E8OM-TC vs E20OM -TC for fingerstyle

[cfranchi]

I have an E20D-TC that I love : dry, woody, fondamental tone, never bright or harsh, and that vintage look !

I plan to get an OM but I wonder what would be the most beautiful sound for fingerstyle : E8 or E20 ?

[SneakyDeaky]

I have an E20D-TC that I love : dry, woody, fondamental tone, never bright or harsh, and that vintage look !

I plan to get an OM but I wonder what would be the most beautiful sound for fingerstyle : E8 or E20 ?

Well everything is pretty much the same except the tops, TC Sitka vs non TC Adirondack. 

In my limited experience Adirondack is snappier for fingerstyle and has more headroom, so more of a sense of volume. Sitka is warmer right out of the gate, with a bit of a fuzzy tone to it, but with the torrefaction it will sound open, where an Adirondack top tends to take twice - three times as long to "open up." Adirondack does gain more warmth over time.

What kind of fingerstyle are you going to play? Blues or folk? A variety of styles?

I've only owned my first Eastman for 5 weeks or so, a E10ss and I've noticed its an absolute blues monster! So I personally would recommend something like the E20OOSS, though a OO, with the Adirondack top it will have plenty of headroom and be nice and direct. 

For more folk/singer songwriter stuff, I like some warmth and not overwhelming volume or "harshness" so I don't think I could go wrong with a torrefied Sitka top.

But you seem very happy with your Adirondack and Rosewood guitar, so you can't go wrong with that combo again either 

[cfranchi]

Thank you for your answer, I’m not into blues fingerstyle bur more « ballad » fingerstyle if it make sense

I already looked at E20 oo but I’m not really sure about the body size, I’m afraid it would be too small and boxy sounding.

I already had a spruce top guitar with impressive specs : a Dowina grand auditorium, thermo cured and individually tuned alpine spruce top, madarose back and side, it was a very loud guitar but too bright for my style.

[GK34]

I just took delivery of a new E8OM-TC with a Sitka top, and it works great for fingerstyle in the style of John Mayer, James Taylor, John Prine. Works great for blues too. The high notes jump out a lot more than on my J-45.

I have never played an E20OM-TC, but I owned an E20OM (non-torrefied) a couple of years ago. I ended up selling it, because the top was very tight sounding. It was difficult to get much sound out of the guitar. I probably should have just been more patient.

FWIW, I played an E10OM-TC for in a shop a few months ago that completely blew me away for fingerstyle.

[R22]

Not Rosewood B&S, but I very recently had an E6OM-TC (Sitka) that I struggled with. I wound up trading it in on a E10OM-TC and am a happy camper. 

With the E6, the trebles were too round, and tended to have a bloom to them. Overall a bit too many overtones for me.

The E10OM-TC (Adirondack) is drier, and the trebles are crisper.  

Here is the kicker, I sold my 000-18 because the E10 was that good. 

I play about 75% fingerstyle, and use my nails. 

I do wonder, if the Sitka versions would be better off non TC'd.

[cfranchi]

I just took delivery of a new E8OM-TC with a Sitka top, and it works great for fingerstyle in the style of John Mayer, James Taylor, John Prine. Works great for blues too. The high notes jump out a lot more than on my J-45.

I have never played an E20OM-TC, but I owned an E20OM (non-torrefied) a couple of years ago. I ended up selling it, because the top was very tight sounding. It was difficult to get much sound out of the guitar. I probably should have just been more patient.

FWIW, I played an E10OM-TC for in a shop a few months ago that completely blew me away for fingerstyle.

Adi is stiffer than Sitka and all things being equal a sitka top would certainly be louder (at least for fingerstyle).

It also depend of how the guitar is build, here E20 OM-TC vs E40 OM:
https://youtu.be/FaLanoqcIUw
=> E40 is definitely louder (if I'm not wrong E40 top is individually tuned) : however I prefer the tone of the E20 (certainly because of the TC).