Tone difference between Eastman 371 vs AR 403

[Rich D.]

Hi,
Can anyone please let me know what the tone difference is between the 2 guitars? Also playability? , fit, finish, frets?
Thanks,
Rich

[Retroman1969]

Huh, I think a few of us own either/or, but I don't much think anyone has both or has A/B'd them, far as I know.
As for fit and finish, fretwork, and playability, they should be the same.

[benjazzman82]

Hey there. I am one of the lucky ones who has had the chance to test them both on the same day.
First of all the 403 is thinner, the scale length is slightly longer and thats about it for the obvoius differences.
Finishes on them both were immaculate. A realy thin Nitro is perfectly applied. Photos dont do the finishes justice. Personally , i preferred the tone and response of the 403. The 371 is more of a 175 guitar with the iconic predictable "thunk" you get. Great amplified. The 403, felt a little more articulate for me, ive said it before but its almost got as "piano" like response to it. A little brighter but if you want that "electric archtop" sound just roll down the tone a little more and its there.
They are both very light instruments but very well balanced. I am not too sure why there is the price difference??? They are both similar construction, same pickup but £100 difference.
For me the 403 won and ive played 15 gigs in 3 weeks now on it. I am soooooo pleased.
I am just waiting for the new Ibanez WT80 to arrive today and then i will try and get some sound samples up.

Hope that helped.

Cheers

[Rich D.]

Thank you! I'm getting close to buying one, I appreciate the awesome review.

[Tom Karol]

I have an AR403 - the only one I've ever seen/tried. I've posted about it here (too) many times. I've never seen/tried an AR371. Condensed from the Eastman Website, here's the differences - stuff that particularly matters to me is in bold:

AR403:
Body Dimensions: 16″ X 2 9/16″
Cutaway: Venetian
Top Wood: Laminated Maple, X Braced
Scale Length: 25″
Pickguard: Rosewood
Inlays: Dot (varies)
Tailpiece: Gold & Rosewood Trapeze-style
Tuners: Jinho Tuners

AR371:
Body Dimensions: 16″ X 3 9/32″
Cutaway: Florentine
Top Wood: Laminated Maple, Parallel Braced
Scale Length: 24 3/4″
Pickguard: Bound Plastic
Inlays: Split Block Inlay
Tailpiece: Vintage style
Tuners: Vintage Tuners

[gitrman]

I happen to be lucky enough to own one of each. My favorite just happens to be whichever one I'm playing at the moment. I think they only sound slightly different because I have "half rounds" on one, and "flats" on the other. Neck feel is the same, and overall feel is different enough to justify having them both. I would hate to have to choose between them.

[davehobbs]

I have both and can echo previous posters. My 403 is a 2014 sunburst and has 12-52 roundwounds on it, while my 371 has TI 13s flats. In contrast to earlier posts, both my guitars have parallell bracing. Set up this way, and played through my Jazzamp 112, the 371 will give both early Jim Hall tone (tone up quite high) anf later Jim Hall sound (tone rolled way back). The 403, set up with roundwounds, and with a bit of reverb, gives a convincing Martin Taylor sound. I'm a lucky boy!

[davehobbs]

Here's a picture of my lovely Eastmans. They feel very different to me. The 403's shallower depth, slightly longer scale, lighter feel etc give it a more acoustic, resonant feel. I love them both.

[Tom Karol]

...In contrast to earlier posts, both my guitars have parallel bracing...

Very interesting! My AR403ce is definitely X-braced; I can feel it through the top F-Hole. It seems odd that Eastman would make the same model 2 different ways. I'm not doubting your assessment; mine is a very early sample - made in November of 2011 according to the COA.

[Longways to Go]

I lucked into an AR371 that is just great, but there were a few other 371's that came through the local shop which I didn't care for. Eastmans are bright . . . and fickle beasts IMO. I'm currently on the hunt for a T486 maybe!

