Guitar Tone Tuesday: Ep 96 - Eastman AC222CE OV - Better Than A Taylor 414CE?

Guitar Tone Tuesday: Ep 96 - Eastman AC222CE OV - Better Than A Taylor 414CE?
Visually Impaired since birth, Lucas Haneman uses his ears and hands to guide him when choosing gear, writing songs and recording parts. Will you agree with his assessment? Subscribe and follow to let your voice be heard!
Lucas Haneman of the LH Express gives you experienced tips and tricks, as well as showcasing lesser known gear in this series.
This is an Eastman AC222CE OV (Eastman's affordable take on an instrument much like the Taylor 414CE) with a couple tweaks. This Grand Auditorium guitar features an open pore semi gloss finish, solid Sytka Spruce top with hand scalloped x bracing and a very nice Venetian cutaway, an ebony bridge with 2 5/32 string spacing, solid African ovangkol back and sides, a medium C shaped maple neck with ebony fingerboard and a 12 inch radius, 20 frets made from Jescar-FW43080, a bone nut and a bone saddle, a dual acting Truss Rod, 3 in line very stable/sturdy Gotoh style ping tuners, and a 25.4 inch scale length. The AC222CE OV also features a fairly basic Fishman Sonitone under saddle pickup, which could be easily upgraded due to its unobtrusive nature. Body dimentions are 16" x 4 1/4"
This guitar is loud and full of life, so much so that Lucas wishes he would've put the microphone just a little closer to his mouth than the guitar in this video. In Lucas's opinion the main differences between this guitar and a Taylor 414 are the more advanced under saddle pickup in the Taylor, the maple neck on the Eastman, and the semi gloss Eastman as opposed to Taylor's gloss finish. It's up to you to decide whether these differences justify the $2000 + price gap between both instruments for you and your purposes.
@EastManguitars #AC222CE #GrandAuditorium #AmazingSound #Affordable #Wow #TaylorGuitars #LucasHaneman #LHE #FingerStyle #AcousticMusic #Blues #Jazz #Folk #CheckItOut
Let us know what your experience has been with Eastman Guitars, and do you own one of their amazing acoustic instruments?
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[@khimaros]

Hot damn! Your playing is something else. That looped section gave me goose-bumps. I love hearing you talk about guitars :)

[@LucasHaneman]

Thank you so much. That means a lot. I’m really glad you liked the video and enjoy the playing. :-) Stay tuned to the channel for more as there are some interesting videos coming up. Have a good one!

[@sabyx5]

Nice reviews and great playing. Mine’s coming next week, can’t wait! Subscribed!

[@LucasHaneman]

Oh that’s awesome! This guitar is fantastic and because it’s my dad‘s. I’m lucky to get to play it every once in a while. It’s just getting better and better all the time. Enjoy yours, I’m sure you will! Thank you so much for subscribing and stay tuned. I’ve got some interesting videos coming up soon.

[@patrickhawley1392]

Eastman guitars are indeed a great value.

[@LucasHaneman]

Indeed they are Pat, and that means a lot coming from a luthier of your calibre.

[@brianrenenielsen923]

Great review, super musician.. thanks for sharing

[@LucasHaneman]

Thanks so much for stopping by Brian, and I really appreciate your kind words!

[@raphlasne]

I like your playing. Came for the guitar, stayed for the performance. I am on the way to buy this same guitar. It has a groovy sound of its own. You play with your GUTS and it is a very pleasing experience.

[@LucasHaneman]

I appreciate your extremely kind words on the guitar playing, and I’m glad that you’re about to get one of these Eastmans, as they truly are great instruments! Enjoy and thanks for stopping by the channel!

[@Atavisten]

Great review, thank you. Fantastic playing and energy!

[@LucasHaneman]

Thank you so much. This is a special guitar. Happy to have it in the family. Whenever I go over to my dad‘s place it’s a joy to play, and only sounding better with time. i like to feature Eastman guitars on this channel, so if you enjoy Eastman stuff please do stick around to check out some more videos. I actually just did a review last week on one of their parlour guitars (theE20P), and again I was impressed

[@Atavisten]

@@LucasHaneman Keep up the great work! I played and bought a E1OM today, thank you for helping my make the choice.

