I heard the Eastman E20OM in person at a guitar shop and it's an incredible guitar! It's not cheap by any means but for the cost it's a bargain. I find as good as a more expensive Martin. At the end it's personal of course what speaks to you the most and what fits you as a player.
Both wonderful guitars. The Martin was a little brighter than I would have thought. But seriously you can't go wrong with either. Both sound wonderful.
The Martin certainly has a warmer played-in tone, yet still clear and articulate. The Eastman sounds a little too new/bright for me. Depends on what you like. Personally I would like these demo's presented, first guitar strummed/other guitar strummed, first guitar picked/second guitar picked etc. And so on, to save continually jumping back. But anyway thanks Ian, terrific demo as usual.
@@ianmeadows6351 That's really considerate, thank you. Like to stress, the sequence of the playing styles I would like to see unchanged as we are hearing what best suits a particular guitar.
maxwellfan55 something to consider (which I mentioned above) Eastman has an Adirondack top. They are considered superior to Sitka (what the Martin’s too) but they are much stiffer at first and take some time to get that warmer played in sound.
I've never been a Martin fan but every time I listen to these comparisons, whether it's against an Eastman or another brand, the Martin always sounds better.
@@ancientslav4863 I watched a UA-cam video where they made a Goodall guitar from start to finish. Fascinating. (I also watched a similar video from Greenfield guitars.)
This is the Adriondeck model..The sitka E8om Is much warmer and VERY close to the Martin Om28..Sadly there are two left in the country for sale new and dropped from Eastmans lineup..All the rest are Adi or TC tops which is great but not for this guitar..
Thanks for your vidoes Ian, I really enjoy them. I owned an e20om and it just didn't do it for me. Something in the mid range and the tone ... It was loud and responsive enough, but sounded a bit slushy. Maybe I didn't give it a chance... On the other hand my e10d dread has some real character all its own even though my one has a bellied top and the bridge is lifting a bit - and not much saddle height. It has lost a bit of its mojo -- I have had it for 10 years now. Then there is the e20ss, that one is 2 years old and my god, what a beautiful tone it has!! Eastman have done a great job on the slope shoulders. I would look at an Eastman 00 or the Gibson small body copy they do ahead of their OMs. Then I have a new AC 522: rounded very refined tones from the gorgeous Engelmann top. This is a real classy machine and I can only look forward to how it is going to open up, it already rings true all the way up the neck.
I have been playing since 1973. Eastmans are better then they used to be. To my ears the Martin has a bit of a warmer tone. I myself am a Martin player and owner. But the Eastman is a very nice guitar for anyone looking for a nice OM guitar at a decent price point. What I find today is this.. A Martin guitar is an investment. You almost always get your money back. Other brands no..
The Eastman E20-OM ain’t bad...especially for the price. But it ain’t a Martin. The Eastman is pretty trebly & without much “soul”. It does the job, but that’s about it. The Martin is warm, full & sounds like it “has songs in it”.
That's it! You nailed it. I recently sampled E20 OM, E10 OM and also E20P and E10P both parlors. The parlors had a bit more in them than the OM's. And yes a good Martin will have it's soul already in it along with a few songs waiting to be discovered.
Yes the Martin sounds richer. Though it’s worth mentioning the Eastman has an Adi top and Martin is Sitka. Adi is stiffer and takes a little longer to break in and come into it’s sound. I wouldn’t be surprised if the tone was much closer in a few years to come
Price tag aside, go for whichever that makes you tickle in your pants. The same two guitars from the same manufacturer can sound different, let alone two guitars from two different manufacturers. If it's the Martin sound you are after, then there is no substitute for it.
Eastman all the way. The Martin sounds a bit muddy and it has way to much in the mids. The Eastman is open and bright with plenty of warmth and low end. It also has better projection and clarity.
Martin sounds better but if you’re going to be strumming heaving and singing songs it’s very loud and can get muddy from what I’ve herd people say. Lighter strumming and finger picking is where martins shine.
Hands down no, there’s not a huge difference there at all....just different tonal characteristics that appeal differently to different players. Wouldn’t say one was particularly “better”.
problem occurs when you listen with your eyes & not your ears, the name on the headstock is “toneless”. Again there is a difference, huge no. It’s more about preference. There are many guitar builders today producing guitars that can compete with Martin.
