Thanks for the video. There's quite a big difference of sound. And the lack of clarity for the D18 is maybe due also to the strings: also, speaking only about the bronze color of the E6 strings of each guitar, the one the D18 isn't looking shiny any more, when on the Eastman, it is.. Obviously, my E/A/D/G strings on my Martin HD28 are not sounding bright any more after too many months, when clarity is so huge with new strings..
I’m blown away by the clarity/balance of the Eastman. The Martin sounds a bit more “vintage” imo, but the Eastman has a certain “fidelity” that I prefer. Definitely looking at the E1om lately.
Sadly I didn't have access to an E10. Even then the Eastman OM's have a short scale length whereas the Martin has the slightly longer scale length, more typical for an OM. But who knows... Maybe someday they'll make one and I'll check it out... For now, hopefully the comparison will show that the Eastman is actually a fantastic instrument. We don't always need the better, more expensive, made in USA guitar, even though we all secretly want to. Because as you may have heard the Eastman sounds just as great as the Martin, albeit with a different sonic character :)
Super demonstration.. Thanks for Sharing. I have an Eastman E6D and in the field for an OM and tried the both E2OM, but found it muted, then tried E1OM and wow so clear and articulated, finally tried E6OM that was amazing.. but over budget as right now. Apparently both E1 Nd E6 has been upgraded. I will give an E1OM a go.. felt and sounded good and guess goos strings improve further. Greetings from Denmark.
Interesting comparison. The Martin OM-18 is warmer with faster decay so has a bit more soul. The Eastman e1OM is louder with tons of sustain, natural reverb, likely due to the adi top. When capo'd, they sound remarkably similar, with the Eastman gaining in warmth to match the Martin's. All in all, both very fine guitars. Martin wins on tone as it seems more consistent up and down the fretboard, however at 3.5 the price (or more with an adi top upgrade on the OM-18) the Eastman remains a very appealing option.
I must have got a Friday afternoon one it was nicely constructed but the finish was very poor especialy around the neck , the end of the fretboard wasn't finished properly, the saddle too tight so it didn;t seat properly, and the nut badly cut. I am a lefty so had to buy it blind , it went back and I haven't tried another Eastman. It can't have been representative of their work as most of what i see and read online is positive.
☑️ recently got the Eastman E10OM and it's pretty nice but previously got the AC308CE and it turned out to be even better ‼️😜 ☑️ I've had a new Martin OOO-42 many years now and a recently acquired Eastman E40OM, and I have to admit the Eastman plays better and sounds marginally better than the Martin at about half the cost ; but the Martin is still quite a bit sexier axe of the two ‼️🤔🥸🤓😜🤑
Both very nice, you really can't go wrong with Eastman for the money. The Martin has more dynamic range and a richer low end. But for way more money.....up to you if it's worth it I suppose.
I think the new ones have maple back and sides. This one definitely does not have that. Other than that I don't really know. Pretty sure this is just one of the versions that came before the 341sc.
The "S" stands for solid wood top. The EF-341C is a laminate top, and I think that's one of the reasons it's such a good stage guitar. They sound really really good plugged in, and are tough as nails. Mine's 32 years old, and plays like butter. I wish I could find a replacement preamp, exactly the same as the old one. It kept up with Marshall stacks, loud drummers, and years of hard labor.
The thick, larger pickguard on the Eastman will dampen a slight amount. I play an Eastman OM and tried two different size pickguards and found that the smaller teardrop guard allowed more vibration.
This is a brilliant comparison. You are extremely talented with the uncanny ability to allow the instrument to speak through you. It's a very enlightening video; thanks for making both of these remarkable Martins come alive!
Went om shopping with a $2500 budget. Ended up with a $800 brand new Alvarez Chinese made masterworks om 60. Blew me away. It inspires me more then any guitar i have owned. Maybe i just got lucky...
I had to google translate this :D, but your question is how my binding is still white? It's really not. It's actually almost yellow but due to the filter on this video it appears whiter than it actually is.
Thanks for the video. I own an Eastman E1OML(lefty) for six months now. It is a truly great guitar. Very well build, great sound and together with my Martin DRS1 the best in my steel string collection. It is so easy to play and so consistent. A bit punchy when using a plectrum but a dream for finger picking. I an still in love with this instrument. Of course it's not on par with a Martin OM, but it's really very close and certainly has it's own character. Eastman guitars are really, really great instrument at a good price. Completely hand made and that is not the case for many Martins. My DRS1 is a Mexican build Martin and it's quite obvious that it's partly machine made. Of course it's the less expensive Martin and it's still really good. But 1.5 times the price of the Eastman it is certainly not better. (I know comparing an all mahogany dreadnought with a spruce / mahogany OM is silly, but still.) If I should buy another steel strung guitar I shall definitely go for another Eastman and not the Martin as the price difference does not match the differences in quality and sound and I do have to be careful with my budget.
Thanks for the comparison. I have one of the Eastmans on the way. €650, not bad. I have 3 Martins, and Eastmans do not wilt up against Martin gits. I've had an E10-D, should NOT have sold that; and an E10-OM. That one I didn't get along with, so returned it. It was still a stunning instrument, and having an Adi top, was a little cannon. The E1-OM will fit the niche of small body all solid spruce/hog for me perfectly.
More like ¼ the price. The Eastman holds its own surprisingly well. Last I looked, a Martin OM-18 was in the neighbourhood of €3000+. This guitar can be had for around $700 CAD, which blows any Godin product out of the water at that price. Wish I'd had an instrument of this quality to learn on.
Well... I sold the 28 so I could keep the 18. Just fit me better :) I do still sometimes think about the om28 because I did really like it. Basically they are both great!
Nice playing and custom pickguard on the 1om! I just got one myself, the top is quite unusual and darker than what you would typically see. I didn’t even recognise it in the store when I was looking for it, and the clerk had never seen one quite like it. Also recently got an E2D, for the price these guitars just can’t be beat. But man that 18 sounds like butter! I also second to know that tune at around 3:30, not sure if I’ve heard it before or if it just seems that way because it’s so intuitively well written the chords are sort of exactly where you expect them to be.
It sure sounds like this song by The Other Favorites, "Low Country" If you follow Josh Turner Guitar you probably heard it there. It's a really nice tune! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y9_5a1I2Xdo.html
Eastman OM has a short scale while the Martin OM has a long scale and the Martin usually has a sitka top while the Eastman has an Adirondack. (E10 had Adi, E1 has Sitka)
I'm glad this video shows how beautiful these guitars actually are. I've tried a lot of the reimagined OM-28s and they look great, but then on RU-vid they look awful in all the videos for some reason, haha.
