$1000 Acoustic vs $5000 Acoustic : Eastman vs Collings
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- Can you hear the difference?
A couple of similarly constructed and styled Square Shouldered Dreadnoughts, one from Eastman in China and one from Collings in Texas. The Eastman E10D has an Adirondack Spruce top and mahogany back and sides. The Collings D1 Traditional has a Torrefied Sitka Spruce Top and Mahogany Back and Sides.
As always, these comparisons are just for fun and are not intended to rile anyone up! I'm just a guitar nerd who enjoys this type of stuff.
Recorded with Shure KSM32, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Logic Pro, no additional processing.
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E10D
Strumming 0:01 Flatpicking 1:48 Fingerpicking 3:16 Capo 5:30
Collings D1T
Strumming 6:56 Flatpicking 8:44 Fingerpicking 10:18 Capo 12:22
Hi. As an Eastman dealer and SUPER FAN I love any video that demos Eastman guitars against the best of the best. Personally I would much rather you do 15 seconds of fingerstyle on Eastman then 15 seconds of the same piece on Collings. Then keep going back and forth doing all the same things you do - but splitting into 15 seconds. These short bursts give the ears a chance to make the comparisons you are trying to show. Its impossible to make real judgements when you hear one guitar for 6 minutes then the other for 6 minutes. You put a lot of work into the demos so I think it would be worth the extra time creating the video as the results would be so worthwhile watching.
Hi Guys, thanks for the feedback. I do have the time stamps in the description and comments so you can zero in on whatever segment you'd like, but I will certainly try some comparison videos out with this method!
Richards Guitars I agree. 15 seconds and switch. After 6 mins I can’t tell a difference.
Richards Guitars
Personally I think you have zero right to judge any channel that demonstrates the tonal range of a guitar.
You can’t play (self admittedly), and you record on a phone.
For someone so passionate about the guitars you sell, you would do well to watch your own channel and do some self reflection.
@@ianmeadows6351 Any time. Wish you lived near by so you could do these demos for me! You would be an amazing asset and wish you all the success you deserve with your channel.
@@fredflinstone3173 Lol my god...Are you like that in real life?? It seems like you are the one who needs to self reflect on his own life dude..
Where did he judge? And just because he cant play and record on his phone means he cant offer feedback?!?
Eastman E10D
Strumming 0:01 Flatpicking 1:48 Fingerpicking 3:16 Capo 5:30
Collings D1T
Strumming 6:56 Flatpicking 8:44 Fingerpicking 10:18 Capo 12:22
You should pin this.
I have several high end Collings, Martins, Gibsons, and Taylors, but the last three guitars I have bought have been EASTMAN. What does that tell you? Yes, they are that good.
Which one’s?
@@brandonknapp3328 Have 5 EASTMAN's now - all great guitars - EASTMAN AC-630-BD, E40D, E40-00-SS, AC622CE, and E10ss/V
Amazed that the Eastman sounds better here in every aspect, WOW...especially fingerpicked and with a capo, the Eastman is much sweeter.
Killer run at about 5:14 and 12:07 at the end of Deep River Blues! I get lost in your playing and forget it's a comparison
of two guitars. Super playing!
I agree with TM 100 %
After listening back and forth to the fingerstyle sections only, to my ears the Eastman rings a little more clearly than the $5k guitar....just my .02
Man, for the money, the Eastman sounds amazing. I've played a Collings D2HA since 2003, but the old girl is getting a little too close to my heart to keep taking out to bars, so I might have to pick up an Eastman!
Or option B buy the eastman all solid woods E1D or E2D both sound Better than E10 for half the price.. seriously !!
@@upcycleelectra8311
LOL, no.
Excellent stuff. Definitely more mellow on the Collings, more projection on the Eastman. It'd be interesting hearing the Collings played against one of the thermo-cured Eastmans which are really grabbing my interest at the minute.
