-
Just wanted to say how great Eastman has been since I bought one of their guitars. It’s a 2007 AR810CE and I am not the original owner.
I had two issues:
1. the tail piece broke at the hinge (known issue)
2. The binding separated from the pick guard.
I sent them pictures and they sent me both of these, brand new, free of charge.
pretty amazing for a company to help out a non original owner on a guitar that is ~16 years old!
that being said, I want to take the opportunity to update the hardware under the pick guard while it’s off. I’m afraid I’m out of my element here. Should I just tell the luthier to “put in something new and nice” or are there specific electronics folks like?
it’s a floating pickup with the electronics mounted under the pick guard.
-
11-07-2023 02:49 PM
-
Eastman's customer service is really great,another reason to buy from them besides just them making great guitars.Glad they came through for you.
-
Am I glad to hear this!! Fortunately, both of my Eastmans (Eastmen?) have been perfect since the day I bought them (new). But it's great to know that Eastman is there if I ever need them. As for the electronics, any change depends on what you have now and what you'd like to improve. If you don't have any issues, there's no way to know whether a change will make you glad you did it or sorry.
My 810CE7 has the KA "designed" floater that comes out of the factory. When I got it, I called Kent to ask about getting the same pickup hand wound by him. His response was that the OEM units he authorizes are made with the same materials and methods he uses, and that he saw nothing to be gained from replacing the one that came in my guitar with the same pickup made personally by him. He told me that if I had a specific change in mind, he'd be happy to make me a pickup that would produce that change. But without a clear idea of how I wanted the sound to be different, he literally told me I'd be wasting my money buying a handwound floater from him because it would sound the same.
There are so many pickups out there that you can get darker, brighter, fatter, thinner, or anywhere in between. You can also alter your tone by changing the tone cap in your guitar - higher capacitance = darker tone. You can even use a higher capacitance cable to darken things up a bit. If you know what you want, advice will flow from the internet like water from a faucet. But if you're happy with your sound now, enjoy your good fortune and play that guitar for all it's worth
-
Eastman makes the best looking archtops. Style, size, dimensions. They get everything right.
I wish they made "heavier" built hollowbody archtops as well for better feedback resistance and more electric tone.
-
How recently did they accept to replace your tailpiece? I've already mentioned the issue in a recent thread and hate to spoil the enthusiasm, but I'm not too impressed by their customer service. Eastman were barely polite when I wrote to report a broken tailpiece (the infamous metal/ebony one) recently. 2008 model, original owner. Replacement was out of the question and they told me to buy one from an official dealer in my country - of which there are none. There are many reports online of that tailpiece breaking so they're fully aware. Their lifetime warranty is basically a joke.
-
That is strange. Maybe it’s because I’m in the U.S.? But my experience was exactly opposite. Basically these replacement parts with no questions asked.
they replaced the tail piece a few months ago.
-
Strange indeed. I just checked and I did not mention my country. They replied "Unfortunately we do not offer or sell any non warranty parts", basically saying that their fragile tailpiece, while clearly defective, isn't covered - at least, not anymore. So it was covered a few months ago and no longer is, they just changed the scope of the warranty. Convenient. My luthier said tailpieces breaking isn't common, unless the metal is really bad quality. Anyway, I wasn't sure I wanted to replace it by an Eastman part, only to have it break again in a few years.
-
When I wrote them about a few QC niggles that are really out of place on a 3k+ instrument bearing the name of a famous builder they basically replied "shit happens". In the nicest of tones but only after I sent the message a 2nd time.
A tailpiece known to be prone to breakage but not in a way that you can predict which one will and which one won't should classify as a "hidden vice" here in (most of?) the EU.
-
There's the term "vice caché" in French law, I've come across "latent defect" in English, which seems to be the same idea.
Originally Posted by RJVB
-
Yep. I kinda liked the connotations of "hidden vice"
Doesn't US law also have a "fit for purpose" concept?
-
I will say this, when I emailed them both times, I didn’t ask them to replace it. I asked them if they could recommend a place where I could buy replacements. They said send a picture and my location. Then said they were shipping new ones out free of charge.
I would try again. The new tailpiece is Waaaay better. Solid, one piece and heftier.
I will probably wait to put the new pick guard on as i think it looks pretty damned good without the binding. The less “bling” on a guitar, the better (for my tastes).
Jeremiah
-
Really? Maybe I should give it another shot. So the new piece has no hinge?
-
Neither of mine (4 year old 810CE7 and 2 year old Jazz Elite) has a hinged tailpiece - both are single pieces of metal with wood overlays. Originally Posted by m_d
-
I really loved my Pisano AR880CE but honestly I never really liked the tailpiece with the frog or the stepped pickguard. Always wondered how easy/hard it would be to get something like a stock standard AR503CE tailpiece and pickguard and just install it on there.
Reply With Quote
“Shearing style”
Today, 05:26 PM in Comping, Chords & Chord Progressions