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I have to admit that my Eastman 810ce didn't sound like I wanted it to. A 2005, it was clunky sounding when plugged in.
Most often, a pickup swap is bull hockey and won't salvage a lousy guitar.
However, the 12 pole hb I've put on mine has made an amazing difference. The guitar is so warm now. Of course, I can still coax the ghost of Django out of it with a bit of eq, but I needed something warm and smooth, and now, I've got it.
Sooooo in love with my Eastman now.
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Chwillie -- how does your 810ce sound unplugged? I suspect that swapping out a pickup on a guitar that sounds mediocre-to-poor when played purely acoustically would fail—the equivalent of trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear, as the old saying goes. The problem's the guitar, not the pickup. But if the guitar sounds just fine when played unplugged, then the guitar itself isn't the problem but the original pickup, and swapping that out for a better PU system works just fine, as it has for you.
Best, Steve
6 string acoustics: 2018 Eastman E10D (Red Spruce/Mahogany); 2021 Eastman E6D-TC (Alpine Spruce/Mahogany); 2021 AC522CE - GB (European Spruce/Mahogany)
Electric guitar: 1964 Guild Starfire V semi-hollow electric
Acoustic Bass: Epiphone El Capitan 5 String Acoustic/Electric Fretless (Year ?)
Website:
http://www.stephenleigh.com
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sleighwriter
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Unplugged, it sounds like a smoky jazz bar of 1920s Paris.
I don't really think of it as a strummer's guitar in the sense of playing something like, for example, "My Sweet Lord."
The guitar acoustically forces you to play in a much different way than when it's plugged up. It's almost like I have two instruments in one. The warmth of electrified / the lovely unplugged tones reminiscent of Django.
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I hope you can hear the rich, woody tone after the pickup swap.
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Sounds great! Love the 12 pole hand-wound Armstrong p/u's. I have two such top mounted versions (one on a Holst K200 and one on an Eastman 603CE) and one full size floater (on a GB10). My feeling is they have a very modern sound.
Glad to hear you are happy with your sound.
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(04-28-2022, 08:05 PM)Wildfield Wrote: Sounds great! Love the 12 pole hand-wound Armstrong p/u's. I have two such top mounted versions (one on a Holst K200 and one on an Eastman 603CE) and one full size floater (on a GB10). My feeling is they have a very modern sound.
Glad to hear you are happy with your sound.
Thanks! The guitar became noticeably warmer with 12 pole. Never imagined there’d be such an improvement.
I’d love to see or hear your Eastmans.
