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I know this horse has been beat to death on many occasions. Just wondering what would be a step up from the 372. I bought this guitar bout a year ago from guitarsnjazz. I don't think I've ever had it off the neck pickup or if I did I went right back to the neck. The guitar is fine but is a little difficult for me to play due to my arthritis coming on. Nothing major at this point but I would like something a little easier to chord that has that good fat woody tone. I'd need to sell my Eastman but looking for something in the 12-$1500 range.
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08-14-2018 08:19 PM
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Hey BF,
I had a 371 for a while. I thought it played great and looked great but sounded thin and trebly.
I hate to say it, but I had to go with a Gibson ES 175 to get that fat woody tone I was looking for.
But I also recognize that guitar choice is out of the price range you mentioned.
So I'll also mention, the Epiphone ES 175 premium -- specifically the model with the Gibson '57 pickups and the satin "lacquer" finish -- it will get you lots of great jazz tone for fairly cheap $$$. Not quite "the looker" of the 372, but much closer to "the sound" IMO
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Used Heritage 575.
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Aria Pro II Herb Ellis
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Yup, an Aria HE or 575 but unless you pull the trigger FAST when a 575 comes around at your price they're generally out of your $$.00 range. The Aria is the sleeper of the century, not a 175 but for sure they're a respectable git. I dare say if you had started with the HE or 575 instead of the Eastman this thread would not exist :-)
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Here is a Herb Ellis for <$1G ...
Matsumoku Japan-82'Aria Pro II PE-175 Herb Ellis OHSC | Reverb
There is another one for >$3G... not sure why the big difference..
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Be aware that none of those guitars mentioned will be easier to play than the Eastman.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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in my experience, the first adjustment to make when you are having chronic pain is a thinner guitar. Thin guitars don’t require you to move your shoulder forward and as a result it is less stressful on the shoulder. No advice on “woody tone”. Maybe it’s Tele time?
Originally Posted by BCPete
Bill
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I'm just pondering my options. I looked at the Aria on Reverb. Honestly I just don't know enough about guitars to make a sound decision. I don't know what difference in overall tone 2 vs 1 pu installed makes and what difference in overall tone even a 371 vs the 372 is...I don't particularly care for the Bigsby, in that I'd have little to no use for it....and maybe I need to take my Eastman to another person for a setup because I do like it. I took it to one guy but I see little or no difference in before and after...and I have a 1985 es335 and a couple of teles...just something bout those archtops I love.
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take a look at bill comins guitar craft range...jimmy bruno's been playin 'em heavy...they are asian made (to bills spec) but completely gone over tweaked and set up to bills high standards..by bill himself!..takes him hours!!!
(check the forum sales page..i think i saw some there)
cheers
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tks neatomic, I'm really liking that Comins...so where can you find a GCS-16
Last edited by BFrench; 08-15-2018 at 10:45 PM.
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contact bill directly!!..he's 100% guitar guy...no intimidation!! trust me
Contact | Comins Guitars
cheers
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tks, I read QAman's review here, sounds like a very nice guitar
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Is it the biggish neck on the Eastman, the size of the body or what is uncomfortable?
I usually play my Cushman archtop (17" across, 3" thick) comfortably but this week have been spending time with my old friend Ibanez GB10 that I've had for decades. Small thin body, super neck, great playability and a great tone through my 5E3 and a reverb pedal. Woo! Super relaxed to play. Warm, fat, defined. Great for solo playing. Thanks Big Mike for inspiring me to get that out of the case.
If you need a smaller guitar all the way round, the GB10 or similar from Ibanez could be a good choice. OTOH, if it's the body thickness of the Eastman then there are a number of thinner archtops with a full width body to choose from.
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I've got an Eastman 371 and if yours is similar to mine it ALSO has frets a good 0.010" taller than typical,
standard ( 0.039") frets.
Just wanted to throw out an alert, as this can be noticeable in a good or bad way according to your hands.
For chords, my ES-125T and secondarily my Guild Savoy (modern Korean) are best for me; sort of dissimilar.
'For me' is pertinent 'cause my hands have become highly variable. Once started, this seems to be a one-way street.
Only your personal trial will be conclusive, so, best of luck & enjoy the trip.
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I'm going to check one out today. Have long been curious about them, mainly due to Jack's posts. I'd love to try an Es-175 too, but there is great appeal in the thought of spending less right now. Originally Posted by wzpgsr
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I emailed Bill last night and received this reply.
"Thank you for the inquiry. The guitars had been sold out for a while but new ones have just become available and I am well stocked in every color. Yes, the one pickup model sells for $2199.00 and they can be acquired directly from me. More specs are listed at my website (being updated):
GCS-16 | Comins Guitars
Who actually makes this guitar as the Comins are very high dollar. Trying to figure out the connection here.
I bought my Eastman online and hoped for the best. There's nowhere anywhere around me to actually try out different guitars. Online reviews are subjective at best...different strokes for different folks
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Have you had your Eastman setup properly? I play a Eastman AR 371 and find it very comfortable for my "experienced" hands... But the key is to really get the action low.
A pickup swap fixed my tone concerns...
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So what, in your estimation, would make the guitar easier to chord? A neck that's narrower front-to-back? A thinner body? A smaller body? Thinner strings? Originally Posted by BFrench
It seems to me that most guitars that are physically similar to your Eastman would have similar playability issues for you.
Absent other information, I think that thinner-bodied guitars might be worth a look for you. Without regard for price, e.g., Gibson or Epiphone Johnny A, Gibson-ES330 style, Ibanez AG95, Peerless Maestro or Virtuoso.
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I don't really have a problem with the tone at all. I did have a guy who was suppose to be good do a setup a few months after i bought the guitar but I don't see any difference in the playability. I need to see if there's anyone in Memphis that can do a setup properly. Originally Posted by guido5
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Working carefully with someone who understands how to truly set up the instrument to address your discomfort can really help a lot. Getting someone used to setting up acoustic guitars can make it worse rather than better. Also working with a physical therapist can help you learn the stretches and self care techniques that will help you manage your arthritis so you can play without discomfort. Bringing your instrument into to your session can really be helpful too. Originally Posted by BFrench
Best of luck!
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Your Eastman shouldn’t be any harder to play than another guitar or set up well and if it has good frets. My 2005 805ce is one of the easiest playing guitars I’ve ever had except for the wider string spacing. So it would be more about if you like the sound or not after it is set up well and/or has fret work done.
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Try a Gibson ES135 or 137. They look just like 175's. They are thin bodied (around 2"). They are not very good acoustically. But through an amp, they are great. In fact, if I was performing professionally, that would be a guitar I would play out with. The sound block inside of the guitar helps prevent feedback. The electric tone is superb.
Joe D
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The Comins Guitar Craft Series models are built in Korea to Bill Comins' specs and then receive several hours of work from Bill in final set-up in the US. The archtops that Bill makes himself in the US start from $8,500. Originally Posted by BFrench
See: About | Comins Guitars
and:
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Ha! I bought one of JZ’s. Originally Posted by mad dog
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