I recently tried a SB59v and loved it and kept thinking about it. Today i tried a T59v and was completely blown away. Now i'm thinking about selling my maybach lester and get one of the T59s. Was never into Semi Hollows but man, this thing really got me.
Excellent video mate!, this is a great honest and up to date assessment and opinion from someone who buys and sells these things. You told me a year ago that I should check out Eastman and lo and behold I now have 3! 😁👌Quick question.... as you know I just got an SB59v which has a lovely round C neck, but I also tried the Nitro which had a quite different but fabulous V shape neck... are they (nitros) all like that?
Ah thanks Colin! Haha ive been loving your Eastman vids, i wonder if theyll venture into SG territory 😉 The T series eastmans have a slimmer slight V shape neck, i must admit i prefer the slightly bigger carves. I havent tried any of Eastmans more original design necks yet, or the jazz box type ones.
Hi Colin, I am a big fan of your channel too, greetings from Budapest. I have the nitro Sb59, and it has a C shape neck I beleive. Anyhow, I hope You buy that one too, and make a comparison with the varnished one :)
Pauly and Colin need to stop making videos that discuss Eastman guitars. Because of them I have bought 3 of them. Started with T59/V; then T64/V-T and just got a SB59 RB; all stunning playing and custom shop level of quality and cosmetics. Used up all my GAS money for the time being.
I now have an Eastman t484 and it is a fine guitar, as good as or better than manyGibson I’ve had including a 335, 339, LP junior special plus, Jr., etc. I’ve had a couple of Eastman archtops and an Eastman mando and they were fine quality as well.
Totally agree. The Eastmans that I own are way beyond core Gibson standard... in fact the two that I have I wouldn't consider swapping for a Custom-Shop model.
Thanks for this! I still have my 1968 LP Custom Ebony so the 'still need a Gibson' thing not an issue 😃 I haven't been able to get my hands on an Eastman yet (HK stockist only carries acoustics and Covid has prevented travel up till now) but from the many reviews (esp. our Colin!) my wishlist is SB59v (or SB59 nitro also ok) and a Juliet (or two). Being able to get 3 Eastmans for the price of 1 Gibson Custom Shop is sort of a no-brainer, n'est-ce pas? 2 months later - PS May 7th. Finally got to play an SB59/v over in Shenzen yesterday! Loved it. It immediately reminded me of a Murphy Lab LP I played here in HK a coupla months ago - neck, action, 'vibe'. The Eastman is HKD 16K / USD 2K & the Gibson HKD 54K / USD 6.7K. Go figure? Aiming to grab the Eastman asap!
To put it in perspective, they've already dropped quality a bit due to demand. They switched to urethane from nitro, and adopted an entry line of acoustics that don't have the same Eastman tone. You can also tell they aren't specking as nice of wood quality. That said, still wonderful, and holding on to it probably better than most would. And it's nice they're offering the varnish line as an upgrade for those who don't like urethane.
Agree, eastmans are hand-built with the best components used. Basically a gibson custom shop quality for a quarter of the price. Their acoustics are amazing too.
Nice, and some great playing there. Not the same thing but I own an Eastman OM acoustic and got it for £1600, it's fantastic. That company make very good guitars though as you say now the company is making so many more guitars it is a point to watch if the quality remains the same. cheers
The next thing for me to do is Eastman acoustics. The best dreadnought ive ever played was an eastman. But i need more Martin experience before im so sure to make a vid like this haha
@@Paul-D Got my local luthier to set the Eastman up and he's done lots of Martin and Eastman, said Eastman are at least as good. But you're right of course to have the very enjoyable task of trying more of those Martins. I will look forward to the results.
Have the SB59v and it is a joy, only thing i changed was to go to locking tuners you recommended. In almost every aspect, this beats a certain company hands down, lollar pick ups, gotoh and switchcraft hardware and an EBONY fingerboard is amazing value. My only gripe is 43mm width at the nut, it is noticeably wider in the hand than a les paul, but i will settle for that cos otherwise it is vastly superior.
Interesting the tuners on the V are still worth upgrading. I kind of wish i went for the SB59v at the time as the upcharge isnt much when the lollars are 100s on there own
Hi. The tone on your intro jam was freaking incredible. Were those the stock pickups in the guitar at that time or are they the Burstbuckers you switched over to? Also, if you can remember, were you playing with 9 or 10 gauge strings here? Just mind-blowingly thick, clear tone. Bravo!
The P90 'LP' type ones are by far the hardest to get ive found. They did a limited run black one with P90s and that thing is sooo rare. But yeh man after finding that Goldtop one for sale it would be so great to be able to go and get it. Its the one that makes the most sense to me too really not owning any P90s and I do like P90s too. Thanks for watching man
I am wondering about the Eastman AR371 (archtop, "jazz") for my alt-country/rock band. The only info and reviews I can find though talk about it as a jazz guitar. Is it silly to expect it to work outside that genre? What am I missing? Or do I just need to save more money for a Gretsch?
This is a good point in fairness, i would expect it to work fine outside of that genre personally, but i do think it would have a different sound to a good gretsch if you was going for that specifically
I lost my interest in Gibson after a side by side with a prs 594. That said, I always wanted a Martin OM, until I played an Eastman OM-torrified spruce top - next to a Martin. I happily bought the Eastman. My ear and my wallet haven’t looked back
On my Eastman T486, I swapped out the tuners to Kluson Revolution locking tuners in 20 minutes approx. You don't need to change the bushings. 19 to 1 ratio, sweet.
Agree. The stock Ping machine pegs are awful. Also, on my t59-v the tone switch is cut too close to the volume knob. Other than that, a brilliant guitar.
It's funny how the Eastman T386 is cheaper than a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone. One thing that's a bit weird to me is that the SB59 model is more expensive than the semi hollow models. Thought semi hollow was harder and more time consuming to make.