I love what Eastman is doing. I hope that their undercutting of the market with such great quality guitars at incredible pricing forces the big names to lower their prices. Might be wishful thinking but their pricing is getting so out of control. Martin just introduced some of their standard line in satin finish at a $400 discount which is probably what that the full gloss cost only 2 years ago, but it's something!
From my experience with a few guitars, I've found Eastman mahogany back and side guitars to be worldclass in their sound as you can hear in this comparison, but for some reason I haven't got along with their rosewood guitars so much, and in general I prefer rosewood back and sides. Something in their construction lends themselves well to mahogany.
Yep, I agree 100%! Something in the hogs. They usually have very nice figuring too
Yeah agreed, I have an E6SS-TC Mahogany and it really sounds stunning.
Lol. I’m the opposite with Eastman, but I agree! I think the mahogany Eastman’s resonate amazingly and has a crazy amount of overtones, but the rosewood is mellow, which it shouldn’t be. I like the mellow sound on my E8D-TC rosewood. It’s weird that it’s opposite of what it should be.
Great video! To me, the Eastman sounds warmer! I've had Collings, Martins, Guilds, Taylors, a Santa Cruz, a McPherson, but I am really surprised that this Easman sounds so good. Because of financial challenges, I had to downsize. I wish I still had those guitars. I now have an Eastman AJ815 which sounds beautiful, but unfortunately it's been discontinued, and a few other guitars I'm lucky to have that are more affordable. Eastman really does make very nice guitars with fantastic workmanship and materials. I hope they stay more affordable...
Eastman,hands down for me. Such a full sound
Those Eastman's are a great buy!
I realize you were trying to get a big split on the price between these two guitars, but I bet if you played one of the TC topped Eastmans, the difference between the two would narrow. Maybe the Eastman would pull ahead...? At any price Eastmans are fine, fine instruments, but at their street price, they are INSANE! I recently purchased an E8OM, and it's a killer guitar and makes me appreciate Sitka as a top wood, love the short scale length, and the rosewood back and sides just soar with the OM body size.
Thanks for this video. My keeper and benchmark guitar is an Eastman e10d. It is now 10 years old almost and had bridge and braces reglued and bellied top heated and flattened about 2 years back. (It is very humid in my part of the world.) After sounding very tight and boxy after the repair it has got its glorious mojo back. In fact it sounds better than ever.!
The one you are demoing sounds very open and loud and lots of top end. The Collings sounds tighter to my ears. I would love to own a Collings but I can’t afford it. I bet the older ones especially are a great investment.
Nicely done! Good demonstration and sonci comparision.
Both guitars sound so good, a little different in what's good, but both amazing. I do love a mahogany spruce dread, pretty tough to beat.
Great playing!! You presented both guitars equally well. I hear a big difference personally. .not a good/bad difference.... just different my ear tells me the Collings has more warmth without losing projection....and more balanced tone overall. I would not hesitate to choose the Eastman to play live, especially if a mixer is available. Agree with comments ...I got lost in the music.... which is really all that matters..... thanks!!
Another great video. Thanks so much for these comparisons my friend. I’d love to hear a Waterloo WL-12 Spruce/Maple if you ever got the chance!
After listening through good headphones the Eastman is noticeably louder. It had more bass, trembles, and mids. It can be a bit “ringy” at times. There is a reason people say Eastman have a bell like tone. The Collings is good in all areas and especially shines in fingerpicking as it seems to have a bit more clarity than the Eastman. However: it seems muted in all other areas. For me I just don’t know if it would be worth nearly 5x the price.
Agreed Joshua. If you can afford a Collings, I don't think you'd be disappointed at all, but for everybody else the Eastman will sound and work just fine.
Eastman all the way. It has better midrange presence and projection. the collins sounded like they scalloped the braces too much and sucked all the midrange out to get more woof.
