Eastmans

[Rick Schmidlin]

I see a lot of Eastmans in the Classieds.Are they a stepping stone to the next big thing, or a keeper. I know The Dwag is now endoursing them, so that must mean something?

[JEStanek]

I think they can be both. It depends upon your budget. For those with less money to spend, an Eastman may represent thier top purchase. Those with more may move through. Those who are discriminating may choose to keep one regardless of their budget and their particular Eastman mandolin they got.

Jamie

[MikeEdgerton]

The Dawg endorsed Kentucky's at one time as well. He's a business man, it makes sense for him to do this now and again. If you find an Eastman that fulfills your every desire then I would think it would be a keeper. If it doesn't then it would be a stepping stone. MAS has it's limits based on your personal preferences and your financial abilities. The Eastman's seem to be the mid-priced mandolins of choice right now on the cafe. I would expect to see them in the classifieds. The market is here.

[Elliot Luber]

I may one-day buy a Gibson, Collings or custom mandolin or two, but I'm keeping my Eastman too.

[JeffD]

Yes. The answer is... both!

I think every mandolin is both really, because MAS makes every mandolin a stepping stone.

[RichM]

I think Eastmans represent one of the best values at their price point. They are well made mandolins with excellent tone and playability, and I find them to be signficantly better than many mandolins at similar prices. I think if you scan the postings on the Cafe, you will find many, many satisfied Eastman owners.

That being said, one man's keeper is another man's way station. So whether you consider it a keeper has more to do with you than with Eastman. One of the reasons you see so many Eastmans in the classifieds is that for a lot of people, it's their first quality mandolin. Good instruments make people want to play more, and playing more makes people want even better instruments.

[Jkf_Alone]

I think it goes in bursts. I have seen several old gibbies at once, then several breedloves, then several eatsmen. some people shift through mandolins on a yearly basis.

[allenhopkins]

My 615 mandola is as far as I'm going, F-style-mandola-wise.

[Caleb]

I just got one and can say for sure that it's a keeper. I am fortunate enough to have a great job and I could easily get any mandolin I wanted, with the exception of an actual Loar, but I just don't see any point when there are such wonderful instruments like Eastmans and Kentuckys at such great prices. I've played some very nice USA-made instruments, and yes, they do sound and play wonderful, but (at least to me) there is no night and day difference between them and a nice Eastman.

Also, I don't buy the "good for the money" logic I see here so often. Something is either good or it's not good.

[JHo]

I say both, possibly a stepping stone but possibly a keeper too depending on many factors. I almost cut mine loose before thinking that I'd rather keep it than sell it, so to me even though I upgraded and added another, it's still a keeper.

I think Eastmans are a good value and I think "good for the money" is a perfectly valid assessment for a quality instrument on a modest (relatively speaking) budget. I consider mine a good value for what I've gotten out of it versus what I paid for it, but I don't think I would consider it good for the money had I paid $4,000 for it. Once you take away the "for the money" though, it's still good and it's definitely served me well. Relativity is a funny thing.

[lgc]

I would never step on mine.

[Crowder]

I haven't played an Eastman that I would characterize as having a "rich" or "deep" tone. They have a pleasant enough tone, and they play well and look nice and stay in tune. To the extent that a player wants a deeper, richer tone I believe that they would be unlikely to find that in any F-style mandolin in the Eastman price range. The same player could find those attributes in many used A-styles in a similar price range.

[jessboo]

good coment chowder

[Mattg]

That's true Crowder. I will probably keep my 615 but I long for the big deep tone that comes out of a better mando. My next will probably be a Weber or maybe see what the Larravie's be all about. I feel like I need to get over the next couple of "humps" in the learning curve (and get the kids through college ) before I drop the bucks. The 615 will do for now at my current level.

[pdb]

I currently own two eastmans (and 814 and 815). They are great at what they are. They are a very nice intermediate grade to low professional grade mandolin.
For the occassional picker or amateur picker, they fill a great need at a great price point.

For anyone wanting or longing for a truly professional mandolin with superior sound and projection, I feel the eastmans fall short (but they are not intended to compete with the $5k-15k plus mando market).

I have yet to find an eastman that competes volume and sound wise to a high end weber, gibson, collins, or small shop mando in the several thousand dollar range, but it competes better than most in the value range it is intended for. So, is it a keeper. That totally depends on you and what your needs are. For a value conscious, intermediate picker it might just be the ticket. Of the pac rim mando's, I would consider eastmans some of the best.

[Rick Cadger]

I have owned Eastman mandolins which were nice. I didn't own them for too long due to various factors, and I would agree that mine were not spectacularly rich and woody. They did sound pretty good though.

On the other hand, I regularly get to play a couple of Eastman mandolins owned by friends. Those are both several years old, and they sound way different to how mine sounded. Quite a bit woodier. A bit better all round (although still not Loars!).

