Two models that hark back to the glory days of acoustic guitar making – but there’s a very subtle twist to the tale…
EASTMAN E20OOSS/V & E20SS/V £1,949 EACH
What You Need To Know
1 These two look familiar… As Eastman says, it’s hard to avoid family resemblances when striking out to design an acoustic guitar because you’re inevitably going to end up looking like a Gibson or Martin. Sometimes, it’s just easier to go with the flow and add a few flourishes of your own, which is exactly what Eastman has done here.
2 So we’re talking J-45 and L-00 here, are we? Yes, we are, but rather than release precise lookalikes Eastman has taken a look at the recipes and swapped out a few ingredients – and the result is rather appetising.
3 Is that some relicing we can see? Yes, and it’s all part of Eastman’s antique violin finish, which is a very thin coat of varnish that the team merely ages a little, along with the body timbers (rather than go full-on Murphy Lab).
CONTACT Eastman Guitars PHONE +31 6 40 02 59 25 WEB www.eastmanguitars.com
Eastman has a long-standing reputation for high-quality guitars – both electric and acoustic – that nod towards established big-name designs. But at the same time, the company isn’t afraid to make a bold move here and there and come up with a model that is totally its own. Take our recent looks at the Romeo semi-acoustic models (issues 459 and 475), for instance: an excellent mix ’n’ match of the familiar with some flourishes that are all Eastman’s own. And, let it be said, we’ve been nothing short of delighted by every one of this company’s guitars we’ve looked at in recent years.
This particular team of China-based luthiers seems to have a knack for actually improving on history, quietly righting so-called wrongs or just filling in the gaps from the big league’s blueprints.
This is very much the driving force behind the two acoustics we have before us today. Reminiscent, perhaps, of guitars from Gibson’s pre-war catalogue and with enough subtle relicing onboard to accentuate the vintage chic, this pair might start off on familiar turf, but they soon take off on a unique journey.
One interesting development since we last looked at Eastman’s acoustic range in these pages is a collaboration with boutique USA builder Dana Bourgeois – the fruits of which will see the light of day at this year’s Summer NAMM show. Dana has been building outstanding instruments for many years and has brought some of his own desi
