Eastman vs. Larrivee

[NAFIGATOR]

Do you guys need a nice guitar shaped sand box to play in, while you decide who was first and who was second? :-)))))))

Anyway, what really amazes me is the results of the poll so far. Although Larrivee has a visible edge in it, Eastman fairs well in comparison! And I though Larrivee will totally kill them in the poll! Yesterday I would walk by an Eastman without a second thought and today I am curious enough to look up a local dealer...

[bohemian]

Case by case.

One of the best guitars I ever played was a plane jane Larrivee L with absolute figure free koa. Killer guitar. I regret not buying it. That was about a decade ago. I have played quite a few Larrivees since that time and none has said "buy me".

One nit picky point I have about Larrivee is the undersized pointy little heel.. looks weenie and out of place. Minor, yes.. but significant to me. Same reasoning applies to Martins ridiculous abbreviated OM pickguard.. saleproof.
Or Taylors design affectation of the bridge and pickguards.. or Breedlove cutaways and bridges and bizarre headstocks...
Also.. another weenieism on my part...never did like the gender impaired pearl genies running up and down the fingerboard. Simple is gooder.

As to Eastman.. I have played good ones and no so good. Recently played one of the new slothead parlors.. cool
or the E10 and E20 OM's which are actually 000's with narrow 2 1/8th string spacing at the bridge and 25 inch ( not OM 25.4 ) scale length. Not bad.

As to one over the other....

Larrivees were better older, and Eastmans are improving.

Also don't like Larrivees coloration or lack of it on their mahogany.

I , too, contacted Eastman. Not with tree hugger stuff but with specific comments and recommendations about he product.
1. They (he) knew very little about guitars or guitar playing, or mandolins and mandolin playing
2. Knew very little to nothing about the actual specifications of their product
3. Did Not give a **** about my recommendations for improvement or to live up to players needs and expectations with the curt remark " why would we change anything when we can't make enough instruments to satisfy demand."
4. Twice they said they would get back to me with some information... never did.
5. Grossly arrogant.. definitely "suits"

I have contacted Larrivee before
1. Pleasant but used to dealing with ignorant players.
2. Response to a couple questions was see your dealer. This after I explained "my dealer" had dropped the line in favor of Martin and Taylor.
3. Referred me to their web site.. which I had already said lacked info I was searching
Granted this was a few years back... but never felt the compulsion to try another Larrivee...

So to answer your question..

I have no preference . Hence No vote..

Why not offer the option of "none of the above"

[NAFIGATOR]

Originally Posted by bohemian

Case by case.

One nit picky point I have about Larrivee is the undersized pointy little heel.. looks weenie and out of place. Minor, yes.. but significant to me. Same reasoning applies to Martins ridiculous abbreviated OM pickguard.. saleproof.
Or Taylors design affectation of the bridge and pickguards.. or Breedlove cutaways and bridges and bizarre headstocks...
Also.. another weenieism on my part...never did like the gender impaired pearl genies running up and down the fingerboard. Simple is gooder.

I am almost afraid to ask: is there a volume production American guitar company you actually like esthetically? We already excluded Larrivee, Martin and Taylor. Nothing was said about Gibson, but something tells me you do not favor birds and flowers all over pickguards... :-))))))

[bohemian]

Actually the over the top Hummingbirds and J-200's are cool in a glitzy kinda way. However they simply need to be just a little thicker...1/8th inch just isn't enough.

More Martin guffaws... gold foil labels on the headstock
Gold tuners on tree hugging Smartwood guitars
White binding on anything
Decals around soundholes
Washed out purple grey plantation rosewood on fingerboards and bridges
Black pickguards
Phony signature labels.. what's the point
Where's the "men in music" guitar ?
CEO series ie Collosal Ego Opus
Micarta
Anything with 1 11/16ths nut width.. silly.

I've owned 12 Martins new and used since 1961.. currently have one, a custom. I am looking elsewhere though.

Gibson stuff.. Gold tuners on the WM Working Man's guitar I mean gold ?
Creepy scrolly pickguards on some of the new stuff.
White binding on anything
Rosewood fingerboards on $2K plus guitars

As far as aesthetics... lack of affected design and ornamentation is preferrable. Santa Cruz and Collings do a nice job.


Oh and back to Larrivee.. white binding on mahogany guitars.. are you serious ?

[NAFIGATOR]

Heh, indeed you may have some issues :-)))

However I totally can not argue your point about foiled decals on 2K Martins and cheap Rosewood fretboards on 2K Gibsons. I am surprised you did not mention a cheap white plastic fretboard binding combined a very nice wood body binding on 2K Larrivees. That's got to be a turn off! :-))))

[strings4him]

Quote from Frank Ford @ Frets.com: http://www.frets.com/fretspages/gene...d/ivoroid.html

"Unless you're looking at a Martin guitar made before World War I, that ivory colored binding is almost certainly "ivoroid," a form of celluloid plastic.

