Closest Eastman to a J-45

[DonO]

[quote="noahhoward" pid='30673' dateline='1705254169']
Hi All,


Anyone know the string spacing, E to e (mid-string) at the nut for the E10SS or E20SS?

thanks, 
n

(forgot my pw and had tech problems resetting it.  back now after hiatus.  : )

At the bridge, finger spacing is 2-5/32” on the E10ss.

[noahhoward]

Hi All,


Anyone know the string spacing, E to e (mid-string) at the nut for the E10SS or E20SS?

thanks, 
n

(forgot my pw and had tech problems resetting it.  back now after hiatus.  : )

At the bridge, finger spacing is 2-5/32” on the E10ss.




---
thanks don,

but yeah was curious about the string spacing at the 1  11/16" nut. i'm guessing somewhere shy of 1.5" ,  but .. how shy?


(was recently trying some j-45's and 35's;  those nut are  1.72",  but string spacing there was pretty darn close to those of the guits (in the shop)  with the 1  3/4 nuts.

n

[DonO]

Hi All,


Anyone know the string spacing, E to e (mid-string) at the nut for the E10SS or E20SS?

thanks, 
n

(forgot my pw and had tech problems resetting it.  back now after hiatus.  : )

At the bridge, finger spacing is 2-5/32” on the E10ss.




---
thanks don,

but yeah was curious about the string spacing at the 1  11/16" nut. i'm guessing somewhere shy of 1.5" ,  but .. how shy?


(was recently trying some j-45's and 35's;  those nut are  1.72",  but string spacing there was pretty darn close to those of the guits (in the shop)  with the 1  3/4 nuts.

n

 

It’s like 1.47-1.48 on mine.

Don

[noahhoward]

Hi All,


Anyone know the string spacing, E to e (mid-string) at the nut for the E10SS or E20SS?

thanks, 
n

(forgot my pw and had tech problems resetting it.  back now after hiatus.  : )

At the bridge, finger spacing is 2-5/32” on the E10ss.




---
thanks don,

but yeah was curious about the string spacing at the 1  11/16" nut. i'm guessing somewhere shy of 1.5" ,  but .. how shy?


(was recently trying some j-45's and 35's;  those nut are  1.72",  but string spacing there was pretty darn close to those of the guits (in the shop)  with the 1  3/4 nuts.

n

 

It’s like 1.47-1.48 on mine.

Don


thanks don!

noah

[TomC]

As mentioned earlier I searched for my E20 with a wider nut. I measured it again today. It is 1.747” with string spacing at the nut of 1.52”. Spacing at the nut is a little under 2.2” which I believe works out to the Eastman spec of 2 5/32”. (Corrected from 5/16”) If you want wider than the 11/16”, you can find them.

[jphenderson91]

I have owned two J45’s and a J35 along with an E1SS and an E20SSv. I haven’t owned an E10SS but I have played a few. I think the E20SSv comes the closest to the Gibson sound. It is a lot drier and more mellow than the E1SS or E10SS. Both of those guitars were bright and zingy (more like my J35). If I wanted to get the J45 tone I would look for a used one or for a used E20SSV. Both aren’t cheap but they are worth it. The Eastman can be had for $1500 and $2k for the Gibson.

If your budget is much lower I would recommend the E1SS or an E6SS-TC, but I don’t think either sounds like a J45.

[RMH]

To expand on the original question. Is there an Eastman model that has a Gibson like tone regardless of body type?

[AlanSam]

Quite audacious of JPH to pick out a Rosewood guitar as the one most similar in sound to a Mahogony (J45) dread. Maybe too many of us, me included, labour under the constraints of formulaic dogmas - such as the received wisdom on tonewoods.

[DonO]

To expand on the original question. Is there an Eastman model that has a Gibson like tone regardless of body type?

Quick answer…no!

[jphenderson91]

Quite audacious of JPH to pick out a Rosewood guitar as the one most similar in sound to a Mahogony (J45) dread. Maybe too many of us, me included, labour under the constraints of formulaic dogmas - such as the received wisdom on tonewoods.

Conventional wisdom would say that tonewoods matter the most in overall sound, but I have found that bracing style and finish seem to affect the tone just as much, if not more than just the recipe of Woods. For example my J35 and J45 are the same tonewoods (Sitka, mahogany) except they are different finishes and different bracing patterns. (J35 is nitro satin and J45 is full nitro gloss).

Even though they were made in the same factory just months apart by the same craftsmen they sound wildly different to my ear. Both sound like Gibsons but neither would be mistaken for the other. Why is this if they both have the same woods? Well, finish, bracing patterns and overall construction really matter. Remember, a guitar is the sum of its parts. No one feature lives in isolation.

Now on to Eastman. What I have found from a decade of playing Eastmans is they have their own tone. Even in their “copies” of classic models aren’t really copies. They have more Eastman tone than Martin, Taylor or Gibson. Their bracing patterns and overall construction is a bit heavier than some of the USA makers, but I have found them to be more durable. Long story short, if you want a Gibson J45 I think you should just get one.

However, (to answer the question) In my experience the varnish and the rosewood of the E20SSV gets you more out of the classic bright Eastman tone and more into the thuddy, mellow sound of a good slope shoulder dread, not to dissimilar to an old Gibson J45. Does it sound exactly like a J45, no? Would I mistake it for a Gibson if I couldn’t see the headstock? I think I would.

To my ear, the E20SSV is the closest Eastman to the Gibson sound I have experienced.