Which Eastman thinline?

[tones]

Hi Folks, I'm new here.  Been ogling Eastman guitars for a while and am really thinking about getting one of their thinlines. I was hoping folks here that have played more of their models could chime in with opinions. I live in Portland, OR, and I think Portland Music Company carries some Eastmans.  I need to get out, see what they have, and play a few in person. 

Right now I am eying either the 185/185MX or the T59. I play mostly acoustic guitar, fingerpicking in various alternate tunings, as well as clawhammer banjo.  I like playing blues, roots, some jazz, and rocking out a bit, and have a Baja Tele and a few nice amps. I was in a rock band for a bit but not anymore, so mostly just playing electric around the house. I could see this guitar being used for fingerpicking bluesy stuff, some slide, and playing with a pick too.  I wouldn't getting back into a band at some point.

I like my Baja tele fine, but I am not much into the Tele twang, and am always on the neck pickup or the middle position usually. Plus this particular tele is super heavy, and poly finish is not that appealing. I know 335 style guitar are supposed to produce warmer woodier sounds, and I have liked the few 335's I played in the stores.  Though the different form factor would take some getting used to. 

So that is where I am coming from. I know the 18X series has a mahogany neck, and is almost totally hollow. The t59 has the center block, which means more sustain? Folks also say it is brighter due to the maple neck.  Through an amp do these two guitars sound significantly different? 

I know the best thing is to get out and play them, so I am hoping I can find some locally.  If not a drive to Seattle may be in order. 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Pura Vida]

Hi, tones.  Welcome to the EGF!  I'm not an electric expert, but the group helped me decide on a 2016 T185MX, which I really enjoy.  I'll warn you that the T184/5/6 models are extremely difficult to find in the wild.  Last year, Eastman only sold 52 of them (combined) in the U.S.  But if you find one, I think you'll really like it, especially the new ones with the Lollar Imperial pickups.

I'm not aware of the neck making a big difference on tone, as much as the body wood and construction.  I will say that my T185MX has a ridiculous amount of sustain, and as often described, it's like the Swiss Army knife, where it can tackle lots of different music styles.  The T59 are laminate bodies, which means they usually can play at higher volumes without risk of feedback.  And the "/v" models are finished with Eastman's Antique Varnish, which makes them more resonant than the standard Nitro finish guitars.

Hope this helps.  Some others may jump in with more expertise.

[gnappi]

My limited experience with Eastman is with my T165MX (single cut version of the 185MX) and a T486. Both have had either the pups replaced (the MX has Fralins) or pup mods (the 486 had the "jazz" A5 magnet replaced with an A2) done to them. 

Beside the sound of the pups they're different.

The MX is a lot lighter, came without a pickguard, has a mellow amplified sound and will feedback rather easily, while the 486 is less prone to feedback and is over a pound heavier than the MX. To some these are deal breaker issues.

As totally unrelated issues go, I'm not overly fond of the drab appearance of the T59. Their finish colors are odd, and appearance of the wood of most make them IMO look cheap. 

At similar prices the MX give you more options in body size, finish color, and wood used and I think a choice between them comes more down to appearance, and weight than sound which both have respectable pups and it should be easy to coax great sound out of either.

[Chris Pile]

Haven't played enough Eastman hollow bodies to make a real informed opinion, but a recording artist I know in Florida bought one of the T59V models loaded with Lollars and he's very pleased to own it.

[Rad]

Talking tone on the internet, pretty hard to do.

I can tell you for a fact that the Eastman thinlines are some of the best made guitars out there. The necks and bound Ebony Fingerboards are about the best I have ever played. You are looking at the right manufacturer for a high quality guitar at any price.

Back to tone. Your only two options are to watch every YouTube vid made with the guitars you are thinking of and try your best to track down ones to play.

For thinlines, I have seen, 386’s, 486’s and 59v’s in our local stores and we are a very small market so I would think those examples can be found near you.

I just own one now, it has the SD Jazz/59 combo and did have one with the SD Phat Cats (their p90 pup)

I prefer the Phat Cats but not enough to replace the Jazz/59 combo I currently have

Enjoy the hunt

[tones]

Yea I agree, talking tone on the internet is pretty difficult. 

Unfortunately the local music shop did not have any of these Eastman's in stock. I did stop at Thunder Road Guitars and play a beautiful Collings I-35 LC.  Way beyond my budget, but I figure it can't hurt to try the high dollar stuff.  Great guitar, and the 15" lower bout was quite comfy.  That is a similar size to the OM style acoustic I usually play. 

The Collings has the full center block, unlike the 165MX. So in that aspect its closer to the t59, though smaller. I think for longer playing sessions the 15" would be more comfy, as I mostly play sitting down.

Man I wish there were more of these guitars out there. I can't believe they only sold 52 total of the 184/5/6 series last year. 

I guess either wait till I can play one, or decide I am ok with the semi hollow platform and get one off Reverb.

[Pura Vida]

Tones, if you look for used T185MX, be aware that there have been three generations.  The first round had gold hardware and Kent Armstrong pickups in it.  About four years ago, they switched to chrome hardware and SD59 pickups.  Within the last year or so, they switched the pickups again, in favor or the Lollars.  A trusted resource (not here on EGF) steered me away from the first generation models, and I got lucky to find a well-kept 2016 for a great price.  Good luck with your search!

[tones]

Yea looking around there seem to be a few different versions.  The newer ones with the narrow headstock might be nice, though I am not sure that makes a difference tuning wise. 

I've been eying these two on Reverb.

https://reverb.com/item/24157137-eastman...olid-woods

https://reverb.com/item/29908487-eastman...19-classic

The first one is older, but it looks like the seller pasted the description from the website?  So I am not sure if it really has Lollars installed.

The second one is obviously a new model, with the narrow headstock, and I assume includes Lollars as listed.  

Hard to decide.  Maybe a drive to Seattle is in order.

[Pura Vida]

The first one is from 2017, as mentioned in the listing (and visible on the Certificate in the first photo).  I'm not sure when they transitioned to Lollars, but I thought it was early 2018, so it could be a matter of copy/paste by the seller.  The difference in price is fairly negligible, since the new seller is offering up free shipping.  FWIW, I'm perfectly happy with my SD59s, but I've heard only positive on the Lollar pickups.

[gnappi]

Yea I agree, talking tone on the internet is pretty difficult. >>SNIP<<

Talking tone in person is difficult :-)