Yeh thats crazy! The JB epiphones have always been pricey though i guess. Yeh it is strange price wise i agree. Maybe even though the semi hollow is more time consuming, the solid body cost more raw material wise. And since the labour rate is cheaper in Bejing that explains the pricing
So all the V models are hand rubbed varnish like a violin, All the older non V models are nitro, all the newer ones are truetone NOT poly or anything like it, truetone is similar-ish to nitro except it wont really check or fade too much but it will wear similarly
I'm not certain I agree they are making considerably more guitars that you'd need to worry about quality control. I get the point and I do see more stores with Eastman, but notice how many they carry or if they are in stock and I don't think they are manufacturing a great deal more. However, I could be wrong. 🤔 Well, I did want an Eastman sb59v well before your video a year back, it just never happened. Fast forward to today and I have a 1978 Greco LP custom and 1980 Yamaha Studio Lord (sl700s). I reckon Eastman have increased their prices way more than other brands and I feel that's due to the Gibson price comparison whereby they are still reasonable. Yet, if we consider Gibson too expensive for what you get, I think Eastman now falls into that category & that's a shame. Back to my purchases I'm super happy. The one thing I'll say is that the Yammy is a damn beast, it's so heavy, so don't think you'd be using it to gig for the night, but playing at home sitting down I just love it. Mine are still stock, other than a new tailpiece on the Greco. Now do I still want a Gibson? Maybe... But not nearly as much as I would have buying an Eastman. That's because these guitars are somewhat unique & I feel great taking either one from the rack and I don't even think "if only I had"... Cheers Pauly for your updated and honest thoughts here Btw... Are you gonna convince Steve that Eastman is the way to go moving forward. 😂
Haha thats a good point about having somethig equally high quality and grrat but far less of a "copy" or version of the gibbo. Actually that gibson steve had in the vid was sold very shortly after, think he just prefers his strats, well silverskys now haha.
@@Paul-D I was considering a custom option before I'd bought a standard Romeo SC. I have 12 guitars now lol and the Romeo is ranked probably my 3rd favourite. It came stock with Gotoh's high end SG510 series tuners. However, out of my 12 guitars, it's the guitar I have the least confidence in being in tune when picking it up
Good honest video, I watched all of it with interest. That gold one you showed us on your computer looked the biz! Whilst I’m a die hard Gibson guy, I do admit that much of my attraction to Gibson is psychological - and wanting to hold something that my heroes played. Aren’t we humans a funny bunch! But if I was able to be more objective then I guess I might love an Eastman. Maybe when I grow up a little I’ll see things differently 🤣. Great vid 👍
Hi Paul! Thanks for stopping by. I know im actually watching vids of that one right now mulling over how I can juggle things to buy it haha, but im torn between that and the T59v. In fairness, the custom shop Gibson you play im sure is next level again - but thats kind of my point here haha. Well you went Oswald over Fender custom shop and I guess thats a similar thing in terms of not having that iconic name but being an insanely good guitar that you love (look forward to the new one!!) I recently realised that my dream spec brand new fender Strat would only be available in the high end of the custom shop spec wise, so my money would be straight on an Oswald when that time comes.
Lol, howdy Paul! Fortunately I have no issue like that and own 3 Eastmans. Maybe it’s cuz I worked around vintage gear for years. See ya on your channel!
@@Paul-D Yeah, the T59v looks lovely too…. Well I’ll be watching your channel with interest (now subscribed), so as to see what you eventually decide to try. Anyway, for now, happy noodling.
Im borrowing my friends T64v next week so that one will be next, and you know what its like when you get the itch - move heaven and earth to make it happen so I will definitely be trying to get a new one very soon haha. Thanks again Paul, look forward to your next video!
I think Eastmans are better than standard usa Gibsons. Played 5 Gibson Les Paul standards in a small guitar store in Bern (Swiss) and the one Eastman SB59 they had beside them one the wall was more resonant, better weight and looked better. I personally own a Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab Les Paul Ultra Light Aged 59’ Cherry Burst and I still think this guitar is a keeper with only 3,66 Kilos but I bought an Eastman DC55/v and I’m blown away how good it feels… So yes, I’d agree with you, the Gibson Custom Shop guitars may still have that 1% you won’t find that easy but the Eastmans are almost as good…
Bought both my Eastman's in last 2 years.....T486 bought for $1100....see them on sale new for $1400. SB59GT for $1475...seen them as high as $1700 new. They've appreciated so used market should also be favorable. I'm a lefty so that may matter...
There going up in price new and used for sure. My latest eastman vid does give weight to my concerns mentioned on here which is worrying but still. Even a slightly off eastman is still better then most guitars i play so that says something haha.
Having bought an Eastman SB59-v in antique goldburst about a month ago, I will be selling my Gibson Les Paul Classic once I find time to post it on Reverb, and I will never look back. But my 8.2 lb Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s with P90s is my "lifer guitar." That one's not going anywhere. Nor is my Eastman, so resell value is irrelevant to me. What a FANTASTIC guitar the SB59-v is! Plays like a dream and sustains for days.
I got the normal SB59 back when i was new to Eastman, i played the V recently and it is incredible - even above my normal SB59 which in itself is better then most standard gibsons ive played. I do still desire a customshop gibson but thats not even possible for as long as i can see haha.
@Paul-D I agree 100%! Now, if a Custom Shop comes along at the right weight and right price, that sucker is going on the credit card, and I'll deal with how to pay for it later. 🤣 Maybe selling my 1995 National Style O Deluxe resonator (beautiful, but never play it), PRS-SE Custom 24-08, Seagull, Orangewood, Baby Taylor, a ton of pedals, and an amp or two might get me pretty close to offsetting the cost.
totally mate, They never come up at the perfect spec and price though haha. You need to be fairly rich to own one - or as you say sell everything else you've got over the years and just have that 1 guitar and amp, which.... could be what we should do in the end who knows. Fact is though, Guitars like the SB59v and a few others - particularly before mid this year - are every bit as good of an instrument in tone, feel, craftsmanship, as serious high end gibson customs ive played / friends own. The only exception to that would be if you start looking at collectors choice, which is another whole level again for a certain person.
I have an sb59 V and a Romeo la. They are far and away my favorite guitars. I still like my Gibson's but the Eastman's are better. Still waiting on an sb55 that I ordered a while back. Can't wait to get it they've been out of stock for a while finally they have started to trickle in. I ordered mine from the local music store over a year ago. I think these early ones are going to be collectors items within a few years they're really that good.
