What a beautiful, great sounding guitar! I have my E20P with me at the beach and it’s size, and tone, are just perfect for traveling. Your new guitar is very impressive to say the least. Eastman continues to impress with their impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail. I hope you are doing well. See you for our Zoom lesson next week!
It is a beauty ! If some one would have told me 30 or 40 years ago, that I would be lusting over a Chinese guitar , I would have laughed all night long . Needless to say , Eastman is producing some beautiful , well built instruments ! Love your new guitar , congratulations !
Hi Grandpa, I understand, but 13 years ago, I bought my first Eastman, an archtop. Back then they put destination coutry in the serial number - I had UK-017! It was a fine instrument, although the classic brown violin finish came out red, so after a few years I traded it. They have been making good orchestral instruments for decades now, so it isn't a new craft to the Chinese, and Eastman can call upon the best craftsmen from all over their enormous country. Like someone once said, if you are one in a milliuon, in China there is 1,400,000 of you! (or something like that).
Hello Andy. Many congratulations on your beautiful new Eastman. I wish you many years of enjoyment playing it. I very much enjoy the videos, as of course, do countless others, that you kindly create for our enjoyment and education. I loved the wonderful tease you treated us all to on the acoustic guitar forum. Such fun. You really got us all going!! All the best Andy, Jade.
Hi Jade, thank you for that. I try to entertain and help other guitarists, and I'm always looking for new ideas ... when I'm really desperate, it seems I have to buy a new guitar !! (I joke - up to a point!)
Congratulations. I remember looking for a first guitar in the '70s and it makes me appreciate how wonderful guitars of today are in all price rangers. I hope you play it for many years in good health!
Due in large part to your informative and entertaining videos, I will be accepting delivery on this exquisite guitar next week. It will be my second Eastman (E20D-MR-TC) and I'm already setting sights on another in mahogany. Many thanks for your bringing this gem to the light.
Hi, thank you for the kind words. I just wish that Eastman would credit me for all the sales they've made from my videos. (I don't sponsor, or monetise). I wish you many hours of joy with your new guitar.
Congrats on the new guitar. its stunning. I got my first Eastman last month though that was an electric. I tried several high end vintage Gibson les pauls prior to the Eastman but none of them came close to the quality of it. Thats absolutely gorgeous and might be on my list for next year as im a convert to the brand. Health to enjoy
Hi Martin, thanks for watching. I'm not an electric guitarist, but I got my first Eastman an archtop, back in 2007, and their quality was good then and has continued to improve. I think that they present a serious threat to many American brands. Stay safe.
You have a very understanding missus Andy! I got a hard time when i bought my Eastman E1D for 500 quid. "You already have a perfectly good guitar!" I've never tried those neck widths and sometimes find it pleasurable to go back to my skinny Yamaha from my 1 3/4 Eastman. I generally prefer herringbone to powershell too, but that's one fine guitar you have there. Enjoy!
I recently got an Eastman E20OO and am delighted with it, and well set up by Peach Guitars. After some experimentation I have settled on Stringjoy Naturals 10 - 50 Phosphor Bronze strings, which suit it (and me) very well. I used to own a Martin OO21 for many years and had a hankering for another 12 fretter, and it's perfect for my preferred 'Americana'. Your E40OO looks a peach too. Now back to my Roy Bookbinder albums...
hi Double 00 - congrats on you new Eastman! They really are very good aren't they. I just use EJ16s or Martin ME540 sometimes the "T" versions, as I don't like very light strings. I met Roy Bookbinder once - Apart from comparing moustaches, I was keen to see what he would be playing - I was so disappointed that he had one of those folding travel guitars!
Hi Paul, you are calling an OM a small body guitar? Well, OK but Id say small bodies start at 00. Anyway, I hope you are as delighted with your gitar as I am with mine.
@@SillyMoustache I differ in that a martin d45 is still on my bucket list. I have couple guitars with the 42 style trim. One is my preferred ax, but I wouldn't dare keep it out for display..too easily damaged, stays in its case..
That new Eastman E40 00 has a really nice tone to it Andy. I noticed it doesn't have a pick guard on it...yet. Very nice collection of guitars, indeed. That's an expensive hobby to collect guitars, I don't play well enough, that I myself wouldn't purchase more than one guitar. A person would need a special place for storing them, for sure. I really like the Waterloo sunburst color. Willie Nelson's son Lukas, also plays a Waterloo guitar often. It's not as pretty as your guitar, but his also has a great tone to it. Nice comparison video and quite informative, thank you for sharing.
Hi Angie, I wrote a whole answer to you and the cat trod on the keyboard and it disappeared. Thanks as always for watching. I kinda wish my smaller Eastman didn't have a pick guard either - but I have no plans for the 00. Kinda ex-ensive but less than one a year! and I'm hoping that one will be going to a frind at some point. The Waterloo is a kind of odd one out -very Gibson influenced and a very different tone - that was my 2016 moment of madness.
@@SillyMoustache I have had messages totally disappear into cyber space, never finding where they have gone. It's frustrating, to say the least. I think your Waterloo was a great choice, I really like the tone and looks of it. Cheers!
@@SillyMoustache well, you are fortunate. You have got to keep playing each so that they mature properly. I rotate mine (I have far fewer to deal with). Right now it is the D28 with the Bourgeois. I am trying to use the Bourgeois as a recording guitar because it has a pickup that actually still works. My Collings needs its pickup repaired, but with COVID...Both of you keep well and safe and most of all keep playing!