[davehobbs]

Yes Tom, I thought it was weird too. I bought the 403 new, from Ivor Mairants in London, two days ago - it's signed April 2014. When I played it, thought it sounded like an X braced model (more piano like articulation) -until I looked inside! There's definitely a longitudinal brace just inside each f hole. I'll get a mirror inside soon to check if there are any additional braces, but I'd guess not. It's a pity I'm in the UK and you're in the USA - we could have done a direct condition comparison. :-)

[newsense]

I bought the 403 new, from Ivor Mairants in London, two days ago

Dave - I played that same guitar about 3 weeks ago (assuming Mairants hadn't re-stocked in that period). A lovely instrument that was difficult to put down before leaving the shop - but so was the 371 and the 503 and the Martin Taylor and .....

What made you settle on the 403 rather than the alternatives they had on offer ?

[monkmiles]

I'd like to play, and own actually, an AR371 to go along with my AR403. So that I can make a comparison.

The 403 reminds me of a Sadowsky Jim Hall model whereas the 371 obviously reminds me of a Gibson ES175. Even though the AR371 is more along the lines of an ES175, I do feel I get ES175 like tones out of my AR403 with flatwounds.

BTW, my AR403 is cross braced as well.

[davehobbs]

No, Newsense, i missed the one you played, but this one had the same effect on me! I played the MT Virtuoso and loved it but preferred thr AR403's sound, classic looks and price. The 503 sounds a bit bright for me.

[D.G.]

The 403 definitely seems brighter than the 371 I owned. Which, for me, is a good thing I would qualify them both as fairly bright guitars though.

[davehobbs]

So I've just put a dental mirror and light inside my AR403 and it's definitely parallel braced.
Other differences between my AR403, AR371 and my '96 Epi Emperor Regent are as follow:

Scale in inches; width at nut in mm; width at 12th fret:

AR371: 24.75"; 44.5mm (1.75"); 55mm (2.17") - same as a Sadowsky Jim Hall, but deeper in the body.
AR403: 25" (actually around 25.1"); 44mm (1.73"); just over 53mm (2.1") - slightly narrower than a Jim Hall but similar in body depth.
Epi: 25.5" (actually around 25.6"); 43mm (1.69"); 52mm (2.05").

The differences between the Eastmans are subtle but the AR403 neck definitely feels a little more slinky/slim but not as cramped widthwise as the Epi. The 403 is brand new whereas the 371 is well played in and so 'looser' and more rounded. Consequently it will be a good few months before a true comparison of their feel, sound, loudness etc can be done.

I might try rounds on the 371 and flats on the 403 sometime.
Hope this is useful for potential Eastman buyers. Of course, these are hand crafted, so there will be variations within the same model.

One further thing - the AR403 design is such that the upper bout on the treble side is around 1/2 inch wider than the bass side. A similar asymmetrical design is found on other guitars such as the Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion. Consequently, the guitar is a very tight squeeze and ends up skewed in the symmetrical case with its thick padding. Not great but understandable at this price point. If the padding compresses in the treble side over time, this will ease this issue; otherwise it would probably be wise to invest in a bigger case to avoid putting a strain on this lovely guitar.
I've been trying lots of guitars, including Gibson Es175s etc, but these Eastmans have won me over.

[davehobbs]

Just put flatwounds on the ar403 and dropped the action a bit. Only had Chomes 12s available (usually use TI 13s). Sounds superb. Still clear and crisp but with a definite jazz sound, and still works well for fingerstyle.
PS, as I guessed, the case's padding has compressed a little and the 403 goes in without too much of a struggle now. Stll loving it. Recommended! Better get out the AR371 - it's probably feeling a little abandoned.

