Here is my Eastman T386 review. At risk of sounding like I don't know how to be objective (given my Eastman passion) I'll come right out and say it anyway: I shouldn't have waited so long to pick up an Eastman electric! All the characteristics we value with their acoustics also appear to hold true on the electric side, namely: fit and finish, fretwork, playability and hand crafted quality. I haven't had this guitar very long, so I am still forming my experience, but here are my thoughts after a week of ownership.
As an aside, I truly wasn't planning on this purchase, but a deal came up locally on Craigslist that I couldn't resist. A lot has been written about the T386, but I'll cover a few standout areas for this review:
Tone: Interestingly, this guitar came equipped with p rails triple shot pickups, so I won't be able to provide feedback regarding the standard kent armstrong PU's that this guitar typically comes equipped with, but I can say these duncans sound great in the T386. Given the splitting capability, I can dial in a variety of tones. This guitar obviously excels at Jazz, which I am excited to explore more on an electric guitar. I can also dial in a very usable and unique humbucking tone with just the flip of a switch on the pickup. Definitely a semi-hollow body tone I'm loving. I'm still getting acclimated to all the settings and tones, but I have found some interesting, usable configurations. Not sure if others are familiar with this pickup combination, but I was not familiar with this set prior to purchasing the guitar. More here:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-pro...t-set-flat
(I added a photo of the different PU combinations below)
Playability and feel: This has been my biggest epiphany about the T386. I've never owned an ES335 body style guitar, but given I spend 90 percent of my playing time on an acoustic, the size of the T386 is a very natural fit, given its larger body. There is a comfort with how my right arm rests on the upper body, along with the angle of my left arm.
The neck is very comfortable. I am not sure what the actual radius is, but it's a pretty flat fretboard which makes it excellent for chording. The C shape fits my hand pretty well. I'm not sure that I'd change anything. Super easy access to upper frets.
Other: I think the natural finish looks great. No flaws in the finish that I can see. Eastman quality obviously is present (this guitar birthdate is May 2021). Also - I really appreciate the lighter weight of the guitar as a semi-hollow. The Eastman case is quite nice as well.
Anyway - hope this helps with some initial feedback. Great guitar... and yes, hopefully I can get a live video of the guitar in action soon!
![[Image: IVo9EKp.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/IVo9EKp.jpg)
![[Image: NKeXM2h.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/NKeXM2h.jpg)
As an aside, I truly wasn't planning on this purchase, but a deal came up locally on Craigslist that I couldn't resist. A lot has been written about the T386, but I'll cover a few standout areas for this review:
Tone: Interestingly, this guitar came equipped with p rails triple shot pickups, so I won't be able to provide feedback regarding the standard kent armstrong PU's that this guitar typically comes equipped with, but I can say these duncans sound great in the T386. Given the splitting capability, I can dial in a variety of tones. This guitar obviously excels at Jazz, which I am excited to explore more on an electric guitar. I can also dial in a very usable and unique humbucking tone with just the flip of a switch on the pickup. Definitely a semi-hollow body tone I'm loving. I'm still getting acclimated to all the settings and tones, but I have found some interesting, usable configurations. Not sure if others are familiar with this pickup combination, but I was not familiar with this set prior to purchasing the guitar. More here:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-pro...t-set-flat
(I added a photo of the different PU combinations below)
Playability and feel: This has been my biggest epiphany about the T386. I've never owned an ES335 body style guitar, but given I spend 90 percent of my playing time on an acoustic, the size of the T386 is a very natural fit, given its larger body. There is a comfort with how my right arm rests on the upper body, along with the angle of my left arm.
The neck is very comfortable. I am not sure what the actual radius is, but it's a pretty flat fretboard which makes it excellent for chording. The C shape fits my hand pretty well. I'm not sure that I'd change anything. Super easy access to upper frets.
Other: I think the natural finish looks great. No flaws in the finish that I can see. Eastman quality obviously is present (this guitar birthdate is May 2021). Also - I really appreciate the lighter weight of the guitar as a semi-hollow. The Eastman case is quite nice as well.
Anyway - hope this helps with some initial feedback. Great guitar... and yes, hopefully I can get a live video of the guitar in action soon!
