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I haven’t spent much time with it, but I can tell already that I am going to fall in love with this guitar and it will become my “go to” for a lot of things.
First, the thing weighs next to nothing. It is one of the lightest electric guitars I have ever played. It’s really resonant without plugging in, which is always a good sign. The look and finish is incredible. I know some here are not fond of the relic’d look, but I think this one is tasteful. The French polished varnish finish also gives it a very convincing vintage vibe. If you covered up the headstock and handed me this guitar, I might think it was 60 years old. The giveaway would be that it has a beautiful polished ebony fingerboard and Mother of Pearl inlays. Not the “pearloid” you would find on a real ‘60 ES330. It feels and plays very much like the Gibson ES 330 ‘59 VOS Reissue I have lusted for for years. The difference is it has a thinner neck profile, more like a 60’s Gibson but with a 1.75” nut width. This is very, very close to the Gibson but for less than half the cost. .
I plugged it in briefly and the Lollar P90’s sound absolutely perfect. They are loud and complex. I could get a lot of different sounds just through tone adjustments and tweaking the amp. That iconic Grant Green tone is there! Amazing! I couldn’t be happier with this guitar. I was also looking at a used Heritage H530, but the Eastman has the shorter neck tenon that I wanted. I’m SO glad I went with the Eastman over the Heritage! The fit and finish is perfect. It has a really great neck! This one is definitely a keeper!
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06-16-2020 05:34 PM
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I like it. I was not aware Eastman offered this option. Congrats.
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Very nice. Love a good P90 pickup.
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Originally Posted by 73Fender
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Hey, congrats. I bought one last summer and it is my main guitar now. I love the acoustic voice and the P90s are perfect. The first electric I ever performed with (50 years ago) was an es 330 so I feel like I’m completing the circle. One thing- I found the Gotoh tuners to be problematic with heavier strings. I play 12s on that guitar and it tuned fine, but the knobs were hard to turn. I replaced them with a set of Grover 18 to1 tuners that we’re a perfect fit. They are nickel so they match pretty well and now the guitars tunes effortlessly. I hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine.
Bill
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Thanks for the tip, Bill. I’m using 11’s right now and I don’t anticipate going heavier. But, you never know.
This is one of those rare guitars where it felt right with the first note I played. It fits me like a glove. I love everything about it.
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Congrats. I have the same guitar. It's my favorite too. Very light, very easy to play. I have TI 012 swings on them and it sounds amazing with them. On the DV Mark LJ it sounds even better. Love, love, love it! Eastman nailed it with the T64.
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Hi, Can one of you tell me about the construction of this guitar? Does it use a block in the body (like a 335) or is it fully hollow (like a 330)?
Thanks!
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Congratulations on scoring a fine Eastman. I hope you enjoy it for many years!
You mentioned that one of the things you liked about it was its shorter neck tenon. Most players seem to prefer longer tenons since they theoretically provide better neck stability. Is there another factor such as a difference in tone, that lead you to that preference?
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Originally Posted by maggles55
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Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
As mentioned above, this is a fully hollow guitar VERY much like an ES330.
The more I play this instrument, the more I love it. It’s effortless to play. Highly recommended if you’re interested in a hollow body thinline with P90’s.
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that's awesome! I didn't know that Eastman made an ES330 clone.... I want to hear it!!!
this is exactly what i need to round out my small collection
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Originally Posted by maggles55
Bill
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I played it in a store (Max Guitar in The Hague, Netherlands) this afternoon, unplugged (also tried the T49 d/v and the Romeo).
I fell a little in love with it! It plays like butter and really has an ‘old school’ feel to it. Feels and reacts really hollow as well. The finish feels very good, actually it feels like a Tru-/Tung-oil finish: shiny but with a slight satin feel to it, like the worn nitro on my ES-125 and the polished satin finish of my ES-333.
The T49 (an ES-175-ish model) felt equally good. The Romeo was the biggest discovery: small, light, resonant and a very original design, I felt right at home at it.
It striked me that all the Eastmans have a significant lighter and ‘airier’ feel than their Gibson examples. Acoustically that felt and sounded good. Amplified I have yet to try, but I can imagine they will sound brighter and lighter (the amp-booth was taken and we tested the staffs kindness and patience already waaaay too much ).
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Jay, I don’t think I have ever played an electric guitar that feels as good as this one. It fits me like a glove. The neck is perfect and, indeed, plays like butter. When you plug it in, you will be equally as smitten as you were when you played it unplugged. It has quickly become my favorite guitar to play.
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Yes, I can imagine!
Well, before I decide on buying one, I first have to see how my newest project will turn out. I ordered an ES-330/Casino kit from China (special order, not a standard kit):
But the finish and feel of the T64v really inspired me to do something similar!
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Very cool! Are you putting P90’s on that bad boy?
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Of course!
When it arrives and I can start working on it, I will open a new discussion for it.
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
If you're interested in the T64: I have one with 012 TI flat wounds. I live close to your place. You're welcome to give it a try plugged in.
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I have spent years looking for single pickup 330T kits! Could you please pass me the details of special order?
M (from Ireland)
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Originally Posted by M.D.Sull
I ordered the kit from a Chinese CNC guitar manufacturer called Bian Xuebin. He can only be contacted through Facebook messenger, so you find his page on Facebook, send a friend request and message him. A bit dodgy perhaps but he is legit and reliable although very busy and it took almost 3 months for the kit to arrive. But totally worth it!
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Wow! That looks great, Jay!
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That is awesome, hope you love it... i want one of them too
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Amazing. Thanks for the advice my friend. The walnut finish is the business
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Nice guitar! Congratulations, and play it in good health!
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