I'd agree with a comment I have seen Steve Perry from Gianna make: Eastmans start off pretty tight/green.

They benefit from good setup and from having the heck played out of them for three years.

If I had know how much the sound might change I would have kept one of mine.

[Capt. E]

I know one very knowledgable person who is an excellent player and say they prefer Kentucky over Eastman.

You don't always have to spend a lot to get a great playing, big sounding, deep toned mandolin. I would put my vintage japanese made Shiro A ff against an Eastman 805 any day. I paid $180 for it then another $120 for a professional luthier to do a setup, install a bone nut, dress the frets and tweek the truss rod. It plays and sounds as good as any Gibson A9.

[Mattg]

"I know one very knowledgable person who is an excellent player and say they prefer Kentucky over Eastman."

Capt. That may be hard to argue with. I own both an Eastman 615 and Kentucky 380s. I really had to work on the set-up for both. Refitted the 380s bridge and replaced the 615 bridge. Had to level the frets on the 380s too. I took a lesson from a Winfield winner (Provenza) and he commented on how nice my 380s sounded. He seemed suprised.

Anyway, the 615 is a tiny bit easier to play and has a sweeter tone but not loud. The 380s is louder but the tone is a little bit rougher. I switch between the two all the time. In pure dollars, the 380s might be a better value cause the my 615 is not 2 to 3 time better than the 380s but it cost that much more. But if I had to choose one, I guess I would still choose the Eastman. Still seeing a nicer mandolin in my future though.

[monk]

Here is my two cents worth. I have an Eastman 615, which was a step up from my Fender. I ordered it my mail in 2005. It is a good mandolin. I did lots of checking and asking people about mid-range mandos I could afford after finishing graduate school. Money was tight. I got my Eastman on sale over the Web. However, the downside is the fit and finish. This mandolin would be considered a second by most music companies. The scroll work is sloppy with a serious blemish.

But, it has a great sound, and I love the sunburst top. I will always keep this mando. It takes punishment. It has a nice neck. It is fun to play. So, before buying another Eastman, I would want to see what I am buying, not just online photos. I think buying a used one here at Mandolin cafe is the way to go.

[Steve Ostrander]

I had a md615 and I moved it to get my MT. I liked it but I'm not sorry I sold it. The MT is a better instrument that cost twice as much.

I think Eastmans are a better than average starter instruments, an intermediate range. To me, their ovals sound better than the Fs. It definetly sounded better than my MK.

I also have a Kentucky km855 that is a little woodier than the Eastman. The Eastman had a little sweeter tone. Volume was about the same.

I'll probably move the KY for an oval soon. Eastman oval is one that I am considering.

[Susan H.]

I currently have an Eastman MD615 and love it. Get rid of it, no way. It's been customized for ME. Do I have MAS, you betcha. My dream mandolin is a Weber Bitteroot with the Desert Dawn finish. And have Doug Edwards match the color with one of his fanastic arm rests. Almost like Paul's, not quite though. But, I'd keep the Eastman for jams and traveling with mostly. It's always good to have a plan B.

[pager]

My personal experience is with the Caleb crowd. My Eastman 515 does not take a back seat in any way to my Collings F that I paid 7k for. Yes - they both sound different - but one is not inferior to the other. I know that statement irritates those that paid over 5k for a mandolin and get into the mind frame that you have to spend that much to get a great instrument. It is not my intention to upset those with that mind frame, but in my experience, that is not the case. Keep in mind that my Eastman experience may not be the same as yours. Just because I feel this way does not mean I am right and the others are wrong. It just means that MY experience does not match theirs. Instrument selection is so objective. I have owned many 'great' mandolins - a few Gibsons, a Weber, ect. and currently the two I now play. This is the Ford and Chevy argument. You cannot convince a Ford man that his Mustang is inferior to a Vette. That is just a waste of time and it only irritates both parties. In the end you play what works for you and not what works for somebody else. Someone else's take is just their opinion anyway. If we all had the same tastes it would be a very boring world.

I play a lot of festivals (mostly Colorado, Wyoming) and make a fair amount of money doing so. Right now, the Eastman is my main instrument. I think both the Eastman and the Collings are little cannons. In my little world, they both get the job done. I do agree that the "for the money" statement is illogical. It either is - or is not - a great mandolin. Period.

[Ed Lutz]

I agree with Pager about the never ending discussion of Ford vs. Chevvys.
To borrow a phrase:
It is like trying to teach a pig to sing.
It is a waste of your time and it p***s-off the pig.

[Tighthead]

Depends on where you're going, doesn't it? If your goal is a Dudenbostel, then a Gibson F-5G or Collings MF-5 are 'stepping stones.'

[MikeEdgerton]

I had an Eastman 615. It was a great mandolin. It isn't anywhere near what my Gibson F5G is. As much as anyone wants to think differently their really is a difference.