Thats a fine guitar Andy, I have the Eastman E1 00, (limited editition) which is the entry level model of the same guitar, it has an adirondeck spruce top and solid sapele back and sides and is my favorite sounding guitar
If only guitars could tell their stories. My recent purchase is a Collings 002h which, according to the Collings folk, was originally shipped to Australia !! I wish you well with your e40-00! See : th-cam.com/video/NLZ-TsOcSAI/w-d-xo.html
Hello Andy, Looks like I am here first. That's a lovely Eastman. I am something of a high end guitar sceptic, a few years ago I paid a reputable company in your neck of the woods 4000GBP for a hand made American guitar which sounded fantastic. When it arrived there was a little bit of the binding on the neck near the sound hole that had lifted, foolishly I decided that I could glue it back, which I put on my to do list, after about 18 months it started to develop a belly on the sound board which meant the the corners of the bridge were lifting and the neck started to bow, there were also signs of the binding moving in other places. This could be a long story but suffice to say it got returned to USA. The guitar was made by a small builder and it's replacement is from a company that have had years of experience, as have Eastman. Hence I am a high end guitar sceptic. Anyway it's always good to see your youtube videos, please keep up the good work. Cheers Bill
Hi, I guess we can;t be lucky all the time. My big dissaointment was my gift to me for my 60th birthday - a slightly customised guitar from a well known small factory brand in the Virginia area. It was the most expensive guitar I ever bought aand was unplayable from the start. Their customer srvice to me and the dealer was appalling, and I lost thousands. I think the best we can do is to learn from each.
H, Andy. Do you still own the Eastman E40 OO? If so, what are your long-term views on ownership and if not, why did you sell? Love the videos, very informative. PS I`m looking for something with similar tonal character to the Lowdens ( O22C and Bensusan ) but without the body size and less neck girth than the HUGE Bensusan.
Hi, I bought my E40-00 in October 2020. from TFOA in the Netherlands. It was perfectly set up with Martin lights and has required no later work (like all my other flat-tops, it now wears D'addario XS lights. It lives on a stand in my lounge next to the TV so I see it more than I play it, but in October 2023 I bought a Collings 002h. which has been played more recently. I have no intention of parting with either, although they both do the same job equally well. I cannot comment on the Lowden guitars of which you speak, but the E40-00 is for me (A Collings user) a superb instrument in fit,finish, volume and tone. Hope that helps.
@@SillyMoustache Coincidentally, I bought a guitar from Seamus Brady ( Acoustic Centre ) in 1995, a Taylor GAMC, which I still have and love. I also once supported Isaac Guillory at a gig and really fancied a D35S, alas, I have found 2 hen`s teeth and a unicorn`s horn but no D 35 S. I did like the 1 & 13/16 width neck on an Eastman E20 )) I had though.
Got my e40 00 for few weeks ago. It’s a great guitar and I’ve been playing on it approximately 2 hours everyday since day 1. It still sounds stiff but I guess it needs sometime. I noticed a slice improvement last few days but I’m not sure if it wasn’t my wish.
Play it as yuo do -leave it out of its case idealy listening to music opr talk on the radio/TV (mine at next to one of my TV speakers) and give it six months - it'll be a different guitar!
Hey Silly! Could you measure the string spacing at the nut? (from the center of the E to the center of the e) My guess (given that the nut width is closer to 1 13/16” rather than 1 7/8”) is that the spacing would be 38mm rather than 40mm. I wish manufacturers would start including nut string spacing in the details as i feel this is more important than nut width alone. Thanks in advance!
Hi, The nut width on my E40-00 is 1 & 13/16" wit the string spacing (c-to c) is 1 & 1/2" . Saddle string spacing is between 2 & 5/16" & 2 & 3/8" so I guess 2 & 11/32" - but there are no saddle slots. I Hope that helps. As Eastmans are somewhat more "hand made" than other high volume makers there may be individual variations. I see that Eastman have now added this model to their website! so presumably it is now a standard item rather than a short run special as it was when I bought mine.
I just got the E20 00 and love it, though I’m changing the ping tuners to Grover Stat-tites this week. Your E40 00 is a rare find indeed. I’m a late bloomer in the acoustic enthusiasts club and I’m learning a lot from your channel... but Like you I have discovered I love 12 frets, and the E20 00 is the only 12 fret Eastman I could find. Just a question, do install pickups in your guitars? I installed a LR Baggs Lyric in my E20 and discovered that it doesn’t really sound nice, I’ve had to cut the 1K frequency back on an eq pedal to constrain the boominess which causes feedback. I have since learned from reading forums the the lyric doesn’t gel in smaller body guitars (I have it in an auditorium 12 fret and it works well)
Hi Rich, Great to hear! So I've sold another Eastman! Looking forward to my commission ha ha!' I have had no issues with the tuners, did you? As I said on my "Why I prefer 12 fretters video, th-cam.com/video/kfpMciG92oY/w-d-xo.html it wasn't the neck/body join but the wider fretboard. I am sure it will bring you great pleasure! Thanks for watching!
I have contacted every UK dealer since I watched this video, and they all said this was a limited run, and that there is no likelihood of any further models being produced in the near future, such a shame, as this is one guitar I would have bought sight and played unseen.
Hi Andy! Steve from ATX (home of Collings guitars). Thank you so much for this post. At 63 in February I'm thinking seriously about buying this guitar. I've been wanting a 00 12 slotted 12 fret. What a beautiful guitar too. Listened to you play it too. Great sound. How's the neck? What shape (neck)? Sting spacing nut and bridge.? I apologize: I need to go find one and try her out. Plus, they're limited aren't they... just appreciate your opinion. Know you like it which says volumes. Take care Buddy
Hi, This is a VERY good guitar, but it is a special/custom whatever, possibly a NAMM offering. I#ve heard various stories, like only five were scheduled but due to my videos and forum comments there might be more made for Europe and North America. This E20-00 is far more easily available and judging from my E20-P will be a fine, fine guitar, but the E40-00 whilst not quite as loud (yet) has tonal qualities that rival sone of the finest American guitars - plus of course, the bling.
