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5string
Feb-27-2005, 4:41pm
Ok Folks, you've had your Eastmans for awhile.....how are they holding up wear and tear-wise....and sound-wise?

Played a barking 615 (F) and a soft sounding 815 (F)....prefer the louder 615. Or is it the strings and setup? Can the 815 be made to shout?

Can't decide betwixt the two...but mostly wonder how they hold up over time (months or years)..... are they starting to break down....or break in??

Time to practice Soldier's Joy........later!

Stephen Perry
Feb-27-2005, 4:53pm
Check the bracing. Many of the 815s are quite loud. They seem to be breaking in nicely. No problems. Every mandolin is different. Each player is different, too. A stiffer, tighter mandolin may be soft for a light player, but louder than an easy play mandolin in a strong players hands. Also, the overtone mix plays into apparent loudness a great deal. At a distance I haven't heard all that much difference in projected volume from the Eastman line, but several players have reported wide variations in apparent loudness (to the player) at the same time I hear very little difference at 20 feet.

Billiam
Feb-28-2005, 12:10am
I played two 615's and a 515 the other day, and would have picked the 515 as having the most volume and best tone regardless of price. It was quite a bit cheaper, too. All I bought were picks, though.

5string
Mar-03-2005, 11:51am
Thank you for the reply....just curious as to how the Eastmans hold up after a few months of playing...do they open up....etc...have not had a chance to look at a 515...haven't seen anyone advertise them. Do the 515's have tone bars, or x bracing?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

thanks ...dave

barricwiley
Mar-03-2005, 12:14pm
Hey 5string, I happen to have one of the MD515 Eastmans. It does have tone bars. I am pretty darn happy with the mandolin in sound and playability. I also really like the "classis finish" look. Nice flame on the back and on the neck and sides as well. I may possibly try tp part with it at some point (mas) because I am having a very special F4 custom made as we speak, and I prefer the F4 sound and looks. I can only add that I like the MD515 a lot and is a pleasure to own. If I answer anything specific for you, ask away, here, pm, or email.
Adios,
Richard http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

5string
Mar-03-2005, 2:32pm
Thanks Richard - I read that the 515's have a spruce top, and the 615 has I think the maple. I wondered if the spruce produced a loud enough bark, compared to maple.....and who's building the custom?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

.......dave

barricwiley
Mar-03-2005, 3:02pm
Spruce is pretty normal on mandolin tops. I had not heard about maple tops on the Eastmans, I will do a little checking.
Richard

barricwiley
Mar-03-2005, 3:04pm
My upcoming F4 is being built by Don Paine and his mandolins are called "Pomeroy"

Billiam
Mar-03-2005, 3:11pm
Thanks Richard - I read that the 515's have a spruce top, and the 615 has I think the maple. I wondered if the spruce produced a loud enough bark, compared to maple.....and who's building the custom?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

.......dave
I believe they all have spruce tops and maple backs. The 515 is the most plain, top bound only, minimal flame in the back. 615 gets back and front binding and fancier wood. 815 has bound f-holes, fancier headstock, even higher grade wood. Whether one can guarantee better tone as you go up in grade is debatable. I suspect there's quite a lot of overlap.

Stephen Perry
Mar-04-2005, 8:05am
Certainly all the Eastman mandolins are maple with spruce fronts. The "tone" and bark etc doesn't seem related to the series designation. Current 800 series don't seem to have the bound F holes. I have had one 915 mandolin. A rather astute player figured out that it was the best. Smooth, powerful, exceptionally clear. Much more projection and power than initially apparent because it was so crisp and clean. That one was X braced, but sounded very close to the tone bar models. Some of the 815 mandolins have been better than any of the 615 mandolins. But there's enough noise in the data that this could just be chance. A couple of the 515s were exceptionally nice for new instruments.

Steve