Tenorcaster

[Chip Stewart]

Eastwood Custom Shop just introduced a Tenorcaster for backing. The nut width is the same as the Warren Ellis tenors. I'm not sure what the string spacing at the bridge is.

[Chip Stewart]

Here's the link to the Eastwood Custom Shop page for the Tenorcaster.

https://eastwoodguitars.com/blogs/ne...he-tenorcaster

[whatitis]

I put my deposit down on the butterscotch one. A Facebook post caught me at a weak moment. This will be my first electric guitar in years. Now I need an amp...and cables...and some effects...oops.

[Chip Stewart]

I put my deposit down on the butterscotch one. A Facebook post caught me at a weak moment. This will be my first electric guitar in years. Now I need an amp...and cables...and some effects...oops.

Also consider a modeling pedal instead of an amp. I use a DigiTech RP255 and plug straight into the PA. It works very well and will be a lot less expensive than buying an amp and effects.

[bbcee]

Also consider a modeling pedal instead of an amp. I use a DigiTech RP255 and plug straight into the PA. It works very well and will be a lot less expensive than buying an amp and effects.

I use an Apogee Jam into Garage Band. The amp models are astounding, and latency is negligible. I have some really good amps that aren't getting much use these days

[dcav]

I would love to hear that guitar when you get it in whatitis! Very cool.

[Verne Andru]

I'll start this by saying I'm not a tele-person, but if they come out like the pictures - proper 4-string pickups and saddles and other proper tenor-bits - I'll give it a thumbs-up for sure.

[whatitis]

I'll start this by saying I'm not a tele-person, but if they come out like the pictures - proper 4-string pickups and saddles and other proper tenor-bits - I'll give it a thumbs-up for sure.

In the comments section of their page someone asked about that and the reply was that it will be all dedicated 4 string parts. If that changes, I would probably cancel my order. I also wish they would put a 10th fret marker in instead of a 9th. They did on the Classic Tenor I believe, but all the other models have it on the 9th. I commented about it and am awaiting a reply.

[Escaped Cellist]

I'm curious whether anyone has received theirs yet. How do they sound? Did they indeed end up having 4-string parts throughout?

The picture on the Eastwood site appears to show three adjustable saddles, which seems strange and unwise for a 4-string instrument.

[whatitis]

I paid for mine last Tuesday and haven't received a tracking number yet. Am I wrong to think if you get an invoice, they should be ready to ship your order upon payment?

I hope it's all four string parts or I may send it back. I think the picture on the website is just a photoshopped Tele, and they didn't worry about the details. That's my hope anyway.

[whatitis]

Well it finally came and I'm not too impressed. They forgot a strap button, intonation on the A string is way off, and there is a crack in the fingerboard above the nut. The crack really isn't a huge deal because of where it is. I could mill away the whole affected part and fit a new nut, since the factory one is a bit of a joke. I don't think I should have to though. On one hand I'm tempted to send it back, but on the other, I plan to mod this thing pretty heavily anyway so I'm on the fence. What are your thoughts?

[dcav]

Is the bridge adjustable on this guitar? How do you correct intonation problems if not by the bridge? is the fretting installment incorrect?

[Jess L.]

... The picture on the Eastwood site appears to show three adjustable saddles, which seems strange and unwise for a 4-string instrument.

That is odd...

... I think the picture on the website is just a photoshopped Tele, and they didn't worry about the details. ...

Maybe, but if they don't worry about details on their website, I'd be suspicious of how much attention they paid to details in the product itself. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence. IMO.

Well it finally came and I'm not too impressed. They forgot a strap button, intonation on the A string is way off, and there is a crack in the fingerboard above the nut. The crack really isn't a huge deal because of where it is. I could mill away the whole affected part and fit a new nut, since the factory one is a bit of a joke. I don't think I should have to though. On one hand I'm tempted to send it back, but on the other, I plan to mod this thing pretty heavily anyway so I'm on the fence. What are your thoughts?

For that much money, I would expect better quality control. I can understand problems in $100-$200 instruments or whatever, but anything over that, with modern CNC and all, what's their excuse for the problems? Heck even my super-cheap $50 Rogue has acceptable fit and finish, far better than many of my former old 1890s fancy banjos etc. (At least the Rogue's fret slots are cut accurately.)

If it were me in your position, my first impression would be that I'd be a little ticked off and inclined to send it back and find something else to mod. I might have a hard time getting over the feeling that I'd paid too much for what I got.

On the other hand, I might be able to get used to the idea of keeping it if there were compelling other features that weren't screwed up. For instance, are you going to have to replace pickups too?

