Eastman T486

[pneil]

Just ordered one of these in transparent black.

http://www.eastmanguitars.com/t486/

I've been looking for a real laminated semi-hollow lately and didn't want to break the bank. I have a buddy that's a die hard Jazz guy and he's been bringing he Eastman's out for years. I was skeptical, but the quality of the woodwork and the tone have always been really good, so... here goes.

Should be here early next week. I'll drop a report once I've spent some time with it.

Pneil

[Briggs]

very cool. I've also thought about a hollow body and looked at The Heritages, I'm interested to hear about your thoughts on the Eastman.

[tmihm]

I've never had the chance to play one, and have wondered how they are - tone, fit & finish, etc.

Good luck, Pneil - and keep us posted once you get it!!!

Terry

[guitarzan]

I played a used one of these in Michigan and was really impressed by it. I'm not really a 335 kind of guy, but I've always wanted to mix one into my stable of guitars. This was every bit as good as most 335's I've played for a fraction of the price.

[pneil]

Got it. Like it. Pics coming soon (before the whining starts :-).

A few observations. Build quality seems quite good. Laminate has a fair amount of figuring I couldn't see in the pictures. The transparent black looks great but hides a lot of the detail. Would be amazing in sunburst.

Maple neck instead of mahogany. When combined with the ebony fingerboard of the T486, it's got a bit more upper end snap than a traditional 335. I like brighter guitars anyway, so no loss there.

Very resonant.

Weight is 8lbs and change. Typical for a 335 style.

1 3/4 nut width instead of 1 11/16. Not an issue or even too noticable, but I like wider necks anyway.

Good note definition with the neck pick up. I'll probably use the neck more with this than I do on most Gibson style guitars. No mud at all. The Duncan Jazz works really well here and the '59 and Jazz combo is a great choice for this guitar.

This is probably dumb, but I was still surprised by how big it was, especially when sitting next to strat and tele style guitars... :-).

Nice case.

Pics in the next day or so when I get a chance to really go through it, set it up etc (although the store setup is pretty good).

Pneil

[Briggs]

Nice! Thanks for the review. Can't wait to see pics. With this kind of review and Corey's good words it might be too hard to resist...

[pneil]

Hey guys, It's a great guitars for the money. I'll get pics up this weekend. Sorry for the delay.