Eastman ukuleles

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bsfloyd

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I think there are a few Eastman uke owners here on the forum. I am considering purchasing a EU3C concert scale. Unfortunately, I cannot play before purchasing as it is an online sale. No Eastman's in my area. I would appreciate to hear from owners about the neck profile on these. Is is a C shape, D shape, thinner, thicker, etc. If you could compare the neck to another more common instrument, which would it be? What is your overall opinions on the Eastman brand?

Thanks!
 
I have an EU3C and I really like it, but unfortunately I don't think I can be of much help to you. This is my first acoustic uke, so I don't really have anything to compare it to and I'm very much still learning to play it. Sorry I can't offer much more insight . . .
 
They sell Eastman Ukes at the music store where my Uke Group meets. Several members of our group have Eastman’s and like them a lot. I have tried some models, not sure which ones. I don’t like them as much as others. I don’t think they ring out as much as I like, but that’s just my opinion. They also sell Eastman Guitars and Mandolins by the dozens, They are quite popular. The fit and finish is great.
 
I have a buddy who worked there.

He said, "How the ukuleles would sound was never a part of the discussion."

They probably get them from Guangdong, like everyone else.
 
I had an Eastman parlor guitar and got rid of it pretty fast due to the neck being thick. They want 500.00 for EU3C. For that amount of money you can get a great Mainland, Ohana, Pono or a much better quality used one.

Setup is much more important than brand of uke you're buying. A 500.00 uke with a bad setup will sound worse and harder to play than a 150.00 uke with a good setup. It's very important to buy from a dealer who checks them out and sets them up before sending out. A factory setup is not the same. For 500 dollars, I'd search out one that is from Uke Republic, Mim's or HMS. They all do a proper setup before sending out. HMS takes longer to do the setup. I've had friends buy from Mim and have their instrument three days later.
 
Patrick Madsen said:
I had an Eastman parlor guitar and got rid of it pretty fast due to the neck being thick. They want 500.00 for EU3C. For that amount of money you can get a great Mainland, Ohana, Pono or a much better quality used one.

Setup is much more important than brand of uke you're buying. A 500.00 uke with a bad setup will sound worse and harder to play than a 150.00 uke with a good setup. It's very important to buy from a dealer who checks them out and sets them up before sending out. A factory setup is not the same. For 500 dollars, I'd search out one that is from Uke Republic, Mim's or HMS. They all do a proper setup before sending out. HMS takes longer to do the setup. I've had friends buy from Mim and have their instrument three days later.
Click to expand...

This is indeed true, but there is another side to that coin.
There can be an ukulele that you really want that isn't sold by one of those sellers (eg: Eastman), in which case you can still quite easily have it set up by your local luthier or oneself.
 
Thanks for the replies, information, and advice everyone!! I have experience in doing my own basic setups having played various fretted instruments for well over 30 years now. I just don't like to get to technical such as fret leveling and saddle compensating. For this I take them in. The instrument in topic is quite a bit less than the mentioned $500 - this one is just a bit over $300.

I much prefer a thicker and rounder neck profile, so perhaps they carried their parlor guitar neck over to their ukulele. Quite likely not, but it would be nice :)

Thanks again!
 
I got my EU3C (concert) Eastman on sale at a music store an hour from home. It came with nice low setup and no buzzing. Don't know if that was stock or if the store tweaked it but being a sale item, I'm think it was stock. Seemed a little quiet at first but has opened up after a year or so. (Or I'm playing louder now that it's not brand new.) As a point of reference it seemed the same loudness as a mahogany Pono when I bought it.

Disclaimers; I'm not that great of a player and may have somewhat tinny ears. :) But, I do like my Eastman.

And to answer your questions, the neck is "c" shaped, glossy finished (but not sticky) and is comparable to my Martin S1's neck.
 
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bsfloyd said:
Thanks for the replies, information, and advice everyone!! I have experience in doing my own basic setups having played various fretted instruments for well over 30 years now. I just don't like to get to technical such as fret leveling and saddle compensating. For this I take them in. The instrument in topic is quite a bit less than the mentioned $500 - this one is just a bit over $300.

I much prefer a thicker and rounder neck profile, so perhaps they carried their parlor guitar neck over to their ukulele. Quite likely not, but it would be nice :)

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Get a Pono. Hands down.
 
There is an Eastman tenor in the local Long & MC Quade and it is the most expensive uke in the store. It has a very thick super glossy finish and sounds more tubby than the cheapest uke in the store that is one tenth of its price. I played it two years ago. When I was in the store last month to buy a pick it was still there.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience, merlin! I appreciate your input. I hope the one I get, if I get, is not a dud like the one you played. I guess with most any acoustic instrument from mass produced makers, there are good ones and there are bad ones.
 
I think Eastmans might be hit or miss across the board. I've never seen one of their ukes, but in acoustic guitar forums their guitars often get rave reviews, even from players that own far better-rated guitars.

Curiously for me, they often get kudos for fit and finish but that is the area that usually makes me hang Eastmans back on the rack in shops.

Recently I tried an Eastman 12 fret spruce top guitar.... a solid "meh" tonally, the finish too thick, and the indicator dots on the side of the fretboard were lined up like a row of drunken sailors... not centered between the frets, and not centered top to bottom. Sadly, I often find similar problems with them... but, apparently, somebody, somewhere, is finding praiseworthy examples of Eastmans.
 
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