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Thread: Eastman El Rey?

  1. #1

    Default Eastman El Rey?

    So a few of these showed up a few months ago then crickets.

    Anybody know if they will be a regular part of Eastman's offerings or just a one-off?
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  2. #2
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Found one locally at pre-tarrif prices. Paying it off now; hope to have it home in a couple of weeks.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

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  4. #3
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Mine came home today. Acclimating to the house, but the first few minutes thru the Cub 10 and some fx were a lot of fun. Really comfortable, and sounds great no matter the style, all across the frets and strings. The Lollar is a dream. Totally loving the aesthetic as well, especially the thumbnail inlays.

    Update: Had a chance to run it thru the Rivera briefly, and it really sounds excellent. No annoying extraneous sounds like a piezo will often provide. Unlike a single course electric with a humbucker, it really sounds like a mandolin.
    Last edited by Dave Greenspoon; Dec-24-2019 at 7:30pm.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Greenspoon View Post
    Mine came home today. Acclimating to the house, but the first few minutes thru the Cub 10 and some fx were a lot of fun. Really comfortable, and sounds great no matter the style, all across the frets and strings. The Lollar is a dream. Totally loving the aesthetic as well, especially the thumbnail inlays.

    Update: Had a chance to run it thru the Rivera briefly, and it really sounds excellent. No annoying extraneous sounds like a piezo will often provide. Unlike a single course electric with a humbucker, it really sounds like a mandolin.
    What is the scale length?

  7. #5
    Registered User mandolinstew's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Greenspoon View Post
    Mine came home today. Acclimating to the house, but the first few minutes thru the Cub 10 and some fx were a lot of fun. Really comfortable, and sounds great no matter the style, all across the frets and strings. The Lollar is a dream. Totally loving the aesthetic as well, especially the thumbnail inlays.

    Update: Had a chance to run it thru the Rivera briefly, and it really sounds excellent. No annoying extraneous sounds like a piezo will often provide. Unlike a single course electric with a humbucker, it really sounds like a mandolin.
    Is the e string sound loud enough?Does it have the same neck as other Eastmans?

  8. #6
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Scale length seems pretty standard.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

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  10. #7
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    E string sounds fine to me, but I haven't really dialed it in yet. It is really still acclimating. Neck feels like my 515, or at least not different enough to notice.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

  11. #8

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Quote Originally Posted by Verne Andru View Post
    So a few of these showed up a few months ago then crickets.

    Anybody know if they will be a regular part of Eastman's offerings or just a one-off?
    Dennis at the Mandolin Store said two weeks ago that he has a bunch of them on order and is just waiting for the order to be filled. My guess would be that Eastman may have underestimated their popularity so are struggling to get production up to speed. You can sign up with Elderly Instruments (and likely the Mandolin Store as well) to have them email you when they get one in...right after I get mine!

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  13. #9
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    A little more time on the El Rey has been fun. The neck is different from the 515 regarding heel cap design, etc. The width and shape are pretty much the same; the ER-M may be just a bit more rounded.

    This morning it was the Loudbox's turn. Mine is the older version. Went straight into channel 1, and had a plate reverb selected. Specifically went to the "acoustic" stuff: fiddle tunes, blues, and klezmer for a critical listen. Again, the Lollar sounded fine on the e strings, both in chords and single note runs. The radius feels a little different than the 515, but the fretboard is comfortable for my hand. The point being this instrument is not simply for folks looking for amplification and effects. This is an electric instrument that really offers an amplified acoustic sound without compromise. You can certainly funk it up with effects, and you can certainly plug it straight into an amp. The sound is going to be excellent either way.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

  14. #10

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Production on these is alive and well. Over the next week or two there will be a large batch heading out to US dealers with more on the way.

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  16. #11

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastman Rep View Post
    Production on these is alive and well. Over the next week or two there will be a large batch heading out to US dealers with more on the way.
    Any heading to Canada?
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  17. #12

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    What do they retail for, new?

  18. #13
    Registered User simo26's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I just got one from Corner Music in Nashville they had two I searched all over the US they were the only ones that had any.

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  20. #14

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Finally saw one online for sale. $1100-ish is what they seem to retail for.

  21. #15

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    US MSRP is $1,383. There will be a a couple going up tp Canada as well.

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  23. #16
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I spent about an hour this evening putting it through its paces. I was plugged in to the Rivera. Used the amp's reverb and gain, using the footswitch to mix it up. The R212 is loaded with 25 watt Greenbacks.

    1. It sounded freaking glorious. Set the clean at edge of breakup, and played with the tone and volume knobs. So fun.

    2. I'm still looking for my sweet spot for tremelo. The pickup is pretty much where I would be, and I don't love the feel of the strings there for trem. A little higher up the neck is OK; great tone but just OK. So far it seems I get my best results closet to the bridge.

    3. I'd love to know the tapir for the knobs. Still finding out where what happens at the different settings.

    4. The guys on The Acoustic Shoppe video are spot on: You eany an El Rey. And YOU want an El Rey. And YOU want an El Rey. EVERYONE wants an El Rey.

    Between this an my MD515 from The Mandolin Store, I'm drinking the kool aid. #IPlayEastman
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

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  25. #17

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    This. This is a tapir. So I assume you mean the taper?

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  27. #18

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I've had one since the beginning of October (an El Rey, not a tapir, although tapirs are pretty awesome, too -- just harder to strum). I concur with Dave: the El Rey's a great instrument, and it really does have an authentic mandolin sound. The e string on mine is loud enough, too -- not ear-shreddingly so, but it definitely projects well and feels balanced with the other strings. It's a sharp-looking instrument, the build quality is great, and it's really fun to play -- I catch myself grinning whenever I do.

    They can be really tough to find, though -- I couldn't find any locally when I wanted to buy, so I had to buy online.

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  29. #19
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I see these are widely available now. I'm tempted, but really don't need another mandolin. Of course- if I sold one of my others!!!!!!!!!
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  30. #20
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    So today proved that this instrument sounds great even through my modest 1982 Peavey Studio Pro's maligned high gain channel. Once dialed in, it sounded fine just straight in with the onboard reverb around 3. The speaker is an Eminence Patriot Red, White and Blues. Sure, its not toooob tooonz, but it's not supposed to be. This instrument just keeps making me smile.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?


  32. #22

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    My El Rey arrived last week. I can’t claim any real talent with it, but it has me grinning like a fool just with the experimentation.

    Decidedly not bluegrass, but with a couple of tweaks on the DAW it takes me anywhere between Chet Atkins to Black Sabbath. Great fun for Hank Williams or jazz if that’s your thing. Build quality better than I expected. Neck and frets feel quite good - a near match for my Weber. Muscle memory between the two hasn’t tripped me up like my electric tenor guitar did.

    If I could be certain that Curt Mangan monel strings would work, I would change to those and have the strings feel the same.

    If you get a chance to try it, give it a whirl!

    Khat

  33. #23

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I am really interested in one of these. I am saving my pennies and one day this year I will break open my piggy bank and get one. Too cool.
    I wonder how it will sound with some distortion? Gasp!
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    “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” ― Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

  34. #24
    Mandol'Aisne Daniel Nestlerode's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    You won't need distortion, a bit of overdrive will create as dirty a sound and be a bit more versatile with 8 strings.

    It's fun.

    But I prefer to use an 8 string in place of a 12-string guitar if you see what I mean. Clean, chime-y, jangle-y, rather than dirty.

    Daniel

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  36. #25

    Default Re: Eastman El Rey?

    I was told the El Rey has a real Mandolin sound. What is best, an acoustic amp or an electric guitar amp?
    Loar LM-370

    “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” ― Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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