It will be very interesting to see what the values of the slightly earlier ones do in future. Ive seen the resale value increase a fair bit over last few months, partly down to low supply numbers but still. Hopefully your SB55 wont be too much longer! You have ALOT of patience haha
If they are making more I wish they would make more lefties. I've had loads of Gibsons but I've just got the one LP Classic which I had to upgrade the pickups to Thornbuckers to make me want to keep it. I traded 4 guitars (including a LP tribute) plus a bit of cash for the last Eastman SB59L anywhere.
I guess its a stroke of luck there doing left handed at all sometimes haha. It must be like 1 or 2 % of sales. Its funny because i am left handed but never picked the guitar up that way
@@Paul-D ye there have been a few players that are lefties but play right-handed. Knopfler and Gary Moore are the 2 I know best. One good thing it stops me procrastinating, if I see something l like I tend to buy it because I don't know when, if ever, I'll see another. Although my wife thinks that's a bad thing!?! 🤷♂️
I have a 1990 Greco eg59-100 and just ordered an Eastman sb59. I really have no desire for a Gibson. I’ve played a ton of them and they’re just not great. I agree it would take a high end Gibson to match my Greco and hopefully the Eastman as well
Go for it, I recently found out about one in Manchester thats well stocked too, Forsyths I think from memory. Theyve certainly expanded ALOT recently. Wouldn't be surprised to see Andertons have them soon
I have a variety of Gibson Les Pauls and I want an Eastman. So, for Christmas I have just bought myself an Eastman 59 GBv (antique varnish) Coda Music have 2 59 Red bursts.
@@Paul-D I am not having a very smooth process with my purchase from Peach. Not their fault, as such but it has been lost or stolen with some other of their sales by DPD (they have gone downhill fast) takes six days to look for it and today is the 4th day so no Christmas guitar here. John (owner of Peach) has now decided to opt for Fed-Ex as their couriers. Peach has lost a lot of money if the batch of guitars are not found. Have a great Christmas.
Here's the video of an Eastman I got after this video, It will answer your question in full haha th-cam.com/video/P3mdKstkvAM/w-d-xo.html However, I have 2 friends that between them have bought 4 new eastman guitars since this - and they were all still perfect and wonderful instruments. I hope to get them on the channel soon too. Thanks dude
I suppose, outside of the playability aspect, Gibson is..and will remain in the near future, the most likely guitar to retain or even increase its re-sale value here, Europe and Japan. I recently almost bought a T486 Eastman in flawless condition advertised in our local Craigslist….and the fellow was hung with it for at least a month…dropping the price well bellow 50% of what he bought it for. All this, as Gibsons…specially the hollow bodies came and went within a week in most cases…at prices that were not far off what they were bought for..specially if 10 years or older. So, it may, in the end, be more expensive to own an Eastman than a Gibson. Hey, they are great and I have a stunning acoustic, 10E..something…(00 size)…myself..and love it. With that, I know that if that was the same size Martin, I would get much of my money back…but not with my Eastman I’m afraid.
see thats crazy because ive had a handful of both less then 2 year old Gibsons and Eastmans and each time the Gibsons were much harder to shift and lost more money. Anything custom shop or older gibson is a totally different story mind. 1 recentish example, I had a MINT condition 2021 50s standard Les Paul tobacco burst listed for £1650 for 4 months (featured on this channel somewhere) and it didnt shift. let it go for £1500 in the end nearly £1000 below its purchase tag less then a year previous. Goes to show how different markets can be. Then I listed a similar age T486 in antique classic for £1100, RRP at the time was around £1400 and it sold with a few days. A friend had a SB56n that he paid £1500 for in a sale and sold it used for £1600 in short order too.
@@Paul-D well Paul…that’s not really a good example of this. Clearly, you will lose money on almost any guitar that was bought 2-3 years ago…Gibson certainly included. The point is that if you have 10 - 15 year old Gibson..it will outperform return on investment pretty much every time. I’m sorry if I didn’t state that at the beginning. The simple fact is that people have a good idea how a Gibson or a Fender or a Martin are going to age..and the consumers also know that there is a long established track of holding value by these makers. Eastman is not in that category..at least not yet. But yes…by all means, if you are buying a new Gibson, Fender, PRS or Martin…you will most definitely loose your shirt if you are then selling any of these 2 years later. Clearly, any potential buyers are going to just buy a new instrument instead of yours…because the prices don’t usually change that much after only two years. However, buy a Gibson SG in 2008..and you are probably getting what you paid for it..and some…in 2023.
Yeh but that wasn’t my point here either perhaps that wasn’t explained, LOTS of new guitars get sold by the first owner within the first 2 years, infact its pretty rare in my experience people buy instruments and keep them for long enough to meet your point. Even gibson standards, usa fenders etc. only have to see the 100s for sale that are less then 2 years old to see its common. In which case, i based the eastman being safer money wise then gibson on that. Im not mentioning martin here because i have never bought/sold one. But have quite abit of experiences buying both Gibson and Eastmans
I can't say ive had much of an interest in buying a Gibson in over a decade, and since I bought my SB59v a couple of years ago, any remaining interest in the Gibson brand has disappeared. You're paying for the brand on the headstock and not much else. The top end SB59 is the same price as a LP Studio here and is Custom Shop level quality. The guy who sold me my Eastman used to be a Gibson rep and he owns a 59v himself. If you want the Gibson badge, go buy it, but if you want a great guitar for less money, Eastman is the way to go.
I totally agree hence since this vid owning another haha. But when you see someone with a really nice R9 or something it still feels like a thing of desire to me, doesnt mean i think its worth it though with how great these guitars are. My next guitar will be my third eastman no doubt at all.
I think they are good guitars but I think their list price is a bit high. Still as you say they are selling so people like them. I might go and give one a try
I did forget to mention theyve got abit more expensive this year as a downside, silly me. But then what hasnt got expensive You should man, i havent found a duff one yet, dont know how they do it
@@Paul-D I was going to say the same about the price increase. So much so, I think they've gotten too expensive. As per your video a year back I am a fan of these Eastman's & had been looking to purchase well before your video. Now I don't feel they hold the same 'value' with the crazy price increase. However, all guitars have risen in price, but I don't think Gibson's have increased in the same way. Cheers Paul.
