Can an Eastman Guitar stand out against an Epiphone? Eastman T64 vs Epiphone Casino

[@scrubbingmonkeys2488]

That 1300 bucks went to overhead in the USA. The Eastman is probably easily on par in build quality. What makes you think there are higher quality 'hands' in Nashville?

[@kennylynch9317]

Um it Nashville it's what they do lol

[@lescaster2179]

@@kennylynch9317 Eastman rolls high quality stringed instruments out of their shop, including guitars. Not just Eastman, either...Ever compared a $1,000 made in China Ibanez AS to an $2,50O USA production Gibson ES? You won't find the consistent quality of fit and finish on the Gibson as you will the Ibanez from the bindings to the frets, fingerboard and inlays. Some MIC factories are nailing it, thanks to high quality materials and great QA/QC practices (not all... But absolutely some are).

[@ryangunwitch-black]

I think it’s more like people just want that “Gibson” on the headstock. Me, I don’t care.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

It's because the Chinese government heavily subside factories and industry... Also the Chinese are pretty much coerced into long hard hours. Stop making it sound like USA companies are ripping people off. Nashville is expensive to live in, you expect staff to be paid 🥜

[@Jess_Jones]

Been gigging with Eastman for a while now. Huge fan.

[@JustSamOfficial]

Eastman sounds so much better....

[@onderov]

Wow, that acoustic sound on the Eastman! The only Casino with this acoustic projection that I have ever played was the original vintage 1962 Casino. None of the modern ones come even close, and I mean the expensive modern ones made in Japan and USA. Gotta give the Eastman a try!

[@gbrt9569]

You mention about the 'reassurance' of being built in the Gibson factory .....I think its the opposite. As an owner of both Gibsons and Eastmans...The Quality Control from the Eastman factory is far more 'reassuring'

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

At about a grand for one of these, I hope so.

[@elrockandrollero]

Eastman's custom shop in Beijing is top-notch and all of their guitars are custom shop quality. Eastman guitars pretty consistently kick the crap out of their competition on all the types of guitars they make. Their SB59/v, Les Paul-type guitar, is like Gibson Custom quality at slightly less than a Standard's price. Their AR-series grand auditorium acoustics are sometimes 1/3 of the cost of their Taylor counterparts and are easily just as good, possibly better! Stuff like fretwork is just about always perfect on an Eastman, almost never so on any non-custom shop Gibson, often not even so on those from the custom shop! As an American I'd like to support local enterprise, but really... paying much more for less, sometimes much less... I just can't justify it. On another note as an American... I've never gotten the sense that my American coworkers anywhere were automatically more conscientious than my non-American coworkers. In fact on the whole I'd say the opposite. Not to say that some of us are not so, but many are not.

[@viper2148]

This was a wonderfully honest albeit indecisive review. I might add your audience may wish to consider: - Lennon, Harrison, McCartney (and other greats from the 60s/70s) all played the Epiphone Casino. It has incredible nostalgic value. - It is "just an Epiphone" and doesn't have the snob value of Gibson. - Gibson Electric for some reason refuses to use ebony fingerboards. The Eastman has a lovely ebony fingerboard. Oddly, these three issues are what has me still on the fence.

[@nmcg2587]

100% Eastman! Value = Quality craftsmanship and materials + less expensive + sound great

[@richmanfilms]

The high-end Eastman guitars are excellent instruments-- like really excellent. Their LP Jr style guitar is better than all the new Gibsons. I am guessing this guitars is amazing.

[@CustomTele52RI]

Quite similar, but I prefer the tone of the Lollar P90s in the Eastman. I just ordered a T64/TV-T in "true vintage" finish with the Lollar P90s but without the Bigsby, which is on offer for $360 less than the Bigsby version at Sweetwater (no affiliation with Eastman, Sweetwater, or Haggerty's Music Works :o)

[@marccarter1350]

USA Casino. Less muddy, clear tones. I love the build on mine

[@reedwycoff6937]

Stop with the USA quality crap! Asia has been kicking our ass in manufacturing for decades. Do I think your average Chinese factory worker will do better work than American? 100 percent! We are fat, lazy, and spoiled. It's an absolute joke to think Gibson is setting the bar in quality control.

[@caleblavake9831]

Played both, and indeed both are great

[@SallyCanWait1996]

the eastman also comes in a version w/ a trapeze tailpiece. and btw: the pickups in the eastman are proper lollars!

[@John-cw4no]

I'd rather not patronize that country of origin but Eastman is so good I can't help it. These arent cold instruments that feel mass produced. You can fall for these

[@barthur08]

Eastman is better. Doesn't hurt that it's equiped with Lollar's.

[@scaredypicker]

I'm sure that the USA Casinos can be nice, but it doesn't reassure me at all to think of them being made in the Gibson factory. Plenty of lemons come out of there if you're not spending extra on a custom shop

[@Jim-ro5sl]

I have three eastman's and half a dozen gibson's. The eastman's are just better period.

[@richmanfilms]

True. I 've got the single cut Jr, and it is an AMAZING guitar. With only one P90 surprisingly is is very versatile with the tone and volume knob adjusted. It plays AMAZING, too, I compared it to all the new Gibson LP Jr's and it was much better all around --- plus it has an ebonyt fretboard.

[@Jim-ro5sl]

@richmanfilms I've got one of the single cut junior's too. I'm an old guy so I've had the original gibson models. Both the single cut and double. I have to admit that the eastman is better. Quality control on eastman's is amazing. If you can find yourself an s b fifty nine v for a good price grab it. I have one of those. It is undeniably the best guitar i've ever had. I'm strictly a blues player and it's amazing. The Lollar imperial humbuckers are perfect. I did flip the magnet on the neck pickup to get the out of phase sound. Perfect blues guitar.

[@lespaulsaliha5404]

Amen

[@ianhenkel7157]

Horseshit. Gibson makes crap all day long. also make great stuff but you won't get it for even close to the price.

[@papa_pt]

Eh if you want laminate top not gonna hear as much difference. I think Eastman's best guitars are the solid top, hollow bodies like T186 MX for which gibson/epiphone don't have anything to compare

[@albaxter8711]

Sold my 1967 Gibson es330 when I got the eastman t64...far better guitar all round...and new gibsons are shit compared to the vintage ones..made in usa unfortunately doesn't mean made well anymore..with gibsons anyway.

[@buckbumble]

I’m British and judging by these comments, I cannot believe how much American’s hate China (if you’re not American, I apologise)

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

I think the amount of Americans who hate America is far more, there's more hate for America here, what are you on about.

[@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zg]

Epiphone all the way it's not even a thought the legendary Epiphone is it

[@neiles335]

Eastman are tempting, especially their jazz hollowbody guitars, BUT I won't buy one made in China. As the reviewer says, I'd rather buy a quality North American made instrument especially if made in the Gibson plant❤

[@onderov]

Try it yourself. The Eastman is the better guitar of the two, regardless of its price and country of origin. Obviously, Gibson isn't what it once used to be.

[@albaxter8711]

You're missing out on the better guitar with that xenophobic attitude..the eastman's are hand made..the gibsons are mass produced..you'd have to go Murphy lab to get close to the quality of that eastman...I should know iv owned vintage gibson es330s an epi casinos..an I sold them when I got the eastman t64.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

​​@@albaxter8711xenophobic,how do you know that?... He could hath ethical issues with how Chinese workers are treated, he may be patriotic, you seem to be labelling someone you don't even know.