L A ...indeed..you said it yourself...its more of a preference than a “hands down” win... I ironically own both a Martin and an Easton...different models though. Easton is a: E10OO and the Martin is a 28000 ec. With that said, in this clip, I defy someone to hands down select a winner. A preference ...maybe...but certainly not where one can state that one instrument is of a lesser quality or build than the other. I will also throw in this: me and another gentleman stood side by side at a Costco...where we watched two same-sized flat screen TV’s..one was $800...the other $2800...OLED whatever.....neither him or I could tell the difference in any way....but they two younger people came and were blown away by the difference. The moral is this: sometimes the faults are not in the product....it’s in our diminished ability to perceive fine differences as we age...so we tend to fill in what we think we saw or what we think we heard...rather than actually perceiving it. I would again suggest that at this level of excellence in manufacturing these instruments...and you likely hearing the comparison through a set of crappy laptop or iPad speakers....literally nothing is a “‘Hands down” winner over the other.
@@ianmeadows6351 In a low-wage Service Economy (i.e. America) buying a Martin guitar is not an efficient, or sensible sensible, use of your resources to support American workers...
In this video, the Martin is much better across the spectrum. To my ears, worth every penny more better. Depends on what your looking for. The Eastman didn’t suck but lacks IMO depth.
IMHO the Eastman guitars have a sound of their own that is different, but not of lesser quality than Martin guitars. Some knowledgeable people say that Eastman guitars sound more like Collings guitars than Martin guitars. I feel that Collings guitars are a step up from Martin, so that suits me. In the end, it’s best to try them all and buy what you like best.
I actually like the slightly brighter tone of the Eastman better but both sounded great and you couldn't go wrong with either.
Agreed! Two great guitars.
Great playing Ian! Thanks for posting this.
I heard the Eastman E20OM in person at a guitar shop and it's an incredible guitar! It's not cheap by any means but for the cost it's a bargain. I find as good as a more expensive Martin. At the end it's personal of course what speaks to you the most and what fits you as a player.
Since the Eastman is short scale I think a better test would be a Martin 000-28 vs this Eastman E20OM.
You're correct! I will make one straight away!
Agree!
Both wonderful guitars. The Martin was a little brighter than I would have thought. But seriously you can't go wrong with either. Both sound wonderful.
The Martin certainly has a warmer played-in tone, yet still clear and articulate. The Eastman sounds a little too new/bright for me. Depends on what you like.
Personally I would like these demo's presented, first guitar strummed/other guitar strummed, first guitar picked/second guitar picked etc. And so on, to save continually jumping back.
But anyway thanks Ian, terrific demo as usual.
I'm workin on it! I've got a few more demos that were filmed a while back that I am going to release, but moving forward I will be using this method.
@@ianmeadows6351 That's really considerate, thank you. Like to stress, the sequence of the playing styles I would like to see unchanged as we are hearing what best suits a particular guitar.
maxwellfan55 something to consider (which I mentioned above) Eastman has an Adirondack top. They are considered superior to Sitka (what the Martin’s too) but they are much stiffer at first and take some time to get that warmer played in sound.
0:00 3:34
Martin wins on tone, Eastman wins on price.
Playing it over again the martin sounds miles better, but the price is for the rich....so....a Takamine is much better value
I've never been a Martin fan but every time I listen to these comparisons, whether it's against an Eastman or another brand, the Martin always sounds better.
@@skaybaltimore go to reverb and buy a second hand Lowden or Goodall
@@ancientslav4863 I watched a UA-cam video where they made a Goodall guitar from start to finish. Fascinating. (I also watched a similar video from Greenfield guitars.)
This is the Adriondeck model..The sitka E8om Is much warmer and VERY close to the Martin Om28..Sadly there are two left in the country for sale new and dropped from Eastmans lineup..All the rest are Adi or TC tops which is great but not for this guitar..
Eastam is a bit Bigger on upper bout.
Thanks for your vidoes Ian, I really enjoy them. I owned an e20om and it just didn't do it for me. Something in the mid range and the tone ... It was loud and responsive enough, but sounded a bit slushy. Maybe I didn't give it a chance... On the other hand my e10d dread has some real character all its own even though my one has a bellied top and the bridge is lifting a bit - and not much saddle height. It has lost a bit of its mojo -- I have had it for 10 years now. Then there is the e20ss, that one is 2 years old and my god, what a beautiful tone it has!! Eastman have done a great job on the slope shoulders. I would look at an Eastman 00 or the Gibson small body copy they do ahead of their OMs. Then I have a new AC 522: rounded very refined tones from the gorgeous Engelmann top. This is a real classy machine and I can only look forward to how it is going to open up, it already rings true all the way up the neck.
"Finger picking take 3"
THIS is as raw as it can get.... 👍 👍 👍
Thanks for another great comparison
I have been playing since 1973. Eastmans are better then they used to be. To my ears the Martin has a bit of a warmer tone. I myself am a Martin player and owner. But the Eastman is a very nice guitar for anyone looking for a nice OM guitar at a decent price point. What I find today is this.. A Martin guitar is an investment. You almost always get your money back. Other brands no..
