The Most Expensive VS Least Expensive Guitar Eastman Sells | Can You Hear The Difference? 

I’m glad you guys have been having some success! Couple of good dudes. Was here when y’all have like 60 subs

That was a lot closer than I thought it would be. It's amazing how good the best cheap guitars are today. The E2D-CD is another example.

Glad to find out that B was the expensive one, because I thought it sounded slightly better. However, the difference was barely perceptible.

I listen to these kinds of videos all the time and had convinced myself that A was more expensive... I am stunned! Here's the bottom line, folks: We are living in the golden age of acoustic guitar making with more bang for the buck than ever before!

Great discussion and demo as usual!! It really is amazing what you can get for the money these days!! That PCH model sounded great, even if not at the level of the more expensive AC model. No question the AC model had another dimension to it. That being said I feel like the HPC is still a great guitar while the AC is exceptional! As a general statement, I do think there's an upper limit, in terms of price, that you really don't need to go beyond, from a sonic/ playability standpoint. I know I've mentioned in comments here before, but I have a Furch Yellow Master's Choice Gc-CR which is sonically and playability wise, everything I get ever hope to find in any guitar at any price ( including boutique guitars). While it is extremely beautiful, with beautiful solid tonewoods and a breathtaking gloss finish, it's not flashy. I feel that when you get beyond a model like that, you're really getting into more expensive woods (ie rarer, more uniquely figured, etc) and bling (inlays, binding, rosettes etc) that look incredible but really don't have any musical impact.

Great video! Eastman makes some beautiful instruments!

I just got an e3ome from Eastman . Its a really cool little guitar and very balanced sound between all the strings . Best Chinese guitar I have ever played .

Wow, what a great way to do that! I could tell a big difference in sound, started off liking B but over all went to A, but aver all, just depends on what you want sound wise. I have one that I play for songs that I want to sound "bright" and one that I want the low end to ring out. Well done guys!

Love hearing the Eastman guitars you have for sale...more please...

When I get blind test wrong (like I just did in this) it makes me question whether or not I know a lick about guitars. Really surprising.

I preferred A but thought it was the more expensive Eastman. I have a T386RD and an SB55DC/v. I absolutely love them. My next purchase will be an Eastman acoustic. Thanks for the great review 🙏🏼

I bought a pch earlier this year. Very nice, affordable guitar. Sounds pretty good, but I could tell the difference all the way. Wasn’t particularly hard to tell which was which using headphones. To me, I’d probably never buy that expensive one, would give me anxiety of damaging it. The PCH is the Honda Civic of the Eastman line, in the best way.

love your guys videos and love all the guitar talk too :-)

I just got a 922 about a week ago, and I love it. I think it definitely has a richer tone than the cheaper model, but they actually sound pretty close. Such a bargain on the cheaper one. It is simply amazing how good some of the cheaper guitars are these days.

Yes not bad for the cheapest Eastman and I like it’s sound . Pretty darn close . It’s not as round but way better than I’d thought. The sharper highs are noticeable and the expensive guitar has that smooth tone and roundness .

The difference was clear from the start and guitar A was the better sounding to me. I knew it was going to be the cheap one. Great video.

Hello Springfield, I listened through headphones while I was walking an inside track at the gym. I had to watch again to see what I had heard. They both have a place in the market and if I was buying a first guitar...

Thanks guys another good one. From the first day I picked up a guitar (about 60 years ago) I played by ear until I started playing the hard stuff (music, not acid rock) so I have developed a pretty good ear. They sounded different as I expected; did they sound $2,500 different? Absolutely not. Just from the sound, I'd play that $400 guitar in a heart beat. Keep on smiling.