So did the tuners not do the job? or did you change them cuz you wanted to do so? I have never heard anybody else before talk about how they are not good enough. Also it is just better to watch the used market and find a desperate person that will sell too cheap. I have done that for decades for all of my music gear. I have been going at it now for 20+ years on the same $1000 I spent a long time ago. It works of you work it.
90% of stuff i get i do the same thing mate - knowing how to use the secondary market is a god send - even if sometimes it means waiting forever haha. And the pingwells do work okay - but your dealing with a guitar that feels absolutely customshop throughout except for the pingwells so its more just getting tuners that fit the quality level of everything else. The V versions use Gotoh and not pingwell im sure for that very reason.
Very good and informative video as always and nice playing. I very much enjoy these types of videos, when you share your longer term experience. I have the exact same guitar, same colour, nitro, goldburst, mine is 3.8 kg. In my opinion there is something special about the eastman guitars, maybe due to knowing they are handmade and the premium components used. And the subtle changes to the les paul - headstock, rounder lower horn, deeper carve of the maple top etc. - work very well, usually others fall short in some parts. I very much liked the varnish version also, but the nitro is so classy that I went with it, and also cheaper. The quality is so good, that its hard to beleive actually that they are all handmade :). Have you had experience with maybach lester maybe or heritage h150? What are they like, I have not had the chance to try those out yet. Take care!
Thanks for watching 😁 mine is 3.8 too haha. I have played the maybach - it was also very nice but the eastman just beats it to me as i slightly prefer the design for reasons you mentioned. Never tried a heritage yet but im hoping to get to Andertons soon with a friend so ill try one there. I think the headstocks are reallllllly off putting on them though haha.
Yes, that would be interesting also. If strats, I would love to try Haar, but noone sells them in my country. One thing I read about the maybach lesters, they use chambered bodies to keep the weight under 4 kg-s, so Eastman uses better woods.
Yeh especially when your talking the custom shop stuff which is where the real good stuff is by design. If i ever become stinking rich ill think nothing of spending a weekend finding an R9. Until then, Eastman all the way 😁😁
The thing I don’t like about Eastman is that they are pushing up and pushing up their prices… They now cost about the same as a Gibson USA. Having cheap labour in China, they must be making more and more money on these. They are nice guitars, but way overpriced in my opinion.
They have gone up which is unfortunate, but when you consider a shipping pallet has gone up around 300% along with the rise of everything else its no suprise. They are still considerably cheaper then the gibson alternatives at full RRP here in the UK though?
@@Paul-D A Gibson LP standard here cost about as much as a SB59/v, say 2300 to 2400 Euro street price, which I consider a lot of money for a Chinese guitar… take an Epiphone LP for 600 … 900 Euro. Sure the Eastmans are superior to the Epi’s (and Gibson USA too) but 1500 Euro better than an Epi 59 or Lazarus ?? Nowadays 1800…1900 Euro I would consider a fair price for the SB59/v, but hey… as long as people are paying 2400 for it … 😂
Thing is the SB59v is next level eastman again compared to mine which is quite abit less then a gibson standard, as i say the price imcrease is abut shitty but comparing the sb59v with a gibson standard is the wrong mentality. You have to compare the sb59v with gibson custom shop - then the pricing is very different. Then you look at the ES types which are even less compared to gibson. Not quite sure how that works given they must be harder to make but there we go lol
Yeh man seriously. Even now more realistically every 4 to 6. Its not even out of pickiness i dont like buying strings so much lol. But my sweaty hands destroy strings faster then anyone can believe until they know me lol.
@@Paul-D that sucks, but I kind of relate. my fingers react to the metal on certain brands. I can’t stand going to guitar shops or pawn shops where the guitars are strung with rusty strings. But maybe a coated brand or flatwounds would help you? Diadario chromes and elixirs don’t cause that reaction and I get years out of them.
I only tried the optiweb? I think it was once and didnt like them. So gave up on coated strings but i really ought to try some others. Gotta be better then buying normal ones all the time lol
Dollar for dollar regarding build quality, components, feel, weight, and sound the Eastmans win. Someone still wanting a Gibson is purely a brand thing and shouldn’t be framed as a negative towards Eastman. The fact you say only a Gibson custom shop stands up to it proves that point. I bet 98% of us are watching this video on a phone or computer made in china so I don’t get that argument
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Lol I know you got that exact T59/v but was the Gold Top you found here also the one you ended up getting?
No it was much later on the gold top. It was a cancelled order at Richards Guitars.
I recently tried a SB59v and loved it and kept thinking about it. Today i tried a T59v and was completely blown away. Now i'm thinking about selling my maybach lester and get one of the T59s.
Was never into Semi Hollows but man, this thing really got me.
They are great guitars. Ive still not managed to try a maybach yet, I am trying to message friends etc to see if anyone has one I can play haha
Keep the Maybach AND buy the Eastman. ;-)
Excellent video mate!, this is a great honest and up to date assessment and opinion from someone who buys and sells these things. You told me a year ago that I should check out Eastman and lo and behold I now have 3! 😁👌Quick question.... as you know I just got an SB59v which has a lovely round C neck, but I also tried the Nitro which had a quite different but fabulous V shape neck... are they (nitros) all like that?
Ah thanks Colin! Haha ive been loving your Eastman vids, i wonder if theyll venture into SG territory 😉
The T series eastmans have a slimmer slight V shape neck, i must admit i prefer the slightly bigger carves. I havent tried any of Eastmans more original design necks yet, or the jazz box type ones.
Hi Colin, I am a big fan of your channel too, greetings from Budapest. I have the nitro Sb59, and it has a C shape neck I beleive. Anyhow, I hope You buy that one too, and make a comparison with the varnished one :)
Pauly and Colin need to stop making videos that discuss Eastman guitars. Because of them I have bought 3 of them. Started with T59/V; then T64/V-T and just got a SB59 RB; all stunning playing and custom shop level of quality and cosmetics. Used up all my GAS money for the time being.
I now have an Eastman t484 and it is a fine guitar, as good as or better than manyGibson I’ve had including a 335, 339, LP junior special plus, Jr., etc. I’ve had a couple of Eastman archtops and an Eastman mando and they were fine quality as well.
Totally agree. The Eastmans that I own are way beyond core Gibson standard... in fact the two that I have I wouldn't consider swapping for a Custom-Shop model.