Hi Frank, the slotted headstock with "squared off headstock is a standrd design for Martin 12 fret guitars, as is the torch inlay replacing the brandname. I do not know if this is a prototype, or a one off, but it is a finer build that the standard e20-P and, I assume the E20-00. All I iknow is that it appeard on the website of TFOA, and feeling fed up last October, I just bought is online, and it exceeded my expectations. Thanks for watching.
Hi Andy, congratulations on your NGD! It's a very very lovely looking and sounding instrument, and quite unique as well. It looks like you got the last one in stock as there aren't any listed on the TFOA site as I type this. It sits beautifully in your 'smaller' guitar menagerie. I love the Eastmans and still hanker after the E20-00 probably in it's sunburst option (not the 'ss' edition) although it would just represent a cheaper alternative to the Waterloo WL-12 which is what I'd really love (if you EVER decide to sell, I'm there, money in hand, first refusal please!). If funds were no obstacle I'd go for the WL-S deluxe but that's just pie in the sky thinking, and it wouldn't leave me anything to start saving for a Mule resonator!! BTW, Charlie Parr just auctioned/raffled his Mule 7 string resonator (double G, 12 string style, a one off) at $100 a ticket to benefit a local homeless charity in his home town. He raised $20,000 in two days! Enjoy that sweet vibrant 00 and perhaps treat us to a tune or two from it before too long. PS: Just to mark the occasion, today (21/10/2020) was the day that I finally 'got' Bob Dylan! No going back now, the switch is thrown.
Hi, thanks for the kind words, the Eastmans a really remarkably good. I don't have plans to sell my WL12, but they'll all be up for sale sooner or later of course. Take care, keep safe.
Good evening, did you select the X or ladder bracing on your WL12? Truss rod or T-bar? Just curious. I have been doing a bit of research on the Waterloo models. Thank you sir!
Hi, I selected the WL12 because it was a 12 fretter, had a maple b&s, AND the x bracing and adj.truss rod - not that I've needed to adjust it. I was there to buy a Gibson but preferred the Waterloo. No regrets.
@@SillyMoustache Andrew, I find us both on the same page for the most part concerning acoustic guitars although I don't have quite the collection you have. I have Martins, a Gallagher, have had Collings, Waterloo, Eastmans along the way and in the last few years have purchased Larrivees (3). I really like them. 2 - 12 fretters and 1 dread. Have you done any reviews on Larrivees? I am a rather recent subscriber so I may have missed them. Thank you again, I just love your posts.
@@msinger5340 Hi I owned a Larrivee SD-50-TSB for a while - I didn't buy it - it was given to me by a dealer as part compensation for custom purchase of another brand guitar which was a failure. It was a fine guitar but I already had four Collings dreads, and I sold it t a friend who needed a new guitar and was also a bit hard up. It was a 2004 model with the proper nut width - 1 & 7/8" and it was the only guitar I could play this song on : th-cam.com/video/PRb-CZzVbt4/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching!
Hi, I am "sold" on Collings 12 fret guitars, but the Eastman E40-00 is a very fine instrument. The Collings 1999 002h was very "dry" and rather unimpressive when I received it - but over the 8-10 months using a Tonerite and playing in, it is improving. I suspect it had not been played for ten years or more. See th-cam.com/video/NLZ-TsOcSAI/w-d-xo.html Thanks for your interest.
Thanks, Andy. I have a Collings 002h, a couple of years old now and I absolutely love it. I also have an Eastman E20P, and I'm amazed at the tone. However, I find the neck is a bit too chunky. The 1 13/ 16th is my perfect width. I have a chance to purchase an Eastman 40OO sunburst online for about $2000. U.S., brand new. I'm hoping the neck is a little less substantial than the E20P. Thanks for your videos. I'm a diehard fan of small, 12 fret, slotted headstock guitars.
Yup, talking to myself, oh and 4,052 others so far - and just on that video. look a little harder ad you'll see two more videos where I'm actually paying the thing.
Mister Moustache, or shall I just call you Silly...? I enjoy your reviews. Today I played a larger Eastman E40OM SB and liked it so much that I returned home to check prices and online reviews to see if it is worth the asking price. The quality, fit, finish, and tone are wonderful. SB stands for Sunburst, I believe. Although a bit more gaudy, it does make the abalone trim pop out. It is as close to my 1995 Martin J40 as anything I have played so far. Believing that I will someday need a re-fret, and knowing how long luthiers like to hold onto a guitar before completing their work, I have been searching for a similar guitar to tide me over. Short of buying a second J-40 at double the price, the Eastman is checking all the boxes, as they say. Especially the wider nut because I do struggle with the string spacing on my Martin. So now I am torn between a new "Reimagined" J-40, which does have a wider 1 3/4" nut, or immediate gratification with the Eastman. Decisions. Decisions. I believe my comment here was more of a mental wrestling match than anything else. Thank you again for your insightful and unbiased reviews.
Hi Patrick, you may call me Andy also, as that is my name. I had a '73 D35 for 21 years, and was quite happy with it but foolishly sold it to a friend to buy a J40 which was quickly problematic for me with the thin nut width and the very slim neck. It was impossible for me to play my style, so I sold it back to the guy I bought it from and went in search of wider fretboards - which is why now, all my flattops are 12 fretters. The Eastman flat tops are remarkably well finished and the "40" series are more lightly built that the lesser series, and only time will tell us whether they are too light or not. However, I believe that they are a perfectly good player, look gorgeous and will prove to be a good investment.