[@LucasHaneman]

@@Atavisten Thank you very much. Will do, and congrats on the new purchase. Those are excellent OMs’!

[@turrafirmaguitarchannel]

Thanks for your videos and your great playing. I own the ac222 and really enjoy it. It is improving all the time too. It has a big open sound. I did have to take the saddle down several times as the neck settled in. The saddle is now not very high, but the guitar is still responsive and loud enough. I just got an E6d mahogany dreadnought which is amazing also.

[@LucasHaneman]

Awesome to hear about your AC222 and E6! They really are awesome guitars. Actually I own an E6OM that I reviewed on episode 100 of this series. It’s really really great. Sorry to hear about you having to file down the saddle so much. This does happen over the years with acoustic guitars. Are you keeping yours in a humidity control environment win at home? I find from experience that they move around a lot less if this is the case, but sometimes it’s hard to say exactly what the factors can be with the inevitable acoustic guitar bridge belly forming, other than the guitar opening up and getting played in. Thanks so much for stopping by the channel, and hope you stick around for more. I actually have quite a few Eastman guitar videos coming up as I just shot a bunch at a local music store that carries them.

[@turrafirmaguitarchannel]

@@LucasHaneman hi Lucas, thanks so much for your reply. I will certainly look out for your upcoming Eastman videos. I think The first one of yours I watched was you ripping it up on an E1OM, or it could have been the e6. I’ll check 👍🙏💥🇦🇺

[@turrafirmaguitarchannel]

@@LucasHaneman oh, about the humidity, Sydney Australia is very humid and I have no way of controlling it. For example it is a cold winter night here and humidity is 60% in my living room. That’s high, right.

[@LucasHaneman]

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel yes I did videos on both of those guitars, so could’ve been either. I appreciate your kind words once again though! Indeed 60% is high for sure. Sounds like you might need a de humidifier, or a case humidifier that regulates the humidity and keeps it at 50% or lower. As much as I Love having my guitars out on stands I do try to keep them in the cases at the extreme times of the year when humidity is high or low. We have the opposite problem here in Canada where it gets super super dry in the winter, which causes the opposite of high action and can cause cracking if people aren’t careful, so I make sure to keep my guitars in their cases and away from windows at those times of the year. Hahaha humidity is definitely a complex thing :-) cheers from Canada and thanks again for watching!

[@aaronlarsen7447]

I really dig your guitar style. The guitar reminds me of Martin Se13 This is basically an Om with a cutaway. Dry not like Taylor, like Matin. I wish they left it without electronics. I'd drop a knk in it.

[@tedc6694]

I've only played an E20D and E20D-TC but was amazed how close they were to a Martin D18. Just a LITTLE bit nore jangly and certainly a but louder than the Martin. I love Eastmans now. Great review! Im going to watch more of yours. Only criticism I would make is it'd be nice to hear the stock pickup isolated from the mic. I suspect it would accentuate the jangle in a bad way but maybe you know a way to EQ it better than I do? Or an effect to make a cheaper piezo sound more like a blended LR Baggs Anthem?

[@LucasHaneman]

Hello. Good call on an isolated comparison of the microphone and the pickup. Back when I made this video I was not equipped to do multi part videos like that. If I were making it now I probably would. I’d say this particular guitar got lucky in the piezo department. It sounds OK plugged in, many of them don’t in my opinion. I wish I had a suggestion for you in terms of making this kind of straight under saddle pickup sound better, other than turning down the tone control A little to get rid of some of The strident top end, or investing in a DI with some special features like the voiceprint. I guess this would be my answer. As for me I have switched all of my acoustic guitars over to K&K pickups, and just love the sound of a transducer and microphone combo for my style of acoustic playing. If you want to know more about that check out episode 127 of this series :-) they are the best option on the market in my humble opinion.

