Eastman Mandolin

[BigSkyUkuleleGirl]

Hey southpaw, I am a lefty but play righty, often wondered if it made a difference but at this point I'm not going to change. Play golf righty too.

There is lots on the cafe about east mans.....you'll get some strong opinions about its overseas origins but in general it's well regarded as to build quality and such.

I am moving towards the webers and northfields although I'll probably stick with the Eastman, I really love it and its priced nicely as you can get a 300 or maybe even a 500 series for less than $1000 new.

[Jim Yates]

For a few years after the turn of the century I played in a bluegrass group. I started out using an oval hole mandolin, but, after borrowing an f hole F-style mandolin, I decided to get an f hole mando. A friend found a Gibson A model with f holes at the Twelfth Fret in Toronto. I arranged to meet him there and I arrived first and had a look around. I saw mandolins branded Eastman hanging on the wall and liked the look of them. I took the Gibson, a 615 (F-style) and a 605 (A-style) into the back room and played the same thing on all mandolins. I really liked the idea of having a Gibson and being a bluegrass player, liked the idea of an F-style mandolin, but the 605 just blew the other two away and it was $300 cheaper than the Gibson and a lot cheaper than the 615. By the time my buddy arrived, I had already become the owner of a brand new 2005 Eastman MD605 mandolin. I still have it and its quality still amazes me.
eastman.jpg

[Jim Yates]

Here is my mandolin arsenal: An oval hole 2 point Washburn, a Trinity College octave and the Eastman 605.
couch mandos.jpg

[vonbiber]

I wanted an F-style mandolin but when I saw the price difference and after seeing a video
of two Eastman F- and A- mandolins I settled for an Eastman MD 305 A-Style.
I just got it a few days ago and I'm trying to learn Chicken Reel and Buffalo Gals.
I'm still trying to adjust to the narrower fret board and the double-course strings.
The only string instruments I played so far were the (6-string) guitar and the ukulele.

[Jim Yates]

Vonbiber, you have discovered what every mandolin purchaser should know. At a given pricepoint, you will always get a better quality mandolin if you opt for an A-style over an F-style.
In other words, a $1000 A-style will (almost always) be a much better quality mando than a $1000 F-style, but if money is no object and you really want a scroll, go for it. There are a lot of wonderful F-style mandolins.
I've heard musicians describe the scroll as "A very expensive strap hook".

[vonbiber]

musicians describe the scroll as "A very expensive strap hook"

Indeed
With this model of mandolin I don't have to attach the other end of the strap behind the nut.
I put a shoe lace at the other end of the strap and it can go
around the bottom of the neck underneath the raised fingerboard.

[mjh42]

My son has an Eastman Mandolin.......Grandma was in a car wreck that damaged her right wrist........while she was retired at the time of the accident (a 17 year old made an wrong turn and hit my inlaws) it cut short her violin playing days......so she though she would try a mandolin.....grandma was a Suzuki strings teacher and can/could play a wide variety of instruments--

The Mandolin did not work out for her.......grandma never buys junk and she knows her way around an instrument shop.....I looked up the new value of the Mandolin......No the Eastman is not a multi thousand dollar instrument ......but is seems a good value for the money....

My son is developing into a muliti instrumentalist and has enjoyed playing the mandolin......now if I can just get him to come to a bluegrass and old time music workshop with me....we have a strong state organization.......when covid is over (reduced--vaccinated--herd whatever) the workshops-events-live concerts and such will roll on with force I hope..........and there are some opportunities on line as well......

My wife can play the mandolin a little as well.........now IF I could get her to a bluegrass & old time music workshop-------that would be a miracle----she plays a mean hardanger fiddle but is a bit of music snob---blue grass vocals grate her some......

[Jim Yates]

I just found a few photos of my son, Clay's MD515 Eastman mandolin. He loves it.

Clay's Eastman MD515.jpg Clay's Eastman front.jpg Clay's Eastman back.jpg

[billyguth]

I have not heard about such instruments before. Very interesting to hear like it sounds alive.