Torrefied Rosewood OM's : Eastman E20OM TC vs Martin OM-28 Modern Deluxe

Taking a look at two Rosewood OM's with Torrefied Tops, from two fantastic guitar makers!
E20OMTC: Adirondack Spruce Top, Rosewood back and sides ~$1500, Made in China
OM28 Modern Deluxe: Sitka Spruce Top, Rosewood Back and Sides, ~$4000, Made in USA
Recorded with Shure KSM32, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Logic Pro, no additional processing.
Ian’s Favorite Guitar Stuff:
1. Nickel Bronze Strings - amzn.to/2qDOwty
2. Phosphor Bronze Strings - amzn.to/2YtzjHS
3. Shubb C1 Capo - amzn.to/2rrAfAs
4. American Stage Cables - amzn.to/2E1dmXj
5. Acoustic Soundhole Tuner - amzn.to/355bPLw
6. String Winder & Cutter - amzn.to/2P1Z5Qe
7. Boss Pedal Tuner - amzn.to/38kuGV1
8. String Winder & Cutter - amzn.to/2PElHpp
9. Snark Headstock Tuner - amzn.to/2YEW4sF

[@deplorablepatriot1214]

I own that same Eastman. It's a real pleasure. My go to acoustic.

[@karlthefox4605]

I am very interested in each of these guitars & also give kudos to you for your playing presentation ... Very nicely done

[@PeterSvendsen]

Really good comparison. Could be great if you had the opportunity to compare an Eastman E8om with the E20om. Sitka vs adirondack spruce.

[@tarheelk1969]

I absolutely love your comparisons. I would be interested in a comparison between the Eastman E20 OM tc and a Martin OM-28 John Mayer signature edition. Also one between the Eastman and a OOO-28 Eric Clapton edition. I like all 3 but am not sure which I like better. Thank for your time and videos, I really appreciate your videos. They are the best on KZbin!

[@ianmeadows6351]

Great suggestion! I'll see what I can do.

[@alexcorll90]

Both very good, super impressed by the Eastman. The Martin is noticeably louder to my ear, with a bit more sustain.

[@frankie5072]

Eastman 1st strum: 0:01 Martin 1st strum: 3:29 Eastman chords: 0:27 Martin chords: 3:56 Eastman fingerpickin’: 1:57 Martin fingerpickin’: 5:39

[@boobooau]

$$$

[@KaiMalooEntertainment]

Made the video 1000 better. Thank you

[@chaddaughtridge4642]

As a finger picker and dialing in on just that in this comparison, the Eastman definitely has a more natural, warmer sound. I would pick it hands down.

[@Martin000-45]

Great comparison! Thanks for sharing this. Just curious, which one would you like more? :)

[@tinysteelorchestra]

I think a lot depends on each individual guitar. I got to try out three OM-28s the day, all the same spec (Reimagined, not the Modern Deluxe) and one was comfortably better than the other two. Whereas I had tried this Eastman a few weeks ago and the particular E20-OM TC I played did nothing for me. I can entirely imagine other examples of it are better.

[@aquaboneus]

good stuff and spot on for what I was expecting. to me the Eastman with TC and short scale sounds like it has a bit more warmth. both sound great.

[@ianmeadows6351]

You can't go wrong with either of these, that's for sure!

[@dionst.michael1482]

How the hell are they able to sell these for so much less than most high end builders on the market right now? Definitely worth a look/consideration.

[@codythedoggo7671]

Chinese manufacturing

[@aaronchaffee1024]

I want to hear the Eastman with Martin strings or whatever strings that was on the Martin. These guitars sound very similar. Eastman is the best value out there if you want a quality guitar with amazing tone woods

[@bradparnis1800]

Larrivee's are amazing for the $$also

[@keyofb9513]

100% agree

[@bluesysamurainao4557]

Martin is crispier than Eastman. My favorite acoustic is Martin OM-28 standard. I wanna try affordable Eastman OM, but unfortunately can not find Eastman guitars a lot in Japan. I noticed Eastman OM size is bigger. Many thanks for super cool performance Ian!!

[@ianmeadows6351]

Thank you for tuning in my friend!

[@mikeyankie9594]

Both sounded worth their respective cost... Great playing...

[@cassiusle]

Do they both have Martin strings on?

[@morespamfortom]

The Eastman has a shorter scale, more typical of a 000. That's the difference that I hear. Not really a fair comparison to the Martin OM. You would really need to compare the Eastman to a Martin 000-28.

[@istvantoth7431]

Agree, totally..

[@glorioskiola]

True, the Eastman is a 000, with the teardrop pick guard that looks like an OM.

[@tarheelk1969]

Ian, is there anyway that you could compare a Blueridge BR-371 and an Eastman E20P and share your thoughts. I am torn between these 2 guitars and would like to hear someone else play them while I stand back and listen to them both to decide. It would be greatly appreciated if possible.