Collins sounded far superior, better tone with more sustain/ resonance, more volume, (which is why you'd give up comfort and playability for a dreadnought) also sounded more stable in the upper registers where the Eastman appeared to either have deadspots or was harder to play. Eastman also had some fret buzzing going on, where the Collins played clean as a whistle and had more sustain while remaining quite focused. However the difference feels more like $2,000 than $5,000 for the Collins being short on any fancier appointments. The Eastman was a great sounding $1,000 guitar, But man did that Collins play beautifully!!!
Man... I cannot believe I am typing this but the Eastman has more punch, brightness and life to it than the Collings.... did I just say that??
Wow that Eastman sounds wonderful...but man so does the Collings...Man to afford these guitars...only the rich. Great playing and thank you for the upload!
I've only gotten into guitars recently, but to my ears the Eastman sounds more powerful and the Collings more mellow. Both sound great though. 5x more expensive for the Collings seems insane though other than that there actually are lots of people willing to pay that!
Eastman is made in China, while Collings is made in Austin, Texas.
@@jessegreer8242
And?
For my ears it's not a big difference. I would go for that eastman
Both sound great in their own right; but to my ear the Eastman sounds "brittle" while the Collings is sweet, fat and mellow. Again, both sound nice but this guy prefers the tone of the Collings.
I agree. But can't see myself spending an extra $4000 to get modestly better tone
@@charleshill9649 You don't have to. Buy the right Martin used. Eastman is nice though
EL34BluGlo I’ve always loved and owned Martins a but nice used dread is hard to come by, save for those fraught with Martin issues -cracked and cleared cleated, bridge issues, neck issues, etc.. Collings is just a beast and quite serviceable. I’d personally buy a used Collings over a used Martin if that was possible.
@@Bluelightcheaphotel I have a ridiculously mellow Taylor 810 that sounds like it recently injected Heroin, and a D28 that sounds like it just snorted a line of peruvian flake - the collings sounds great, but I have zero desire to spend thousands on one.
I would love to see some Blueridge guitars included here. I've heard really great things, and really not so great things.
Blueridge is the closest thing I've heard to mimicking a Martin. That is either good or bad depending on who you ask. Is definitely a plus in my book. Banjo Ben has a great comparison video.
Great guitars and playing. Split the middle and buy a Martin D-18 for $2500 - which is, in my opinion, smoother and richer in tone.
Great demo. I think the Collings is more complex, and sounds better overall. But not $4000 better!
When he strums at the beginning, I think the Collings sounds more mellow because he is strumming more lightly on the Collings than on the Eastman.
Own a couple of Eastmans, won't go back to any other brand as long as they keep putting out quality instruments.
They're excellent instruments!
Nice comparison. I prefer the better mids and trebles of the Eastman and that Adirondack will keep improving for many decades. The collings was warmer and not as much clarity but 4K difference? Gotta go with the Eastman here and the Collings was an excellent guitar. Buy up these Eastman acoustics while they are relatively cheap.
Did the Eastman have the EJ16 light gauge? Whats strings and gauge were on the Collings? Strings and gauge make a big difference
Wow, that Eastman sounds amazing under your fingers. The clarity and brightness of the Collings is nice for its own thing, though. I think the E10D sounds better than the E10SS.
WELL DONE IAN! WELL DONE!
thank you my friend
Great comparison!!!
Collins is sooooo clean every where in every way.
You have to remember that the Eastman has an addy top. You can clearly hear that. But I do understand this is just about to guitars avaliable to people at different price ranges regardless of the top. Just making a point. Sitka isn't really my thing either. Addy or especially high altitude Swiss spruce is where its at for me. Eastman is very nice. I will say that. Needs to mellow out a bit but nice
Totally! Not really trying to prove anything, just having some fun.
@@ianmeadows6351 👍
Another great demo and lovely playing ,,both different sound for all tastes ..Have the collings ..sounds warmer ..not the price ..Martin street master and still have the Eastman ..
Thanks Anthony! They're all good, just different tools in the toolbox.
Strings and gauges are what tell the story. Assuming all equal in that regard, the Collings has more clarity, more mid-range punch.
