Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

  1. #1

    Default Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Hi Mandolin Players,

    I'm posting this review to help others who may be on the fence about buying an Eastman.

    I have owned a Collings MT for about 10 years and recently decided to buy a backup Mandolin to take on short trips to places where I would not want to bring the Collings. I mean, it is generally not a wise idea to take your favorite instrument to the beach, family gatherings, popping campfire, bar, road trips, etc. Has the Collings been to all of these places? Yup. Has beer been sloshed in the F-hole? Yup. Have I learned my lesson--maybe. So, my mission was to find a mandolin that sounded pretty great for as little money as possible. Something that I could throw in the car or hand a kid or stranger without worrying about an accidental scratch.

    After reading just about every post on Mandolin Cafe and watching a ton of YouTube videos, I ordered an Eastman MD305 from themandolinstore.com. I chose this instrument because it was made of carved solid wood (some others are pressed), had a radiused fretboard (my preference), and the company had a reputation for making consistently good sounding and looking instruments. At around $509 including a gig bag and shipping (as of this posting), the price was also within my budget.

    I spoke on the phone with James, who was knowledgeable about mandolins and excited to talk about music. If you've seen any of their recent store videos, he is the blond guy tearing it up on the mandolin. They sent the instrument really quickly and well packed. I ordered it on Wednesday afternoon and the FedEx driver dropped it off on Friday afternoon. While I was not supporting an American luthier or manufacturer, I was still supporting an American small business and they did not let me down. As others on this forum have found, themandolinstore.com was great to work with.

    Let me tell you, I was really pleased with the MD305 that they sent me. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the instrument. The binding, finish, and overall construction seemed as tight as my Collings. As soon as I played a few notes, my wife told me I was being too loud and sent me outside to play with my son on the porch--it was louder than my Collings. The tone was also really great, though it had just a bit less low end bark on the chop. It certainly made up for this with the powerful mids and highs that could cut through any mix. Before getting the mandolin, I was a a bit concerned with the slightly smaller nut size, but that was not a problem at all. In fact, because the radius was 12" on the Eastman as opposed the 5"+ on the Collings, and the Eastman fret wire seemed thinner, the Eastman actually felt like it had more real estate for my fingers--whether or not this was really the case. Overall, the mandolin was easy to play and a real keeper.

    Did I get a really great one? Probably. My guess though is that any other MD305 would be made as well and sound pretty good to great or improve with time. It sounds so good that I will be tempted to buy an Eastman MD304 or MD314 (instead of a Collings) when I finally splurge for that oval hole. In fact, my son has already called dibs on this MD305 mandolin as the one he wants to take to college.

    If you are thinking about buying your first mandolin or just adding to your collection, I wish you luck!

  2. The Following 11 Users Say Thank You to carwithflames For This Useful Post:

    + Show/Hide list of the thanked


  3. #2

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I have both 305 (and 604 which is a blinged up 304), and the 604 is my main player due to the music styles I prefer (classical and gospel).
    Your description of the 305 sounds just like I would describe it, although I don't have a Collings to compare it to.

    Eastman is said to be faithful to the traditional oval-hole sound. There are a lot of hybrids out there that have a sound in between an f-hole and a traditional oval. I like the darker (some call it tubby) sound of the traditional oval. The hybrids lost their brand identity to me as I don't want something in-between, I want one or the other. :-)

    I would differ on the fret thing though, to me smaller frets are not an advantage in any way. And to me nut widths are fixable. I fretted (pun) over the narrow Eastman nuts until I cut one for myself, with narrower courses, making the courses farther apart, and easier to not accidentally mute adjacent strings. So to me nut width is irrelevant as I can cut a nut to make any width feel good.

    Check these pics out for the before and after nuts on my 604:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	20181215_134518_small.jpg 
Views:	169 
Size:	91.2 KB 
ID:	190323

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	20181219_180759_small.jpg 
Views:	160 
Size:	93.6 KB 
ID:	190325
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

  4. The following members say thank you to kurth83 for this post:


  5. #3
    Registered User Bren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Aberdeen, Scotland
    Posts
    1,036

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Thanks both of you.
    Interesting and informative posts.

    It's frustrating that here in the UK, the same instrument made in the same place, China, costs around US$700, almost 40% more than in USA.
    Bren

  6. #4

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Hi Bren - the MD305 is around 530 here in the UK.

    One of my sons has one and it's a really good mandolin - loud, woody chop, and great tone. The tuners aren't the best, but it plays (and stays) in tune.

  7. #5
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Greer, SC
    Posts
    898

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I have on here that belongs to a student. It is a very good mandolin the for the money. This one has an upgraded hard case and an Allen tailpiece. It is sweet.

  8. #6
    Registered User Nick Gellie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Orgiva, Spain
    Posts
    1,438

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Really nice review. It was a balanced and informative review.
    Last edited by Nick Gellie; Dec-07-2020 at 12:28pm.
    Nic Gellie

  9. #7
    Registered User Nick Gellie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Orgiva, Spain
    Posts
    1,438

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I also that the spacing of the string courses on the bridge need some adjustment as well.
    Nic Gellie

  10. #8
    Registered User Pappyrich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Williamsburg, VA
    Posts
    237

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I agree with the OP on his description of the MD305. I bought one about a year ago, also from TMS(great store, great service), and have enjoyed it. I have tried several different sets of strings, D'Addario J74's, and J73's, and Elixir Nanoweb lights. The Elixir's give a brighter sound with a little more clarity on the bass strings, and they last longer. I play mostly old time fiddle tunes, so I am not looking for the typical bluegrass tone. With the J74's, it gets closer to a bluegrass sound.