[davehobbs]

Quick update - have now put TI Jazz Swing 13s on the AR403. It still sounds a whole lot brighter and more sustainy than the 371, which has the same strings ( though the strings on the 371 are a few months old). The 403, now one month on, is mellowing slightly. Gigged it recently and had lots of positive comments about its rich tone. Am now in the truss rod fiddling stage :-)

[monkmiles]

Quick update - have now put TI Jazz Swing 13s on the AR403. It still sounds a whole lot brighter and more sustainy than the 371, which has the same strings ( though the strings on the 371 are a few months old). The 403, now one month on, is mellowing slightly. Gigged it recently and had lots of positive comments about its rich tone. Am now in the truss rod fiddling stage :-)

Interesting to hear about the tonal differences between them. I have and happily use the same strings on my ar404.

[davehobbs]

Yes, Hallpass, the TI 13 strings are great and I've now discovered that the 403 gives a great, rich, Russell Malone sound through the tube preamp section of my little Vox AGA70 acoustic amp. The Vox seems to suit the 403 superbly whereas the Henriksen 112 sounds wonderful with the 371. It's all about getting the guitar/amp synergy, I guess. :-)

[davehobbs]

Here's me noodling (poorly, in places) on my AR403 through my little Vox AGA70. Was just trying this out to see if the Vox, through its tube preamp channel, would be able to act as a lighter, smaller alternative for my Jazzamp 112. It actually sounds quite similar!
Lots of pick and finger noise as the iPad was so close to my hands. Apologies for the scrappy doodling, but it should give prospective buyers of these instruments a rough idea of the sound.

[Andy Pegg]

This is an interesting thread and I have a couple of questions for AR403 owners (I have the sunburst model). Has anybody tried to replace the tailpiece on the Eastman? The rosewood covered tailpiece supplied with this model looks quite pretty, but the metal underneath it is very insubstantial. Many luthiers and guitarists express the view that a heavier, more substantial tailpiece improves sustain. I'm considering replacing the stock tailpiece with an ES175 type tailpiece in gold, and it appears as if the screw holes would match. I'm not clear that the jack plug position will line up though. Has anybody tried this, does anybody have any views on this proposal? I do like the look of the more recent ES 175 tailpiece, the slightly more elaborate version.

I really love the AR403, but consider that a pickup replacement might enhance the amplified sound still further. Has anybody replaced the stock, mass produced Kent Armstrong pickup and found significant improvement? Were there any problems making the replacement? I'm considering a neck position Seymour Duncan 59 (not the Seth Lover because I want a potted pickup) or a Lollar hum bucker as used by Tim Lerch, although these are expensive here in the UK.

By the way, I can reassure that anybody considering buying this guitar that it's an excellent instrument. See Rich Severson's demo on Youtube for confirmation. I play mine through a Quilter 101 Mini Reverb into a 12 inch Fane speaker from the 1980's (plundered from a Sessionette 75 combo) in an open back cabinet. It sounds great - I wish my playing came anyway near to that of Tim or Rich!

[sgosnell]

I have an Eastman T145, which is certainly not the same guitar, but has the Armstrong pickup. I was never satisfied with it, and replaced it with different pickups, including an SD Benedetto and a Vintage Vibe HCC, with some improvement. I decided to sell the guitar, and in the process of reinstalling the Armstrong pickup, I discovered that it was wired differently than the published diagram. I rewired it as it should have been, and it sounds so good I cancelled the sale, and it's what I play almost all the time now in preference to my Benedettos. I don't know if other guitars were ever miswired, but it's worth checking, because the difference in mine was dramatic.

[ugarte]

With the ar403 I'd be surprised if changing the tailpiece would make as much difference as going to a TOM bridge. Also FWIW many people advocate lower mass tailpieces for tone/sustain/mojo on Gibson style stud-TOM setups.

I don't think the original pickup on the ar403 is bad at all, but my experience rewiring one was interesting, i still can't figure out quite how they do it at the factory because the leads between jack-pots-tailpiece have absolutely zero slack between them. . .really small hands I guess.

[Andy Pegg]

Thanks for the response snosgell. I note that your Eastman model is no longer produced by the company, which is a shame. It's interesting to learn that you preferred the Kent Armstrong to those other pickups, maybe I'll stick with what I've got. Thanks.