[mrmando]

Still pretty happy with the Schwab tenor ...

[whatitis]

They sent a prepaid shipping label and sent a replacement the same day. Hopefully the new one is good. I can't complain about their customer service so far, but they need to get a better grip on their QC.

[Larry S Sherman]

Still pretty happy with the Schwab tenor ...

That's comparing a Tesla to a Neon!

Larry

[Escaped Cellist]

I can't complain about their customer service so far, but they need to get a better grip on their QC.

This has been my general experience of Eastwood. Friendly, cooperative company with significant variance in their quality. Which is why I tend to do most of my Eastwood orders from a reseller with good quality standards, so the lemons have already been sent back before reaching my hands.

Shame about your first Tenorcaster....hope the second arrives in a better state!

[whatitis]

I received the new one today and it's WAY better. However it is made in china and I think the workmanship could be much better for the price. I'll update when I get better acquainted with it.

[whatitis]

Btw it is all 4 string parts.

[Verne Andru]

I think Eastwood's use of "custom shop" is a bit of an oxymoron. From other makers, this means top shelf designs, build and materials. For Eastwood it seems to mean just another conduit for their MIC goods with no QC at either end of the supply chain.

It's a shame - they can do so much better if only they took care of business. It costs way more to do an RMA on a poorly made instrument than it is to have someone check it before it goes out to the customer.

[Escaped Cellist]

But if most customers don't know what to look for, a lot of instruments that should be RMA'ed never are.

The RMA may cost more than QC on a per-guitar basis, but the cost differential that really matters is cost to QC every guitar vs. cost of RMAs on X% of all guitars shipped. The lower X becomes, the more attractive the choice to skimp on QC.

[Verne Andru]

But if most customers don't know what to look for, a lot of instruments that should be RMA'ed never are.

The RMA may cost more than QC on a per-guitar basis, but the cost differential that really matters is cost to QC every guitar vs. cost of RMAs on X% of all guitars shipped. The lower X becomes, the more attractive the choice to skimp on QC.

That seems to be the failing logic used to justify this type of bad corporate behavior. But the folly of this is that WE (the people) have discussions like this in public forums which probably doesn't help their "goodwill" quotient which ultimately effects sales. Because these sales are never made the companies have no way of knowing how much this is really costing them.

Don't get me wrong - I like the idea of what Eastwood is doing, it's just that their approach to customers over the years has been very dismissive and off-putting and these types of customer experiences are the norm. I would like to seem them succeed, but they seem to be their own worst enemy.

[Escaped Cellist]

I would like to seem them succeed, but they seem to be their own worst enemy.

No disagreement here. I appreciate that they're willing to take risks on instruments no other manufacturer will. I'd just love to see that same risk-taking mindset applied to instruments of a higher baseline quality.

If they had a real Custom Shop and/or an American-made series, or both, that would be a really interesting development.

[whatitis]

Ok so I've had a chance to play it through a Vox AC4TV and a Red Witch Medusa chorus/tremolo pedal and I'm pretty happy with the sound. To me it has "that tele sound", but I'm not really and experienced electric guy. Both the clean tones and the overdriven tones from the little tube amp are awesome to my ears. I still need to have some minor setup work done to it to get it to optimal playability, but I'm happy with the purchase for the most part. The downside is in my opinion a $600 guitar should have had better quality control. Have you seen a $300 Yamaha acoustic? Far superior workmanship and attention to detail.

Hopefully I can get around to recording something AND figuring out how to post it here.

[Jess L.]

... The downside is in my opinion a $600 guitar should have had better quality control. ...

Agree.

... Have you seen a $300 Yamaha acoustic? Far superior workmanship and attention to detail. ...

Don't even have to go as high as $300, I have three extra-cheap instruments here that have basically *no* issues with fit & finish. (1) cheap $100 Yamaha acoustic kid-size classical guitar. (2) cheap Squier electric guitar. (3) cheap $50 Rogue mandolin. They are put together exceptionally nicely considering the price, or actually even when not considering the price. Now the sound, of the acoustic ones anyway, well that's a different matter. But as to cosmetics (appearance) and set-up, no problems. Sure, my little Yamaha guitar has a painted-on 'binding' instead of real binding, but at least they did a good job of the painting. And yeah my extra-closeup eyesight is still really good.

I would make a completely uneducated guess that, if all these factories are using the same or similar CNC machines to churn out instruments, that the quality differences must be related to whether or not the factory has good competent tech/maintenance people on-site at all times to make sure the CNC machines are running the way they're supposed to. Or something like that.