    The only two changes I have made were to replace the factory tuners, which I found did not work well, with Grover 309's, and I scalloped the tail of the fretboard for extra pick clearance. The Grover's were a drop-in fit, but I needed to drill two new screw holes on each side. The new tuners covered all the old holes completely. It is a very easy upgrade.

    I play with a couple of folks who have more expensive mandolins. One is a Collings MT, the other a new Ellis two point. They are obviously much nicer than my Eastman, but sound wise, neither one has impressed me enough to make me give serious thoughts to an upgrade. Full disclosure requires that I admit that I have significant high frequency hearing loss in both ears, and wear a pair of hearing aids. That said, I still think the Eastman punches above it's weight class.
    Richard

    Eastman 305
    Gibson A1 (1919)
    Martin D16 guitar
    Great Divide Guitar (Two-Old-Hippies)
    OME 11" banjo (1973)
    Pisgah 12" banjo

  11. The following members say thank you to Pappyrich for this post:


  12. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Central Illinois
    Posts
    3,563

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Glad you like it !

  13. #10
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pappyrich View Post
    but sound wise, neither one has impressed me enough to make me give serious thoughts to an upgrade. Full disclosure requires that I admit that I have significant high frequency hearing loss in both ears, and wear a pair of hearing aids.
    I'm sorry, but this just cracked me up. Someone else (who was it?) once posted that if you can't hear the difference you can save a lot of money.

    That said, the MD305s I have heard (never played one) have all sounded excellent and are certainly viable candidates for someone's forever mandolin.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  14. The following members say thank you to JeffD for this post:


  15. #11
    Registered User Nick Gellie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Orgiva, Spain
    Posts
    1,438

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    I'm sorry, but this just cracked me up. Someone else (who was it?) once posted that if you can't hear the difference you can save a lot of money.

    That said, the MD305s I have heard (never played one) have all sounded excellent and are certainly viable candidates for someone's forever mandolin.
    Well it is an honest objective comment. I smiled too when I read it. I think it is really great that some members of the cafe get so much pleasure from inexpensive mandolins and write it about with such enthusiasm.
    Nic Gellie

  16. The following members say thank you to Nick Gellie for this post:


  17. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Colorado and Florida
    Posts
    145

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    JeffD, may you be spared any diminishment of your hearing. If you're not, I think you'll find nothing humorous about it.
    Riley

    Kentucky KM-250

    Guitars:
    RainSong SMH
    Blueridge BR-142
    The Loar LH-250
    Recording King RPS-9
    A Strat and a Tele

  18. #13
    Old Guy Mike Scott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Posts
    755

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    Back to the topic at hand. I bought a 305 about a year ago from the local store - the set up was impeccable. I was impressed with the tone even-ha ha. I had played a couple of others and hadn't been impressed. When I played this one I noted that it wasn't great either. However once tuned properly (I guess the others weren't tuned either (all sounded about the same)), it sounded really good. I took it to the last jam we had here last spring and was complemented on the looks and also the tone. not on my playing however-lol. It is not as good as my SA-which is by all accounts just an awesome mandolin, but sure gets the job done. I'd be happy to have it as my only mandolin if that was the case. Just my $.02. I'd say it is at least equal to a Kentucky 505 I used to own. YMMV.
    Thanks

    Several mandolins of varying quality-any one of which deserves a better player than I am.......

  19. #14
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    1,745

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I had a 305 and I loved it. It was indeed a great instrument. My problem was that once I upgraded to my Silverangel, it never got played so I passed it on to the next guy. Unlike the OP though, I don't have any concern about taking my favorites out and about. I upgraded in order to take out and play with the folks I like to play with, so even if I get it a little messy now and again, I don't worry too much about it... plus I don't drink beer so I'm not particularly concerned about any ending up inside the F-holes .
    aka: Spencer
    Silverangel Econo A #429
    Soliver #001 & #002: A double stack of Pancakes.

    Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
    Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here

    "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
    to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous

  20. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    64

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    I've had an MD305 for several years. I believe the satin finish really helps to bring out the woody tone. It plays and sounds like a much more expensive instrument. It's not my only mandolin but it's a keeper.

  21. #16
    Every day is a gift. Sheila Lagrand's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    San Tan Valley, Arizona
    Posts
    271

    Default Re: Eastman MD305 = AMAZING!

    My only mandolin is an MD305 and I'm quite happy with her. Happy enough that I bought her big sister, an MDO305 octave mandolin, which arrived on Thursday. I'm delighted with her, too.
    Phoebe, my 2021 Collings MT mandolin
    Dolly, my 2021 Ibanez M522 mandolin
    Louise, my 193x SS Maxwell mandolin
    Fiona, My 2021 GSM guitar-bodied octave resonator mandolin
    Charlotte, my 2016 Eastman MDO 305 octave mandolin
    And Giuliana, my 2002 Hans Schuster 505 violin, Nehenehe, my 2021 Aklot concert ukulele,
    Annie, my 2022 Guild M-140 guitar, Joni, my 1963 Harmony 1215 Archtone archtop guitar,
    Yoko, my ca. 1963 Yamaha Dynamic No.15 guitar, and Rich, my 1959 husband.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •