The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Posts 1 to 16 of 16
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Has anyone encountered a really off Eastman logo? I looked at this used Eastman for sale locally. I saw the logo online and thought it looked a bit funky, thought it could be the picture, in person however it really looked bad. The owner said it was a 2020 but didn't have the certificate with it. I saw a small neck warp as well which is why I walked away. Played fine and looked pretty good besides that, I have an Eastman mandolin and the logo's perfect - I've really never seen this before.
    Attached Images Attached Images Bad Eastman logo inlay-screen-shot-2021-03-12-3-00-21-pm-png 

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Oceanside
    Has anyone encountered a really off Eastman logo? I looked at this used Eastman for sale locally. I saw the logo online and thought it looked a bit funky, thought it could be the picture, in person however it really looked bad. The owner said it was a 2020 but didn't have the certificate with it. I saw a small neck warp as well which is why I walked away. Played fine and looked pretty good besides that, I have an Eastman mandolin and the logo's perfect - I've really never seen this before.

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    Never buy a guitar made on a Xingqi-yi...

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    Oops. QC quarantined? Years ago a guitar salesman, now deceased, showed me a photo of a "Gertsch" headstock.

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    There are chips missing around the logo. The stuff that looks like lint on the camera lens was there in person, actually a bit worse in person. I have a mandolin from them and the logo looks perfect, this just looked off. The rest of the guitar looked fine (except for the tiny neck warp) I don’t know if it’s because it’s abalone(or whatever imitation) my mandolin has the logo in wood.

    I’ve also noticed that some ar380s have wood logo inlays and other this abalone.

    There are no shops in south Florida that carries these, so I was checking out one I found on reverb. My local shop carries Eastman acoustics but no electrics.

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    Mine, an AR503CE from 2015 or so.
    Bad Eastman logo inlay-img_4303-jpg
    Not sure you have to expect consistency for such a feature, especially over the years.
    BTW I'm quite happy with this guitar and don't regret buying it 5 or 6 years ago.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    That looks much better than the photo I shared. Zoom in on the M area on the one I shared.

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    What model is the guitar in the OP? I've never seen an Eastman headstock shape like that.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    AR380CE Pisano is the model.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Oceanside
    AR380CE Pisano is the model.
    In the photo, the inlay looks like abalone or similar. My AR380CE has a contrasting wooden inlay, possibly maple, and is the same as the edge inlay around the perimeter of the headstock. The logo on mine is pristine. Did the example in question have the frog logo on the tailpiece ?

    Edit: Just checked the Eastman website and the specs say that the inlay and binding are maple.

    Conclusion: If it was a "2020 model", it was a fake.

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    I have worked for several well known guitar makers/craftsmen and the logo is the MOST IMPORTANT and most unquestionable grounds for rejection. I've QC'd instruments where everything was perfect but the logo was somehow applied with almost imperceptible misalignment. No question on the fail and those instruments were marked seconds or destroyed immediately. Why? If there were ever any question of authenticity, they all wanted the logo to be the most fail safe identification at a glance or under close scrutiny.
    In my experiences with identifying Asian counterfeits and dealing with workshops that will make anything (Including knock offs of Gibsons, D'Angelicos and D'Aquistos) there are some shops that will gladly put any logo on anything they make...as long as your money is good.

    I don't know about that guitar, I'm obviously not in a position to run a check list of inspection points but I will say that if it's not an official spec logo, or if there's any suspicious craftsmanship on the logo, it should not be on the market...if you know what I mean.

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    I do know what you mean and I thank you for your insight. I will say if it was a forgery or counterfeit, I am very impressed by the quality. Feeling really good on walking away from that purchase. It’s still up on reverb however, and I’m not sure if the seller is aware of the issues. He said he bought it from Dave’s Guitars and had a page from them on it, but still didn’t have the certificate of authenticity even though it supposed to be a 2020.

    Well, back the hunt. I have a bunch of guitars just no archtop at the moment. I can be patient waiting for the right one.

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    All Dangelico inlays are not carbon copies.... be careful.

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    Yeah, but he didn't turn out hundreds per day via CNC machine.

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    I own two Eastman guitars. A 2014 and a 2019. Both are done in shell and both are flawless.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by rob taft
    I own two Eastman guitars. A 2014 and a 2019. Both are done in shell and both are flawless.
    Yeah it wasn’t the shell vs wood that spooked me. It was that logo wasn’t even good let alone flawless. The rest of the guitar looked great, which is why it was odd. That, combined with no COA on a 2020 guitar that looked like it hadn’t been played felt off.