@@SillyMoustache Hi Andy, Pleased to meet you. I put up with the J-40's slim neck just because the cascading overtones are heaven sent. In my entire 60 years of playing guitar I have only held one other guitar that sounded that good; a $10,000 Collings sinker redwood. I tried a 12 fretter once but returned it because I have tunes that require playing up to the 16th fret. I believe I'll hold out for a 'Reimagined' J-40 with the wider nut and pray the forward shifted bracing still provides the incredible overtones. That Eastman sure is pretty and sounds awfully nice though...
After another night of mentally wrestling with myself, both sides finally reached agreement. Immediate gratification. I am now the proud owner of a sunburst Eastman E40OM. It has a wonderful balanced woody tone with ringing highs and nice overtones. The 'Reimagined' Martin J-40 will have to wait a bit longer. Time to go play. Have you noticed that Eastman coats the inside of their guitars? It makes the rosewood look darker.
Having played the Eastman for a week now, I think the tone and quality are as good as any guitar I have ever held in my hands. I replaced the original strings and while they were off, put a mirror inside. Not only is the entire inside clear-coated, you were right about them being lightly built. I found something else I had never seen before. A pentagon shaped box is formed by the top braces around the sound hole. Within that box Eastman laminated a piece of spruce that has the grain running crosswise to the top grain. I suspect the top sound board is thin so that was done to protect the sound hole from potential cracks. It would be interesting to know if that was done inside your guitar as well.
Hi Peter, thanks for watching. Since lockdown, I've been doing more of my own funny style of finger picking, but most of my zoom client's want to learn my flat-picking style.
I notice these are all smaller bodied guitars. Have you given up on dreadnoughts? I ask because since passing the half century mark my shoulder is giving me some grief and I'm wondering if I should step down to the slimmer bodies.
Hi banjo, strange you should ask. I'm shortly to upload a video about this. I read/hear your complaint very frequently, and it seems to be a kind of baby-boomer trend. I love my dreads and only feel right performing with them, but presently, wi n gigs, no rehearsals with the boys - I hardly see them. After my cancer treatment in 2017, during which I lost over 40lbs, I also had this shoulder issue, and as I had no intention of giving up my dreads, I resolved that I should work hard to rebuild my muscle mass (which reduces with age for all) and, of course play them using good posture. I'm convinced that older folks can extend their dreadnought playing time but only with good posture and exercise to strengthen our backs and shoulders. However, I certainly perceive a trend towards smaller guitars.
@@SillyMoustache Or...you can go in the opposite direction. I have found that slouching on the sofa tilts the guitar so the lower bout no longer props up my right arm causing my shoulder grief. In addition the tilt directs the soundhole more towards my tinnitus inflicted ears while allowing me to watch what the fingers on my left hand are doing. If I don't keep an eye on those sneaky digits, they'll wander off and start creating discord. When I sit on a stool and watch my fingers while playing, the chording fingers on my left hand occasionally go to sleep. That never happens on the sofa. To take strain off my left arm, I prop that elbow up with a pillow. One can't get much lazier than that without taking a nap. That position could make for an interesting stage performance.
Hej Ivan, tack för din åsikt. De flesta av mina TH-cam-följare och Zoom-klienter finns i USA, och många är lika gamla som jag (74) som avslutade sin utbildning långt innan metric introducerades i Storbritannien. Så eftersom dessa gitarrer är byggda "i bilden" av Martins "USA"-designer - kommer jag att fortsätta att mäta och prata i Imperial. Tack för att du tittade, Anders.
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What a beautiful, great sounding guitar! I have my E20P with me at the beach and it’s size, and tone, are just perfect for traveling. Your new guitar is very impressive to say the least. Eastman continues to impress with their impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail.
I hope you are doing well. See you for our Zoom lesson next week!
Hi Shawn, good to hear from you. See you bronzed and relaxed on the 31st.
Watching your videos always brings me joy. Thank you, I hope your hands are healing well.
Thanks again John.
It is a beauty ! If some one would have told me 30 or 40 years ago, that I would be lusting over a Chinese guitar , I would have laughed all night long . Needless to say , Eastman is producing some beautiful , well built instruments ! Love your new guitar , congratulations !
Hi Grandpa, I understand, but 13 years ago, I bought my first Eastman, an archtop. Back then they put destination coutry in the serial number - I had UK-017! It was a fine instrument, although the classic brown violin finish came out red, so after a few years I traded it. They have been making good orchestral instruments for decades now, so it isn't a new craft to the Chinese, and Eastman can call upon the best craftsmen from all over their enormous country. Like someone once said, if you are one in a milliuon, in China there is 1,400,000 of you! (or something like that).
Hello Andy. Many congratulations on your beautiful new Eastman. I wish you many years of
enjoyment playing it. I very much enjoy the videos, as of course, do countless others, that you kindly create for our enjoyment and education.
I loved the wonderful tease you treated us all to on the acoustic guitar forum. Such fun. You
really got us all going!!
All the best Andy,
Jade.
Hi Jade, thank you for that. I try to entertain and help other guitarists, and I'm always looking for new ideas ... when I'm really desperate, it seems I have to buy a new guitar !! (I joke - up to a point!)
Congratulations. I remember looking for a first guitar in the '70s and it makes me appreciate how wonderful guitars of today are in all price rangers. I hope you play it for many years in good health!
Thank you Jeffrey, I also remember the guitars I went through in the 70s, lots of mistakes made, but lessons learned.
