Eastman AR810 - Trying to get the right jazz sound

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

On the Blues and Hot Rod Deluxes and Deville's I've tried (in rehearsal spaces and club backlines), I've found the master volume to be very usable. With most master volume amps, if you want a clean sound, you dime the master and keep the gain low. But with the Blues/HR Fenders you can lower the master considerably and use the gain over more of its sweep. I've come to really like the clean channel on those amps because of this.

The master volume doesn’t affect the clean channel, at least on ours - it’s in the high gain channel. And the clean volume pot (the one closest to the input jacks) doesn’t affect the high gain channel. Diming the master on the high gain channel and controlling volume with the gain pot will give a fairly clean tone at low volume, but it’s nowhere close to a good jazz tone on the ones I’ve owned or played through.

[Woody Sound]

The Eastman 810CE is a great guitar for sure. But it is based on Bob Benedetto archtop book plans. It's meant to have an acoustic voice primarily.
To my ears due to the thinner carved top and back, it sounds less midrangange in tone. Than say a heavier built Gibson Johnny Smith guitar.

I had a GJS and an AR810 at the same time. From my experience, I would say just the opposite. The Eastman was a much lighter build than the Johnny.

[John A.]

The master volume doesn’t affect the clean channel, at least on ours - it’s in the high gain channel. And the clean volume pot (the one closest to the input jacks) doesn’t affect the high gain channel. Diming the master on the high gain channel and controlling volume with the gain pot will give a fairly clean tone at low volume, but it’s nowhere close to a good jazz tone on the ones I’ve owned or played through.

Hmm, the master worked on the clean channel with the ones I've tried (though now I'm not as sure of this). I don't own one, though, so I can't easily check.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Hmm, the master worked on the clean channel with the ones I've tried (though now I'm not as sure of this). I don't own one, though, so I can't easily check.

I’m playing at the club tonight, so I’ll check. As I recall, the clean volume pot is inactive on the gain channel(s) in both the Deluxe and Deville lines. And the “master volume” pot doesn’t affect the clean channel.

I just Googled it and this is correct for the originals and later versions for at least 15 years. They may have changed it in the latest incarnations, but I think that’s unlikely.

[DRS]

Sorry, but in my opinion you’re not going to get a Wes tone from an Eastman 810. I’ve owned several Eastman’s including an 810 and 910. Great acoustic guitars but there’s a limit to their respective tones. To get a full jazz tone you’re better off with an ES175, again IMO.

I agree
I had an AR810CE
I replaced the stock floater with a Benedetto and the stock tone/volume with Schattens.
Ran either 12 or 13 Thomastik Swings.
Tried a Deluxe Reverb, Mesa MkV25, and a Fishman Loudbox Artist with and without a tube preamp to warm it up.

It never got to that Wes tone I wanted. It was always a bright acoustic tone with a strong fundamental. No overtones like a flat top acoustic.
With the MkV 25 with its powerful EQ control, I could morph the tone a lot but it was never right.
I eventually sold it.

Not surprisingly, I have an ash Tele with a SD Minibucker in the neck that gets a great jazz tone through all the previously mentioned amps.
I also bought a Godin Montreal Premiere and a Epiphone Johnny A that also have great jazz tone.

I think the key to the tone is a body mounted neck bucker, not a floater. No way was I performing surgery on a guitar with X braces to drop in a big humbucker and devalue the guitar a risk structural damage.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I’m playing at the club tonight, so I’ll check. As I recall, the clean volume pot is inactive on the gain channel(s) in both the Deluxe and Deville lines. And the “master volume” pot doesn’t affect the clean channel.

I just Googled it and this is correct for the originals and later versions for at least 15 years. They may have changed it in the latest incarnations, but I think that’s unlikely.

As I thought, the “master volume” pot only works on the high gain channel. The clean channel is controlled only by the volume pot next to the input jacks.