Celluloid has been around for more than 100 years and is the most commonly used plastic material for binding and pickguards on stringed instruments."

I see no problem with using this on any high-end instrument.

[RP]

Not sure if it's been resolved, but I've read numerous complaints from Eastman owners regarding fragile finishes...

[Rosewood99]

Everyone says the Eastman's have fragile finishes but I've had my Eastman AC412 or 6 months now and haven't found it fragile at all. Anyway, my impression from this forum is that most of us are pretty careful with our guitars anyway.

Bottom line: There may be reasons not to choose Eastman but the so called fragile finish is not one of them.

[Side Man]

Geez... couldn't find my reading glasses for a couple of minutes; at first glance I thought this poll was "Esteban vs. Larrivee"...

[cke]

I own both and sample many of both and others. Eastman to me is the class act of Chinese guitars, a genuine luthier shop, making some really fine instruments.

That said, Larrivee is in a class above, rivaling all the top brands like Martin, Taylor etc. They have an exceptionally balanced sound, not quite as dark as Martin, not as bright and thin as Taylor. The bracing is nearly unique, not imitating any, but are just as valid an approach. The sound is clear and warm and, as said, very balanced top to bottom. They are strongly built; worth anyone's consideration.

[mrkpower]

Originally Posted by cke

I own both and sample many of both and others. Eastman to me is the class act of Chinese guitars, a genuine luthier shop, making some really fine instruments.

That said, Larrivee is in a class above, rivaling all the top brands like Martin, Taylor etc. They have an exceptionally balanced sound, not quite as dark as Martin, not as bright and thin as Taylor. The bracing is nearly unique, not imitating any, but are just as valid an approach. The sound is clear and warm and, as said, very balanced top to bottom. They are strongly built; worth anyone's consideration.

so you like Larrivee more than Eastman in general?

[gary0319]

Originally Posted by GibbyPrague

Ive played both and while Larrvee's are no doubt quality instruments I find the tone to be somewhat ....boring.

Eastmans to me seem to have a bit more mojo and soul in their tone.

+1 I've owned 5 Larrivees and they are pretty consistant across the models (the all mahogany OM I had was the best) Some like the even tone, but I too found it kind of boring after a bit. My next purchase will most likely be an Eastman. I've played quite a few and the Adi/Hog E10OM had personality to spare and still a very even, but not boring, tone.

Still miss that all mahogany OM Larrivee, though. Should never have sold that one.

Gary

[raynspunk]

I own both guitars. An Eastman 510 and Larrivee L-09. Both mahogany, (yes I know L-09's are rosewood, mine however is quilted mahogany labeled L-09). Both guitars are excellent guitars, but built differently, therefore voiced differently. All in all, I favor the Larrivee, I enjoy the "L" magogany sound, very builder specific. The Eastman is more generic OM/mini jumbo. The Eastman is more bang for the buck.

[Watt]

Whenever the topic of Chinese made guitars pops up - seems at least once week - so much nonsense inevitably surfaces. Things like the statement that, because Chinese makers sometime use North American sourced woods, the purchase of the Chinese made guitar doubles CO2 emissions. Let's see. Most acoustic guitars, wherever made, use woods sourced from places like Africa and, well, Asia. To reduce emissions, residents of North America should not purchase those guitars? What about our friends in Europe, Australia, Japan? They too should buy only guitars made locally with native woods? Or are we to refine the equation a bit. A resident of Hamburg should not buy a Martin with a German Spruce top. A resident of Bombay should not buy a Martin with Indian Rosewood body. This is just plain silly.

And the notion that Eastman's employees are somehow not "instrument builders" because they are not North American??? Wow.

Eastman and Larrivee both make some very fine guitars. The Eastman traditional series guitars have a sound and playability that I really enjoy. Among the ones that I have played, build quality has been uniformly good (though certainly not Collins level great). I currently own an E10D. I have only played a few Larrivees, none of which I was tempted to purchase.

In addition to the Eastman, I own guitars made in Japan, Canada, and New Jersey. I have purchased guitars made in Westerly, Nazareth, El Cajon, Tacoma, Ensenada (Mexico), Valencia (Spain), and many other places. Although country-of-origin is not much of a factor for me, I have no problem with someone considering it when making his or her purchasing decision; utilizing nonsensical rationalizations and purposefully disseminating misinformation to frame the decision in moral terms is quite another thing.

[Watt]

... then again, guess I should just let it slide and play my guitar. Then, all will be better.