Just looked at your channel and seen the '62 Strat vid. Do you still have that guitar?
Thanks for this! I still have my 1968 LP Custom Ebony so the 'still need a Gibson' thing not an issue 😃 I haven't been able to get my hands on an Eastman yet (HK stockist only carries acoustics and Covid has prevented travel up till now) but from the many reviews (esp. our Colin!) my wishlist is SB59v (or SB59 nitro also ok) and a Juliet (or two). Being able to get 3 Eastmans for the price of 1 Gibson Custom Shop is sort of a no-brainer, n'est-ce pas? 2 months later - PS May 7th. Finally got to play an SB59/v over in Shenzen yesterday! Loved it. It immediately reminded me of a Murphy Lab LP I played here in HK a coupla months ago - neck, action, 'vibe'. The Eastman is HKD 16K / USD 2K & the Gibson HKD 54K / USD 6.7K. Go figure? Aiming to grab the Eastman asap!
Thats a pretty special gibson so im not suprised that box is firmly ticked haha
To put it in perspective, they've already dropped quality a bit due to demand. They switched to urethane from nitro, and adopted an entry line of acoustics that don't have the same Eastman tone. You can also tell they aren't specking as nice of wood quality. That said, still wonderful, and holding on to it probably better than most would. And it's nice they're offering the varnish line as an upgrade for those who don't like urethane.
Agree, eastmans are hand-built with the best components used. Basically a gibson custom shop quality for a quarter of the price. Their acoustics are amazing too.
im hoping to get familiar with their acoustics going into next year :)
Nice, and some great playing there. Not the same thing but I own an Eastman OM acoustic and got it for £1600, it's fantastic. That company make very good guitars though as you say now the company is making so many more guitars it is a point to watch if the quality remains the same. cheers
The next thing for me to do is Eastman acoustics. The best dreadnought ive ever played was an eastman. But i need more Martin experience before im so sure to make a vid like this haha
@@Paul-D Got my local luthier to set the Eastman up and he's done lots of Martin and Eastman, said Eastman are at least as good. But you're right of course to have the very enjoyable task of trying more of those Martins. I will look forward to the results.
Have the SB59v and it is a joy, only thing i changed was to go to locking tuners you recommended. In almost every aspect, this beats a certain company hands down, lollar pick ups, gotoh and switchcraft hardware and an EBONY fingerboard is amazing value. My only gripe is 43mm width at the nut, it is noticeably wider in the hand than a les paul, but i will settle for that cos otherwise it is vastly superior.
Interesting the tuners on the V are still worth upgrading. I kind of wish i went for the SB59v at the time as the upcharge isnt much when the lollars are 100s on there own
As someone that grew up riffing acdc and led Zeppelin on a takamine c-128 I don't mind wider necks lol besides more neck wood means more tone ;)
Hi. The tone on your intro jam was freaking incredible. Were those the stock pickups in the guitar at that time or are they the Burstbuckers you switched over to? Also, if you can remember, were you playing with 9 or 10 gauge strings here? Just mind-blowingly thick, clear tone. Bravo!
It was the stock pickups here. And definitely would have been hybrid 9-46 😃
@@Paul-D 🙏👍
The goldtop p90 hands down, that one looks way more premium. You should borrow one and review it.
The P90 'LP' type ones are by far the hardest to get ive found. They did a limited run black one with P90s and that thing is sooo rare. But yeh man after finding that Goldtop one for sale it would be so great to be able to go and get it. Its the one that makes the most sense to me too really not owning any P90s and I do like P90s too. Thanks for watching man
I am wondering about the Eastman AR371 (archtop, "jazz") for my alt-country/rock band. The only info and reviews I can find though talk about it as a jazz guitar. Is it silly to expect it to work outside that genre? What am I missing? Or do I just need to save more money for a Gretsch?
This is a good point in fairness, i would expect it to work fine outside of that genre personally, but i do think it would have a different sound to a good gretsch if you was going for that specifically
I lost my interest in Gibson after a side by side with a prs 594. That said, I always wanted a Martin OM, until I played an Eastman OM-torrified spruce top - next to a Martin. I happily bought the Eastman. My ear and my wallet haven’t looked back
Eastman om? Pch2?
On my Eastman T486, I swapped out the tuners to Kluson Revolution locking tuners in 20 minutes approx. You don't need to change the bushings. 19 to 1 ratio, sweet.
Nice one, it is really weird how on so many those pingwells just dont live upto the rest of the guitar haha
Agree. The stock Ping machine pegs are awful. Also, on my t59-v the tone switch is cut too close to the volume knob. Other than that, a brilliant guitar.
It's funny how the Eastman T386 is cheaper than a Joe Bonamassa Epiphone. One thing that's a bit weird to me is that the SB59 model is more expensive than the semi hollow models. Thought semi hollow was harder and more time consuming to make.
Yeh thats crazy! The JB epiphones have always been pricey though i guess. Yeh it is strange price wise i agree. Maybe even though the semi hollow is more time consuming, the solid body cost more raw material wise. And since the labour rate is cheaper in Bejing that explains the pricing
The stock tuners on these ARE Gotohs, the same ones as the SB57 you looked at, the SD90
Great video bro! Is the finish nitro or poly? Eastman wedsite just say gloss finish.
So all the V models are hand rubbed varnish like a violin,
All the older non V models are nitro, all the newer ones are truetone NOT poly or anything like it, truetone is similar-ish to nitro except it wont really check or fade too much but it will wear similarly
@@Paul-D Thanks for the information. I appreciate it. I ordered the sb59 goldburst days ago and I can’t wait to play it!
Congrats man! There isnt a better LP outside of the very top of the gibson customshop thats for sure
I'm not certain I agree they are making considerably more guitars that you'd need to worry about quality control. I get the point and I do see more stores with Eastman, but notice how many they carry or if they are in stock and I don't think they are manufacturing a great deal more. However, I could be wrong. 🤔
Well, I did want an Eastman sb59v well before your video a year back, it just never happened. Fast forward to today and I have a 1978 Greco LP custom and 1980 Yamaha Studio Lord (sl700s).
I reckon Eastman have increased their prices way more than other brands and I feel that's due to the Gibson price comparison whereby they are still reasonable. Yet, if we consider Gibson too expensive for what you get, I think Eastman now falls into that category & that's a shame.