[@angelg8445]

No experience w/Blueridge but just bought an E10 oossv, lovely instrument!

[@glorioskiola]

They both sound fantastic. For the money, Eastman.

[@3cardmonty602]

I’d like to see an Ibanez AC340opn w/a Thermo Aged top in the mix. I just bought one & it beats my Martin 000-17M for sound quality. It’s amazing & I couldn’t believe it.

[@ianmeadows6351]

I'd love to get my hands on one.

[@absolving]

Eastman is beautiful

[@sixstring1950]

There is just no mistaking the robust warm tone of a Martin. The E sounds less bass and miss and the highs seem brighter. However the M sounds more balanced over all and much warmer to my ear. I think it might be interesting to put the E up against the Martin 00015. Same price range! That would be a close one!

[@YSMiracle]

Awesome comparison! I would also say the E20OMTC is more closely comparable to 000-28 because of the scale length.

[@ianmeadows6351]

Good call!

[@jmar5785]

I agree

[@frankie5072]

I’m wondering if they were each strung up with the same new strings or did they have different brands, age???

[@ianmeadows6351]

Fairly new Daddario ej16s

[@RealKennethChoi]

I own an Eastman, and honestly id say that the Martin might have me beat, either way both guitars sound beautiful

[@keyofb9513]

Thanks for the comparison. The thing that is always missing from these comparison videos is the description of weight, playability, feel and over all comfort of the guitars. That plays a huge role in cost for my $$

[@ianmeadows6351]

Absolutely. However, this channel is just trying to give people an opportunity to hear the guitars. Any guitar can be made to play pretty well with a good setup, weight preferences vary from guitar to guitar, and "feel" and "comfort" are totally subjective things. There's not really any way I can describe the feel and comfort of two similar OM's from quality manufacturers over KZbin, so I just try to do the best I can with what I have. And that involves giving people an idea of what a guitar sounds like, limitations of the platform notwithstanding. I hope to include more detailed reviews of all of these guitars in the future, complete with my thoughts on these various qualities.

[@jmdbb]

I love the E20OM-TC but it feels quite a bit heavier compared to a Martin guitar. I did not weigh mine. Not enough that it would stop me from buying another though.

[@paultorgison7640]

Ian Meadows .

[@joefloore]

I own the Eastman heavier for sure, although I’m not sure if I lucked out, the neck on my E20 OM feels like it was tailored for me the feel is amazing and before I purchased it I played all the big names but the feel of the Eastman got me.

[@tuckmiester77]

Key of B I have the E20 TC and play it most days. It has become my favourite guitar. I played the Clapton Martin around the same time, I was not impressed for the cost it did not play so well as the TC. I tried a load of Eastmans out but the one I settled with had the strongest projective sound. Every Eastman I tried played amazing. For what you pay they are well worth trying out before dropping double the cash on the well known brands.

[@turrafirmaguitarchannel]

I was wondering if the torrefied tope was just marketing speak from kiln drying a new stash of wood :) Clearly not judging by how nice the Eastman sounds! Thanks for posting. The Easty sounds almost identical to the Martin in this video to my ears. My general impression on Eastman is they then to have a bit more sparkle and boutiquey tone than a typical Martin, which might not be ideal if you are after bluesy, Americana type tones. (Or is that just beautiful vintage Martins and Gibsons I am hearing). Then if you are going to be picky, you could say that Eastman lack some of the mid range crispness and clarity that makes a nice Martin so special. Then I would observe that the way the strings sit on the neck of a well set up Martin (and Taylors, tend to be super well set up) might exceed Eastman, but you can dial your Eastman in if you have a bit of skill in that area. And finally if you live with your Eastman, it is an adventure taking it out of its case every day -- the tone keeps evolving. Changing pick gauges also has a big influence on how much zing you get out of your guitars.

[@mooseymoose]

Torrification is not the same as kiln drying. Not even close.

[@rodolphep0nthus555]

I've just received a Martin 000-15sm Last week a Eastman E6OM-TC. I ordered both to keep just one. Out of the box the Eastman is perfectly set up, nut height, saddleheight , neck relief.. It's sounds spectacular and the playability is outstanding right away. I 'm stunnef. The Martin has high action, the nut is too high, neck relief is to be adjusted, and the saddle needs to be sanded down to obtain a better action, for the least.. Therefore playability is mediocre, and the sound, in my experience, will be judged correctly only when the set up will be done. Out of the box it does not hold a candle compare to the Eastman. I know they are different guitars, but it's just obvious. I don't want to touch the saddle and nut on the Martin, since it will void the 30 day return polucy, and I am really not sure it will be better than the Eastman. So guess which one goes back.. By the way, the Martin is 2248 €, the Eastman is 1299 €. My only gripe is that the Eastman looses instantly it's resale value by 2/3.. The Martin will keep it 's value because of the name. That is not fair regarding the quality of each instruments. So the Eastman is tremendous value when bought new. Much much more than the Martin. I've decided to keep the better value instrument than the name on the headstock. And I won't ever sell this Eastman, it's just a gem.

