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Wow - I cannot wait to hear your thoughts about this one. I was just looking at the 680 today. It's a beautiful guitar!
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03-06-2026 09:07 PM
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I think you will, Rob. My El Rey is spruce on mahogany, and it has the warm, rich, big tone I love. I think Eastman does a better job with mahogany bodies on archtops than Gibson did.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Thanks, gentlemen. I’ve had a Pisano in my sights for a while, so couldn’t resist it. An El Rey 1 will have to wait a couple of years.
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That's the problem with serial comparisons of guitar components. You may start with A and then replace it with B which you think sounds better; then a year later you replace that with C which you think sounds even better; then D, the same routine. And then one day five years later you find A in the parts box, forget that was your original starting point and put it back in the guitar and say "wow, that sounds better than D did." Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
Aiq - Good quote from Kent. He certainly designs good pickups. As I said, there’s nothing wrong with the stock pup, but one of the beauties of the electric guitar is that you can experiment (albeit at an ever-increasing price) with different sounds to find something that suits your playing better. And then after spending a lot of money and time, return to the original which was best after all!
I have followed the same process with guitars and amplifiers, as well.
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Some do it with partners!
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Originally Posted by Cunamara
That's the problem with serial comparisons of guitar components. You may start with A and then replace it with B which you think sounds better; then a year later you replace that with C which you think sounds even better; then D, the same routine. And then one day five years later you find A in the parts box, forget that was your original starting point and put it back in the guitar and say "wow, that sounds better than D did."
I have followed the same process with guitars and amplifiers, as well.
I have done way too much modding over the years and at my advanced age I have decided I will do it no longer. Tuners functioning? No, I will not get those other ones. Pickup sounds fine? I’m keeping it.
If something fails I will fix or replace.
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Rob I am particularly interested in hearing your thoughts on the 25-inch scale length and the perceived increase in the clarity of your scalar lines and arpeggios.
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OK. I’ll try to keep that in mind. I’m used to all sorts of scale lengths, and adapt quickly. Is this increase in clarity something you have experienced?
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Rob - re: scale length, I've been playing guitars with a 24.75" scale length for a very long time. But many Eastmans do feature the 25" scale length, due in large part to the founder's adoption of Benedetto designs, I have been told.
I was doing some homework here and elsewhere which mentioned there is greater string tension on a 25" scale length, so there is greater tonal articulation. Fact or fiction, I don't know. I've been listening to demos on the AR680 and AR880. Most of them I don't find particularly helpful, except ones produced by Django Books which are very helpful. I did enjoy watching a show recorded at Rudy's Music where John played with Anthony Wilson. It, too, was useful in getting an idea of the tones coming from his AR880 as well as the now discontinued AR380.
Aside from scale length, the 680 and 880 guitars have carved tops and backs, so that has to account for the tone to a great extent.
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Wow, John and Anthony sound great together, and what a sound Anthony gets from the cheaper AR380.
I've read a couple of comments on the near acoustic-quality of the 680 and 880, which would suit me perfectly. I'll know in a couple of days...
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Scale length is very important. In my experience the longer the scale more articulation, snappier transients, more dynamic range, probably less sustain?. 24.75 sounds more controlled and round while 25.5 sounding wilder. For solo guitar i preferred always longer scale, but other factors as acoustics and box dimension must play similar role so is difficult to atribute to only one factor the difference.
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Yes, Gustavo, there are so many variables I tend to ignore them and treat each guitar on its own terms. I’ve played lutes, theorbos, all sorts of guitars, banjos and ukuleles - my hands just adapt and get on with the job. I recognise, though, that for some people such measurements are critical. Good luck to them.
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I had the same reaction to the sound Anthony was getting from the 380, which shares the body and neck dimensions with its successor, the 480 30th Anniversary, but ships with a single Seth Lover pickup. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
That said, John's solos sounded clear, but they had the depth and width I want to hear from that guitar in particular. It was an incredible performance and there are multiple tunes to be found!
If the discussion about tonal clarity is correct then it could be that you will have found your perfect jazz guitar in the 680.
Go full YouTube and capture the unboxing!
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I lied and modded anyway, new tailpiece and tubing replacing the springs in the PU. The project was in the pipeline in my defense.
Last edited by Aiq; 03-16-2026 at 10:55 AM.
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You have been told correctly, and it's such a cool story that it deserves repeating. Eastman apparently wanted to hire Bob B as a consultant to help them design their archtops. As the story goes, he told them it wasn't really necessary. All they had to do was buy his book. So they did. Originally Posted by Bflat233
I believe it was the 810 that was built by the book. Mine (with floater) has much of the character of the similarly sized and built Benedettos that I've played. It's been 50 years since I sold my L-5CN, but IIRC it was also in that camp tonally. I don't know anything about the design and construction of the more recent models in the Eastman line, and I haven't played many of them. So I don't know if the comparison holds for multiple current models in the lineup. But the first carved solid wood X-braced Eastman archtops were in fact made in accord with Bob's book - and they're excellent guitars.
The 810 is no longer supplied with a floater. They now come with set Lollar humbuckers. I suspect it's somewhere between a Benedetto Americana and a Wesmo L-5, although it may actually be closer to a Fratello or Manhattan. I'd love to play one just to see what it's like.
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Looking good, Aiq. What else do you have in that long and fat pipeline?
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I really love my 372—it put my Memphis '63 reissue ES-335 out to pasture. Loved the 335, and it felt higher-quality than the Eastman in several respects, but I just realized that I'm happiest with hollowbodies, second happiest with solidbodies, and don't have much need in between.
People say (rightly) with some frequency that the AR372 doesn't sound all that much like an ES-175. I'm wondering, though: Does it sound much like a Sadowsky Jim Hall? I haven't had a chance to play a JH, but people consistently say that it's lightly built with an acoustic thing going—which sounds a whole lot like what I've found with the 372. They've also got some similarities in construction with the Jim Hall—maple neck (vs. mahogany on the 175), wider nut, ebony fretboard (at least on the newer-gen 372s, like the the one I've got). The major difference, of course, is the body depth (3.3ish" on the 372, 2.75" on the JH), and below-the-waterline stuff like the composition of the laminates.
Anyone had a chance to compare these two models? How do they stack up?
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Good question.
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sounds great Rob. You really make it sound like an old jazz recording! Bravo!!
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Many thanks, Jack! Great to get a thumbs up from The Master!
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