Back to my purchases I'm super happy. The one thing I'll say is that the Yammy is a damn beast, it's so heavy, so don't think you'd be using it to gig for the night, but playing at home sitting down I just love it.
Mine are still stock, other than a new tailpiece on the Greco. Now do I still want a Gibson? Maybe... But not nearly as much as I would have buying an Eastman. That's because these guitars are somewhat unique & I feel great taking either one from the rack and I don't even think "if only I had"...
Cheers Pauly for your updated and honest thoughts here
Btw... Are you gonna convince Steve that Eastman is the way to go moving forward. 😂
Haha thats a good point about having somethig equally high quality and grrat but far less of a "copy" or version of the gibbo. Actually that gibson steve had in the vid was sold very shortly after, think he just prefers his strats, well silverskys now haha.
Eastman also have/had a custom option which is finished in US. I don't see it on their website right now but have looked at it a few times in the past
I did see something about there top end acoustics being finished in the US but im not so familiar with Eastman acoustics yet haha
@@Paul-D I was considering a custom option before I'd bought a standard Romeo SC. I have 12 guitars now lol and the Romeo is ranked probably my 3rd favourite. It came stock with Gotoh's high end SG510 series tuners. However, out of my 12 guitars, it's the guitar I have the least confidence in being in tune when picking it up
Killer playing man I was an excellent demo 2:29 2:40
Good honest video, I watched all of it with interest. That gold one you showed us on your computer looked the biz! Whilst I’m a die hard Gibson guy, I do admit that much of my attraction to Gibson is psychological - and wanting to hold something that my heroes played. Aren’t we humans a funny bunch! But if I was able to be more objective then I guess I might love an Eastman. Maybe when I grow up a little I’ll see things differently 🤣. Great vid 👍
Hi Paul! Thanks for stopping by.
I know im actually watching vids of that one right now mulling over how I can juggle things to buy it haha, but im torn between that and the T59v. In fairness, the custom shop Gibson you play im sure is next level again - but thats kind of my point here haha.
Well you went Oswald over Fender custom shop and I guess thats a similar thing in terms of not having that iconic name but being an insanely good guitar that you love (look forward to the new one!!) I recently realised that my dream spec brand new fender Strat would only be available in the high end of the custom shop spec wise, so my money would be straight on an Oswald when that time comes.
Lol, howdy Paul! Fortunately I have no issue like that and own 3 Eastmans. Maybe it’s cuz I worked around vintage gear for years. See ya on your channel!
@@Paul-D Yeah, the T59v looks lovely too…. Well I’ll be watching your channel with interest (now subscribed), so as to see what you eventually decide to try. Anyway, for now, happy noodling.
@@mooseymoose Cheers Moosey 👍
Im borrowing my friends T64v next week so that one will be next, and you know what its like when you get the itch - move heaven and earth to make it happen so I will definitely be trying to get a new one very soon haha. Thanks again Paul, look forward to your next video!
I think Eastmans are better than standard usa Gibsons. Played 5 Gibson Les Paul standards in a small guitar store in Bern (Swiss) and the one Eastman SB59 they had beside them one the wall was more resonant, better weight and looked better. I personally own a Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab Les Paul Ultra Light Aged 59’ Cherry Burst and I still think this guitar is a keeper with only 3,66 Kilos but I bought an Eastman DC55/v and I’m blown away how good it feels… So yes, I’d agree with you, the Gibson Custom Shop guitars may still have that 1% you won’t find that easy but the Eastmans are almost as good…
Summed it up nicely. Fact is some people can accept that extra few % for 3 or 4 times the cost. And when i can afford too, i will justify it too haha
Bought both my Eastman's in last 2 years.....T486 bought for $1100....see them on sale new for $1400. SB59GT for $1475...seen them as high as $1700 new. They've appreciated so used market should also be favorable. I'm a lefty so that may matter...
There going up in price new and used for sure. My latest eastman vid does give weight to my concerns mentioned on here which is worrying but still. Even a slightly off eastman is still better then most guitars i play so that says something haha.
Having bought an Eastman SB59-v in antique goldburst about a month ago, I will be selling my Gibson Les Paul Classic once I find time to post it on Reverb, and I will never look back. But my 8.2 lb Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s with P90s is my "lifer guitar." That one's not going anywhere. Nor is my Eastman, so resell value is irrelevant to me. What a FANTASTIC guitar the SB59-v is! Plays like a dream and sustains for days.
I got the normal SB59 back when i was new to Eastman, i played the V recently and it is incredible - even above my normal SB59 which in itself is better then most standard gibsons ive played. I do still desire a customshop gibson but thats not even possible for as long as i can see haha.
@Paul-D I agree 100%! Now, if a Custom Shop comes along at the right weight and right price, that sucker is going on the credit card, and I'll deal with how to pay for it later. 🤣
Maybe selling my 1995 National Style O Deluxe resonator (beautiful, but never play it), PRS-SE Custom 24-08, Seagull, Orangewood, Baby Taylor, a ton of pedals, and an amp or two might get me pretty close to offsetting the cost.
totally mate, They never come up at the perfect spec and price though haha. You need to be fairly rich to own one - or as you say sell everything else you've got over the years and just have that 1 guitar and amp, which.... could be what we should do in the end who knows.
Fact is though, Guitars like the SB59v and a few others - particularly before mid this year - are every bit as good of an instrument in tone, feel, craftsmanship, as serious high end gibson customs ive played / friends own. The only exception to that would be if you start looking at collectors choice, which is another whole level again for a certain person.
I have an sb59 V and a Romeo la. They are far and away my favorite guitars. I still like my Gibson's but the Eastman's are better. Still waiting on an sb55 that I ordered a while back. Can't wait to get it they've been out of stock for a while finally they have started to trickle in. I ordered mine from the local music store over a year ago. I think these early ones are going to be collectors items within a few years they're really that good.
It will be very interesting to see what the values of the slightly earlier ones do in future. Ive seen the resale value increase a fair bit over last few months, partly down to low supply numbers but still. Hopefully your SB55 wont be too much longer! You have ALOT of patience haha
If they are making more I wish they would make more lefties. I've had loads of Gibsons but I've just got the one LP Classic which I had to upgrade the pickups to Thornbuckers to make me want to keep it. I traded 4 guitars (including a LP tribute) plus a bit of cash for the last Eastman SB59L anywhere.
