!
AR403 - 25" scale and 2 9/16" deep. List price is $100 more than AR371.
AR503 - Same as AR403, but solid spruce top and ebony (vs. rosewood) fingerboard, bridge, pickguard, and tailpiece cover. List is $300 more than AR403.

I personally prefer the dimensions of the 403/503. Rosewood vs. Ebony doesn't make a lot of difference to me. The 503, having a solid spruce top, probably sounds a bit more lively acoustically (though I'm surprised at how good the 403 sounds unplugged), but should be more susceptible to feedback when amplified. I actually prefer 'plywood' guitars. They're less fragile, less expensive, and often perform 'better' when amplified.

[PTChristopher]

>>> Rosewood vs. Ebony doesn't make a lot of difference to me.

In my opinion, a lively laminated archtop with more stable (vs. ebony) rosewood components is possibly the ideal everyday great guitar. It's not the guitar's fault that it happens to be priced so nicely as well.

[CarlT]

Just picked up my AR 403 CE this weekend and am in awe of this instrument. I have several fairly good guitars and this is my first "real" jazz box. I was having some personal issues regarding solid wood vs. laminate but decided that the lam was really the way to go for me especially living in very dry Albuquerque, NM. Rarely do I play w/o an amp, however, acoustically, my Eastman sound great.

My impressions so far are very positive The quality of the build is extraordinary, the size and comfort are wonderful and the tone blows me away. I have run the guitar through several amps including my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and my Rowland Cube 60. The Cube 60, for some reason really brings out the flavor of the tone. I had several guitars on my list including a considerably more expensive Gibson but they palled in comparison to the Eastman in tone, quality of build and value.

[CarlT]

By the way Tom, My Eastman has dot inlays vs. the block. You may have a rare fret board indeed. -- Carl

[Tom Karol]

Congratulations and welcome to the club! I just love mine to pieces! Whereas the 371 is like an ES-175, I guess the 403 is more like a Guild X-150. I like to call it a poor man's Sadowsky Jim Hall. I can't think of anything under $2k I'd rather have. I owned a '66 L4-C with a floating pickup for over 20 years, and I honestly like this Eastman better. By the way I've seen pictures on the web both with dot inlays and with no inlays (like most other Eastmans). Interesting.

[Retroman1969]

Congrats Carl!
I have the 371, and this new Eastman line in general seems to be giving the same first impression to all its owners. They appear to have a winning formula here.

[CarlT]

Thank you Tom and Retroman. Any suggestions on a good jazz/blues amp? I am somewhat disenchanted with my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and my Chorus 60 is starting to get a bit cranky. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Retroman1969]

I really like the Roland Cube for jazz. The 20w model starts at a reasonable $160, and is plenty powerful for home practicing. At the other end, I think the 80w runs around $399.

[fauves]

Tom that is a great guitar and you dont know how lucky you are. I played it a couple of times. I made up my mind to go down and buy it and it was gone.



but, before that I emailed eastman about it. I thought I remembered it having x-bracing but all I saw online said it was tone bar. so I emailed to ask

they replied that it has tone bar and dot inlays. your guitar has neither so ? 1st run prototype ? mis label ? the inlay AND the bracing are different to specs.

I wanted tone bar bracing and was going to swap out to a p90

[Tom Karol]

Yes, I am lucky! Thanks! I think I felt x-bracing through the f-hole. I'll be tied up at work today, but I'll verify tonight.