Hey all! Just found this forum and thought I'd join in on the fun. I currently own 2 Eastman guitars- a T486 which I bought in August 2019 and a SB57 which I just got this past Saturday.
I was blown away by the T486 last summer when I started to look for a 335-style guitar. I had played a few other models several months prior (T386 and Ray Benson sig) and both were exceptional, so when I finally decided to look into it more seriously, I ran over there first. I played the T386, and it was really good, but I knew I wanted a T486 or T59v. However, I was about to settle on the T386 when they told me they had a T486 in the back which they had just unboxed, just hadn't put it out on display yet. So they grabbed it and I played it for probably a good 45 minutes and knew I had to have it. I had them set it aside for a couple of days, traded a couple other low-end guitars I had laying around and paid off the rest. Haven't had an ounce of regret with that decision.
Cut to more recently; I was previously never a huge Les Paul kind of guy. I liked them for sure, but gravitated more towards other styles of guitars. Last spring I picked up a 2018 Gibson Les Paul Classic with P-90's to scratch the LP-itch, and it's treated me well. But I also knew I'd rather have a humbucker equipped LP. So a couple of weeks ago, I ended up trading a PRS I had for a Corsa LCPG (hand-made in PA Les Paul style guitar). Wow, what an amazing guitar! I quickly realized the beauty of Les Paul style guitars when built right! So then I decided I wanted either another Corsa LP-style guitar, or to finally pick up an Eastman SB57. I've had my eye on these since I grabbed the T486. I'm a sucker for black Les Pauls, especially with gold hardware (Les Paul Custom is still one of my dream guitars). The SB57 has just enough LP Custom influence that it because highly desirable. That, combined with the unique NTN (Next To Nothing) finish of my Corsa that reminds me of my deep appreciation of satin and thin finishes, and the SB57's satin finish, it immediately went on my Reverb watch list. Didn't take long for a great deal to pop up, so I snagged it as quick as I could. I got it this past Saturday and I keep looking for excuses to go play it. It's a darker sounding guitar than I had expected, but still sounds excellent. But the feel and playability were exactly what I had anticipated. Even though this one was used, it is in excellent condition; a few very small dents on the back and some light buffing under the pickups is all that is cosmetically wrong, and the volume pots are a bit scratchy, but that's it.
What amazing guitars these are! They're just a blast to play, and I'm consitently impressed by the quality, especially for the price. I know the prices seem to be increasing recently, but I still tell people they're absolutely worth it. My Gibson LP is not a bad guitar by any measure, but the SB57 is undeniably better quality in the details.
![[Image: zYeJdLs.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/zYeJdLs.jpg)
![[Image: zxavzgA.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/zxavzgA.jpg)
![[Image: NIjtcqm.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/NIjtcqm.jpg)
I was blown away by the T486 last summer when I started to look for a 335-style guitar. I had played a few other models several months prior (T386 and Ray Benson sig) and both were exceptional, so when I finally decided to look into it more seriously, I ran over there first. I played the T386, and it was really good, but I knew I wanted a T486 or T59v. However, I was about to settle on the T386 when they told me they had a T486 in the back which they had just unboxed, just hadn't put it out on display yet. So they grabbed it and I played it for probably a good 45 minutes and knew I had to have it. I had them set it aside for a couple of days, traded a couple other low-end guitars I had laying around and paid off the rest. Haven't had an ounce of regret with that decision.
Cut to more recently; I was previously never a huge Les Paul kind of guy. I liked them for sure, but gravitated more towards other styles of guitars. Last spring I picked up a 2018 Gibson Les Paul Classic with P-90's to scratch the LP-itch, and it's treated me well. But I also knew I'd rather have a humbucker equipped LP. So a couple of weeks ago, I ended up trading a PRS I had for a Corsa LCPG (hand-made in PA Les Paul style guitar). Wow, what an amazing guitar! I quickly realized the beauty of Les Paul style guitars when built right! So then I decided I wanted either another Corsa LP-style guitar, or to finally pick up an Eastman SB57. I've had my eye on these since I grabbed the T486. I'm a sucker for black Les Pauls, especially with gold hardware (Les Paul Custom is still one of my dream guitars). The SB57 has just enough LP Custom influence that it because highly desirable. That, combined with the unique NTN (Next To Nothing) finish of my Corsa that reminds me of my deep appreciation of satin and thin finishes, and the SB57's satin finish, it immediately went on my Reverb watch list. Didn't take long for a great deal to pop up, so I snagged it as quick as I could. I got it this past Saturday and I keep looking for excuses to go play it. It's a darker sounding guitar than I had expected, but still sounds excellent. But the feel and playability were exactly what I had anticipated. Even though this one was used, it is in excellent condition; a few very small dents on the back and some light buffing under the pickups is all that is cosmetically wrong, and the volume pots are a bit scratchy, but that's it.
What amazing guitars these are! They're just a blast to play, and I'm consitently impressed by the quality, especially for the price. I know the prices seem to be increasing recently, but I still tell people they're absolutely worth it. My Gibson LP is not a bad guitar by any measure, but the SB57 is undeniably better quality in the details.
