Today I changed strings on my new to me E1SS. I changed out the old PB to some Martin Monel light (12-54), which happen to be the same as what is on my J-45.
After changing the strings I had a thought, "these two guitars would make a great comparison!" I also figured the EGF community might find my thoughts interesting.
But before we get to the actual comparison I need to lay out a few key specs.
SPECS:
My Gibson J45 is a standard from 2009 with a Sitka spruce top and mahogany b/s. It has literally thousands of hours of play time in it and is very broken in. Out of all the J45s I have played in shops this one seems to have it all. I frequently get compliments on how good it sounds.
The E1SS is an Adi top/sapele back and sides slope shoulder dread from 2019. The E1SS looks like it was barely played.
NECKS/PLAYABILITY:
Both guitars are set up with the same strings and low action. The Gibson has a 1.72in neck at the nut. The Eastman is 1.7 at the nut. The Gibson feels a little wider but a little thinner neck profile. The Eastman is slightly thinner at the nut but it has a little beefier neck profile. Both guitars are very easy to play and I like the feel of both necks.
TONE COMPARISON:
Again, since I had both guitars in front of me with the same strings I figured this would be a good opportunity to do a rect tone comparison.
After several minutes of strumming and picking I can confirm that both guitars sound very good. What surprised me was that their tones were closer than what I initially thought they might be. overall, the Gibson has a bit more clarity in the individual strings, but much to my surprise I prefer the sound of the E1SS a little better.
Here is why....
The Eastman has much more bass than the Gibson, and this J45 is exceptionally bassy. The E1SS is actually very bass heavy. When I plugged it in I had to EQ a lot of the bass out to get a balanced sound. I think the Adi top is what is adding all the bass. I am sure the open pore finish is helping all that time come through. Both guitars sound warm and dry, giving that thuddy classic gibson slope shoulder goodness to the tone.
CONCLUSION:
I am actually surprised at how much I like the tone of the Eastman in comparison to the Gibson. The Gibson is always in contention as being my favorite acoustic sound out of my whole collection, but now I might have a new winner.
I can't wait to hear how the Eastman sounds when it breaks in a few years down the road. Both are great but I am convinced that you don't need to buy a J45 to get that good slope shoulder Gibson tone.
To my ear the E1SS sounds more like my J45 than my E10D-TC sounds like my D18 standard.
The tones are not exactly the same, but they probably the closest I have seen between Eastman and the brand it was emulating. Both are great. Eastman is a better value. Pick one up if you get a chance.
After changing the strings I had a thought, "these two guitars would make a great comparison!" I also figured the EGF community might find my thoughts interesting.
But before we get to the actual comparison I need to lay out a few key specs.
SPECS:
My Gibson J45 is a standard from 2009 with a Sitka spruce top and mahogany b/s. It has literally thousands of hours of play time in it and is very broken in. Out of all the J45s I have played in shops this one seems to have it all. I frequently get compliments on how good it sounds.
The E1SS is an Adi top/sapele back and sides slope shoulder dread from 2019. The E1SS looks like it was barely played.
NECKS/PLAYABILITY:
Both guitars are set up with the same strings and low action. The Gibson has a 1.72in neck at the nut. The Eastman is 1.7 at the nut. The Gibson feels a little wider but a little thinner neck profile. The Eastman is slightly thinner at the nut but it has a little beefier neck profile. Both guitars are very easy to play and I like the feel of both necks.
TONE COMPARISON:
Again, since I had both guitars in front of me with the same strings I figured this would be a good opportunity to do a rect tone comparison.
After several minutes of strumming and picking I can confirm that both guitars sound very good. What surprised me was that their tones were closer than what I initially thought they might be. overall, the Gibson has a bit more clarity in the individual strings, but much to my surprise I prefer the sound of the E1SS a little better.
Here is why....
The Eastman has much more bass than the Gibson, and this J45 is exceptionally bassy. The E1SS is actually very bass heavy. When I plugged it in I had to EQ a lot of the bass out to get a balanced sound. I think the Adi top is what is adding all the bass. I am sure the open pore finish is helping all that time come through. Both guitars sound warm and dry, giving that thuddy classic gibson slope shoulder goodness to the tone.
CONCLUSION:
I am actually surprised at how much I like the tone of the Eastman in comparison to the Gibson. The Gibson is always in contention as being my favorite acoustic sound out of my whole collection, but now I might have a new winner.
I can't wait to hear how the Eastman sounds when it breaks in a few years down the road. Both are great but I am convinced that you don't need to buy a J45 to get that good slope shoulder Gibson tone.
To my ear the E1SS sounds more like my J45 than my E10D-TC sounds like my D18 standard.
The tones are not exactly the same, but they probably the closest I have seen between Eastman and the brand it was emulating. Both are great. Eastman is a better value. Pick one up if you get a chance.
