I have played quite a few Larrivee and many many Eastman guitars.
You will often read the Larrivee guitars being described as possessing an elegant or subtle tonal quality. To me, there is no comparison, the Larrivee is so subtle that it is boring, no subjectivity applicable here.
Larrivee guitars are smooth, elegant, great balance, but playing a Larrivee brings out the FULL RANGE OF SPARKLE in the Eastman rosewoods and mahogany guitars.
I would say comfort and playability are equal, I don't know anything about guitar quality, and Eastman tone leaves Larrivee back in the dust.
I read a post recenty that submitted that you must go up a couple notches in the Larrivee guitars, to match the tonal quality of an Eastman. That statement has some merit and then we might say that one's preference is subjective, and then, even still, comparing say a Larrivee L-09R to an Eastman AC 722 (both Rosewood and both like a mini jumbo size, slighty smaller than a dred), the tone quality to me is still strongly favoring the Eastman. I do care about cost, but, cost nor quality (within certain extreme limits) will not stop me from buying thee guitar I want. To me, it's all about tone, so I vote Eastman, regardless of cost. That being said, the Larrivee L-09R cost about twice what the cost of the Eastman AC 722 costs.
