Not much scoop here on Eastman archtops anymore
oasysco
heard that their quality has been up over the last few years. They
changed a few things, adding tone controls, and better (looking)
tuners.
Anybody here still loving their Eastman archtop? The clips I've heard
of the AR805CE have an acoustic brassiness about them. Might be the
way they were recorded, picking up both the electric and acoustic
tone.
I guess I'll find out soon enough when my (used) 805CE arrives next
week or the week after. I sold my 1984 Ibanez AM50, making it an even
swap money-wise for the 805CE, which is the only way I'll buy a guitar
nowadays - sell one to pay for the other.
Greg
Phil
Hey Greg
My last Eastman was a John Pisano, one of the "cheaper" mahogany
models. Fine guitar, played great, sounded good, but ultimately it
was sold to help fund an ES-175, which is what I've really wanted all
along.
mikeo
I have owned three so far, my most recent is a 917 natural finish and
I am happy to say it has finally opened up after about a year of not
receiving much attention. It sounds noticably better and seems to
have gotten louder, if that is possible.
Yes, they have some good guitars, especially when compared to the
competition in that price range. I haven't seen a better $2K carved
archtop, have you?
i do find it stange that for a 900 series, they did not correctly
bookmatch the back of mine, but i did not really buy it for the back
anyhow.
RickH
I like Jonathan Stout's tone a lot (clear yet vintage smokey), he
plays an Eastman AR805...
Below "Seven Come Eleven" and "Grand Slam" were recorded in 2003, cant
say that the tone needed any improving...
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/campusfive
"Bugle Call Rag" below was recorded in 2007, both recordings are
Eastmans (I asked Jonathan about that when I saw him in CA)...
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jscampusfive
RickH
>
> - Show quoted text -
I hadn't noticed this before but all his albums were recorded with
original 1930's RCA44 microphones (through modern electronics). Those
mics sound way better than todays mics to my ears. Probably why I
keep coming back to Campus Five albums for pleasure listening, psycho-
acoustically speaking, no fatigue listening. Nice small-club
acoustics without a lot of compression and digital reverb. Makes his
Eastman sound great too.
RickH
> On Nov 28, 9:30 pm, RickH <passp...@windcrestsoftware.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Nov 28, 4:40 pm, oasysco <oasy...@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > > ... at least not like before I took a sabbatical from RRMGJ. I had
> > > heard that their quality has been up over the last few years. They
> > > changed a few things, adding tone controls, and better (looking)
> > > tuners.
>
> > > Anybody here still loving their Eastman archtop? The clips I've heard
> > > of the AR805CE have an acoustic brassiness about them. Might be the
> > > way they were recorded, picking up both the electric and acoustic
> > > tone.
>
> > > I guess I'll find out soon enough when my (used) 805CE arrives next
> > > week or the week after. I sold my 1984 Ibanez AM50, making it an even
> > > swap money-wise for the 805CE, which is the only way I'll buy a guitar
> > > nowadays - sell one to pay for the other.
>
> > > Greg
>
> > I like Jonathan Stout's tone a lot (clear yet vintage smokey), he
> > plays an Eastman AR805...
>
> >http://www.campusfive.com/
>
> > Below "Seven Come Eleven" and "Grand Slam" were recorded in 2003, cant
> > say that the tone needed any improving...
>
> >http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/campusfive
>
> > "Bugle Call Rag" below was recorded in 2007, both recordings are
> > Eastmans (I asked Jonathan about that when I saw him in CA)...
>
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I hadn't noticed this before but all his albums were recorded with
> original 1930's RCA44 microphones (through modern electronics). Those
> mics sound way better than todays mics to my ears. Probably why I
> keep coming back to Campus Five albums for pleasure listening, psycho-
> acoustically speaking, no fatigue listening. Nice small-club
> acoustics without a lot of compression and digital reverb. Makes his
>
> - Show quoted text -
RCA44 below, I guess it's a pretty historic mic that revolutionized hi-
fi. Now I know why I've always found the sound on these Campus Five
albums to have something special going for them, compred to a lot of
other jazz recorded in the past 15 years or so. A great engineer is
worth their weight in gold.
sheetsofsound
i haven't liked any of the models with floating pickups. The best
sounding models are the EL Rey and 186 IMO...
DanielleOM
"oasysco" <oas...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:27636d2f-605b-4c37...@p35g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
Greg
You have a bought a great acoustic guitar that comes with a pickup. I hope
that's what you wanted. I think you really need to dig in and use them as
acoustics to really appreciate how good they are. I have an AR805CE and
also have one the Eastman archbacks.
Danielle
jazzrat
I think you will like the 805 if....if you do not expect it to sound
like a 175.
