Eastman E10D: D-18 Style&Sound at Half the Cost
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2019
- The Eastman E10D is a square-shouldered with an Adirondack Spruce Top, Mahogany Back & Sides, and a 25.4" scale length built very much in style of the legendary Martin D-18. Bracing is scalloped, nut and saddle are bone, tuners are open gear. The E10D is crafted in China, and sells for around ~$1200.
The Adi top on the E10D gives it quite a bit of headroom, and this is definitely a "banjo killer" style dread. A true cannon! It's loud, projects extremely well, and responds magnificently to being flatpicked. It would be an excellent option for folks looking for a high-quality bluegrass guitar and not wanting to spend a huge amount of money. That's not to say it's a one-trick pony, it's very satisfying to play fingerstyle too, especially for blues/country fingerpickin'. I do find that playing with a thumbpick makes a significant difference when playing fingerstyle with this guitar, as you get a little more drive on the bass strings.
I always give the vote to mahogany over rosewood in terms of versatility, it just seems to cut better as a performing/recording guitar but can also be warmed up a bit if needed with different string sets or microphone/pickup choices. The same cannot always be said of rosewood. YMMV!
The E10D is definitely a quality instrument, like most Eastmans tend to be; but I will say that comparing it up next to a D-18 or comparable instrument from Collings or Bourgeois leaves something to be desired. The pieces of top wood usually have uneven, wide grain with some cosmetic defects, and I've seen some batches with small finish issues and other minor flaws. Now these issues never affect the function of the instrument and I doubt many of them would even be noticed unless you were comparing one side to side with one of the aforementioned guitars. For the price, I believe the E10D is a tremendous value in the world of Hog Dreadnoughts!
Recorded with Shure KSM32, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Logic Pro, no additional processing.
IAN'S GIG BAG:
Strings - amzn.to/2NeBoEG
Picks - amzn.to/2LtA52L
Capo - amzn.to/2NZJaSD
Headstock Tuner - amzn.to/2LwM8fG
Soundhole Tuner - amzn.to/2Lu3qKu
Strumming 0:01 Flatpicking 1:48 Fingerpicking 3:16 Capo 5:30
The eastman sounds like a d18 as intended. I went through quite a few D18s before choosing the one I play now. There are dogs and stars in all acoustics, Im sure the eastman is the same. Lovely guitar and excellent recording to listen. Thanks.
Definitely, this is 💯 true. Like shoes almost,
This video really makes sense for those on tight budgets & likes for fine guitars
You got that right Frederik.
Strumming 0:01 Flatpicking 1:48 Fingerpicking 3:16 Capo 5:30
Those are some killer sounding guitars I'd love to have one !!
Sounds great. Definitely not as tight as a D18, more flubby, but for the cost it’s great. Thanks for doing these demos, it’s nice to hear high quality recordings of different guitars to actually hear the subtle differences and characteristics that make them sound the way they do.
Thanks for tuning in Robby. Appreciate the kind words.
The Eastman has a 12" fretboard radius - which many of us who use our thumb to help form barr chords prefer over Martin's flatter 16" radius.
Best demos on UA-cam, thanks Ian. I'm going to test drive a used one later today. Will be comparing it to my Martin Special D Classic Mahogany dreadnought. The Martin is loud, with a thunderous bass, but seems a little weak in the trebles. Time will tell. Maybe I'm asking too much of $1200 guitars.
Did you ever get a chance to compare the two?
@@k_kelsey I did. Since I wrote that comment, the Martin has smoothed out and sounds terrific. It's also a cannon volume wise. I much prefer the Martin sound, it fits more of the music I play. I consider this a poor man's D18. Sadly they're no longer available new. I also prefer the Martin Low Oval neck profile over the Eastman, which has a rather chunky neck. I didn't like it. The Eastman is beautiful, well built with a gloss finish and very nice wood. It has a more balanced and brighter tone than my martin. I just don't like the neck profile, and I would say it sounds nothing like a D18. If you have any more questions, fire away. Glad to help.
Sounds fantastic, I own an Eastman OM and Parlor and love both.
They are most excellent guitars Joe!
What year is that E10D? Were you using Dunlop P.T. 1.4mm? EJ16? I have a 2011 E10D--Killer and very loud dred..I use medium P.B. EJ/EXP17
Put a try on recording king guitar they sounded well too
😂😂😂😂😂😂😀😊
i recently played a few here in nyc the necks were terrible...are they all so thin?? or is it depending on the model?
Tried a D-18 recently. It was awful. The Eastman E10OM killed it in terms of both bass and volume. Responsiveness, too. I wouldn't have paid $500 for that Martin.
...and 1/2 the tonal quality and depth of the Martin D-18. This is a great guitar, but people need to stop expecting something for nothing in this world.