Eastman stops using Nitro switches to Truetone

[Sausage fingers]

I would think the new finish is less time consuming to apply and get a guitar ready to ship.  If Eastman Bourgeois is upping the number of units produced across both lines, either the assembly or finishing side will need to yield efficiencies unless they move to full factory production with cnc and lose some of the competitive advantage of being known as a handcrafted brand.

[UncleJesse]

I’d be really curious to find out exactly when the cutover was.

[pszy22]

I sent a note off Eastman support inquiring about the status of a guitar i purchased a few months ago.  Hopefully I will get a definitive answer regarding when the change occurred.  I will report back as soon as I hear back.

[sleigh]

I agree with TomC -- "the proof will be in the finished product." I'll wait to hear one of the new "TrueTone" finished guitars and see if I can hear any difference, good or bad, and make my call then.

[eastmanschool]

I've seen Eastmans with finish either improperly mixed or too thinly applied, causing brittle easily damaged guitars. And, overly finished guitars that made me wonder just how good the things would sound if they weren’t "painted over." Eastman seems to be getting better at every aspect of building. At least that's been my (anecdotal) experience over the 10-ish years I've been playing them. My guess is that the switch to poly will be accompanied by a certain standardization of application, which can't be bad. And, whether they're doing it to reduce carbon footprint or really because it's quicker and cheaper to do so, if it DOES reduce their carbon footprint, that's a net positive.

Also, I have a Furch Vintage dread that is - if I'm interpreting their marketing properly - finished in poly. The tone jumps off it. So, don't worry about poly negatively impacting your future Eastman. Assuming they use the right material and know how to apply it...

[Jklotz]

I've seen Eastmans with finish either improperly mixed or too thinly applied, causing brittle easily damaged guitars. And, overly finished guitars that made me wonder just how good the things would sound if they weren’t "painted over." Eastman seems to be getting better at every aspect of building. At least that's been my (anecdotal) experience over the 10-ish years I've been playing them. My guess is that the switch to poly will be accompanied by a certain standardization of application, which can't be bad. And, whether they're doing it to reduce carbon footprint or really because it's quicker and cheaper to do so, if it DOES reduce their carbon footprint, that's a net positive.

Also, I have a Furch Vintage dread that is - if I'm interpreting their marketing properly - finished in poly. The tone jumps off it. So, don't worry about poly negatively impacting your future Eastman.

I'm sure they will sound ok. It's the way the feel and age that concerns me.

[pszy22]

Yesterday I sent a note to Eastman support saying I had heard that Eastman would no long be using nitro on guitar builds.  I asked if the E20P I had recently bought (I provided the serial number) had a nitro finish.

I received a very prompt response from Eastman.  I was told that what I had heard was correct, and that my guitar had been built before the changeover, and therefore had a nitro finish.

p.s. Between you and I, that is the answer I was hoping to hear.

[Rad]

I would be willing to bet a big wad of $ that no one could tell the difference between a nitro finished Eastman and a new Truetone Eastman from a tone perspective.

[pszy22]

I would be willing to bet a big wad of $ that no one could tell the difference between a nitro finished Eastman and a new Truetone Eastman from a tone perspective.

I would not take that bet because you very well could be right.  Of course the same might be said for a richlite fingerboard.

However that doesn't mean that I would not prefer nitro and ebony on the guitars I buy.

[donovantyler]

I've read that some makers add a small percentage of nitro to it and it will "yellow" like nitro.
One thing that I've been attracted to Eastman was because they still used Nitro which I find very pretty and feels good and has often been a feature of a hand-crafted, small production guitar. I know that many makers of fine guitars no longer use Nitro for a number of valid reasons... that said, I recently bought 3 Eastman acoustic guitars, 2 used and 1 new... all have nitro finish and i specifically wanted that. I would not have bought them if they had the new (unseen, untested) finish.

I would like to see a demo comparing the visual results and also sound comparison(s).
Apples-to-apples pepsi taste challenge. 
I'm also interested in how Truetone will age? Will it get thinner with age like nitro? will it get that patina with age like nitro? Will it feel good in the hands? Will it not smother the sounds like a good Nitro finish doesn't?