Nice comparison!! Both are great. There are not so many Eastman guitars in my country unfortunately. Amazing only 1.000 US on adiron. Someday I wanna own adiron one which is affordable and excellent condition.
Love dreadnoughts - great comparison - would love to have either one in
lefty !
I did like the Collings the best, but I will put the Eastman on my must try list along with Blueridge br140a
He doesn't start on the same string in the flatpicking segment; with the Collings he opens with the 6th string, leading me to believe that the Collings has more body.
Both sound great.Eastman tone higher than the collings.collings much richer tones
Right on Vernon, thanks for weighing in
I agree that a good used D18 would split the difference pricewise and--in most cases--deliver similar tone to the Collings.
Both are COLD COLD guitars! I bet if you set fire to them you wouldn't get any heat from them at all.
?
That Collings really sounds like a Collings😉
Wow they both had a great tone the Eastman had more of an open sound I'd love to own an Eastman
Scott Perry I am a beginner guitarist but a tone freak. I’ve compared 25 -30 guitars in the last year. My $500 Eastman (E1-D) sounds better to my ear than any guitar I’ve laid my hands on except a 30 yr old Martin D35 and another Eastman ( E10-SS). This includes $5000 Taylor’s, many Martins, etc...
That Collings will open up and become a beast. Eastman is nice though
I own an Eastman E10SS and I love it, but that Collings is so damn balanced - Ofcourse it better be for 5k
One thing I can say is that my Eastman is about 5 yrs old and it has really broken in. A lot of the ringing you hear has mellowed and it sounds terrific
E10SS was my first nice guitar. I love em
Collings hands down !! And I love Eastman but I am an accomplished pianist with perfect pitch (curse or blessing) and the timbres are way way different ! I don't own a Collings but I am purchasing my second Eastman today. But there is a BIG difference
Very astute and musically discerning observation 👍
I play a lot of single note soloing on acoustic guitar, and in this demonstration, the Collings walks all over the Eastman in solid pure single not soloing tone. The Eastman's high notes fell apart, sounded tinny, thin, brittle, and insufficient for soloing. IMO, the Collings is way better all around for intonation and tonal quality, with all the styles illustrated.
Yamaha + Takamine = Eastman. And I mean that as a compliment. Amazing guitars for the price. Proud to put my E20DTC next to a Martin or even the nice Collings. All very nice but for 5 grand..I would buy 2-3 Eastmans!!
both great guitars however the Collings I think has more mellow sound and when you did the capo not sure if it was intentional or not but the Collings rang clear on the harmonics and I didn't hear any on the Eastman
I still am a big fan of Eastmans but to me I'd go the Collings if I had a spare 5000-6000 dollars lol
Haha, me too Paul! They are amazing guitars, but realistically out of my price range.... Eastman's are an awesome value
Yeah Eastman is a bit bright. Not my thing. But sounds great
They sound very different, but I would not say that one is necessarily better than the other. It is a matter of taste (and price).
They're both beautiful guitars,, but I'll hafta go with Eastman.
I think I'll get an Eastman
How do you think the offerings from Eastman stack up to those from Blueridge guitars? I’ve been hunting for a budget friendly Martin style dread and have narrowed down my search to these 2 builders but I don’t have the ability to play either in person
I don't have a ton of experience with Blueridge - but owned a br163-A for a short time and it was an excellent, excellent guitar for the money. I used it a lot and gigged with it. Great sound and feel. I have a lot more hands on time with Eastman, but I don't think you can go wrong with either.
@@ianmeadows6351Hey thanks for the feedback man! I've heard the Eastman sound be described as being more similar to the refined sound of Collings guitars than it is close to the sound of classic Martins. Would you say that's true? Not a bad thing if so, just different it seems. I don't know why, but I got it in my head that I want that classic Martin sound, albeit, I'm not a bluegrass player, but I'd love to study the genre more. Would you say that more refined/modern sound from Collings/Eastman is more versatile than the more classic Martin sound? I also play a mix of Americana, rock, folk and blues too. Thanks again man, cheers!
