Well...I have never put my hands on an Eastman. That doesn't stop me from adding my two cents though lol.
I'm one of those hypocrates who wants to do right by the environment but will buy the cheapest item I can find. I don't care where it's made.
I also consider myself a patriotic Canadian but if I can find a product that's cheaper and from China...I'll buy it over a Canadian made product every time (almost). Besides...most of the stuff I buy in Canadian stores is made in China anyway. ...as I sit here typing on a Chinese (probably?) made Dell computer. Maybe Malaysian.
I own a Stonebridge (Czech made) and a Stanford (China). I like Taylors, Martins, Gibsons, Guilds, Seagulls...but the price was right on the guitars I bought.
I have been trying acoustics in stores lately. I have picked-up several Larrivees to try (never SEEN an Eastman flat top in a store up here). The ones I happened to try (after trying Taylors, Martins, Gibsons and Morgans) were lower end satin finished plain boxes. I tried 3 or 4 of them in the past few months and EVERYTIME (and these were priced around $700 iirc) I was blown AWAY!
Blown away by the feel and the tone. They seemed more playable than the Taylors and louder and more dynamic than anything else I tried.
Everyone will hold and play a brand of guitars that just fits and feels RIGHT. I think Larrivees might be MY brand.
I don't know why I have this urge to buy all the Chinese gutars I keep reading raves about like BR, Eastman, Stanford etc...when I can buy one of those WICKED Larrys for cheaper.
I think a Larrivee is next on my list.
From my experience with Stanfords (I had 4 of them last month), if they are any indication of the quality work coming out of these small brand owned shops in China...well..they provide some competition for western builders and force them to put out top quality products.
All my Stanfords were very well built with top materials and they sound AWESOME. From what I hear, quality of other Chinese brands (Eastman, BR, Stanford, Guild GAD, Epi Masterbuilt, RK...) is equal to Stanford. If that's true the Eastmans are AWESOME (and according to reviews and soundclips..they ARE)...but if I can get a Canadian or US built guitar (Larrivee) for the same $ or even less than a Chinese import.....welllll I'd be silly....oops...look at me..I own a Chinese but no Canadian guitars.
Oh...I've tried several Seagulls, S&P, A&L and other Canadian made guitars. Larrivee just seems to be in a different league. I lump them in with Taylor, Gibson and Martin....not Seagull, Stanford and Easteban...I mean Eastman.
That's my unbalanced two cents. YMMV
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