G'day folks, anyone own an Eastman Mandolin? I'm considering the MD515 F style gloss finished one. I'd love a Larrivee one but I don't like the chances of getting one here in Oz.....
Cheers, Scott.
Never played one. It looks nice though. Here's some feedback from the Mandolin Cafe.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?24747-Eastman-Mandolin-Review/page3
FWIW, I own a Kentucky KM-900. "A" style, around the same price and very nice indeed. It gets very good reviews.
Great deal on one from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Kentucky-KM-900-Master-A-model-Mandolin/dp/B003N7OUU8
Friend has their entry level F-style, MD315 ~$700.
He got it from Elderly so the setup was bound to be pretty good.
The mandolin is surprisingly nice.
This one is a satin finish, but all solid woods, hand-carved, maple back & sides, bound spruce top, maple neck.
He's had it for a couple of years now and still very happy with it.
For what it's worth, I have one of their archtop guitars [AR805CE].
Took me a while to get the right one. It's not $8000, but it's really rather nice.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Just sold a Strat so I may drop the hammer on the Eastman. Theres a 000-50 for sale near me too though..... :rolleye:
Decisions.
Cheers, Scott.
Eastman carries a blonde model f style. Killer.
I own an Eastman 505 A-style. It's common knowledge but worth repeating that you won't get any more tone from an F-style, though many just prefer them over the A-style. My taste happens to run exactly the opposite though. My Eastman is a great mandolin. I also own a Collings MT that is a better instrument, but the Eastman could've served me for all of life and I'd have been just fine. Also, mandolin is my main instrument.
The lower-end, satin-finished Eastmans have cheaper tuners and tailpieces. Bad lot of folks end up upgrading them and spending the difference between the cheaper and a better model.
If you want a great mandolin, an Eastman is a good choice. But also check out J Bovier and Kentucky. They are in the same ballpark. If I were buying a new Asian-made mandolin, I'd probably go for the Bovier, just because it's the road slightly less traveled, like Larrivee.
G'day folks, well I ended up stumbling across an Eastman MD805V A style at a price too good to pass up. V stands for varnish finish as opposed to the Nitro finish they normally have.
Cheers, Scott.
I know a great mandolin player here in the UK who has a selection of instruments. He (almost reluctantly) admits he prefers his Eastman to his lovely old Gibsons, etc. That has to be a recommendation.
Quote from: Parlor Picker on August 13, 2015, 05:41:45 AM
I know a great mandolin player here in the UK who has a selection of instruments. He (almost reluctantly) admits he prefers his Eastman to his lovely old Gibsons, etc. That has to be a recommendation.
Gday Parlor Picker, a friend of mine has a 305 and a 605 and is very happy with both of those too. They seem to get a lot of favorable reviews from various sorces and I think they're a great buy.
As you said they compare favorably to some more expensive Mandolins. :thumb
Cheers, Scott
Scott,
Looks pretty. How long have you been a mandolin player?
Quote from: ryler on August 15, 2015, 11:37:41 AM
Scott,
Looks pretty. How long have you been a mandolin player?
G'day Ryler, some 20 years ago I played mandolin for a few numbers in an acoustic duo I was in at the time. I then sold that mandolin and haven't played again since getting this. I'm not much of a mandolin player, I basically strum and throw a few little runs in here and there. Think 'Rise' by Eddy Vedder.
Cheers, Scott.
That's a great looking Eastman and a fine choice, and it will probably be all the mandolin you'll ever need. I've always thought Eastman's varnish finish was pretty classy. Enjoy it!
Quote from: Caleb on August 19, 2015, 01:29:28 PM
That's a great looking Eastman and a fine choice, and it will probably be all the mandolin you'll ever need. I've always thought Eastman's varnish finish was pretty classy. Enjoy it!
Thanks mate, yeah I reckon it'll do me fine.
Another pic, this time the flamed maple back.
Cheers, Scott.
I don't see any pics ??????
Quote from: Walkerman on July 14, 2017, 02:03:06 AM
I don't see any pics ??????
They were posted through Photobucket mate. Seeing they want to extort their own users to gain access to their own pics I've deleted them.
Cheers, Scott
Looks good. I am sure you will enjoy it.