Eastman sounds more metallic; you hear more of the strings. Collins sounds warmer; you hear more body.
u better!
The Eastman sounds good, but it's a little bright and stringy. The wood definitely shapes the tone in the Collings which is what you would expect from a high end guitar.
also torrified top, so its essentially more like a vintage guitar than a “high end guitar”. too bad the tops were fairly different for this kind of shootout, but still a good one nonetheless. and great tone for such a minimal recording setup, nicely done 👍
Collings slightly mellower but Eastman sounds great. There is a difference but not worth 4k
I’m hearing a difference, but it’s really that the Collings has better note separation and a more complex overtone structure. Is it $4000 better? Maybe not, but you are also paying for American craftsmanship and a guitar that will hold its value over the Chinese Eastman instrument that is still a great guitar, but maybe won’t be as valuable in 30 years.
The Eastman will be worth every comparative penny of the Collings in 30 years IMHO....if the Collings is worth 10k in 30 years, the Eastman will be worth 2k easily. Just my 2 cents...
I hate that people judge guitars on future monetary value. If a guitar is good enough you won't want to sell it. Plus, if it doesn't cost much to begin with, depreciation won't mean much.
@Tyler W ... I have lived in China since 2009, and have visited the Eastman factory, which is staffed by real craftsmen, many of whom have been there for well over a decade. These are not made in a CNC factory by migrant workers. They are truly hand built. Collings no doubt has great craftsmanship, but so does Eastman. Retire next year, and will sell my Takamine P4DC here, and pick up an E10D when I get home to Phoenix. Street price of Eastmans are 15% lower in the States, and I won’t have to travel with it.
@@jed1166 informative
Both guitar sounds good to my ears.
Two good ones here for sure Ricardo
I own a few collings, the feel, tone, playability, construction are night and day compared to Eastmans(ive owned a few)
The eastman is a good guitar, high ringing tone, but intonation was off, had dead spots, and playability was okay.
Definitely worth it if u cant afford a collings. But if u play both you will lust for the collings. Far superior in everyway...and made in USA!
U can get a used Collings D1 or D2H for $2500-$3500 if ur patient.
The Collings is super balanced, and the Eastman seems to be mid favored. If I could have either for free I'd take the Collings (obv) but for the money, Eastman is just killer (as usual)
Another interesting comparison allowing the guitars do the talking. This is going to take time!
First impressions suggest Eastman is brighter, good sustain (louder?), pure bluegrass, responds to light/medium attack. The Collings lusher/played in, more 3 dimensional, sophisticated, responds to medium/heavy attack. Excuse funky words coming instantly into my head! I've tried Collings dreads and these are guitars that respond well to deep digging in with flat pick. Amazing middle tone projection around the D and G often lost in mix. The Eastman I tried also sublime in quality, an instrument in its own class, and right up there with Gibson equivalent. So we are spoilt.
But that's not to take anything from either. Mightily impressive detailed demo.
Thank you.
Would also like to see comparo between a similar spec Faith and Eastman mahogany/rosewood dreads, both from the East, both hotly market competitive in build and quality.
Thank you for the kind words. I'll see what I can do re: Eastman and Faith
@@ianmeadows6351 Yes these guitars have impressed me not just because of their price accessibility, but because they are instruments worthy of serious consideration, reflecting an insight into the designers, makers and quality control.
What did you think of the Eastman and Collings comparison yourself? I'd be very interested to know.
Eastman sounds good, Collins sounds great. Unbelievable guitar
Ian, have you played any of the Orangewood acoustics yet?
I have a new Eastman L 00 style that I love...but in this case the Collings has a fatter, rounder, sweeter tone and just sings much more. It would inspire me; that Eastman dread would not. Sounds thin to my ears.
The Collings has a much more mature sound to it... but in the end, is it worth 5x more than the Eastman? I think not.
shouldn't you compare the Collings to another hideously expensive guitar? Maybe a Martin, Santa Cruz, or Bourgeois?
