Thoughts on Eastwood instruments?

[Sanshiro]

that seems about like what I'm hearing from most people. They're a bit over priced. But it's not like you can get comparable instruments anywhere else for cheaper.

The main issue with Eastwood, at least in my opinion, is that they cut corners where they can, even on their most high end instruments. The first wave of Hooky basses, for instance, came without string trees, despite Eastwood's prototype and the original Shergold having them. This caused some major issues because those trees push the strings into the nut slots and help prevent the buzzing on the zero fret.

Another thing is that a lot of the instruments they make just look like the original they're trying to recreate, but they don't actually have the same features of the original (pickups, construction, switching, etc). This is mostly an issue with the older/cheaper instruments, but it still comes up now and then in their newer stuff.

 

[Peeved T-40]

The main issue with Eastwood, at least in my opinion, is that they cut corners where they can, even on their most high end instruments. The first wave of Hooky basses, for instance, came without string trees, despite Eastwood's prototype and the original Shergold having them. This caused some major issues because those trees push the strings into the nut slots and help prevent the buzzing on the zero fret.

Another thing is that a lot of the instruments they make just look like the original they're trying to recreate, but they don't actually have the same features of the original (pickups, construction, switching, etc). This is mostly an issue with the older/cheaper instruments, but it still comes up now and then in their newer stuff.

I get that if you're coming from a place of trying to get an accurate replica of the older instrument and i agree they shouldn't cut corners but that's not a huge issue for me because i just want a cool instrument even if it's missing a switch the original had. as long as it's not a piece of poopie

 

[selowitch]

I have owned one or two of them. They have a nice old-school vibe if that’s what you’re looking for.

 

[StatesideRambler]

I haven’t owned one but I’ve played several. To a degree they’re styling novelties but in each one I played I saw that it wouldn’t take terribly much work to make a good (and fun) player’s instrument out of it.

They’re worth their prices. Don’t go around comparing an Eastwood with axes costing six times as much. That’s just trying to teach a pig to sing.

 

[Camarillo]

Several years ago I bought a seafoam green Mandocaster. To be honest I didn't play it so much, anyway It's a beauty.

 

[Mastermold]

They make fun and unusual, reasonably priced instruments. Check them out if you want something different.

 

[darkwasthenight]

The UK team are all good people. We had a tour support arrangement with them and they were very accommodating - ended up renting the Map Bass, an Airline 3P, and a Rivolta Mondata. I've bought a few off them in the past as well and both their shipping and return policies are very generous.

 

[40Hz]

Eastwood is all about having fun and owning something different.

I thought their Tuxedo guitar was brilliant. Cool retro sounding hollowbody. Not too hard on the eyes either. I’ve presently got my sights set on their mandocello and tenor guitar.

 

[dangevans]

I would really like to get a couple of them, but like some other posters said in this forum: They are just way too much $$$ for a Korean/Chinese made, average-quality guitar. I would spend maybe $350 on one, tops.

It would be worth the $$$ if someone made these and made sure the quality was exceptional, kind of like how Jerry Jones guitars re-made Danelectros but made them in much higher quality than the originals or the Korean reissues.

 

[Slevage]

The best and worst thing about Eastwood is that they reproduce old, out of production instruments relatively faithfully. This includes bad design choices that led directly to those instruments not being commercially successful the first time around.

A lot of us poor kids cut our teeth on Hiflyer basses and guitars in the 70’s.

 

[msb]

I have a Classic IV , feels good , sounds good , fun to play .
Picked it up used for a very good price .
But a big hollow bodied shortscale bass may not be what most people are looking for .
I like it .

 

[LoTone]

I have two right now and I had a few others in the past. I always end up feeling that they are a bit overpriced. However, they have unique designs and they are a company that dares trying different things. So, you end up paying extra for the personality factor.

 

[ardgedee]

Eastwood produces in smaller volume than the major guitar companies, and they're not using commodity bodies and necks, so they can't compete on economy of scale. If you want to pay Fender Shaped Object prices, you're stuck with FSO instruments (or something from one of the few companies that can compete in scale, like Ibanez Soundgear).

If Eastwood have what you want, your options are usually either their version or an original at collector's prices. You're more likely to get customer support if you buy from Eastwood. And like other people in this thread has said, the more faithfully Eastwood reproduces the original, the more faithfully Eastwood also reproduces the design flaws that lead to the originals being short-lived.