[@John-wr6yo]

Eastman guitars tend to have a very pronounced string break angle over the saddle at the bridge. That is good for activating the sound board top and sonics throughout the instrument. Eastman is doing at a reasonable cost to the consumer what martin shoukd have been doing years ago. It took the Chinese guitar revolution to make the martin guitar company wake up and listen to thier public. The 15 series,and street master series are some of thier best quslity values,and it was about time martin shared the love.

[@HenryPipes]

I prefer the Eastman here. Martin made some cool changes with the Modern Deluxe series, but the Eastman is a little louder and had that more vintage dry tone at almost 1/3 of the price. I’ve played many of the thermo cured Eastmans and they’ve all been spectacular. Plus, I feel as if the Martin doesn’t know if it wants to be modern or vintage. It has a mix of both spec wise.

[@HenryPipes]

I got to play this model Martin in person and it was nothing short of phenomenal. The Eastman is great too and I think a better deal for the price, but the Martin is amazing!!

[@petikspetikstv9906]

Martin for me

[@frankie5072]

If you got the money go for the Martin but if you’re a starving artist like “normal” people buy the Eastman, it holds its own very well.

[@ianmeadows6351]

My thoughts exactly Frank!

[@justinr5902]

This OM28 seems to be able to do it all!! just lovely

[@boydbc]

Martin for me, but that Eastman is a fine sounding guitar.

[@ianmeadows6351]

no question! Thanks for tuning in.

[@keyofb9513]

Martin sounds a little better, but not $3000 better.

[@realtalk5931]

Eastman is a short scale. Really a 000. Both sound great. Blind test I couldn’t tell much difference

[@ianmeadows6351]

Correct! A better comparison would he the 00028 for sure.

[@bobaldo2339]

What about the "feel" of both guitars - the frets, the neck? The Eastman sounds fine. I just worry about the feel.

[@bunkerman99]

My OM Eastman feels great; worth checking out. I bought a used E10OM LTD for $850. Couldn't be happier.

[@soofitnsexy]

neck is thinner and doesnt have the martin "wood"

[@Andy_Classic]

@@soofitnsexy the Martin "wood"? They purchase their tops from Boucher. You know who else often purchases their tops from Boucher? Yep, you guess it. Martin.

[@soofitnsexy]

@@Andy_Classic yes Martin wood...I own several! best guitars in the world

[@Andy_Classic]

@@soofitnsexy I don't know, if I'm paying thousands of dollars I don't want my guitar built in a factory on an assembly line.

[@6StringsTheory]

Well the Martin sounds a little bit better all you have to do is look at the tight grain of the spruce top on the Martin. I also think that single string notes on the Martin are a bit more complex and not as brittle. It’s all about what you can afford.

[@rickhutcheson6170]

Sitka is tighter grained than Adirondack. Go look at any Martin with an Adirondack and you will see the same broader grain.

[@camlong89]

Might sound crazy to some, but i used to have a Martin 000-15m but sold it and now have an Eastman E2 OM-CD.....which i prefer. To me, the Martin had slightly more sustain and was lighter, but the Eastman has much better action and i like the tone better....not to mention the price. I paid $1300 for the Martin and $475 for the Eastman. I'd love to support USA made stuff, but not trying to overpay for just a name either.

[@azcharlie2009]

You would make any guitar sound wonderful!!! But, the OM-28 Modern Deluxe takes the cake. Beautiful sounding guitar. Just too expensive.

[@ianmeadows6351]

Thank you for the kind words my friend

[@davidbarber5707]

I have heard that eastman have big necks which puts me off. Any idea if this is true. Cheers

[@s.pmurphy6083]

I own an Eastman and I wouldn't say it's much different from my Yamaha's, the neck certainly isn't chucky, the nut may be slightly wider but not by much, hope this helps.

[@davidbarber5707]

@@s.pmurphy6083 thank you. Cheers

[@mikelewis2707]

I own 7 of them....imo they are PERFECT....a little filler than Martin performing artist neck, but to me those are much to thin. You'd have to check em out

[@late4suppa1]

I hate guitars with larger necks. I just got an Eastman E1SS CLA LTD and the neck is perfect.

[@paisleyascott3600]

That Martin has a tinny high end sound. Eastman has the thick warmth the Martin lacks completely

[@dionst.michael1482]

I don't hear much a difference but I definitely notice it when you get down to the actual sticker price. Cost of a Martin these days is downright frickin INSULTING 🤮

[@jasonshrestha]

0:00 3:27

[@YSMiracle]

Fingerpicking - Eastman: folk 1:58, blues 2:50, Martin: folk 5:39, blues 6:19

[@angelg8445]

1:58 5:40

[@joshely4854]

0:28 3:57

[@peerawatphompan2767]

Like both but can’t afford any.

