Eastman vs Martin : 'D28' Comparison

[treetopher]

I don’t know why, but foreign copies always seem brighter

[toushouchou]

it seems the Eastman is a adirondack spruce top and Martin is sitka top, the difference I can tell is the Martinsounds more mellow than Eastman.I wonder how will a adirondack top Martin sound compare to this Eastman.

[RRW]

Eastman’s are wonderful, I’ve never played a bad one, I own an AC330 12-string. But the only way to get that unmistakable Martin tone, is with a PA-mad Martin. Shakespeare wrote poems about it.

[johnhicks]

I’m sorry but which guitar are we seeing first?

[MrFlyagaric]

I preferred the Eastman, which is just as well as I ordered my E20D TC MR last week and am awaiting delivery ..very excitedly!

[guitaaress]

Martin all the way I'm old enough to remember when the Yamaho FG180 hit the UK Market. Everyone bought them claiming they were every bit as good as a Martin. I still have my Martin and all those Yamaha's are God Knows Where and they now all own Martins!

[jaysonlavie]

assuming both guitars are stock, differences can be explained by 12 gauge D'addario vs 13 Martin strings

[PoopstainMcClain]

My Eastman is better than 99% of Martins. I own a very rare Eastman/Old Standard E20d. It’s a prewar herringbone spec’d clone. Old Standard supplies Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, Collings with old growth/premium tone wood, and this Eastman collab was a 40 guitar run of the E-10d custom and 30 of the E-20d. I a/b’d it in a store against new & vintage Martins as high as 12 grand and it sounder better than all of them. I went to buy a 1968 D28, but I picked the Eastman up initially mistaking it for a d28 and thankfully I played it instead of putting it back. It was like the stories you hear about famous guitars like greeny. From the first chord I strummed I was blown away and spent 45 minutes playing the best in the shop only to confirm what I knew. It was a special guitar. The wood is incredible and tone is so far unmatched. It is a 1 in a million guitar somehow I was lucky enough to find it!

[guitaaress]

Ok after watching this “comparison I took a trip to my local guitar store. In the “premium room” there were several Martin’s but all were from the Martin Mexico factory. In general stock were some Eastmans. I ignored the mex Martin’s. I gave four of the Eastmans a try. When
I got home I played each of my Martin’s OM28, HD28, M38 and also my Collings D1. The Eastmans are just not in the same class. Sorry Eastman fans. Not bad guitars but let’s see how they are in 20 years time!

[leoscomputerandguitarrevie]

I've never been a fan of Eastman guitars. I've played quite a few of them and they sound muted, almost as if the finish is to thick on the guitar, or the bracing is to thick not allowing the top to move.

This Eastman sounds different. Sounds a bit brighter with lots of treble and midrange. Not much bass. The Martin is much warmer and as I have played a HD28, I'm not a fan of the HD28 as there is to much thump in the bass response causing feedback issues playing over a mic.

[Fum_is_Chum]

In my room, fiddling… I could give it to the Martin, but the Eastman would absolutely kill it in a live mix.

[owentuckett]

The Eastman sounds brighter but I'd happily play either.

[infiniteawareness]

The Eastman sounds fantastic, but the Martin is a little warmer sounding. I used to have a Martin D41 but I fell into hard times financially. Now I have this Eastman in a Sunburst finish. It's not a Martin but it sounds beautiful, and the build quality is flawless.

[TheDisastersSon]

Why je dont plays the low e, because its the difference?

[StephenPoirier]

Eastman is much brighter. Martin sounds much sweeter

[Nickster]

I like the Martin, it has a more complex tone. The Eastman High E string is pretty clanky.

[DS-nweq]

I love a China guitar. I really wish Martin would shut down so we could send those jobs overseas with more Eastman orders.

[mikeK]

I agree with the China statement. Everyone wants made in China stamped on their guitar.😂

[propositionjohnston]

I preferred the Martin. More plumb bottom end but there wasn’t much in it.

[卢光亮-wy]

It's meaningless to compare like this. Try to sweep the string.