Due in large part to your informative and entertaining videos, I will be accepting delivery on this exquisite guitar next week. It will be my second Eastman (E20D-MR-TC) and I'm already setting sights on another in mahogany. Many thanks for your bringing this gem to the light.
Hi, thank you for the kind words. I just wish that Eastman would credit me for all the sales they've made from my videos. (I don't sponsor, or monetise). I wish you many hours of joy with your new guitar.
Congrats on the new guitar. its stunning. I got my first Eastman last month though that was an electric. I tried several high end vintage Gibson les pauls prior to the Eastman but none of them came close to the quality of it. Thats absolutely gorgeous and might be on my list for next year as im a convert to the brand. Health to enjoy
Hi Martin, thanks for watching. I'm not an electric guitarist, but I got my first Eastman an archtop, back in 2007, and their quality was good then and has continued to improve. I think that they present a serious threat to many American brands. Stay safe.
It’s always reassuring to find a.fellow man with your familiar affliction. 00’ss especially!
Hi, Love my dreads, and my 000, and my 0 but something near perfect about a 00. Thanks for watching!
You have a very understanding missus Andy! I got a hard time when i bought my Eastman E1D for 500 quid. "You already have a perfectly good guitar!"
I've never tried those neck widths and sometimes find it pleasurable to go back to my skinny Yamaha from my 1 3/4 Eastman. I generally prefer herringbone to powershell too, but that's one fine guitar you have there. Enjoy!
Yes I do, although it did cost me a gold watch!
I recently got an Eastman E20OO and am delighted with it, and well set up by Peach Guitars. After some experimentation I have settled on Stringjoy Naturals 10 - 50 Phosphor Bronze strings, which suit it (and me) very well. I used to own a Martin OO21 for many years and had a hankering for another 12 fretter, and it's perfect for my preferred 'Americana'. Your E40OO looks a peach too. Now back to my Roy Bookbinder albums...
hi Double 00 - congrats on you new Eastman! They really are very good aren't they. I just use EJ16s or Martin ME540 sometimes the "T" versions, as I don't like very light strings. I met Roy Bookbinder once - Apart from comparing moustaches, I was keen to see what he would be playing - I was so disappointed that he had one of those folding travel guitars!
Small bodies are so fascinating. Each one so unique. Just ordered the E 6 OM because it ticks all the boxes at an extraordinary price point.
Hi Paul, you are calling an OM a small body guitar? Well, OK but Id say small bodies start at 00. Anyway, I hope you are as delighted with your gitar as I am with mine.
What a gorgeous guitar! The 42 trim is quite nice to look at.
Yes, I've never been a bling fan, but when I saw this one on a website I thought ...just this once. I think it will be my living room show-piece!
@@SillyMoustache I differ in that a martin d45 is still on my bucket list. I have couple guitars with the 42 style trim. One is my preferred ax, but I wouldn't dare keep it out for display..too easily damaged, stays in its case..
Beautiful guitar, I’ve managed to buy one of these secondhand recently, I’m very pleased with it.
You found an E40-00 ???? i was told mine was unique. Tell me more!
Nice one Andy, perhaps i'll get to hear you play it when things get back to normal.
Hi Chris, I hope so too. Good to hear from you.
Just got my Eastman E-20 00 Andy. Love it. Very nicely made. It’s a keeper for sure.
Good choice! I'm a fussy guy, but these Eastmans are really impressing me.
They don't sell these in the US yet do they?
That new Eastman E40 00 has a really nice tone to it Andy. I noticed it doesn't have a pick guard on it...yet. Very nice collection of guitars, indeed. That's an expensive hobby to collect guitars, I don't play well enough, that I myself wouldn't purchase more than one guitar. A person would need a special place for storing them, for sure.
I really like the Waterloo sunburst color. Willie Nelson's son Lukas, also plays a Waterloo guitar often. It's not as pretty as your guitar, but his also has a great tone to it.
Nice comparison video and quite informative, thank you for sharing.
Hi Angie, I wrote a whole answer to you and the cat trod on the keyboard and it disappeared. Thanks as always for watching. I kinda wish my smaller Eastman didn't have a pick guard either - but I have no plans for the 00. Kinda ex-ensive but less than one a year! and I'm hoping that one will be going to a frind at some point. The Waterloo is a kind of odd one out -very Gibson influenced and a very different tone - that was my 2016 moment of madness.
@@SillyMoustache I have had messages totally disappear into cyber space, never finding where they have gone. It's frustrating, to say the least.
I think your Waterloo was a great choice, I really like the tone and looks of it. Cheers!
You do have some really good sounding boxes!
Hi Joel, it's the best way I can compensate for lack of talent! Keep safe both of you!
@@SillyMoustache well, you are fortunate. You have got to keep playing each so that they mature properly. I rotate mine (I have far fewer to deal with). Right now it is the D28 with the Bourgeois. I am trying to use the Bourgeois as a recording guitar because it has a pickup that actually still works. My Collings needs its pickup repaired, but with COVID...Both of you keep well and safe and most of all keep playing!
Thats a fine guitar Andy, I have the Eastman E1 00, (limited editition) which is the entry level model of the same guitar, it has an adirondeck spruce top and solid sapele back and sides and is my favorite sounding guitar
Hi, I think I may have had one of those - was it the "classic" finish? Beautiful tone but I had to return it because, for me, the neck was too thin.
Thanks to this review, I’ve just picked up a 2022 E40oo here down under. I wonder how it got here if there weren’t that many.