[@steventregilgas5016]

I own an Eastman e6om love it

[@LucasHaneman]

Oh, so cool that you own an E6OM! I own one as well :-) I got it just a couple weeks after I recorded this video actually, and did a separate video on it as well. It’s certainly something special to have both this one and the E6OM in the family. They are both so different, and both wonderful in their own respects.

[@krazedkanuckracing]

We’ll have to get a custom Eastman guitar with “Haneman” on the headstock for you ;-)

[@LucasHaneman]

Haha I wouldn’t say no

[@sooparticular]

u are sooo awesome and thats a great shirt!! btw what pick are u using???

[@LucasHaneman]

Thank you so much! I am particularly fond of that shirt as well :-) my wife has great taste. Honestly I cannot recall which particular pick i used in this video, but it seems pretty heavy. I tend to favour heavy pics, but definitely especially like them when breaking in a new guitar like this. If you are curious about my favourite pics currently check out episode 101 featuring the Ibanez pjtc1! I don’t believe it was this pick I used in this video, but I absolutely love them. They are slightly pricier than regular pics, but if you don’t mind something a little on the smaller side, a bit bigger than a jazz pic, they are phenomenal. Check out that episode if you were curious. They have really become my go to :-) hope you stick around the channel to check out some more videos and thanks for stopping bye!

[@dennismoody1036]

Hey Lucas. I'm a huge fan of your playing and would like your opinion on Eastman acoustics. I'm stuck between an Eastman ac222ce or e10 om. They both sound great. I played a e10 and loved it . I'm more of a strummer but I do a little finger picking. I trust your judgement and would appreciate your advice. Thanks so much in advance.

[@LucasHaneman]

That is so kind of you! I have to say if you tried the E10 OM and loved it, you should go with your gut. I play both finger style and strumming on mine and find with my stature it feels more comfortable than my father’s AC222CE. Particularly when seated (I am five foot ten), I find the 15 inch lower bout on my E6OM very comfortable for my right arm and shoulder. You can do anything on an OM, if you find one with a big sound and a E10 would have that. If you haven’t seen episode 100, it might help. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

[@BreadLightPray_EWFMgtr]

☑️👍 good work Luckas ❗️ have E3OME seems more balanced for fingerstyle ; you're giving this guitar some good whackin' ‼️☻️🙃🤩😉

[@LucasHaneman]

Haha thanks so much for watching! Yes this is a loud guitar with a lot of clarity. Makes me want to play hard. Lol Sounds like a nice guitar you’ve got. I also have an Eastman OM end it makes me play more delicately for sure. They make some great guitars!

[@BreadLightPray_EWFMgtr]

☑️ thank you my friend 🇨🇦 the reason I mention the E3OME is it best matches your model here but I also have the E10OM and the E6OM-TC beforehand , as I'm giving up on some of my domestics and sold them _ and going all out on the Eastmans ‼️👍🙃😊🤩

[@wm2205]

Beautiful songs what are the names? I am blessed to have an Eastman AC322CE

[@LucasHaneman]

Hey there. Thank you so much for checking out the video. All of the tunes I play in these segments are improvised. I do this partially to avoid copyright strike, but mainly to stay creative. :-) sounds like a beautiful guitar you have there. I love the Eastman stuff. Hope you stick around the channel to check out some more videos. I post a lot these days and have a great time creating content!

[@thomasbrauns6641]

I've also got an AC222CE-OV (in Australia). Interestingly, mine did not come with a pickguard. Yours is the first video I've come across which looks the same. Is this how it came for you? I wonder if the pickguard is an option? Love the video!

[@LucasHaneman]

Hey man! Very cool that you have the same guitar. Even though this one doesn’t belong to me I get to play it often and really love it. This was the first example of this model I played and I believe it was built in 2019 or so. From what I know Eastman did not start shipping these guitars with pickguards until 2020, maybe 2021. Don’t know how accurate that information is but I think it’s correct. Personally I actually prefer it without the pick guard as the ones Eastman has been providing look like a bit of a funny interpretation of a Taylor variety. Of course I know why it’s not the Taylor shape exactly, but I am totally fine with a clear guard, or no guard. I’m sure you could also purchase something aftermarket if you want. Thanks for stopping by the channel and I wish you many more years of enjoyment with your Eastman! PS if you like the channel feel free to stick around as I will be doing a blind shoot out between this guitar and a tailor 914 in an up-and-coming video. It’s definitely an interesting shoot out. Should be out next week

[@thomasbrauns6641]

Thanks for the reply and info! I'm looking forward to the shootout!

