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View Full Version : Pulled the trigger on MD-905 SB



gkraushaar
Jan-20-2012, 4:50pm
I went ahead and bought an Eastman MD-905 SB I had been mulling over for several weeks. It's unique features include curly maple binding, Adirondack spruce top, and varnish finish. The maple has nice curl throughout and the adi top has straight grained if not exceptional looking spruce. The workmanship is generally very clean but I would have preferred more recurve on the top, like the Zeidler mandolin I once almost traded for. I have not owned a varnish finished mandolin, but I am generally very careful with my instruments, so we shall see how it holds up long term.

I had been playing an LM-600 for about 3 years and I felt that I was due for a tonal upgrade. I had received good service from The Loar, but felt that the 905 was too much of a hoss to pass up.

We're starting up a contra dance band, so mostly this mando will be playing Celtic music and fiddle tunes. The other instruments in the band are rhythm guitar (D-18) and nyckelharpa, a very resonant Swedish "keyed fiddle" with a number of drone strings. I need a mandolin which is loud, open, and throaty. The Eastman seems to fit the bill and speaks with a loud enough voice to to fit in with the other instruments without having to overplay it, which seems to kill my speed. The throatyness and resonance of the mandolin seems to match the nyckelharpa well and the blend is quite pleasing.

Ray Neuman
Jan-20-2012, 5:30pm
Congrats! Those are drop dead beautiful!

Tristram
Feb-02-2012, 9:27am
Congrats!

I've been overjoyed with my two point 905. Felt a little tight for the first couple of weeks but it broke-in superbly, and the tone has developed considerably, even though it's just coming on 6 months old now. It's got loads of play time in some very noisy environments. It is throaty, good choice of words, and packs a hard punch when driven. The varnish is so soft though, it's covered in dings. And that even when I thought I was being careful :crying:

The only reason I say 'been' is because I couldn't resist getting a DG1 which has knocked the socks off it and is gradually becoming my main instrument. Technically I guess I'm still overjoyed with it, but that joy has been superseded. Eastman's are pretty special.

Canoedad
Feb-02-2012, 9:33am
Congrats. I had one of those for a few days, but unfortunately it suffered in shipping and Steve took it back. It was gorgeous. There is just something about that Eastman sunburst, especially combined with their best woods. I'd love to see pictures.

JEStanek
Feb-02-2012, 10:03am
I hope it works well for you. Enjoy it!

Jamie

gkraushaar
Feb-04-2012, 11:33pm
I went to ther SPYGMA event in Nashville today. Lots of expensive handmade instruments of all persuasions. I played some $12,000 mandos that appeared to be languishing on the display tables with eager sellers attempting to get me to try them. I still liker my Eastman sound as well, but the recurve on some of the expensive jobs was better. One wonders just how important the artistic recurve really is to the sound.

mklump2000
Feb-06-2012, 9:19pm
I recently picked up a two point 905. Compared to my 815v it seems a little twangy in tone. It is beautiful though.

KommammoK
Jan-07-2019, 10:10am
Hi, mandolin newbie here.
I've been playing guitar for 30 years and got totally addicted to mandolin the last 2 years (love the sound and the tuning - it's so much more fun to play Bach on a mando then on a guitar). I live in Europe (Belgium) and mandolin isn't that popular here as in the states, so unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to play a Gibsons, a Collings, a Weber, or any other USA made mandolin often (read never did). I started with an Eastman 514, okay mandolin I think but sold it because I bought a Breedlove crossover. After playing guitar I really felt more comfortable with the wider nut. I liked the Breedlove so much that I bought a Breedlove Quartz from 2008 (sold the Crossover). Amazing mandolin! Played the entire summer nothing else. After a while I started to feel uncomfortable with the wider nut. I had the opportunity to buy a new Eastman MD905 for a very reasonable price. Sold the Breedlove and I was in shock I did that. Went from an American made F to a Pack Rim A style. Smaller nut, different position of the bridge, ... panic (I can only own one mando, guitar, ukulele, ... it's a weird thing I have - The more instruments I have, the more I mess around, the less I study and learn). So there I was with my Eastman MD905, beautiful figured woods, adi top, wood binding, really small nut, ... missing my Breedlove. Contacted the store to return it and wanted to buy a Weber but didn't had the extra cash. After a few weeks I started to get used to the nut with and adapted to the different body size (because I always play on the same instrument It takes longer for me to adapt). I started to fell in love with the 905, it has a warm, luscious sound. A very resonant, woody tone. Plays like butter, ... I can't compare with the USA made mando's but I think my 905 sounds like a mandolin needs to sound, open, woody, warm and loud. Happy Eastman MD905 owner. Maybe someday I play a Collings and get blowed away but It has to be a hurricane to justify the difference in price.

kurth83
Jan-07-2019, 1:40pm
I am a bit of an Eastman fan too (although I like to mod them for playability improvements: taller frets, new nut for wider string spacing).

My first (serious) non-Eastman will arrive soon though, want to try a wider nut and a C-neck. That will likely conclude my playability experiments, except for the eventual possibility of a bowlback (which has a shorter scale).