As Danielle said they are a great acoustic guitar with a pickup so
they do have
that punchy, brassy acoustic tone. I will say that the acoustic tone
and volume
of both mine is way better than most achtops I've played including a
gorgeous
40's Epi Emperor I was using for a while.
I do prefer the 803 with it's built in pickup but it's the only
archtop I have.
If i remember right you have an ES-175. I would say that the 805 would
be
a fantastic compliment to it since the tone will be different enough
to justify
having both.
sheetsofsound
> of both mine is way better than most achtops I've played including a
> gorgeous
> 40's Epi Emperor I was using for a while.
Hmmm...no comparison to there. It's like comparing the volume of a
piano vs. the volume of an acoustic guitar. That dearmond was the
loudest and cuttingest rhythm guitar ever made. No eastman I've played
even comes close
Jonathan (not from Cleveland)
I'm not crazy about the sound of the floater on my AR810 CE either.
The guitar has a really nice feel to it, though.
Gizmo
jazz box, and 15' across the lower bouts. It has a humbucker fixed to
the top, which for some reason sounds a lot better to me than a
floating pickup. It really captures the natural sound of the guitar--
there is no 'synthetic' quality. When plugged in, there is no sense
that the sound is coming from an amp-- it just sounds like a louder
acoustic guitar. Got mine from John Bernunzio in Rochester, NY, a
great guy to deal with. Here's what they look like...
http://www.archtop.com/PageMill_Resources/Guitars/06_80315_.jpg
DanielleOM
"Gizmo" <p...@mhcable.com> wrote in message
news:fea4818a-0d99-4bce...@m33g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
How do find yours for setup and neck straightness?
Do have any unwanted little mechanical buzzes? I still have some
intermittant mechanical type buzzing (heard acoustically when not plugged
in) from AR805CE that I have not been able to get rid of.
Danielle
oasysco
>
> - Show quoted text -
Jack,
I assume your preference is based on tone not construction and
playability, right?
I've not had any floating pickup jazz boxes that have knocked my socks
off. Most had an airy, acoustic quality that was too easy to fall out
of love with.
Then again, I've never had a solid wood, carved top acoustic archtop
where the acoustic tone was real... OK, I had one - German made...
darnit can't remember the brand... anyway it arrived with broken
parts, but for the short time I had it, I loved it's lightweight.
Greg
oasysco
Yes I do have a 175 and am not expecting a clone of it. I'm a bit
leery of an acoustic archtop not having owned before. we'll see!
thanks,
Greg
DanielleOM
"oasysco" <oas...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:fd15285f-5894-4c92...@m38g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
thanks,
Greg
Greg
Having an acoustic archtop is great. You can actually sit with a circle of
friends and have an acoustic jam without having to plug in. Just like a
good flat top be prepared to put some real energy into to get the best
acoustic response.
Danielle
nqbqbep
wrote:
My 803CE 16" had this buzzing and I found out it was because the
cables connected to the tone pots were slightly touching the top of
the guitar. I gently pulled them away from the top and the buzz was
gone.
oasysco
wrote:
> "oasysco" <oasy...@cox.net> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
I had a friend who has a 40's L-??? - non-cutway, completely acoustic
archtop. He strings it with phosphor-bronze strings. Once we jammed
with a electronic dum kit and me on my guitar. He didn't even ened
amplification. It was truly one of the sweetest sounding acoustics -
flattop or arched - that I've ever heard.
I'm not expecting such a lovely response from the Eastman, but I
wouldn't turn it down either :)
mikeo
stock pickups, especially the blade model on the 7-strings (not sure
if it is a different beast than what is used on the 6-ers).
With all three Eastmans I have owned, i have swapped in a Kent
Armstrong adjustable pole PAF, the Vermont-made version, not a
licensed clone, and it seriously brings it back from bright-land.
Kent makes an overwound version of the pickup, designated as "PAF-00",
IIRC, that is darker and a great match for the natural brightness of
the Eastman carved tops. That's what i use. check it out.
sheetsofsound
> I do agree that the limiting factor of the Eastmans tends to be the
> stock pickups,
I don't find that to be the case at all. The stock pickups sound great
IMO. The problems they have are more in the area of consistency and
finish. The finish doesn't seem to be applied properly and tends to
flake off far too easily.
lukejazz
I bought a used 910CE a couple of years back - best $1700 I ever
spent. I get to use it on my weekly duo gigs with a bass player. For
gigs with drummers I use an ES775. I love the way the 910CE looks,
feels, and sounds although I don't have any experience with any other
acoustic archtops with floating pickups. I was not too wild about the
originally supplied Kent Armstrong pickup and as chance would have it,
it actually came apart (the pickup from the mount) right after a good
paying gig so I took that money and bought a Benedetto S6. It had to
be installed by a professional luthier but I think that the Benedetto
p/u works way better. It seems to have a better s/n ration and sounds
great.
Lukejazz