Eastman MD 814

[Sandy Beckler]

Greetings....
Anyone have any thoughts or experience they would like to share, good or bad?

Thanks Sandy;)

[JEStanek]

I had one. I traded it when I got a custom built oval hole. It was a very nice mandolin. I liked the neck profile and voice. I wish it had bigger frets. I have since gotten another Eastman instrument so I'm a satisfied owner of the brand. I really liked the Jazzmando JM-11 (http://jazzmando.com/jazzmando_jm11_flatwound_strings.shtml) strings on mine with a Dawg or Pro-Plec pick. The Eastman oblong case is sweet but a little of a pain to get into. The Eastman F style Oval hole instruments will not fit in their fiberglass cases.

Now my personal preference is for the A style instruments (or two points) that F headstock just seems to make the instrument heavier. Getting the 814 used would be quite a good bargain for a good, in my opinion, mandolin.

Jamie

[Mark Richardson]

Sandy, I own an Eastman MD814. I have had it for a few years. I keep it in the kitchen and play it almost daily while we're cooking or just hanging out downstairs with the wife. My main mandolin is a custom San Juan F5. I am actually looking to replace the Eastman, for two reasons. My San Juan fretboard/neck joins the body at the 15th fret, the Eastman at the 12th. The San Juan has a pick guard, the Eastman does not. I touch my pinky finger to the pick guard as I play, kind of my home position. Going back and forth from the San Juan to the Eastman requires a couple of minutes of adjustment for me. I do enjoy the oval hole sound. I do not play a lot of bluegrassy stuff, more old folky acoustic music. I want another oval hole mando, A or F, I haven't decided, but one with the longer neck and a pick guard. That being said, the Eastman MD814 is a nice mandolin. It is well built, affordable, easy to play and has a nice tone. The Eastman was my second mandolin. My first was a Michael-Kelly with some quality issues. If I wasn't spoiled by Bobby Wintringham's San Juan F5, I would still be very happy with the MD814. As I said the only reason I would like to move away from the Eastman is to get another mandolin more similar to the F5, but oval holed.

[sfe]

I find this oval hole/ f hole-discussion interresting.
I have got the impression from what I've read that the general opinion is that oval holes have more bass and a softer sound than f holes and this is also what I have experienced myself. Ovan holes are sweeter sounding while f holes cut through better.
But, I have never had the opportunity of comparing two Eastmans.
What are your opinions about Eastman f holes vs. oval holes?
I own an Eastman 515, which I must say is a very fine instrument, but when playing together with other mandolins it sometimes tend to dominate the sound and not necessarily so in a beautiful way. It seems like the 515 is more at home with guitars, banjos and such more than with other mandolins.
Do you think that a, let's say 514, would better blend in with the other mandolins in my group, which are all oval holes by the way?
There is no dealer nearby me, in Sweden where I live, where you can see several Eastmans at once. You are lucky if you can see any decent mandolin at all in a regular music store over here.;)

[Mark Richardson]

When I bought my Eastman MD814, I was down at First Quality Music in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. I was able to play several Eastman models. As you said the oval hole mandolins, to my ears, had a more mellow, richer tone about them. They are not quite so loud as the ff holed mandolin, again to my ears. I do not play out, I do not play with other musicians. I am strictly a home hobbiest. Volume is not a big issue for me. I have two mandolins one oval hole and one ff hole. There is a considerable difference in the sound qualities, but a lot of that maybe in the construction of the mandolins, not necessarily the type of sound hole. As is mentioned on this site constantly, so much of this is personal preference and perception. What I consider good voice, may not be what you consider good. I have been a discovery research molecular-biologist for thirty years. Everyone's genetic make up is different. Which is why the same mandolin may sound completely different to two individuals. Our ears are all different, our perceiving brains are all different. I have begun to ramble and have forgotten your original question... As long as I have two mandolins, I will have one ff and one oval hole. One is not better than the other, but they are most diffinitely different.

[Jason Kessler]

Sandy,

I have a 614, which I like very much. Like other oval-holes, it has a warm, tubby tone. I've removed the dampers that came with it as I like the overtones.

The 814, by the way, is not more instrument, just more ornamentation. Otherwise, it's the same ax so, if you want to save money, the 614 (or even a 514 if you can find one) are the way to go.

[Santiago]

I tried a 614 in a store once, and was blown away by its sound.

[Mark Richardson]

I agree with Jason. The 614 is the same basic mandolin as the 814. I haven't seen or played the 514. The 614 should play and sound the same as the 814, generally speaking. I am sure there will be some very minor instrument to instrument variation within the same model line. The 614 is less expensive. I am old, 55. My kids are gone. I've worked for the same company for 29 years. I have grown to like nicer looking things and I am willing to pay a little more for the fancy frills even though they may not really add anything to the playabilty. Owning nice sounding, nice looking mandolins and guitars is just part of my hobby. Ten, twenty years ago I would have been playing a different tune on the most inexpensive mandolin I could find.

Sandy, I think you will be very happy with the oval hole F, MD814. Depending on your situation I would not rule out the MD614.

[Jason Kessler]

I am old, 55. My kids are gone. I've worked for the same company for 29 years. I have grown to like nicer looking things and I am willing to pay a little more for the fancy frills even though they may not really add anything to the playabilty.

Good on you, Mark! That's the way it ought to be for all of us.

If the cost difference is not important, and the embellishments make you happy, then the 814's the way to go. I guess my point in bringing up the 614 was to illustrate that, to my thinking, you can't go wrong with the Eastman oval holes.

Also, if you really covet an 814 but have to "settle" for a 614, you'll still wind up jonesing for an 814, a MAS infection that's sure to worsen as you pick at it.

[DLS1]

Funny I have a Eastman 615 spirit varnish only, and got one heck of a deal from Dennis at the Mandolin Store. It's great playing and sounding, and with the varnish finish it's has instantly age 30 years in 30 days, which I like but I still would like to try and see a 815 oil varnish mando even though I know mine is already a great sounding mandolin. For the money I don't think anyone especially for a first timer can go wrong with an Eastman.
Dave