 

[Eilif]

Eastwood gives me mixed feelings. I've watched them for a while and seen the prices rise quite dramatically over time.

I've played a few used and they are all fun, and seem worth it at used prices, but when I see what they're charging now, it just doesn't seem worth it.

I remember when they were cheap, but didn't get some major details right. Then they started to get more details right (though not all) and introducing more models and the prices for many increased quite dramatically. It seems like now you are getting a good quality insturment -but not amazing- and what you are really paying for is the "look".

All that said people listen with their ears so if you need the look for the stage or for your personal enjoyment it may be worth it to you.

 

[2F/2F]

The only one I have actually bought was built like nearly the worst garbage instrument I have ever seen, and the neck plays like a 2x4. It's my only bass that actually causes me left hand pain.

I complained about the fit and finish, and their response was that they're all that poorly made, so here's $200 back. Therefore my Black Widow Bass was just over $300 in the end, after tax. That's closer to the right price, but doesn't change the fact that it's built like garbage. I've seen better finish and construction work on instruments that retail for $150 new.

Bottom line, the bass looks good from 20 feet away, but should be no more than a $200 instrument. I would not buy another instrument from them. I was very tempted by the black and gold Rivolta guitar, but $1,200 ($1,020 on sale at the time) plus tax is completely ridiculous.

Another drag about the Black Widow is that there is no HSC for it. I would have actually paid for one, even though the bass is a pile.

 

[blacktocomm]

Here is my recently acquired JM Pro. It’s one of their higher end models and every bit as nice as anything else I’ve owned at the same price point. Plays and sounds as good as it looks. Not a flaw to be found. Sorry to hear others have had some not so stellar instruments.

 

[Cave Puppy]

Seems like a cool company. A buddy has a mandocello (not sure if its an Eastwood) that we use all the time. He also has a few other Eastwoods. One of them can't be intonated all the way due to, I think, the adherence to old specs they copied. Anyway here's a video of with the owner of Eastwood.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

There’s a luthier in town that I trust that has a pretty good IG channel where he shows what on his workbench, and it seems every Eastwood has had some pretty major issues from the factory. Bad fretjobs, mismatched radiuses, and nut slots, electronics, etc. Could be that the good ones are really good and the bad ones are really bad.

 

[Peeved T-40]

There’s a luthier in town that I trust that has a pretty good IG channel where he shows what on his workbench, and it seems every Eastwood has had some pretty major issues from the factory. Bad fretjobs, mismatched radiuses, and nut slots, electronics, etc. Could be that the good ones are really good and the bad ones are really bad.

That seems to be what I'm hearing. Very hit or miss

 

[electracoyote]

I have owned and played numerous Eastwoods (and their sponsored signature brands) in guitars, electric mandos, and basses. Quality, playability, and output all over the map. From one model to the next, you never know quite what you're getting until you get one in your hands. And they tend to make small unannounced hardware changes to them on the fly, like the string retainer noted in a post above.

Many of the reboots, while aesthetically handsome, are a little disappointing sonically due to electronics being mediocre or the array being dumbed down and not matching that of the original version. I have personally never liked most of the bass offerings I've played. Once tried to save money with the Ampeg clone sight-unseen, big mistake, couldn't unload it fast enough. One exception is the Classic IV bass, good alternative to the Gretsch stuff, I had two in white and orange for the retro country act I played in. There's another example of sudden unannounced hardware changes, the bridge configuration must have changed at least three times over the years and you never knew what you would get.

Some of their original stuff is good, because you don't have anything to compare them to. I like the 8-string electric mando they made back in the day, used that to very good effect on many stages.

I also have their Custom Kraft Deluxe sixer in greenburst, a reboot of an old design, and it's okay, probably over-priced, but cool unique looks. With some effort I successfully dialed it in and tightened it up to be marginally stage-worthy. I also have a Jeff Senn Model One in surf green which I got on sale, never would have paid full price for that, again I had to tighten it up considerably to make it (barely) stage-worthy, actually more appropriate for rehearsals now that I think about it.

Bottom line for me is, you're probably paying a high price more for looks than outstanding quality/playability/tone, with some you can straighten them out or mod them to the point you'd want to record or perform with them, and it's a real gamble across all those scores of models and styles what you'll end up with. Too bad it's such a high price to find out.

The Backlund stuff is an example of a real uptick in quality, but they want a pretty penny for those. I had money down for the Backlund 800 special order custom, but it went belly-up before production. Too bad.