SB-59 v GB colour

[BarnsleyBoy]

Evening All (or Good morning if you are across the pond!)

I've now managed to play the SB59 in both varnish and nitro versions, and if I had the cash I'd buy both and add the stunning 55v as well, but I'm in enough trouble with the amount of guitars I have at the moment! I'm split between the gold-burst V and the sunburst N. Bright and shiny and new looking with SD59's which I already have fitted to another guitar that I own, or Lightly relic-ed and Loller pickups which sound fantastic.

One thing I have noticed from endless trawling on the internet is the variation in colour on the V. I'd really like one that looks like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6i7sddw...nel=Guitar
(I'd also like to play like that too, but that's a different conversation!)

But the 2 that I've played (in different shops) have looked a lot lighter, almost yellow with very pale colouration. The backs too have been an awful lot lighter. Have Eastman changed the stain colour? or have I just tried 2 that are paler than usual? If any SB59V owners out there could offer some guidance and perhaps post a picture of their own guitar, I'd much appreciate it.

[JoeontheGuitar]

Mine looks pretty much like the one in the video.

[BarnsleyBoy]

Thanks for the reply Joe. When did you buy yours? I'm wondering whether the older models had a darker stain than the newer ones. I'd love to see a picture to drool over!!

[JoeontheGuitar]

Mine is from 2018. I don't have a picture of it online (can't upload it here to the forum). The relic is also very subtle. A very fine instrument. Mine is extra special since it has Amber Spirit of '59 pups. The tones are truly amazing.

[BarnsleyBoy]

When I demo'd the Eastmans there was a second hand Maybach Lester that the guy in the shop was pushing for me to buy. That had the Amber Spirits - great sounding pickups, a lovely looking guitar too. More Gibson looking than the Eastman, but the relic made it look a lot more "used".

[Rideon]

Took delivery of an SB59 sb several months ago and what a delight...first electric purchase and its light years ahead of anything else I trialled. Once the strings settled into the saddles, a few minor tweaks of the bridge and the SDs...Bingo.. I have a guitar I think will be with me for a long long long time.
Next purchase will be a semi hollow and if this is anything to go by....definitely a Wed guitar.... it will be Eastman again...hard to test drive Easties in Ireland...any suggestions..335 type I'm after..bought the SB59 on a whim surrounding the hype and happily zero regret....are they all this good ?

[wswalcott]

Hey Man, Congrats on your purchase, 

Whereabouts in Ireland are you based?  Im an Irishman living in Holland :-) 

I picked up a T59-V in Red and I am consistently blown away by it every time I play it! I had never heard of Eastman and went guitar shopping one day with a view to pick up a p90 equipped guitar, I Was given an Eastman SB55 single cut and could not put it down, it was so much better than all the other guitars I tried that day including similar guitars from Gibson and Heritage. 

I didn't buy the guitar that day as I was a little shocked that the Eatmans were MIC to be honest and wondered for that price should I just get a Gibson? Anyway the next weekend I went to another big store that is a big Gibson dealer and I put their Eastmans head to head with their massive collection of Gibsons and happily walked out with my T-59V 

If you are looking for a 335 style guitar I could not recommend it more, I also played a t486 with a Bigsby and P90's which was also amazing but I am a total sucker for the feel of the Varnish finish especially on the neck !! 

The fit finish and build quality on all the Eastmans was so much better than the Gibsons which had binding bleed tooling marks etc: 

I cant speak for all of them but of all of them I have played they have been consistently impressive !