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Thanks. I must say that I like the Lollar in the neck, but that doesn't mean it can be better/different with another pickup.
Originally Posted by D.G.
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01-09-2021 01:25 PM
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It will sound different. I've heard they plan on designing more guitars on the Romeo 'platform'. A bigger body, still with a centre block will be interesting. Originally Posted by Robertkoa
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^^^ Hawt
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I finally got to try one in a local shop recently. I'm on the fence to be honest.
First impressions - glossier, thicker finish than I expected especially on the neck. The finish on the body was better. I've had an Eastman t64v which had the best neck ever and the Romeo was definitely not that. If they did a Romeo in a vintage finish I'd be much more keen. The fret markers looked a bit odd too but I expect I'd get used to them
In terms of the playability, the body shape and weight was great. Really comfortable. The fretwork was also excellent (as I've come to expect from Eastman). The thing that killed and chance of me buying there and then wasn't Eastman's fault - for some reason I'll never understand the shop tech there sets everything up with 9s or 10s and a ridiculously low action which I can't get on with. I'm more of a baseball bat neck, 13s and up sort of person so it was really hard to get an idea of what the Romeo was capable of. With the light strings there was almost no acoustic volume when playing unplugged but that might be different with heavier gauge strings.
What I can say is that the Lollar pickups were really nice - loads of subtlety to the sound and a nice range of tones. The two tone knobs are quirky, but I couldn't say whether I liked them unless I'd spent more time with the guitar. Also for anyone thinking (like me) that they would mod it to be two volumes I think this particular guitar would be difficult to work on. The f holes seem too small to fit a pot through which means I think you'd need to go in via the hole under the one of the pickups. Even then you'd probably need some tooling to get the pots back in because I don't think I could manage it in the normal way.
The thing that surprised me most was the bridge though. From what I could tell, it's a les paul style bridge with the feet going down, through some drilled holes in the top, which are then anchored to a smallish block inside. The bit that I didn't figure out at the time and didn't think to check - if the feet of the bridge are going through drilled holes are they missing the carved top entirely? If my memory is correct, the bridge has no real connection with the top which means there's no real transfer of acoustic energy which would make a carved top pretty redundant. I do wonder if it would work with an archtop bridge instead but I don't have the funds for that particular experiment...
Anyway, it was another very nice Eastman guitar which I wanted to like more but the light strings (the shop's fault, not Eastman's) and the lack of acoustic character put me off a bit.
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Interesting point. I just checked Romeo pictures again and yes they have no bridge base. Strange design choice for a carved spruce instrument. However it's a necessity since the fretboard is not elevated. A bridge base would make to strings too high. My guess is that there is supporting brace glued under the bridge, sort of like a bridge base on the opposite side of the top. Originally Posted by xavriley
This might be a slight compromise in the acoustic qualities of the guitar but it might reduce feedback. More importantly, it's designed for the rock/blues/pop guitarists in mind so they probably wanted to avoid hardcore archtop features like elevated fretboard and trapeze tailpiece in order to make it feel more familiar and palatable for the intended audience.
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I play the Romeo with 012's TI swings and it has quite a bit of acoustic volume. I felt the same way about the neck first (I have a T64 as well and that neck is perfect, like you said). However, I'm used to it now and while it feels not as nice as the T64 neck, I can play the Romeo linger without fatigue in the fingers.
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If they offered it with a larger neck profile, I'd buy one in a N.Y. Minute!
Problem is to do a Custom Shop version would more than double the price just to get a fatter neck.
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There's a block under the bridge which connects the top to the back. I think the neck is pretty chunky. I certainly would not classify it as an acoustic guitar, but as a semi-hollow. More volume than a solid body, but less than a hollow body. The electric voice of the guitar is very much influenced by it's (fairly quiet) acoustic voice.
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The Guitar.com magazine reviews has both reviews showing the neck to be fairly medium sized at 22mm to 23.5mm or .850 to .900 in inches depth and 1&11/16ths width.
While okay for most folks, I need at least .90 to .960 or even a bit larger. Much like a 1950s Gibson Profile neck shape.
Or at the spec it is be 1&3/4" width for me to be comfortable.
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Hi all,
I thought I’d offer a brief review of the a Romeo double humbucker I had a few days. First, I’m a huge Eastman fan. Have a dread and mandolin and owned a T59, T64 and T486. Thought the Romeo would be a nice add.
Overall, it’s a great guitar. Built beautifully as others say and the finish and quality on this one was impeccable. Zero issues.
I’ll echo others about playability and such. What I want to offer is the following.
First, the neck fretboard is to me not quite right. I was bothered by it for some reason. I realized why. It looks more like a neck and fretboard on the acoustic. It’s nothing like the fretboard on the others I have owned. It might be bound vs not bound boards but I don’t think so. It’s rounded much more like my dread. In fact it’s very close to that board. I’d say it’s an acoustic guitar fretboard vs electric. This may just be a preference thing but it was noticeable to me.
Second, the tuners just ok to me. I found them aesthetically unappealing and not the greatest to fine tune but again these are usually preferred things. They don’t go with the headstock, which I think is beautiful. Reminds me of the Pat Martino signature Gibson had but had more nuanced curve.
Third, the size is worth noting. I had to go back and double check that the scale was the same as the others I’ve owned (24.75). I was really shocked. It does not feel as big but this is probably by design of its smaller body. I’m 6’3” so it felt really small.
To me the best thing about it is the pickups. They are truly amazing. It sounded like my tele on the bridge and I was floored. I wish Lollar would make these available. They say they are close to the regular imperials. Not the ones I’ve played, especially the bridge. Awesome sounding pickup.
I ultimately returned it because it is really in tele land to me despite its looks otherwise. I liked the T486/59 better for jazz stuff and blues. I like the T64 but never got on with it. Romeo is a great guitar that will not disappoint. These are just my honest observations.
Eastman is not second tier. They are as good as anything out there. I’m glad they keep putting out great work.
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Without focusing on the Romeo, I hear you. Originally Posted by gregj64
Individual reaction to the placement of some particular model's neck and its relationship to the balance-point of the instrument, and to the cutaway access, is just a personal thing. And like all personal things it can change over time.
'I love how close the nut feels' vs. 'That neck feels stubby to me.'
'I can't reach the top frets' vs. 'The top frets are for decoration.'
'It's a feather-weight' vs. 'That doesn't feel solid.'
Horses for courses, Greg.
There's something cool waiting for you somewhere!
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