The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #101

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    My AR 605 tailpiece snapped also. The dealer sent me a replacement no charge. I don't know how the replacement is holding up. It is sitting in evidence at the police department. Stolen, recovered within hours, 3 years ago.

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  3. #102

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    Can't help noticing that most people that owned Eastmans liked them, but moved on at some point. Haven't owned one but have played a few. I think they are good value when bought used. Mostly acoustic archtop type sound and not so much electric.

  4. #103

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    About 20 years ago, I started noticing that many modern archtops were being voiced with a quite different tonal response than their counterparts from the 20s-70s. As I examined the carves of the top plates I noticed that the tops were considerably thinner near the f-holes than was the case with old Epiphone, Gibson, and D'Angelico instruments.

    The result seemed to be that the guitars I played in the 90s-00s (Andersen, Collins, Heritage, Eastman, Benedetto, etc.) all had brighter voices than the archtops of the 30s-40s. I thought about this and chalked it up to maybe the effort to grab new players whose experiences with acoustic guitars were formed exclusively around flattop Martin, Taylor, etc., guitars. It would make sense that someone raised on, say, a Martin D-18 would pick up an Andersen or an Eastman with bronze strings and think, "yeah, that's a nice guitar."

    By comparison, a Gibson L-5C still sounds roughly in the older archtop camp, even if it is of recent manufacture. (I do detect, however, a bit of the "new sound" in the Bozeman L-7C, FWIW.)

    I am not suggesting that one type of archtop is better than the other...only that there appears to have been a shift in the target sound that archtops are being carved for.

    Am I just hearing things, or do others sense what I am suggesting?

  5. #104

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    Hey Chyro,

    I've got an AR810CE that I just put on consignment last week at a local shop.
    I believe it will be listed on Reverb next week. I'll PM you some details.

  6. #105

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    I have had great luck with the Eastman acoustics I have bought on the used market. Good bang for the buck. And their customer service is very good as already stated here.

    I look forward to trying some of their arch tops in the future.

  7. #106

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    So I have owned several Eastman Archtop guitars over the years, including an 810CE,805CE,880JP,803CE, etc. I made the move to an Elferink Tonemaster which I love.
    But I just tried a non cutaway 810 mahogany model and was suitably impressed with both it's playability and warmth in sound. I do believe they keep improving their builds every year.And would definitely recommend them to those of us musicians on a limited budget.

  8. #107

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    Quote Originally Posted by DanielleOM
    I still have the original hinged tailpiece on my 2005 AR805CE. (It's living on borrowed time?)
    My 2005 had 13’s on it for 12 years without a problem. I wouldn’t worry about it. Fwiw, Jimmy D’Aquisto designed and made a bunch of tailpieces that failed.
    Last edited by whiskey02; 06-23-2019 at 12:55 AM.

  9. #108

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    I have a T145 that still has the original tailpiece, holding fine, and it has had relatively heavy strings for a long time. It is bright sounding, but it's a thinline, only 1.75" at the rims, so that's no surprise. I suspect Bob Benedetto had an influence on the top thickness of guitars beginning in the 80s and continuing. He was successful, and wrote the book, so that's no surprise. Top thickness is a subjective subject, and while it does make a difference in the sound, whether thinner or thicker is better is not universally agreed upon. There is a variety available, so one can buy whichever is preferred. Personally, I like the Benedetto pattern, and the thinner tops, particularly for acoustic playing. I think Eastmans sound pretty good amplified, but my taste is not the same as anyone else's. Eastmans certainly don't sound identical to L5s. Doh!

  10. #109

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    I play an ES175 and an Eastman AR910ce, two very different guitars, love them both. I do prefer the thin top and light weight of the Eastman, I play it more often. It does not "thunk" like my 175 but I would not describe it as brite, great tone acoustically and amplified imo.

  11. #110

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    I don't usually do this whole NGD thing, mostly because I don't want to come off as a show off. Where I come from it's really rude to boast about getting something new. But i'm starting to get the hang of this forum thing and I'm starting to see it as just us sharing our experiences with each other.

