Eastman creates great guitars- The Eastman AR371ce.

[@stringbender57]

I have owned hundreds of guitars of many brands the past 50 years. Recently I wanted another Gibson ES-335, but as you mentioned they have serious quality control issues. I bought an Eastman T486 Classic for less than half the money and it blows the modern Gibson ES-335's away! The Eastman is flawless in craftsmanship and plays like a dream. I am so thrilled with it that I am now looking at an Eastman AR372CE. No more new Gibsons for me. Eastman all the way!

[@davidkinsman]

Hi Stringbender 57, I totally agree with you! Gibson has totally lost the plot, and the quality issues that started years ago look like they are still happening. Recently a buyer of a Les Paul had to send his guitar back, then the replacement also had major faults, so he sent that back, and finally on the third guitar got what he expected. Eastman has better quality than Gibson, and their pricing is 40%-50% less for superior instruments. I'm glad you are happy and you will find the 372 is a great guitar.

[@1965zimmy]

I just got a 372 a few days ago. After getting it set up properly, it's a very good guitar - certainly one of the best in my herd. I would have preferred a 371 but couldn't find one locally. Thanks for the thorough review.

[@davidkinsman]

Hi 1965zimmy, sorry you couldn't find a 371, for some reason they seem to have halted production from the recent research I've done and are only concentrating on the 372. I notice there are good second hand ones on Reverb. Both models are basically identical, it's only the addition of the second pickup on the 372 that differs.

[@frank1940L4]

I also agree generally but I've had issues with mine: The string spacing at the nut feels a bit wide (and I have big hands). The neck width is 1 3/4" and the 1/8" spacing on the sides that I find comfortable on other guitars isn't quite there on the 371. As far as I can tell, the distance between outer strings is about 1.5 mm wider (sorry to mix systems, I use a mm ruler that easier on my eyes). It doesn't sound like much, but I notice it on the sides and between strings. The other issue is sound. While it's easy to pull a nice single string sound out of this guitar, I want a clean and clear chordal sound without too much high end and I've struggled with this humbucker, its controls, and a variety of amps. The closest I've come is by lowering the pickup considerably and raising some of the pole pieces. For some reason, the G string pole screw won't go as deep as the others and I can't balance the overly loud unwound G string with the others. As a test, I'm planning to swap out the pickup for an Alnico 3. The remaining issue I admit is cosmetic: I'm generally not a fan of bound F-holes (with few exceptions) so I removed them. It's not trivial but I've done binding and finishing work and it can be done with care. In my opinion the result has more of a 175 vibe and I like to think the slightly larger F-holes enhance the acoustic quality (although I'm not kidding myself). But I love the feel of the neck and the flat fingerboard.

[@davidkinsman]

Sorry to hear you have had issues! Luckily I've had none but I guess no manufacturer is perfect, but Eastman certainly doesn't have the quality problems that Gibson had, and from what I see still has.

[@GuitarRailroader]

Very nice review, I completely agree. I own a 372, and it's a great guitar. However, it cannot be compared with my ES 175, the Eastman is much lighter in construction, which not only affects the weight, but also the sound. No question of better or worse, just different. and by the way, the Eastman has a fiveply body binding, the es 175 has only three ;-)

[@tommcdermott11]

Guitar looks great! Sorry if I missed this, but do you know what year the guitar is? Was wondering if there's a quality difference depending on the year. Thanks!

[@davidkinsman]

Hi, my AR371 was made in 2018. I hadn't heard of any quality differences based on year of manufacture. I have 2 Eastman guitars and they are both excellent quality.

[@tommcdermott11]

@davidkinsman Got it, thanks for the reply!

[@freddymclain]

I'm counting 5 ply binding on the body, and yes, they're wonderful guitars.

[@Gregabalese]

Eastman makes some fine Jazz guitars. I've had a AR503, and I currently have an AR 603-15-which I really like. I had a terrible experience with Gibons. Cherck out my youtube video at Gregory Henley-Why I hate Gibson Guitars 2. Thanks for the video

[@davidkinsman]

Hi Gregory, I watched your video and it absolutely appalled me that a company like Gibson could be so bad! Not just once but, with 2 different guitars. I agree that Gibson has totally lost the plot, and guitar buyers should look to other brands like Eastman, D"Angelico, Ibanez etc etc, aa they do indeed properly QA their products. Thanks for drawing attention to such poor performance by a so called "quality" brand!

[@mclekrell]

Who else is here for the dangling watch?