I guess its a stroke of luck there doing left handed at all sometimes haha. It must be like 1 or 2 % of sales. Its funny because i am left handed but never picked the guitar up that way
@@Paul-D ye there have been a few players that are lefties but play right-handed. Knopfler and Gary Moore are the 2 I know best. One good thing it stops me procrastinating, if I see something l like I tend to buy it because I don't know when, if ever, I'll see another. Although my wife thinks that's a bad thing!?! 🤷♂️
I have a 1990 Greco eg59-100 and just ordered an Eastman sb59. I really have no desire for a Gibson. I’ve played a ton of them and they’re just not great. I agree it would take a high end Gibson to match my Greco and hopefully the Eastman as well
Congrats man im sure you’ll be thrilled with it 🤘🤘
I can tell you of three other shops/online sales that have numerous Eastmans, all in the 'London' reach.
Go for it, I recently found out about one in Manchester thats well stocked too, Forsyths I think from memory. Theyve certainly expanded ALOT recently. Wouldn't be surprised to see Andertons have them soon
That guitar has trutone which is why it's wearing so well. It's a nice finish.
Thanks i didnt know the specifics on that. Ill look it up 😁
@@Paul-D Cool I got my about the same time as you. So the videos have been great 😊
I have a variety of Gibson Les Pauls and I want an Eastman. So, for Christmas I have just bought myself an Eastman 59 GBv (antique varnish) Coda Music have 2 59 Red bursts.
Coda music seem to be the best place for Eastman at the mo. They currently have the ONLY SB56/n in the country and I want it soooooooo much!
@@Paul-D I want one of the all solid wood builds 184/5/6 MX
@@Paul-D Richards guitars usually have a variety. The SB56 can be ordered.
I got my second one from Richards guitars. It wasn't a totally smooth process lol. The 184 etc do interest me id like to try one against my T59v
@@Paul-D I am not having a very smooth process with my purchase from Peach. Not their fault, as such but it has been lost or stolen with some other of their sales by DPD (they have gone downhill fast) takes six days to look for it and today is the 4th day so no Christmas guitar here. John (owner of Peach) has now decided to opt for Fed-Ex as their couriers. Peach has lost a lot of money if the batch of guitars are not found. Have a great Christmas.
How did it turn out with your concerns? Did the Eastman quality drop now that they are making more guitars?
Here's the video of an Eastman I got after this video, It will answer your question in full haha th-cam.com/video/P3mdKstkvAM/w-d-xo.html
However, I have 2 friends that between them have bought 4 new eastman guitars since this - and they were all still perfect and wonderful instruments. I hope to get them on the channel soon too. Thanks dude
I suppose, outside of the playability aspect, Gibson is..and will remain in the near future, the most likely guitar to retain or even increase its re-sale value here, Europe and Japan.
I recently almost bought a T486 Eastman in flawless condition advertised in our local Craigslist….and the fellow was hung with it for at least a month…dropping the price well bellow 50% of what he bought it for. All this, as Gibsons…specially the hollow bodies came and went within a week in most cases…at prices that were not far off what they were bought for..specially if 10 years or older. So, it may, in the end, be more expensive to own an Eastman than a Gibson. Hey, they are great and I have a stunning acoustic, 10E..something…(00 size)…myself..and love it. With that, I know that if that was the same size Martin, I would get much of my money back…but not with my Eastman I’m afraid.
see thats crazy because ive had a handful of both less then 2 year old Gibsons and Eastmans and each time the Gibsons were much harder to shift and lost more money. Anything custom shop or older gibson is a totally different story mind.
1 recentish example, I had a MINT condition 2021 50s standard Les Paul tobacco burst listed for £1650 for 4 months (featured on this channel somewhere) and it didnt shift. let it go for £1500 in the end nearly £1000 below its purchase tag less then a year previous. Goes to show how different markets can be. Then I listed a similar age T486 in antique classic for £1100, RRP at the time was around £1400 and it sold with a few days. A friend had a SB56n that he paid £1500 for in a sale and sold it used for £1600 in short order too.
@@Paul-D well Paul…that’s not really a good example of this. Clearly, you will lose money on almost any guitar that was bought 2-3 years ago…Gibson certainly included. The point is that if you have 10 - 15 year old Gibson..it will outperform return on investment pretty much every time. I’m sorry if I didn’t state that at the beginning. The simple fact is that people have a good idea how a Gibson or a Fender or a Martin are going to age..and the consumers also know that there is a long established track of holding value by these makers. Eastman is not in that category..at least not yet. But yes…by all means, if you are buying a new Gibson, Fender, PRS or Martin…you will most definitely loose your shirt if you are then selling any of these 2 years later. Clearly, any potential buyers are going to just buy a new instrument instead of yours…because the prices don’t usually change that much after only two years. However, buy a Gibson SG in 2008..and you are probably getting what you paid for it..and some…in 2023.
Yeh but that wasn’t my point here either perhaps that wasn’t explained, LOTS of new guitars get sold by the first owner within the first 2 years, infact its pretty rare in my experience people buy instruments and keep them for long enough to meet your point. Even gibson standards, usa fenders etc. only have to see the 100s for sale that are less then 2 years old to see its common. In which case, i based the eastman being safer money wise then gibson on that.
Im not mentioning martin here because i have never bought/sold one. But have quite abit of experiences buying both Gibson and Eastmans
I can't say ive had much of an interest in buying a Gibson in over a decade, and since I bought my SB59v a couple of years ago, any remaining interest in the Gibson brand has disappeared. You're paying for the brand on the headstock and not much else. The top end SB59 is the same price as a LP Studio here and is Custom Shop level quality. The guy who sold me my Eastman used to be a Gibson rep and he owns a 59v himself. If you want the Gibson badge, go buy it, but if you want a great guitar for less money, Eastman is the way to go.
I totally agree hence since this vid owning another haha.
But when you see someone with a really nice R9 or something it still feels like a thing of desire to me, doesnt mean i think its worth it though with how great these guitars are. My next guitar will be my third eastman no doubt at all.