    So this is my first guitar purchase of this quality. I have a Loar LH-650 (black) as well, and I really thought that when I got it I had finally gotten a quality guitar. Not to say that The Loar makes bad guitars (I loved my Loar for the time) but this is definitely an awesome upgrade that I'm thankful for. And this time I got the guitar in the color I wanted. It was used, and has a few dings. But overall this thing is super sweet! It's so fun to play. I really thought the 17inch lower bout would have been way too big but I think this is the best feeling guitar I've ever played. At least in a REALLY long time.

    I heard such lovely things about Eastman archtops and now I realize why. I did need to intonate it when I got it, but that's no fault to Eastman. The dealer understandably loosened the strings before he sent it. Gonna throw a pack of my favorite strings on her in a little bit (pyramid golds).

    Of course I'm going to change the stock pickup for the Shadow Zoller that I have coming in the mail. I've heard such lovely things about it. The clarity. The tone. And I'm so excited to try it out on this baby. Anyways, without further ado, here she is. Sorry for the long post and the crappy pic.

    Does anyone else enjoy Eastman archtops? I really see the inspiration that they took from Benedetto in pieces like this. Also, does anyone else have any experience with the Zoller pickup? And one more question...Am I seriously the only person in the world who loves the True Vintage Pyramid Gold flats? I find them so lovely, and I love the extra tension.

    Eastman AR810CE-img_2745-copy-jpg

  12. #111

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    That's a beautiful guitar and I bet it sounds fantastic too! Congratulations on getting it! Eastman makes some great instruments. Lovely! Make some great sounds with her! And, don't worry about showing off such a beauty! We love looking at her!

  13. #112

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    Congrats! A good Eastman is a jewel. I had one for a few years and it was very acoustically alive. Just a brilliant crisp tone. All the best to you and enjoy your new instrument!

    Roli

  14. #113

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    Nice. But why "Of course I'm going to change the stock pickup"? You just got it, you need to spend some time with it before making a change like that I think. Go by what your ears tell you, not what you've read online. Absolutely nothing wrong with the pups on those guitars, especially when you have never used the Zoller that you're planning on installing. You're changing a pickup you haven't spent any serious time with, for something else you've never used. I have "upgraded" pickups that I had no problem or issue with in the hope of making my guitar "even better" and after spending the money, was less happy with the results.
    Enjoy you new guitar!

  15. #114

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    Eastman AR810CE-dfa2d5d0-ecd1-42b3-a52a-313204bef925-jpgEastman AR810CE-f10e27d9-22c6-4c4a-90bd-dba7272569ff-jpgEastman AR810CE-63f09e5b-24ea-4a35-a19e-804b1bb3792b-jpg

    I was on the Eastman bandwagon a long time ago. One day on eBay I was just searching ARCHTOP GUITAR and came across one in the $1100.00 range that just blew me absolutely away. It had no name on the headstock and no label inside. The seller is actually a member here. Back when I was married and always broke. I wrote the seller telling him I was in love with the guitar and if he'd hold it for me until November when I got my birthday check I'd pay him $1350.00 (or so) for it. It had THE MOST amazing woods. It was a dead wringer for a Benedetto Manhattan. I even got the seller to attach an older Benedetto pickup as part of the deal. Then I ran across another one in my waiting time. Turns out Eastman made an especially fine batch of the AR810 for their first NAMM show. The builder and partners scoured through their extensive wood stash for the best woods. The Builder, turns out none other than Mr. Wu... Eventually Eastman had their rep in Maryland locate some preforming artists and offered them one if they'd use it on stage. Eastman was born out of a company in China that made violas, violins and cellos and they approached Bob Benedetto to collaborate with them, he was too busy, told them to go buy his book. Well sh*t they did and replicated his Manhattan model. LOL Over time I saw three or four of these unbranded AR810s and the story was always the same, some rep GAVE them the guitar. Eastman didn't even have anyone with any engraving skills so there was no name on the headstock or inlays. They've come a long way. MY guitar turned out to be a real stunner and is really nice.