Poor investment if you buy new. Can make some money if yoiu buy used. Have to hold a new one a long time to make much of a return.
The Eastman E20-OM ain’t bad...especially for the price. But it ain’t a Martin. The Eastman is pretty trebly & without much “soul”. It does the job, but that’s about it. The Martin is warm, full & sounds like it “has songs in it”.
yes
That's it! You nailed it. I recently sampled E20 OM, E10 OM and also E20P and
E10P both parlors. The parlors had a bit more in them than the OM's. And yes a good Martin will have it's soul already in it along with a few songs waiting to be discovered.
Yes the Martin sounds richer. Though it’s worth mentioning the Eastman has an Adi top and Martin is Sitka. Adi is stiffer and takes a little longer to break in and come into it’s sound. I wouldn’t be surprised if the tone was much closer in a few years to come
The break in you mean happens during playing after few minutes and has to be repeated?
Agreed on the longer break in period of Adi! Can't wait to hear how these guitars will age.
@@ancientslav4863 I think he means aging of the wood
Warmer tone of the Martin makes it sound better to me. Would the Eastman E20 TC OM have a warmer tone similar to the Martin?
It doesn't sound like Martin The TC version has a richer mid-low range than the existing model
You should have chosen guitars with the same tops.
no he shouldn't
There is a clarity in the Eastman that I just dont hear in the Martin. But they both sound great.
Price tag aside, go for whichever that makes you tickle in your pants. The same two guitars from the same manufacturer can sound different, let alone two guitars from two different manufacturers. If it's the Martin sound you are after, then there is no substitute for it.
Eastman all the way. The Martin sounds a bit muddy and it has way to much in the mids. The Eastman is open and bright with plenty of warmth and low end. It also has better projection and clarity.
Martin sounds better but if you’re going to be strumming heaving and singing songs it’s very loud and can get muddy from what I’ve herd people say. Lighter strumming and finger picking is where martins shine.
2:53 6:08
Sound virtually identical
Martin wins hands down.
on tone, not price tho
Hands down no, there’s not a huge difference there at all....just different tonal characteristics that appeal differently to different players. Wouldn’t say one was particularly “better”.
3 Card Monty ...hands down?...seriously?...the difference was that vast for you?....wow...
problem occurs when you listen with your eyes & not your ears, the name on the headstock is “toneless”. Again there is a difference, huge no. It’s more about preference. There are many guitar builders today producing guitars that can compete with Martin.
L A ...indeed..you said it yourself...its more of a preference than a “hands down” win...
I ironically own both a Martin and an Easton...different models though. Easton is a: E10OO and the Martin is a 28000 ec. With that said, in this clip, I defy someone to hands down select a winner. A preference ...maybe...but certainly not where one can state that one instrument is of a lesser quality or build than the other. I will also throw in this: me and another gentleman stood side by side at a Costco...where we watched two same-sized flat screen TV’s..one was $800...the other $2800...OLED whatever.....neither him or I could tell the difference in any way....but they two younger people came and were blown away by the difference. The moral is this: sometimes the faults are not in the product....it’s in our diminished ability to perceive fine differences as we age...so we tend to fill in what we think we saw or what we think we heard...rather than actually perceiving it. I would again suggest that at this level of excellence in manufacturing these instruments...and you likely hearing the comparison through a set of crappy laptop or iPad speakers....literally nothing is a “‘Hands down” winner over the other.
Eastman open, brighter, nicer grain,,,way cheaper .I know what I'd buy
For the price gap you can’t really justify purchasing the martin unless you’ve got lots of money to blow
Or unless you want to support American workers and are a fan of Martin guitars, like me :D
@@ianmeadows6351 In a low-wage Service Economy (i.e. America) buying a Martin guitar is not an efficient, or sensible sensible, use of your resources to support American workers...
Hard to beat the Martin
Wrong the Martin OM -28 =4,000 US if you add AN ADDY TOP!
VS 1300 for the Eastman! which =3 Eastman guitars!
You aren't wrong
In this video, the Martin is much better across the spectrum. To my ears, worth every penny more better. Depends on what your looking for. The Eastman didn’t suck but lacks IMO depth.
IMHO the Eastman guitars have a sound of their own that is different, but not of lesser quality than Martin guitars. Some knowledgeable people say that Eastman guitars sound more like Collings guitars than Martin guitars. I feel that Collings guitars are a step up from Martin, so that suits me. In the end, it’s best to try them all and buy what you like best.
I agree. We are living in a golden age of acoustic guitars. So many good options out there, at various price points.
1:57 5:21