If only guitars could tell their stories. My recent purchase is a Collings 002h which, according to the Collings folk, was originally shipped to Australia !! I wish you well with your e40-00! See : th-cam.com/video/NLZ-TsOcSAI/w-d-xo.html
Hello Andy, Looks like I am here first. That's a lovely Eastman. I am something of a high end guitar sceptic, a few years ago I paid a reputable company in your neck of the woods 4000GBP for a hand made American guitar which sounded fantastic. When it arrived there was a little bit of the binding on the neck near the sound hole that had lifted, foolishly I decided that I could glue it back, which I put on my to do list, after about 18 months it started to develop a belly on the sound board which meant the the corners of the bridge were lifting and the neck started to bow, there were also signs of the binding moving in other places. This could be a long story but suffice to say it got returned to USA. The guitar was made by a small builder and it's replacement is from a company that have had years of experience, as have Eastman. Hence I am a high end guitar sceptic. Anyway it's always good to see your youtube videos, please keep up the good work. Cheers Bill
Hi, I guess we can;t be lucky all the time. My big dissaointment was my gift to me for my 60th birthday - a slightly customised guitar from a well known small factory brand in the Virginia area. It was the most expensive guitar I ever bought aand was unplayable from the start. Their customer srvice to me and the dealer was appalling, and I lost thousands. I think the best we can do is to learn from each.
@@SillyMoustache small builder from Virginia, surely not huss n dalton..their work and cust serv are excellent..tell me tell me it ain't so..
@@kenschachsieck1357 I can't ... or won't -at least not here.
H, Andy. Do you still own the Eastman E40 OO? If so, what are your long-term views on ownership and if not, why did you sell? Love the videos, very informative. PS I`m looking for something with similar tonal character to the Lowdens ( O22C and Bensusan ) but without the body size and less neck girth than the HUGE Bensusan.
Hi, I bought my E40-00 in October 2020. from TFOA in the Netherlands. It was perfectly set up with Martin lights and has required no later work (like all my other flat-tops, it now wears D'addario XS lights. It lives on a stand in my lounge next to the TV so I see it more than I play it, but in October 2023 I bought a Collings 002h. which has been played more recently. I have no intention of parting with either, although they both do the same job equally well. I cannot comment on the Lowden guitars of which you speak, but the E40-00 is for me (A Collings user) a superb instrument in fit,finish, volume and tone. Hope that helps.
@@SillyMoustache Coincidentally, I bought a guitar from Seamus Brady ( Acoustic Centre ) in 1995, a Taylor GAMC, which I still have and love. I also once supported Isaac Guillory at a gig and really fancied a D35S, alas, I have found 2 hen`s teeth and a unicorn`s horn but no D 35 S. I did like the 1 & 13/16 width neck on an Eastman E20 )) I had though.
Got my e40 00 for few weeks ago. It’s a great guitar and I’ve been playing on it approximately 2 hours everyday since day 1. It still sounds stiff but I guess it needs sometime. I noticed a slice improvement last few days but I’m not sure if it wasn’t my wish.
Play it as yuo do -leave it out of its case idealy listening to music opr talk on the radio/TV (mine at next to one of my TV speakers) and give it six months - it'll be a different guitar!
@@SillyMoustache thank you sir! I will!
Beautiful axe. Congrats.
Thank you. It has gained a pick-guard and something of a suntan now.
Hey Silly! Could you measure the string spacing at the nut? (from the center of the E to the center of the e) My guess (given that the nut width is closer to 1 13/16” rather than 1 7/8”) is that the spacing would be 38mm rather than 40mm. I wish manufacturers would start including nut string spacing in the details as i feel this is more important than nut width alone. Thanks in advance!
Hi, The nut width on my E40-00 is 1 & 13/16" wit the string spacing (c-to c) is 1 & 1/2" .
Saddle string spacing is between 2 & 5/16" & 2 & 3/8" so I guess 2 & 11/32" - but there are no saddle slots. I Hope that helps. As Eastmans are somewhat more "hand made" than other high volume makers there may be individual variations. I see that Eastman have now added this model to their website! so presumably it is now a standard item rather than a short run special as it was when I bought mine.
I just got the E20 00 and love it, though I’m changing the ping tuners to Grover Stat-tites this week.
Your E40 00 is a rare find indeed. I’m a late bloomer in the acoustic enthusiasts club and I’m learning a lot from your channel... but Like you I have discovered I love 12 frets, and the E20 00 is the only 12 fret Eastman I could find.
Just a question, do install pickups in your guitars?
I installed a LR Baggs Lyric in my E20 and discovered that it doesn’t really sound nice, I’ve had to cut the 1K frequency back on an eq pedal to constrain the boominess which causes feedback. I have since learned from reading forums the the lyric doesn’t gel in smaller body guitars (I have it in an auditorium 12 fret and it works well)
Hi Rich, Great to hear! So I've sold another Eastman! Looking forward to my commission ha ha!' I have had no issues with the tuners, did you? As I said on my "Why I prefer 12 fretters video, th-cam.com/video/kfpMciG92oY/w-d-xo.html it wasn't the neck/body join but the wider fretboard. I am sure it will bring you great pleasure! Thanks for watching!
Wow! Exactly what I’ve been looking for, such a shame this is a limited run though, otherwise I’d have snapped one of these up in a jiffy.
I believe that they are building more, ask you friendly local Eastman dealer.
I have contacted every UK dealer since I watched this video, and they all said this was a limited run, and that there is no likelihood of any further models being produced in the near future, such a shame, as this is one guitar I would have bought sight and played unseen.