It would be better if you alternated every 15 seconds or so between guitars for a better comparison. You could easily do that in your video editor. As it is, it's very difficult to hear differences.
The 1st guitar sounded better. Didn’t watch whole video so not sure which it is. Wish videos were edited to 5-10 second of each and then change
Cool, thanks for the feedback
The collings sounds in tune all over the neck and the eastman bugs me a little bit..If you're a pro you should get the collings, if you're a couch guitar hero, take the eastman
Eastman made in china?
Yes!
50/50. Best for me Guild d55.
What is the collings made out of ian, gold? £5000 The pricing's are just getting silly these days!! you could buy a tree for that price!!!!
What would you do with a tree
Eastman has a great sound. I hope to get a AC222CE. I'm a Alternative Rock musician and I can't find no good covers other than a U2 cover song.
Collings is warmer, Eastman is more shimmery. I like the Collings by a hair because it's more midrange blended.
That's exactly what I thought!
collings guitars are very expensive for qualitet ,real price for me is 20 thausen dollars no more them that or less
Is this a spruce top versus a cedar top? The internet says the Collins is a spruce top. But this one looks and sounds like a cedar top to me. Granted, I’m old and half blind. Lol.
Hi Rick, both spruce tops. The Collings is torrefied and shaded, so it has that darker cedar like appearance
Ian Meadows thank you for the reply. I agree with what people here have said about how each sounds. The Eastman is brighter. Both are beautiful sounding though . But very different. The Eastman really surprised me. It’s Punching way above it’s price range.
@@ianmeadows6351 Actually it's Adirondack spruce vs torrefied Sitka spruce.
Normally you pay more than €200-300 extra just for the Adirondack instead of Sitka if it's an Asian guitar like an Eastman or Blueridge.
I combines very well with rosewood back and sides and that results in a louder guitar, but Sitka on the other hand combines very well with mahogany.
Adirondack spruce even makes a laminated rosewood Blueridge BR-60 into a much better and louder BR-60A,. Price difference: €230.- (from €619.- to €849.-), or a €799.- mahogany BR-140 into a €999.- BR-140A.
Maybe a shoot-out between the Eastman and the Blueridge BR-140 and the Blueridge BR-140A would be a good idea. Then the guitars are at least within the same budget.
In my humble opinion, I hear a pretty big difference on the sonic level. The Collings is more of a 4k level of definition. Where the Eastman hangs around the 1080p range. Both great sounds. To my ears, and with a good set of headphones, the Collings is the clear winner in every category. I know the argument of "Is it worth 4k more?" Is validated in most minds based solely on sound. But the entire experience of the guitar must be factored here. I own a D2HAV and it is the most pleasurable guitar I've ever played. The response is very much alive. I just sold my 2018 D18 because it just didn't do it for me anymore.
When one considers the impeccable craftsmanship that Collings puts out (the personal hands on work from very talented luthiers), plus the dynamic, yet definite, tones that leap from the sound hole, this justifies such a price difference.
Now whether or not you are willing to pay that difference is completely up to you.
But do not misunderstand: both sound great!
Great video, man!
There is not a $4000 difference in these guitars. There's not a $200 difference in these guitars. People that think so probably Just fancy Collins guitars. That's my opinion.😉
Too bad you don’t cut your (truly excellent!!) videos back to back. Having only short passages of each guitar cut together would make a comparison really possible.
In the future videos will be done this way.
Wow, great!! 🙂🙃
It's pretty easy to tell with these two guitars though so I don't mind this at all.
Buy the Eastman,and spend the $4000 you saved on guitar lessons.
haha not a bad way to go!
Guitar...lessons? In the wise words of a stranger in the parking lot of a bluegrass festival ft. Tony Rice, you steal licks and put it together. I’d buy the Collings
They're both fine guitars. I don't hear $4000.00 worth of difference.
honestly I hear about 600 dollars
Eastman 00:10 that's me done.
I'll stick with my Taylor's and martins
collings more clarity definition but its also wayyyyyy more cash