E15SS LA Guitar Custom

[TomC]

This is a custom model made by Eastman for LA Guitar with Ted's input modeled after a Gibson LG2/B25. This was actually shipped by Eastman to LAG in 2014.  Adirondack/rosewood. 24.75" scale.  1 23/32" nut. Rosewood bridge and finger board. The difference between this and a regular Eastman E20 00ss is a wider upper bout, slightly smaller lower bout and a wider nut. I had an E10 00ss/v and the neck on the E15SS strikes me as thicker as well as wider at the nut. The neck/nut area is very similar to my E10 & 40 OMs. Ted also had them in adirondack/mahogany as an E5SS but I believe those are long gone.

I personalized the guitar with Restoration Hardware tuners with cream buttons, unbleached bone bridge pins, Schatten passive pick-up and John Pearse Slimline Jr ebony armrest. The guitar was a little on the sleepy side when I received, so it was subjected to a 8 day ToneRite treatment. I restrung it with Daddario NB 12-53. 
First two week impressions - very comfortable to hold due to the small body, much slinkyer for fretting due to the short scale, surprisingly great projection from the small body but definitely lacking the bass of the E40OM. The NB strings also give it a nice bite especially with a thin pick. It strikes me as very balanced. There doesn't seem to be as much of the rosewood scoop as you would expect. Maybe it's just the strings. 

Conclusion - fun little guitar that is comfortable and easy to play. Nice overtones and sustain. BUT it definitely (IMHO) does not sound like a small body Gibson.

[Rad]

Beautiful guitar

[Pura Vida]

Congrats, Tom.  As you (and maybe a few others here) know, I nearly purchased this same guitar in 2017.  But at the last minute, I got cold feet on the smaller body size and switched into my E20OM-SB.  That guitar is with me on a family getaway in Tahoe and worthy of a separate update.

I never stopped looking at these guitars b/c I realized (after I didn’t buy the guitar) that they’re actually a really unique size.  Right between a 00 and an OM/000.  Really happy to hear that the nut and neck are a good match, and maybe that scooped sound will stand out more with some PB strings.

There weren’t many of these made, and you rarely see them come up for resale b/c the buyers know they’ve got something special.  Enjoy your limited run E15SS.

[Pura Vida]

That guard is really unique, just like the guitar.  Is it decent quality?  Would it be worth having Taylor Mullins at Holter Pickguards re-create a custom one for this cool guitar?

[TomC]

Quality - not really. It is thin and the edges are not finished. Originally I was going to go clear, but screwed it up. I was hoping to find a red firestripe, but those are hard to come by. Taylor has some more yellowish stripe, but that is not what I would prefer. I may go back to Taylor and use the same shape but in his usual material with as much dark areas as possible.

[Pura Vida]

That's kinda what I figured.  Eastman's guards have gotten a little better in the last couple of years, but they used to be pretty cheap (which was a good thing that they didn't pre-install them!).  I think a dark, celluloid guard would look great on this guitar.  He's doing two for me now (E6D, E10OM).

[Rad]

That's kinda what I figured.  Eastman's guards have gotten a little better in the last couple of years, but they used to be pretty cheap (which was a good thing that they didn't pre-install them!).  I think a dark, celluloid guard would look great on this guitar.  He's doing two for me now (E6D, E10OM).

That explains why mine is taking so long.....

[Pura Vida]

Ha! To be fair, he said that his day job has been keeping him busy.  I assume you're getting it for your new E20D-TC, which will be a nice addition.  Hopefully, we both get new guards in the next week or two.