Hi Andy! Steve from ATX (home of Collings guitars). Thank you so much for this post. At 63 in February I'm thinking seriously about buying this guitar. I've been wanting a 00 12 slotted 12 fret. What a beautiful guitar too. Listened to you play it too. Great sound. How's the neck? What shape (neck)? Sting spacing nut and bridge.? I apologize: I need to go find one and try her out. Plus, they're limited aren't they... just appreciate your opinion. Know you like it which says volumes. Take care Buddy
Hi, This is a VERY good guitar, but it is a special/custom whatever, possibly a NAMM offering. I#ve heard various stories, like only five were scheduled but due to my videos and forum comments there might be more made for Europe and North America. This E20-00 is far more easily available and judging from my E20-P will be a fine, fine guitar, but the E40-00 whilst not quite as loud (yet) has tonal qualities that rival sone of the finest American guitars - plus of course, the bling.
@@SillyMoustache thank you so much for the information Andy. I definitely will check out the 20
Stunning!!!!!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Very nice Buddy!
Thank you! Cheers!
Gorgeous!
Hi Glori, I assume you are referring to the guitar rather than the ugly old man behind it. Thanks for watching.
On the E40 00 Is the squared off head stock with the torch inlay and no name showing a special order?
Hi Frank, the slotted headstock with "squared off headstock is a standrd design for Martin 12 fret guitars, as is the torch inlay replacing the brandname. I do not know if this is a prototype, or a one off, but it is a finer build that the standard e20-P and, I assume the E20-00. All I iknow is that it appeard on the website of TFOA, and feeling fed up last October, I just bought is online, and it exceeded my expectations. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for sharing
Most welcome!
So where can one purchase one? I’ve been trying to find one unsuccessfully.
I had a suggestion, but I see that on facebook, you've found a connection.
Hi Andy, congratulations on your NGD!
It's a very very lovely looking and sounding instrument, and quite unique as well. It looks like you got the last one in stock as there aren't any listed on the TFOA site as I type this. It sits beautifully in your 'smaller' guitar menagerie.
I love the Eastmans and still hanker after the E20-00 probably in it's sunburst option (not the 'ss' edition) although it would just represent a cheaper alternative to the Waterloo WL-12 which is what I'd really love (if you EVER decide to sell, I'm there, money in hand, first refusal please!). If funds were no obstacle I'd go for the WL-S deluxe but that's just pie in the sky thinking, and it wouldn't leave me anything to start saving for a Mule resonator!! BTW, Charlie Parr just auctioned/raffled his Mule 7 string resonator (double G, 12 string style, a one off) at $100 a ticket to benefit a local homeless charity in his home town. He raised $20,000 in two days!
Enjoy that sweet vibrant 00 and perhaps treat us to a tune or two from it before too long.
PS: Just to mark the occasion, today (21/10/2020) was the day that I finally 'got' Bob Dylan! No going back now, the switch is thrown.
Hi, thanks for the kind words, the Eastmans a really remarkably good. I don't have plans to sell my WL12, but they'll all be up for sale sooner or later of course. Take care, keep safe.
Just ordered one, 1929 Martin 00-45 clone 🌹
Really? where from? I need more info!
Good evening, did you select the X or ladder bracing on your WL12? Truss rod or T-bar? Just curious. I have been doing a bit of research on the Waterloo models. Thank you sir!
Hi, I selected the WL12 because it was a 12 fretter, had a maple b&s, AND the x bracing and adj.truss rod - not that I've needed to adjust it. I was there to buy a Gibson but preferred the Waterloo. No regrets.
@@SillyMoustache Thank you for your reply.That Eastman 00 is a beauty!
@@msinger5340 Thanks! I'm looking forward to the top gaining a bit of a tan - whenever we see sunlight again!
@@SillyMoustache Andrew, I find us both on the same page for the most part concerning acoustic guitars although I don't have quite the collection you have. I have Martins, a Gallagher, have had Collings, Waterloo, Eastmans along the way and in the last few years have purchased Larrivees (3). I really like them. 2 - 12 fretters and 1 dread. Have you done any reviews on Larrivees? I am a rather recent subscriber so I may have missed them. Thank you again, I just love your posts.
@@msinger5340 Hi I owned a Larrivee SD-50-TSB for a while - I didn't buy it - it was given to me by a dealer as part compensation for custom purchase of another brand guitar which was a failure. It was a fine guitar but I already had four Collings dreads, and I sold it t a friend who needed a new guitar and was also a bit hard up. It was a 2004 model with the proper nut width - 1 & 7/8" and it was the only guitar I could play this song on : th-cam.com/video/PRb-CZzVbt4/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching!
How would you compare this to a Collings OO?
Hi, I am "sold" on Collings 12 fret guitars, but the Eastman E40-00 is a very fine instrument. The Collings 1999 002h was very "dry" and rather unimpressive when I received it - but over the 8-10 months using a Tonerite and playing in, it is improving. I suspect it had not been played for ten years or more. See th-cam.com/video/NLZ-TsOcSAI/w-d-xo.html Thanks for your interest.
Thanks, Andy. I have a Collings 002h, a couple of years old now and I absolutely love it. I also have an Eastman E20P, and I'm amazed at the tone. However, I find the neck is a bit too chunky. The 1 13/ 16th is my perfect width. I have a chance to purchase an Eastman 40OO sunburst online for about $2000. U.S., brand new. I'm hoping the neck is a little less substantial than the E20P. Thanks for your videos. I'm a diehard fan of small, 12 fret, slotted headstock guitars.
Bless him. This old chap still thinks people want to listen to waffle instead of hearing the guitar.
Yup, talking to myself, oh and 4,052 others so far - and just on that video. look a little harder ad you'll see two more videos where I'm actually paying the thing.
