Ac308??

[hardycreek1]

Anyone played one of these? Just curious - it looks like a Taylor, but I would not be interested if it sounds like a Taylor. Too bright.

[Pura Vida]

I think the AC308CE LTD have made their way into the hands of a few EGF members.  Everything I've heard about them has been great.  I've been tempted to try one out, but they're just a little too small for me (I'm a dread, jumbo, and OM player).

[L-Man]

I have an Eastman AC308CE-LTD. I used to own a Taylor 2012 812. Both are great instruments, but suffer from a very diminutive tone. If you prefer a tiny sound, I'm sure you would be thrilled with the 308, as otherwise it's great to play.

There are those who like the sound of a parlor guitar, or a 000. Others (like myself) prefer the tone of a larger GA or dreadnought guitar.

[hardycreek1]

Thank you sir, that's what I was curious about. I'm a dreadnought big sound bluegrass person, and the small sound of the smaller instruments doesn't really appeal. But I'm 150 miles from the nearest Eastman dealer and they get only a small trickle of instruments, then it's a very long way to a dealer who has any kind of selection. 

And buying online without hearing it first doesn't sound like a good idea. I haven't played either, but I'm leaning towards an E2-D rather than a AC308 for my next guitar.

[L-Man]

I pulled it out today, hadn't played it in a couple months. Very pleasant tone, sweet, resonant, easy to play. And reticent in the bass ... but for fingerstyle like I was playing, it is quite satisfying.

[MrMustard]

I was looking for a smaller body counterpart to my E20D and went into the store with the intention of buying the 308. For some reason I just didn't vibe with it. The tone was a little brittle to my ears and there just wasn't much projection when fingerpicking. Now that I think about it the strings were pretty old so take everything with a grain of salt.

I didn't think I liked the OM body but I decided to try the E6OM-TC and E10OM anyway. I actually found both to be more comfortable and have a much fuller and balanced sound than the 308. It ended up being a toss up between the OM's and I ended up choosing the E6OM-TC because I slightly preferred the tone of the thermocured alpine spruce over the adirondack and the neck of that particular guitar was so comfortable. 

One thing to note is there's been some debate as to the nut width of the 308. The website originally stated 25.4, but then changed it to 24.9. I emailed Eastman and they said the 25.4 was a typo and that 24.9 was the correct width. Now the website says 25.4 again so who knows.

[L-Man]

An orchestra model/000 will develop a lot more projection and fullness of tone than a grand concert/00 model guitar like the 308.. I have owned a number of each, and this is consistent. The 00 is very comfortable to hold, though, whether seated or standing. My Taylor 812 was a favorite at church, except that the expression pickup wasn't very good at all.

I'm tempted to put a heel pin on the 308 and use it at church. Plugged in it's as good as a larger AC model, but a lot easier to hold and play.

I was strumming an Eastman AC422CE today, and it was able to deliver a lot of good, rich tone, and dynamics. Smaller guitars always hit a ceiling too soon for me. But they are nice when just finger-picking in front of the fireplace, when a larger guitar gets in the way ...

[Mithrandir]

I didn't get along with mine. Had it professionally setup, played it for another week, then sold it. I didn't like the weight, which was slightly bottom-heavy due to the pickup. I have bad luck with Eastman necks. There's something about them that makes me feel like I'm fighting the things.
So, from this experience, I derived 3 lessons: I don't like or need electronics and cutaways, and slotted headstocks look cool, but are a bit of a pain, for me.
Bottom line: I was underwhelmed.
hth.

[John A]

A little late to the party here ... I bought an ac308ce-lte in January, and I love it.  It's not as a loud as a dread or a grand auditorium size, but I find it plenty loud.  I mainly play jazz, and it has a mid-range focus, sustain and sweetness that suit that very well. I also do quite a bit of acoustic blues -- it works well for that, and it complements my voice very well.  The size is perfect, too, and the playability is great (after some set-up work).  If you're playing bluegrass or some other style where you're trying to compete with other loud acoustic instruments it's probably not ideal, but for me it's a real goldilocks guitar -- just right in every way.   I can't say I've ever played another acoustic guitar I enjoyed more.

[L-Man]

I gave my AC308CE Special Edition guitar to my 15 year old daughter yesterday. She has hardly put it down since.

It's an amazing ladies guitar, easy to hold, sweet clear tone.