I think they are good guitars but I think their list price is a bit high. Still as you say they are selling so people like them. I might go and give one a try
I did forget to mention theyve got abit more expensive this year as a downside, silly me. But then what hasnt got expensive
You should man, i havent found a duff one yet, dont know how they do it
try them, mine is a beauty
@@Paul-D I was going to say the same about the price increase. So much so, I think they've gotten too expensive. As per your video a year back I am a fan of these Eastman's & had been looking to purchase well before your video.
Now I don't feel they hold the same 'value' with the crazy price increase. However, all guitars have risen in price, but I don't think Gibson's have increased in the same way.
Cheers Paul.
#102nd comment, less my criticism (edited out), good work and agree that "pride" is real. Just also, pride can be foolish!
So did the tuners not do the job? or did you change them cuz you wanted to do so? I have never heard anybody else before talk about how they are not good enough. Also it is just better to watch the used market and find a desperate person that will sell too cheap. I have done that for decades for all of my music gear. I have been going at it now for 20+ years on the same $1000 I spent a long time ago. It works of you work it.
90% of stuff i get i do the same thing mate - knowing how to use the secondary market is a god send - even if sometimes it means waiting forever haha.
And the pingwells do work okay - but your dealing with a guitar that feels absolutely customshop throughout except for the pingwells so its more just getting tuners that fit the quality level of everything else. The V versions use Gotoh and not pingwell im sure for that very reason.
@@Paul-D yeah even if it's gear you do not want or need. You take it on trade or even pay cash if it's too cheap.
All the fine scratches on my guitar happened because I need to keep my fingernails short and filed smooth.
Very good and informative video as always and nice playing. I very much enjoy these types of videos, when you share your longer term experience. I have the exact same guitar, same colour, nitro, goldburst, mine is 3.8 kg. In my opinion there is something special about the eastman guitars, maybe due to knowing they are handmade and the premium components used. And the subtle changes to the les paul - headstock, rounder lower horn, deeper carve of the maple top etc. - work very well, usually others fall short in some parts. I very much liked the varnish version also, but the nitro is so classy that I went with it, and also cheaper. The quality is so good, that its hard to beleive actually that they are all handmade :). Have you had experience with maybach lester maybe or heritage h150? What are they like, I have not had the chance to try those out yet. Take care!
Thanks for watching 😁 mine is 3.8 too haha.
I have played the maybach - it was also very nice but the eastman just beats it to me as i slightly prefer the design for reasons you mentioned.
Never tried a heritage yet but im hoping to get to Andertons soon with a friend so ill try one there. I think the headstocks are reallllllly off putting on them though haha.
Also, Maybach do Strat types too, Stradivari? and id love to try those
Yes, that would be interesting also. If strats, I would love to try Haar, but noone sells them in my country. One thing I read about the maybach lesters, they use chambered bodies to keep the weight under 4 kg-s, so Eastman uses better woods.
I have the Eastman Romeo SC, it is awesome, that said, so is my Gibson Hummingbird and USA Epiphone Frontier.
Great honest opinion
thanks mate
@@Paul-D your welcome
Totally completely agree.
Awesome Manufacturer
Nice intro 🙂
Excusé mais les guitares Godin sont exceptionnelles.
I haven't played many - but yeh definitely good guitars :)
If its a good guitar ,Why would you sell it?
I've always wanted a Gibson, the price is just isn't worth the name for me. So many just as good or better guitars for a 1/4 the price.
Yeh especially when your talking the custom shop stuff which is where the real good stuff is by design. If i ever become stinking rich ill think nothing of spending a weekend finding an R9. Until then, Eastman all the way 😁😁
The Eastmans have gone up in price in the EU. Quality instruments though.
Yeh that is the one downside i forgot to mention, but i guess so much has gone up this year.
The thing I don’t like about Eastman is that they are pushing up and pushing up their prices… They now cost about the same as a Gibson USA. Having cheap labour in China, they must be making more and more money on these.
They are nice guitars, but way overpriced in my opinion.
They have gone up which is unfortunate, but when you consider a shipping pallet has gone up around 300% along with the rise of everything else its no suprise. They are still considerably cheaper then the gibson alternatives at full RRP here in the UK though?
@@Paul-D A Gibson LP standard here cost about as much as a SB59/v, say 2300 to 2400 Euro street price, which I consider a lot of money for a Chinese guitar… take an Epiphone LP for 600 … 900 Euro.
Sure the Eastmans are superior to the Epi’s (and Gibson USA too) but 1500 Euro better than an Epi 59 or Lazarus ?? Nowadays 1800…1900 Euro I would consider a fair price for the SB59/v, but hey… as long as people are paying 2400 for it … 😂
Thing is the SB59v is next level eastman again compared to mine which is quite abit less then a gibson standard, as i say the price imcrease is abut shitty but comparing the sb59v with a gibson standard is the wrong mentality. You have to compare the sb59v with gibson custom shop - then the pricing is very different.
Then you look at the ES types which are even less compared to gibson. Not quite sure how that works given they must be harder to make but there we go lol
@@Paul-D Gibson Custom prices are way more absurd than Eastman SB IMO 🤑,
but hey, your ES Gibson / Eastman comparison is spot on 👍
You change your strings every 3-4 weeks? How do you live like that? Good grief man.
Yeh man seriously. Even now more realistically every 4 to 6. Its not even out of pickiness i dont like buying strings so much lol. But my sweaty hands destroy strings faster then anyone can believe until they know me lol.
@@Paul-D that sucks, but I kind of relate. my fingers react to the metal on certain brands. I can’t stand going to guitar shops or pawn shops where the guitars are strung with rusty strings. But maybe a coated brand or flatwounds would help you? Diadario chromes and elixirs don’t cause that reaction and I get years out of them.
I only tried the optiweb? I think it was once and didnt like them. So gave up on coated strings but i really ought to try some others. Gotta be better then buying normal ones all the time lol
Dollar for dollar regarding build quality, components, feel, weight, and sound the Eastmans win. Someone still wanting a Gibson is purely a brand thing and shouldn’t be framed as a negative towards Eastman. The fact you say only a Gibson custom shop stands up to it proves that point. I bet 98% of us are watching this video on a phone or computer made in china so I don’t get that argument