Mister Moustache, or shall I just call you Silly...? I enjoy your reviews. Today I played a larger Eastman E40OM SB and liked it so much that I returned home to check prices and online reviews to see if it is worth the asking price. The quality, fit, finish, and tone are wonderful. SB stands for Sunburst, I believe. Although a bit more gaudy, it does make the abalone trim pop out. It is as close to my 1995 Martin J40 as anything I have played so far. Believing that I will someday need a re-fret, and knowing how long luthiers like to hold onto a guitar before completing their work, I have been searching for a similar guitar to tide me over. Short of buying a second J-40 at double the price, the Eastman is checking all the boxes, as they say. Especially the wider nut because I do struggle with the string spacing on my Martin. So now I am torn between a new "Reimagined" J-40, which does have a wider 1 3/4" nut, or immediate gratification with the Eastman. Decisions. Decisions. I believe my comment here was more of a mental wrestling match than anything else. Thank you again for your insightful and unbiased reviews.
Hi Patrick, you may call me Andy also, as that is my name. I had a '73 D35 for 21 years, and was quite happy with it but foolishly sold it to a friend to buy a J40 which was quickly problematic for me with the thin nut width and the very slim neck. It was impossible for me to play my style, so I sold it back to the guy I bought it from and went in search of wider fretboards - which is why now, all my flattops are 12 fretters. The Eastman flat tops are remarkably well finished and the "40" series are more lightly built that the lesser series, and only time will tell us whether they are too light or not. However, I believe that they are a perfectly good player, look gorgeous and will prove to be a good investment.
@@SillyMoustache Hi Andy, Pleased to meet you. I put up with the J-40's slim neck just because the cascading overtones are heaven sent. In my entire 60 years of playing guitar I have only held one other guitar that sounded that good; a $10,000 Collings sinker redwood. I tried a 12 fretter once but returned it because I have tunes that require playing up to the 16th fret. I believe I'll hold out for a 'Reimagined' J-40 with the wider nut and pray the forward shifted bracing still provides the incredible overtones. That Eastman sure is pretty and sounds awfully nice though...
After another night of mentally wrestling with myself, both sides finally reached agreement. Immediate gratification. I am now the proud owner of a sunburst Eastman E40OM. It has a wonderful balanced woody tone with ringing highs and nice overtones. The 'Reimagined' Martin J-40 will have to wait a bit longer. Time to go play. Have you noticed that Eastman coats the inside of their guitars? It makes the rosewood look darker.
Having played the Eastman for a week now, I think the tone and quality are as good as any guitar I have ever held in my hands. I replaced the original strings and while they were off, put a mirror inside. Not only is the entire inside clear-coated, you were right about them being lightly built. I found something else I had never seen before. A pentagon shaped box is formed by the top braces around the sound hole. Within that box Eastman laminated a piece of spruce that has the grain running crosswise to the top grain. I suspect the top sound board is thin so that was done to protect the sound hole from potential cracks. It would be interesting to know if that was done inside your guitar as well.
Looks super Andy - nice find..get some fingerstyle played on it ;-)
Hi Peter, thanks for watching. Since lockdown, I've been doing more of my own funny style of finger picking, but most of my zoom client's want to learn my flat-picking style.
I notice these are all smaller bodied guitars. Have you given up on dreadnoughts? I ask because since passing the half century mark my shoulder is giving me some grief and I'm wondering if I should step down to the slimmer bodies.
Hi banjo, strange you should ask. I'm shortly to upload a video about this. I read/hear your complaint very frequently, and it seems to be a kind of baby-boomer trend. I love my dreads and only feel right performing with them, but presently, wi n gigs, no rehearsals with the boys - I hardly see them. After my cancer treatment in 2017, during which I lost over 40lbs, I also had this shoulder issue, and as I had no intention of giving up my dreads, I resolved that I should work hard to rebuild my muscle mass (which reduces with age for all) and, of course play them using good posture. I'm convinced that older folks can extend their dreadnought playing time but only with good posture and exercise to strengthen our backs and shoulders. However, I certainly perceive a trend towards smaller guitars.
@@SillyMoustache Or...you can go in the opposite direction. I have found that slouching on the sofa tilts the guitar so the lower bout no longer props up my right arm causing my shoulder grief. In addition the tilt directs the soundhole more towards my tinnitus inflicted ears while allowing me to watch what the fingers on my left hand are doing. If I don't keep an eye on those sneaky digits, they'll wander off and start creating discord. When I sit on a stool and watch my fingers while playing, the chording fingers on my left hand occasionally go to sleep. That never happens on the sofa. To take strain off my left arm, I prop that elbow up with a pillow. One can't get much lazier than that without taking a nap. That position could make for an interesting stage performance.
Measures should be in mm.. ;)
Most of the world uses it.....
Hej Ivan, tack för din åsikt. De flesta av mina TH-cam-följare och Zoom-klienter finns i USA, och många är lika gamla som jag (74) som avslutade sin utbildning långt innan metric introducerades i Storbritannien. Så eftersom dessa gitarrer är byggda "i bilden" av Martins "USA"-designer - kommer jag att fortsätta att mäta och prata i Imperial. Tack för att du tittade, Anders.
🤗🤗🌹
??! Don't understand the pictures, but thanks .. I think.
A bewt!
it is a trifle blingy but it makes an old man very happy! Thanks for watching!
A review without playing the guitar, isn't it a pity.....
Yes, point taken - all talk no play - I need to remedy that soon. Thanks.
Now I know why there is a shortage of guitars in the shops and it's all your fault. Ha.
No Fair! No 'lectrics or banjos, well, just one! Oh and no Ukuleles!