Great video guys. I have to point out though, that you incorrectly identified the PCH guitar as an AC122CE. The AC122CE is not a PCH series guitar. What you demonstrated is actually a PCH1-GACE. I own 3 Eastman acoustics: PCH1-D, AC222CE-OV, AC422CE. They each have their own distinctive sound, much more so than the two guitars on the video. I suspect that in real life listening, the difference would be more apparent. I really like that you show the string height measurements by SN for inventory on your website. If you look at the numbers though, you will see there is a wide variation in factory setups for all the Eastman models, regardless of whether they are expensive or inexpensive. I don't understand why the setups are not more consistent. Not a big deal, as I had mine set up to my preference. The build quality on my PCH1-D (recently received) is very good, but not excellent. The finish on the back of the neck bled over on to the side edges of the fretboard a bit. Not a big deal (no one will ever notice it but me), but I would take issue with it on a more expensive guitar. Otherwise it seems perfect! No plans to buy another guitar at the present, but when I do, I will buy it from you.

Does Eastman have a guitar that compares to the GS Mini.?

I'm sure your objective is to sell guitars with your videos but under the heading of 'unintended consequences,' this video convinced me to take a chance on purchasing a used PCH3-GACE last night. I say, take a chance, because the seller had dead strings on it so I had no idea how it would sound until I got it home and replaced the strings. There was nothing to fear. Just like with your video, it sounds like a solid wood guitar. I have an Eastman double top DT30-GACE which I would never play out, especially now that Eastman quit building them and they are becoming rare as hen's teeth. Anyway, I was able to do my own shootout. The two guitars feel and play the same, which achieved my main goal. Even though the double top sounds more complex and rich, that laminate PCH3-GACE certainly sounds nice enough for stage work. It has way more sustain than I've ever heard from laminate. I'd say that anyone on a budget, or anyone playing out, won't regret getting an Eastman PCH series guitar.

Eastman... Very impressive guitars, l love my SB59v, l had a 100% hand made solid wood TM185x which was incredible but l realized lm just not a hollow body 335 kinda guy but it was just incredible for what it was.. yes the PCH sounds a lil boxy, not as warm and clear but it did sound incredible! I would love to see the PCH go against a Taylor GS Mini-e which is not Taylor's cheapest guitar but it's laminate back and sides, also produces an incredible tone and projects more than twice it's size! And like comparing your two guitars there the difference is very noticable comparing my Sapele mini to my GA8e (Taylor's top of the line guitar in 2009).. it's really much more drastic than the Eastman's.. but it's a huge difference in body size, if Taylor's mini was a GA body then it may be more similar to your comparison. All that being said l don't think l could justify the extra money for Eastman's finest unless l was touring or doing big gigs.. that PCH would be plenty of guitar for the herds of home players for sure. It's really shocking what a great guitar you get for sub $1000 today, by far the greatest time in history to be a broke guitar player looking to get a really decent guitar (acoustic or solid body) for under $500 that you can actually gig with. Look at Epiphone.. l likely would not have considered a Epi acoustic 10 years ago, now.. l own 3! They are THAT good thanks to today's tech they are better guitars for under $1k than you could buy 20 years ago in the $1000-$1500 range and with inflation since 20 years ago that is a true accomplishment!!! Eastman is getting more and more recognition for being a builder of great (not good but great!) guitars and the prices are just now 5-6 years later starting to show it. As with any hand built guitar there will be differences within the same line on similar guitars but even so the build quality is stellar and if you think you want a truly custom shop level guitar that you may actually be able to afford... JUMP on an EASTMAN before it is no longer a phenomenal deal..because they truly are still. You will not regret it.

The B guitar sounded better for me. It sounded more open. Its about sound for me. The bling is just a nicety to the eyes. If the B guitar was the cheapest, id buy it in a heart beat, if i was looking for another guitar.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN! If the Acoustic Shoppe person reading this is not John, and John is wandering around the shoppe being all grumpy today, maybe it's because everybody forgot.

Whats the cheapest model with the player monitor hole?

Jeez, I got it right but I wasn’t positive. Those are amazingly close considering the difference in price, materials, etc.

For the price the PCH is a very good deal. Loved the sound of both. But if I had the money I would buy the AC. Good comparison. 👍

I preferred A quite a bit. Thought it sounded a lot more open with a woody low end that avoided sounding too boxy.

Love eastman gutars and the pch sounds pretty good for an inexpensive model but this is not even close. Own an e20dmrtc, absolutely fabulous.