    The rub on the older models is they used a cheaper "designed by Kent Armstrong" floater that really isn't good at all. Nor are the electronics so don't be ashamed to say pursue a real american made Kent Armstrong, or say a neck mounted Bartolini 5j. BOY will you be surprised at how good it sounds plugged in. It's worth checking out...


    Big
    Last edited by BigMikeinNJ; 05-16-2020 at 06:42 PM.

  16. #115

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    Also... we'd like to see the back and rims please!

    (Eastman does have some really pretty maple)

  17. #116

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    Quote Originally Posted by whiskey02
    Nice. But why "Of course I'm going to change the stock pickup"? You just got it, you need to spend some time with it before making a change like that I think. Go by what your ears tell you, not what you've read online. Absolutely nothing wrong with the pups on those guitars, especially when you have never used the Zoller that you're planning on installing. You're changing a pickup you haven't spent any serious time with, for something else you've never used. I have "upgraded" pickups that I had no problem or issue with in the hope of making my guitar "even better" and after spending the money, was less happy with the results.
    Enjoy you new guitar!
    Well #1, I upgraded the pickup because I originally ordered the pickup for my Loar but decided to use it for my Eastman instead, and I'm really glad I did. Night and day difference between the pups. #2, it's the stock eastman pickup is the same stock pickup that that came with my loar except the kent that was on the eastman was gold instead of chrome. I'm very glad I changed the pups. No issues at all. Literally took me 5 minutes. Lol. But thanks for the advice, bud.

    EDIT: I wasn't trying to come off mean, btw. i'm glad you like the sound of the pickup. I personally didn't like the sound all that much. Don't worry, I had a whole day with it before my Zoller came in the mail behind it.

  18. #117

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    That s a beautiful guitar. I really like the x-braced Archtops from Eastman.
    Considering the pickup, I think the stock Kent Armstrong one is great and I had a lot of more expensive pickups on other archtops like dearmonds 1100 (original and the new one), an original 12 pole Armstrong one, a bartolini...
    It all depends on the sound you want to achieve. The stock pickup is very clear. I love this and I think it suits the guitar. It s not great if you want a fat Jazz sound (Montgomery). But in my opinion the guitar is in general not for this type of sound. The Zoller is warmer than the stock one, but not as clear.

    Only the pickups Eastman used in the first years (black plastic) were not as great in my opinion.

    Enjoy the guitar!

  19. #118

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    I loved my 810ce. It was an older model sunburst & it sang really well.
    The pick up was crap, but the guitar was great. Why did I sell?
    Only because my old L-7, plus I needed some $$$$.
    Heck, the old L-7 might be next on the chopping block.

  20. #119

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    If you search this forum for AR810CE you’ll find a few posts from me and others. I love mine.

    If your tailpiece has a hinge instead of a metal bend, watch it closely for cracks. If you see any evidence of metal fatigue, call Eastman customer service. You’ll find some posts and photos about that.

    Mine still has the old black Kent Armstrong pickup. I’ve been meaning to replace it with an adjustable pole piece pickup so I can even out the string-to-string response, but for this guitar I mostly use the pickup at low volumes to help fill out the acoustic sound, so it hasn’t been a priority.

    My AR810CE is surprisingly light for its size and the finish is a little delicate, but it’s held up well for 13 years.
    Last edited by KirkP; 05-27-2020 at 11:21 AM.

  21. #120

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    I hate to say it, but I much prefer the LH650 to the Eastman 810. But to each their own.

  22. #121

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    I hate to say it, but I much prefer the LH650 to the Eastman 810. But to each their own.
    Yes, to each their own, pal. I like the neck, size, and sound of the Eastman a lot better. I think the LH-650 is a little warmer. But it's not as pleasant sounding to my ear. The difference in the neck, though, is where I really like the Eastman. But like you said, to each their own. I think I'm actually going to sell my LH-650 here pretty soon. Having 2 archtops is a bit too much for me.

