eastwoods?

[MKR]

Hey i am just curious as to what people generally think of eastwoods.

I don't know if this is normal elsewhere, but where i live (toronto) it seems to me people are really over-valuing their eastwoods. Like most airline ones tend to get listed for over $700 on the used market and you'll get comments like "open to trades for fenders (but nothing Mexican!). Aren't eastwoods made in china?

anyways they seem pretty cool, but are they worth more than $500? Are they good guitars and much better than your high end classic vibe squiers?

genuinely curious.

[Chippertheripper]

$700 will get you a brand new Eastwood.
I keep watching what they're doing in their custom shop pretty much weekly.

[Con-Tiki!]

although they are cool looking, i haven't been impressed. I've seen a few for sale, the used prices are pretty shocking.
I suspect they're screwed if the "new" Supros catch on.

My biggest gripe is that you can get an original for the same $ or less.

One could even build a GuitarkitsUSA resoglas kit. Cheaper, and more authentic than the wood-bodied Eastwoods.

[mediocreplayer]

I have owned several. Some are made in China, others in Korea.

Some of the models are pretty fun. The Tuxedo has an almost-universal acclaim.

I doubt they will be affected by the Supros. Their range is more diverse and they are generally cheaper. If all the Supros are MIC then that also gives the MIK Eastwoods an edge.

Used prices for the higher end MIK models are usually $500-550, so it is more than a MIM Fender but also less than $700 or an MIA for sure.

I don't know, maybe I have low standards, the tuxedos I owned were all wonderful. If I have to gripe, it would be that they were dipped in plastic, but, big deal.

[MKR]

yes i find the tuxedos especially appealing. there's a used one in a shop here for $799. i'm pretty sure i could talk him down to$700, but even that seems too much for my liking.

i guess part of it has to do with the fact that guitars just cost more in canada than south of the border.

[empyrean]

All I know is I keep kicking myself for selling off a mosrtie copy from eastwood years ago when it was the easiest guitar to play that I've ever had.

I hear they're hit and miss, only noodled around with others in stores so not a great impression of all of them, but if mine was any indication, there are some gems to be had.

[danbind]

I have a Tuxedo, which I like a lot. Build quality is very good, good frets/neck, pickups (P90-ish) good, bridge is OK. Very fun to play. I can't complain, for the $$$--it was a good deal.

[niksureal]

i have had a couple of eastwoods and played a handful more at the shop i work at. my hi flyer is one of my more prized guitars. very solid, legit and high quality. i have, however, played a couple (in the minority by far) that had some issues. nothing i would gripe too much over but for the prices they charge, a little weird. overall i wont write them off and continue to watch their inventory and custom shop for potential new guitars. comparing them to japanese or american fender for trades is unreasonable to me though.

[noisepunk]

I pretty much obsessed over eastwood when they first started becoming a thing. When we were visiting family in NY in 2005, I had us go out of our way to check out a shop that was, at the time, one of the only dealers in the country. Kind of ridiculous.

Generally, I've found them pretty disappointing, but some are really nice and I would happily shell out the asking price for them. I wouldn't never buy one sight unseen unless it was a couple hundred dollars bellow market value, but I'd also never write the brand off completely. Their mosrite bass VI is amazing, and I'm kind of surprised they didn't becoming a thing on here.

[Con-Tiki!]

I had forgotten about the Sidejacks, very nice. I think the original post mentioned the Airline guitars, and i immediately jumped to the Supro thing.
I played one of their H44 guitars recently, and it was weird, but was a solid, 'budget' version of an otherwise unobtainable guitar. To be fair, though, that model is cheap used.

i think i'm becoming a curmudgeon in my old age...

[windmill]

Impressed with the crowdfunding of their custom shop models.

It seems such a logical idea.

Its an opportunity to get a semi replica of odd shapes and curios of guitar history.

They have now done 3 of Backlund's guitar designs

[ifallalot]

There's a few that I want but I'd rather spend a couple extra hundred and get a Reverend if I want something funky.

I really think the best deal of anything are the high-end MIM Fenders like the Classic Players, Classic Lacquer, etc

[brucer]

I was gassing for a 12-string and picked up an Eastwood Classic 12. I'm an old, middling garage band and basement player, so couldn't justify the price of a Gretsch or Rickenbacker (esp. being in Canada). I also didn't like the heel-adjust truss rod on the Danelectro, mostly due to the hassle of loosening and re-tuning 12 strings. The Eastwood fit the bill for me. Early days yet, but it's well-finished, feels nice and sounds good both acoustic and plugged in. Not a match, but compares favorably with the Gretsch that I recently tried in-store. A little heavy, but no more than my Eastman T486 (I clearly have nothing against a good Chinese-made guitar). At some point I'll get a bone nut installed and I'll probably rewire it with an additional master volume pot a la Gretsch, but overall it's a keeper.

Agree with the comments above re: resale and trades, but happy with mine.

[mgeek]

My complaint with Eastwoods is that they are too nice!

Part of the charm of lots of old guitars are the clubby necks, square frets and wooden bridges that make them sustain like a pierced banjo!

When Eastwood get the picture and make the new guitars like that, I'll put them on the Christmas card list

[repoman]

I had a Eastwood LP Jr. MIC that was pretty abysmal...that was probably their lowest priced guitar though. Whenever I check out the more expenisve MIK stuff in shops they seem kinda lame for how much money they are. The designs they reissue are super cool and funky but they seem to put the absolute bottom of the barrel sourced hardware on them, paint thats goopy. Everything feels blunt, no sharp crisp lines anywhere.

I think if I was in the market for a more affordable Mosrite, I'd definitely save up the extra 400-500 for a Hallmark which really go the distance to replicate all the stuff that makes a Mosrite a Mosrite...pickup design, tremolo, frets, bridge, zero fret.