[@weihu3355]

Is there any difference between Eastman e20om and e20om TC？

[@ianmeadows6351]

The TC stands for Thermo Cured. The top is basically cooked and dried out, giving it (supposedly) a warmer, broken in tone

[@weihu3355]

@@ianmeadows6351 Thanks!

[@shawnsnow6413]

Both sound great, but the Martin wins this time.

[@tiemanschnitzel7940]

Can anyone here comment on the action on an Eastman? Are they easy to play?

[@jasonmeyer1054]

I've had an e20om for a number of years now. The action on mine is low and comfy. The scale is half an inch shorter than the Martin so it feels easier to play...slinkier if you will.. String bends are easier and so on. Normally you'd lose a little bit of "snap" with the shorter scale but having the Adirondack top I feel brings some of that snap and attack back. I'm a big Martin fan but I love my Eastman also

[@tiemanschnitzel7940]

@@jasonmeyer1054 Thx for the update. Pretty sure there's an Eastman in my future

[@71ojn]

The Martin sounded like a regular Eastman OM and the Eastman sounded like an old Martin, in my opinion.

[@ianmeadows6351]

Interesting analysis Jon, thanks for dropping by.

[@ericecklund676]

Jon, I think you're spot on with that Martin Modern Deluxe. I recently played a Martin 000-28 MD, and a Martin 000-28 Reimagined. To me they sounded identical and I went home with the 000-28 Reimagined. The Modern Deluxe is a prettier guitar, but It's not a better guitar.

[@55TeleMark]

Eastman. It’s a lot of guitar for the money.

[@marklong3610]

I've owned both. For the money, the Eastman is a bargain. The Martin has somewhat subjectively better tone, but not $3000 better than the Eastman. I currently own 5 Martin guitars and 3 Eastman.

[@markstaggs7342]

I've had in the past martin d45 d28 twelve ad28 two d35 and the only one I kept was the 1980 d28 and a friend of mine had a taylor and I now have 2015 614ce 2018 814ce dlx v brace a 2015 816ce and a 2015914ce and a baby taylor and I love taylor guitars to me there the best guitars made and I've had gibsons and guild I also really love guild guitars Taylor's first guild second martin third the binding came off almost every martin I had but 1980 d28 is a great guitar but still not as good as my taylors

[@ytnsanw]

Not really hearing the over-2,000.00 difference, TBH....

[@WysteriaGuitar]

Get both, the Martin for gigging out and the Eastman for home...and you thought I'd say the opposite...

[@ianmeadows6351]

Haha! Good perspective!

[@brucemarrs2596]

Damn, like a lot of people I wanted to like the Eastman more than the Martin, affordability being one factor. But the Martin just sounded, well, not like a Martin. It had the smokey dark sound like a Gibson. And the Eastman sounded like the strings were fighting each other, not integrated in a whole sound. I take this just as a consideration, as I would need to play both guitars at Guitar Center or some place like that. Hey, really right on comments below.

[@petermartinaitis8166]

If this was a completely blind test and you could not see the guitars not one person in the world could tell you the brand, price, wood types, string gauge and brand of strings.

[@ThePoet007]

The Martin swallows the Eastman up. And I really like the Eastman and that is why I’m here.

[@ianmeadows6351]

Eh, two good guitars, no question. It just depends guitar to guitar!

[@albertpsaros]

surprised..but eastman wins by a country mile in this one

[@Thelionatays]

If their scale lengths are different, the video is irrelevant

[@danstevens1024]

Agreed. With the longer scale length the Martin automatically has a louder, stronger, more crisp sound.

[@carpediem4413]

No comparison - Martin sounds so balanced and great. Eastman sounds too boxy/punchy & buzzy (cheap sounding not pleasant like the Martin). Bummer, Not bad for the price but I was hoping for better Eastman performance.

[@clintdufour8371]

That Eastman sounds terrible.

[@BreadLightPray_EWFMgtr]

☑️ hey so interesting ❗️ I wanna comment before I even listen in _ cause I I'm thinking to get the E40OM ⁴sure ; but as of now I have a Martin OOO-42 stnd build , which BTW I wish was used in this comparison cause it's short scale also ; anyhoo back to my OOO-42 that I paid the price of three equivalents E40OM's and the price of six equivalents of the Recording King RO-328 which I own _ and which btw pretty much blows my OOO-42 outta the water in many ways ; just goes to show _ you gotta try out these guitars before laying out the cash ‼️ 🥺 😣 😖 still love my OOO-42 for some gratifying reason🤔 🥸 🙂🙃

[@jasonshrestha]

0:29 3:56