  23. #122

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    Anyone knows a good case for my Eastman AR810CE?

    I don't have the money to fork out for $1k+ custom 17inch archtop guitar case. The one I have is fine for the time being, but I'm about to install a new pickguard with some cool knobs on top vice the under-the-fingerrest thumbwheel. Just how I like it.

    Obviously this is gonna add about an inch to the width, so I'd like a case that is a little deeper. Is there such thing as a 17" archtop case that's around, say, 6 inches deep? I say that to take into account the back arch, front arch, floating Benedetto style finger rest, along with the volume & tone knobs. Am I really going to have to order custom. If so, I guess that's fine. I'll have to settle with saving my chips. Afterall, I'd rather spend the money protecting my investment vice having to get work done because my case was too small.

  24. #123

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    IMO, your best bet is to buy a 17" arched-top or double-arched "Montreal" case. These are typically made under the TKL label, and the company that provides them to TKL has been making them for 50+ years, and supplied cases to Gibson, Martin, Gretsch, Guild, and many more makers. This includes cases for 17" archtop guitars. There are a couple of trim levels based on hardware configuration, but the trim level really doesn't matter in terms of protecting the guitar. It's basically the same case they made for the Gibson L-5.
    Here are some typical examples:
    TKL black hard shell lined case for 17" Archtop guitars | Reverb
    TKL9120 17 Inch Archtop/Jumbo Guitar Case
    TKL 17 Inch Archtop/Jumbo Guitar Case 8820 || Guitar String Depot
    eBay
    TKL LTD™ Arch-Top Jumbo 6/12 String Guitar Case - TKL - World-Class Cases

    Another option is an Ameritage 17" case - these come in a "Silver" format and a "Gold" format - the only difference is that the Gold has an added humidification system.

    Another option is a Hiscox Liteflite "Pro II F-Jumbo (17") case, made in England. Hiscox makes a heavier, fancier, more expensive "Artist" version as well.

    Another option is a Cedar Creek case. - these are more expensive, heavier, and are excellent cases.

    I've had excellent experience with all of these cases and archtop guitars with floating pickups and knobs mounted to pickguards. The one key issue will be clearance for the knob or knobs poking up from the pickguard. That will depend on how high off the face of the guitar the guard is mounted, as well as the knob height.

    Another option is a relatively recently introduced Harptone case, from Cedar Creek/TKL/Harptone - not sure if they are doing a 17" archtop case yet, so I have not tried one for fit.

    The main hassle with all these cases is the shipping cost - they are large/oversized, and shipping cost is not based on weight but on size ("dimensional weight").

    All of these cases should be available for somewhere in the $300-$500 range (but the Cedar Creek ones might be more). I'd buy from an experienced on-line retailer like Elderly Instruments, who know archtop guitars well, and sell a lot of cases, and discuss the dimensional specifics with them before deciding on a specific case.
    Guitar Cases & Gigbags – Elderly Instruments

    You can have a similar conversation with Gruhn or Carter Vintage in Nashville - they do a lot of archtop business, and are a lot closer (less costly shipping). Another option is to find a used case, typically an old Harptone or old TKL/Montreal case, that previously housed an old Guild or Gibson 17" archtop. Gruhn or Carter Vintage might be more likely to have a used case for less $$$. No idea if there are any local NOLA retailers with archtop experience.

    At the end of the day, if none of that works, you can get a custom Calton or similar high-end case. IMO a Calton is useful if you travel by air with the guitar, otherwise, I think it's serious overkill.
    Last edited by Hammertone; 05-18-2020 at 02:52 AM.

  25. #124

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    Congrats on your new Eastman - I’ve owned a few 910’s and they are fine guitars - do enjoy. The blondes are gorgeous.

  26. #125

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    Are you sure the one you already have won't clear the knobs? Are you putting on smaller knobs, or full-size knobs?

    Just lay the guitar in the case, scotch tape something similar in height to the knobs on the guard, and see if it closes ok.