[@LucasHaneman]

Thanks! Didn’t have a chance to get it out this week, but next week is looking good

[@gibby6904]

Eastman needs a "Lucas" model!

[@LucasHaneman]

Haha that would be awesome!

[@AndrewAHayes]

I found something out the other day, I have always called my fretboard a fingerboard, but I have been wrong for the majority of my life, you see a fingerboard is on an unfretted instrument whereas a fretboard...... well it's self explanetary!

[@LucasHaneman]

That’s a fun fact Andrew. I’ve never even considered it to be honest, but of course that makes complete sense. Thanks As always for watching and I hope your holidays are going well!

[@michaelyoung9967]

I own the exact guitar...love it. I use to be a Taylor guy. I bought a Eastman t486 hollow body electric. It played as good as my Gibson hollow body. I love their guitars. High quality without the high price. My Taylor 414 was 2300$ and my Eastman sounds better. Slange var

[@LucasHaneman]

Wow, cool story! My Eastman tail is somewhat similar. I had a Gibson 137 semi hollow that I tried to love for about five or six years. It sounded awesome, but did not play well, and it seemed to have issue after issue. in 2012 I was at a local music store and in the back room I found an Eastman T185MX semi hollow. I fell in love with it right away, and ended up trading my Gibson, plus about $100 for the Eastman, which is made with all solid would. I still play that T1 85MX all the time these days, and have acquired a couple other Eastmans along the way. I have one of their mandolins and an OM now, that I also adore. I completely see what you’re saying about the tailor. I’ve tried one 414 that I really love, but it belongs to a student who plays it all the time, and I think that makes a huge difference with any guitar. Honestly it sounds great, but many of them sound very bright and The price on Taylor’s these past many years has been going through the roof! It’s been amazing to see many people opening their eyes to the world of guitars like recording king, Eastman, Furch, even vintage affordable guitars like Yamaki etc. these past 10 years or so. There’s a lot out there that doesn’t have the big brand-name on the headstock if we open our ears. That’s A big part of what this channel is about :-) thanks so much for sharing and I hope you continue to enjoy your Eastmans for many years to come! Feel free to stay tune to the channel, I love featuring Eastmans as often as possible

[@michaelyoung9967]

@@LucasHaneman I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who See's feels and hears the quality not just assumes quality by the name on the headstock. Don't get me wrong I own quite a few older (70s) Gibson's that I love...they play and sound wonderful. I've bought a number of new Gibson's (2000s and on) that I have a hard time calling Gibson. The quality and sound is not what they were. The design and build of the Eastman's are reminiscent of the old Gibson/gretch/guild guitars with the angle headstock and neck profile. They play smooth and easy not tight and stiff. I bought the CE222 just to see how it stacked up and was blown away! For 800$ I got the sound feel and quality of a guitar that I spent 2500$ on!

[@LucasHaneman]

@@michaelyoung9967 big-time. About a year and a half ago I had a chance to borrow and review an early 50s Gibson 125, and man, that was a killer killer guitar. Back then though of course everything was hand tooled, and after about 70 years of aging, that guitar has just blossomed into something otherworldly. As I said before, the Gibson I own from the mid 2000s just didn’t have it. I’ve had a fortune of playing a lot of guitars made by small builders, and to me the Eastman stuff just has that kind of magic. There are a lot of brands that I love, and it’s nice to have something affordable that provides that same kind of inspiration for touring and gigging around.