I heard the difference and would rather have the b guitar but am buying the a guitar anyway! Thanks guys, the best test yet!

They are close enough to where I'd have to sing with each before I decided (providing money is no object). Sounds like the more expensive has better bass. What think you John?

I preferred A. Sounds a bit dryer. Both sound amazing.

I preferred the B. I do wonder if the difference were more noticeable in the room, rather than listening to them mic'd on my laptop.

really nice arrangement of DITW.

Good stuff very close to my ears but I did prefer the more expensive one but for 400 bucks that sounded preeeetty tastie.

Young folks don't realize how much low-price guitars have improved. I got my first guitar (mail-order Kay archtop acoustic) at age 15 in 1959. Hardly any tone or volume, poor intonation, and painful to the fingers. Only $15, but my grocery store job paid 60 cents an hour.

I thought A was the expensive one. Eastman luthiers are making some incredible instruments at all price points.

Was it just me, or did A buzz or flap a bit ( lack of control ) aside from tone?

Gtr b sounds more deep and balanced but I wonder if all the additional embellishments take away from the expensive model. We shall see lol

Watched it for half the video, then the surprise, torrefied top on the PCH1-GACE.

I was surprised by how good guitar A sounded. However, it wasn't very hard to tell which was which. John is right though. In years gone by, you had to spend more to get a decent entry level guitar.

I got it wrong, and thought that A was the high end sound... 🤷‍♂️

Let me clarify, it's not "cheap" it's the least expensive! Cheap would relate to quality, and is the build and play quality that much different ?

Well I picked correctly but the sound difference is not worth the difference in price, and I love the bling,,but not worth the extra money,, yet I would go for the ac722ce..a little more and a little more bling

interesting video imho. this is what I like to see, people don't really understand the differences except it costs more...very clearly different as I hear them, yes I did pick them correctly.

I hear a différance, one is more bass and the other is more treble.

Both lovely but the expensive one WOW !!!!

No comparison. but, i feel so cheated for buying a Taylor 114 instead of the Eastman PCH1. Paid 2.5X for the taylor. ugh.

I got it right, but it was indeed close.

especially with coffee my gosh.....

The harmonics were far superior in the more expensive guitar. Both guitars are great value for the dollars spent. The inlay work is under-priced by thousands of dollars compared to American luthier prices. The lower priced guitar is an absolute steal as well. To get a torrified top that is also individually voiced is a feature that is worth the price of the whole guitar just for that one feature. I do not like the idea that Eastman is abandoning the superior dove tail neck joint for an inferior and sound dampening alternative.

Eastman started out with nice inexpensive, But still very nice. Not anymore. If I'm spending 3k. I'm getting a Martin or Gibson.

Sound demo starts after 14 minutes.

Surprisingly fould barely hear s difference if any. I guess that PCH is worth the money!

I got fooled lol

PCH was better to my ears

Appointments (inlays, etc) on a guitar are never going to make it sound better. Theres a certain price point where you are only getting aesthetic changes, which might actually make the guitar sound worse if anything. Outside of tonewoods, paying for upgrades like a bunch of Abalone or MOP just has no value tonally.

Guys you website is at a crawl😢😢😢

Guitar A sounds much more resonant to me.. Guitar B is out of tune so I wouldn't buy that one.

A sounds better

Not a big difference in the sound!

Let's see; you state you're the "world's largest acoustic dealer for Eastman guitars" then later on you say, "... looks like snakewood but I looked online .....". So, the obvious question is this: Why would the "world's largest..." have to go online rather than contact the Eastman dealer directly? You know, the the people whom you purchase Eastman guitars from.....

What you call cheap, i call least expensive for one. For two, sound is relevant, and some guitars play so good and set up so well, or have such a great neck that does it for you individually. So The Award Goes To PCH !!! Eat it Snobs , and Chew on it for a while Snob Shoppe.

Won,t buy Chinese

You guys talk too much!

You guys talk waaaay too much about nothing. Get to the point.

Three thousand dollars for a Eastman no way in the world this is nuts ,I would not pay three thousand dollars for thirty Eastman guitars.

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