Just Bought an Eastman DGM-2!

[GuyIncognito]

I just ordered the Eastman DGM-2 that was on sale in the classifieds this week. I played one briefly a couple years ago and remember really liking it. Anyone own one or have any experiences with one? I love the oval sound and play lots of classical and jazz on my Breedlove KO oval so I think this will be a nice contrast. Needless to say I'm very excited

[mandobassman]

Congratulations! I also love the oval hole sound and I have wanted to play a DGM-2. Hopefully I'll come across one someday. It's a great looking design. Be sure to give us your thoughts on it when it arrives.

[9lbShellhamer]

Sweet! Enjoy it!

[Folkmusician.com]

Nice!

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

I played one a while back and thought it was a very good mandolin. I liked the tone better than some of the Gibson oval A I have played. At that price it's almost a no-brainer. Congrats on the score.

[allenhopkins]

I own a DGM-2, and though I don't play it as much as some of my other mandolins (don't ask why, just works out that way). I really like the design, the fit and finish, and the sound: kind of a "beefy" oval-hole voice. What I had some trouble getting used to were the "reverse" tuners, which turn clockwise to tighten the strings rather than the "standard" way. I guess this feature replicates the Bacon instrument that was the template for the DGM-2, but it does take a bit of recalibration when I play it.

My instrument also has what I guess was a later "Eastman-esque" tailpiece; didn't some of the first DGM-2's have a tailpiece that was more like the original Bacon? (Working from memory here...)

All in all it's a very nice reworking of the original from Grisman's collection.

[Jim Garber]

What I had some trouble getting used to were the "reverse" tuners, which turn clockwise to tighten the strings rather than the "standard" way. I guess this feature replicates the Bacon instrument that was the template for the DGM-2, but it does take a bit of recalibration when I play it.

That is strange. I have an all-original '21 Bacon Artist mandolin and those tuners are not reversed. I have not played any other original Bacon Artists so I can't say that others were set up that way. I do own a Bacon Amateur and that also does not have reversed tuners.

I wonder why Eastman would make it that way even if they were copying Grisman's (assuming his has reversed tuners). If they were trying to copy it as close to the original as possible they would have made the tailpiece too. As Allen noted, maybe they did that but I see in this thread that one owner had Keith Newell make one. I probably sent him a photo of my tailpiece.

It also looks like at one point they made it with a fancy rosette with inlaid diamond-shaped pearl pieces. Why? Who knows.

These Bacons are pretty uncommon. I was at a party year ago that Stan Jay was at and was playing mine and he came up to me telling me that he had never seen one before. This was probably in the 1980s or so.

[GuyIncognito]

From what I read they switched the tailpieces early on because people kept getting there sleeves torn on it. I don't mind the Eastman tailpiece, its sturdy and single pieced. If I really click with the mandolin I think the Orrico would look pretty fitting on it.

[Jim Garber]

I could not find what the original Eastman copy TP looked like. Was it close to the Bacon or just an approximation. The Bacon does not get caught in my sleeve.

[red7flag]

I had a DGM-2 for about a year. The DGM-2 has a unique and very cool voice. It had a deeper tone value that the other Eastmans I have played. I really enjoyed the tone. Very different from anything I had then or since. Mine had a standard Eastman tailpiece. which I don't care for much either in appearance or changing strings. Like Jim, I abhorred the reverse tuners. Just took the fun out of the instrument and I found that I did not play it much. As such I sold it. I bought mine soon after they changed over the tailpiece. I wish they had a tailpiece like Jim showed and regular tuners and I am pretty sure I would still own it.

[Jim Garber]

Tony: Allen has the DGM-2 with the reverse tuners. I have an original Bacon Artist with normally functioning tuners. I wonder if it is at all possible to put normal tuners on it and why they did that to begin with.

[lflngpicker]

That would be a tremendous addition to any mandolin collection! Congratulations. Enjoy your playing.

[GuyIncognito]

Should be here in another day or so, what strings do you fellas who own and have owned them recommend?