[@michaelyoung9967]

@@LucasHaneman I agree with you 100%! I bet that 50s Gibby was an amazing piece. Like you said hand made and aged. I have a 59 LP double cutaway and a 61 SG that are amazing but they don't leave the house. Gibson's aren't made in the USA anymore not that it matters. Not to mention they claim to use bumblebee caps and they are just .25 cent uf47s wrapped in striped tape. I have a couple Burny lps from the early 70s that are as nice if not nicer than my old Gibson's that were built in Japan. People ask me all the time what kind of guitar is that you're playing. They are shocked when I tell them Eastman. Most haven't heard of them. Quality can be achieved anywhere as long as the craftsman put the time in. That's what you get from Eastman guitars.

[@brrunosimard2346]

What about the AC308 ce ?

[@LucasHaneman]

Looks like a nice one. Definitely a little different than this. I’d say it’s more on the traditional side, but I have one of their OMs’ with the same wood combination as the 308, and love it.

[@erikajohnson4599]

I have this guitar, currently researching strings to replace stock and the intonation is off so going to get it to a tech. Do you know what they use as the stock strings? What strings do you like on these?

[@LucasHaneman]

Hi Erica! There are a bunch of strings that I think would sound great on this guitar, though I think they ship with Diadario XT light gauge (12 to 53). You can certainly try those and see if they help some of your intonation issues, though that tends to be more of a gauge issue or perhaps can be caused by the guitar being over or under humidified. It’s tough to pinpoint it without seeing the guitar myself. If you like standard phosphor bronze strings I’ve been really loving the Martin SP phosphor bronze 12 to 54 gauge lately which is their standard light gauge, I also like DR rare phosphor bronze strings a lot. If you wanna go for something more boutique though new tone strings out of England are awesome. If you prefer long lasting coated strings elixirs are always a safe bed as are those aforementioned Diadario XT strings and the XS strings as well if you want to get some thing fancy. Hope this helps!

[@erikajohnson4599]

@@LucasHaneman thanks, great feedback! I've been thinking about trying the elixir strings. My strings are pretty toasty at this point, it's been a few years..

[@LucasHaneman]

@@erikajohnson4599 give the elixirs a try for sure, especially if you want to keep your strings on for a while without worrying about changing them out. I have a sneaking suspicion that some of your intonation troubles may simply have to do with the fact that your strings are as old as they are. I usually advise people to change their strings out every six months or so, especially if they play it semi-frequently, as this helps a lot with intonation, The general health of the guitar, and sound quality in general. For me as a full-time player I try to go about 3 to 4 months without changing my strings on my main gigging instruments for instance, but sometimes I have to do it more often depending on the time of the year and all that. I found strings don’t last quite as long in the summer months. A lot of full-time players I know change their strings after every couple of gigs, but I just try to go as long as I can as I don’t love changing them until I have to.

[@jerbear1601]

In my experience, coated strings are the intonation culprit. I had a Yamaha years ago and the coated strings caused me nothing but grief as they peel and all kinds of stuff. Just change uncoated ones more often.

[@jerbear1601]

Wanna try some kick ass acoustic strings? Try John Pearse strings. Awesome. I also like Martin SP's.

[@aliengrey6052]

Eastman thrash Taylor. Price tone and quality.

[@LucasHaneman]

I have played some great Taylor guitars for sure, but this Eastman is something truly special, and it sounds better and better all the time!

[@viniciljxcar4473]

Awesome 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️

[@LucasHaneman]

Thanks!

[@danielhartman5086]

I don't think it's better than a Taylor 414ce. That's opinion. But it's sounds real nice. I own a Taylor 414ce and love it.

[@LucasHaneman]

Hey, thank you so much for watching. Yeah when I made this video, the title was really just a conversation starter honestly. It’s really hard to define the word better. I do like this Eastman a lot and still get to play it frequently as it belongs to my father. It’s sounding better and better all the time. That said I have played some absolutely fantastic Taylor 414S as well. Sounds like you’ve got a great one and hope you enjoy it for a long time.!

[@danielhartman5086]

@LucasHaneman Thank you my guitar friend and you as well. Stay safe out there. And God Bless the USA