The quality of imported guitars has increased dramatically in recent years, but few models with all-solid construction hit all the high notes in terms of sound, playability, and craftsmanship for well under a grand.Įither guitar would make a superb choice for a beginner, or even a solid go-to instrument for a working singer-songwriter. Plugged into a Fender Acoustasonic amplifier, the guitars sound natural, without much to speak of in the way of extraneous noise. These electronics include an under saddle pickup and thumbwheel volume and tone controls mounted discretely under the soundboard. They perform just as well with brisk, open-chord strumming in standard tuning as they do to gentle fingerpicking in DADGAD.Īnd though neither has quite the resonance of some of the finest steel-strings, each guitar has great evenness between its different registers and good definition and note separation as well: attributes that make them suited to a range of styles.Ī Fishman Sonitone preamp system comes standard on each guitar. The solid spruce example has a bright, shimmering sound and slig htly greater sustain than the sapele, which has a warmer and more direct voice-a good choice for recording.īoth guitars take equally to the plectrum and to fingerpicking. It’s not often that I get an opportunity to audition the same guitar with different tonewoods, and that’s why it’s so fun to compare the AC–GA1CE (left) and AC–GA2CE (lower left) in terms of their sonic performance. The factory-set action, low but not overly so, is easy on the fret hand, and the generous nut width makes the guitars good choices for fingerpicking. Both have moderately proportioned C-shaped necks with 1.75-inch nuts. This treatment not only feels sleek, it likely helps the guitar’s resonance.īoth guitars feel much the same, though out of the box the AC–GA2CE somehow seems just a little stiff in comparison to its cohort. The inlay and binding work is clean and tidy, as are the interior aspects of the guitars.Īnd instead of the overly thick finish found commonly on imported instruments, these instruments have an ultra-thin satin finish, without any pore filler. All of the frets are perfectly seated and polished and the setup is dialed in nicely-there’s no fret buzzing to be found on either instrument. The fit and finish of both guitars are good. Eastman has also added a sound port and a beveled edge to complete the new design on the AC series. Eastman has rolled a whole new aesthetic package to the AC line. But the wood is the real star: The AC–GA1CE’s solid spruce soundboard’s tight grains are punctuated occasionally by bear-claw figuring the sapele on the AC–GA2CE is richly colored and has striking grain patterns. Grand Auditorium Cutaway with European Spruce Top and Mahogany Back and Sides and LR Baggs Element. The guitars show a judicious use of ornamentation, with subtly classy details, like the maple inlay of the headstock logo. Both are supported by hand-carved scalloped X bracing. The AC–GA1CE has a Sitka spruce top, while the AC–GA2CE is sapele.
They’re identical in every spec, save for their soundboards. The AC–GA1CE and AC–GA2CE are grand-concert models-a design splitting the difference between the dreadnought and the OM-with smooth cutaways. At first, I thought a digit might be missing from the beginning of that price, but that’s not the case, making these instruments exceptional buys in a market teeming with options. The ACGA1CE has a Sitka spruce top, while the ACGA2CE is sapele.
All but the most laborious tasks are done without the use of power tools.
And each carries a street price of just $620. The ACGA1CE and ACGA2CE are grand-concert modelsa design splitting the difference between the dreadnought and the OMwith smooth cutaways. Since its inception in 1992., Eastman Handcrafted Guitars & Mandolins has taken pride in useing only the very highest quality tonewoods and traditional, hand-crafting techniques. Both of these all-solid-wood guitars sound robust and balanced, play exceptionally well, and come with Fishman electronics. I am a little snobbish when it comes to instruments, but two new Eastman guitars-the AC–GA1CE and AC–GA2CE-have led me to reappraise my view of lower-priced models. So we're asking you to give just $1 (or whatever you can afford) right now.įrom the October 2016 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY ADAM PERLMUTTER Strings: Cleartone Phosphor, fellow guitarist! Did you know 99.9% of visitors to this site will scroll past this message without making a contribution? Many plan to pledge later, but then forget.
Eastman takes a creative departure from the traditional by equipping our OM’s with a 24.9 scale length.īridge/Saddle: Rosewood/Bone, 2-5/32" Spacingīinding Material: Multi ply Black/White/Black OM’s are articulate and comfortable to play due to their reduced body depth. With amazing dynamic range, the Orchestra Model runs the gamut from subtle to bold. This is the quintessential finger-style instrument.
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