Eastman stops using Nitro switches to Truetone

[donovantyler]

..yeah.. i'm not used to these switch-ups.
But the pluses far outweigh the drawbacks with Eastman.
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I feel a lot better about what I have after talking with Mark.  I just don't like surprises like this on a $2,130 purchase.

For a long time the pluses have outweighed the drawbacks.  You were getting a no-excuses handmade instrument with a nitro finish at a steal of a price.  The adi came from "the same place Colling's sources their's", the rosewood was plantation grown in "SE Asia", and I'm pretty sure that's Khaya for the mahogany.  

Now though, the prices have gone up enough that I'm personally looking at Larrivee's as a similar-priced alternative.  Although I'm sure the new finish will sound great, but it's going to be another compromise from what they were doing last year.  It was pretty cool to play some of those alpine tops, but I think it's ridiculous that I had to let my local shop know what they were.  

I say this as the owner of 4 four fantastic Eastmans that are going nowhere, but I think the increasing price and sacrifices to what made them special will hurt them.  Of course the market will let them know. 

What are the "Alpine" tops?