Former owner of an SB59v now owner of a Gibson R9. The Eastman is as good as the R9 and some may find the ebony board better than the R9. There is nothing, and I really mean, nothing the Gibson is superior to the Eastman on, maybe the top is better but that’s a luck if the draw. You can find an Eastman with an outrageous top too. So why don’t I own the Eastman anymore? It wasn’t a Gibson, it doesn’t have the headstock and the body shape. I dreamed all my life of owning a les Paul and to me the epitome of that are the “R” models, so my reasoning is 100% illogical. The moment a good option for an R9 opened, I sold the Eastman and a few other guitars to get it (used), and I don’t regret the move one bit. The Eastman though is much more guitar for the money, it’s outrageous. I should note the Eastman V MURDERS the USA made Gibsons, that’s not even fair. My comparison is only to the custom shop level instruments.

Hi from Italy , I have both Gibson's and Eastmans ... You forgot to mention that the body of this guitar is a one piece body, as the neck (even the ears are not glued but it's a proper one piece neck) ... The bridge is linked to the body without studs but with only a screw as in the Gibson CS. I've got both the sb59 and the sb59V you have on review here , the sb59V is not spray painted but got a very thin layer of shellac-like finishing (as they do on violins) , it's a very delicate finishing . But , even if LOLLAR is considered to be a top brand for pickups (and it is!) ,on this particular model (sb59v) can be not the perfect cup of tea for everyone... The lollars sounds a lil but nasal and bluesy , meanwhile I think that the sb59(non-V , nitro finish) with their Seymour Duncan sounds more aggressive and rock oriented . Both my sb59 (normal and V) are , quality wise and sound wise , better that my standard Les Paul , almost on par with the CS I have . But then it's an unfair co.parison as the CS costs 3 or 4 times those Eastmans (not to mention the fact that , there is not much homogeneity in production in the CS range , you can have CS Gibson guitars that are stellar and other that are kinda lemons (for their price)...

I’ve got the SB59 (regular version), it’s definitely one of my favorite guitars.

Glad you got to try one out! Sounds pretty lovely, I'm looking forward to your long term thoughts.

I offloaded my Gibson R8 to get more Eastmans, I absolutely love them

I have an Eastman T59v. It really is an incredibly crafted instrument, and difficult to put down

Eastman is super underrated

Great playing, very smooth, enjoyed the composition

Beautiful sounding! Great choice of simple edge of breakup on the amp.

There's always a battle of the heart against the head with Eastman vs Gibson. From my experience the Eastman's win hands-down when it comes to love, care and attention to detail.

Beautiful playing as always! 😎I've had an Eastman T59/V-RD semi-acoustic for a couple of years now, and I appreciate its quality even more each time I play it (which admittedly isn't as often as it deserves, because I get distracted by more recent purchases!). My Eastman has a figured ebony fingerboard but, like the one in the video, it's amazingly polished. I love that, along with the superb fret work. I don't find the "aged violin finish" sticky - but it is very easy to add your own dings and scratches to. I really like this, because it creates your own unique "relicing" to Eastman's own, but it might not suit anyone who wants their guitar to remain the way they bought it (especially if they are thinking of resale value). I can't compare my Eastman to a '335, but it's a beautifully made instrument with its own unique sound and character amongst my other guitars.

Yay finally , I've been waiting on this for ages , mainly cause I want to see if it will blow your mind , I have that exact same guitar in that finish

I own a sb54/v and it’s incredible. Hands down one of the best playing and sounding guitars I’ve had.

Have antique SB59v and friend prefers it over his R9, gibson don't get even remotely close to it for price. Adore mine

Sounds great. A quality instrument played very well.

Great playing. Thanks for this. At the NAMM show Eastman video mentioned that for 2023 they are making a more durable finish on this vintage model. The rep said it would have “Traditional” added to the model name. So Lollars with no distress and a more robust finish. I haven’t seen it in the US market yet.

I love Eastman, kind of accidentally became a collector. I have their version of the Casino (absolute ringer), a 59 LP (pretty good but LPs aren't my fav), a slope shoulder dread and an f-style mandolin which are both nice. Value for your dollar on Eastman instruments is really really high. Especially in Mandolins.

I have two Eastmans, both purchased used on a whim, over the internet after watching multiple reviews. I have an acoustic OM-08 which is a clone of a Martin OM28. It’s a little brighter than the Martin, in my limited experience with one, but sounds, plays, feels and looks fantastic. It’s been my most played acoustic over the past 3 years since I’ve owned it. I also have a ‘97 Taylor 414 (top loader) and a ‘01 Larrivee L-09. My other Eastman is the SB55/v which is a LP jr clone. That guitar is STUPID GOOD! Under 7 lbs, looks amazing, the finish is arguably the best feeling finish I have felt, the Lollar p90s are excellent and maybe most impressive, is the unplugged sound… bright, loud and very resonant. It just sings acoustically and absolutely rocks plugged in. It’s very bright so I usually pull the tone down to 5.5-6.5. After all my guitar adventures, looking for the holy Grail, this guitar, more than any, has convinced me how important the unplugged sound is. No matter the pickups, that is the sound you’ll be amplifying. Yes, the pickups make a substantial difference as well but, the acoustic sound is the inherent sound of the guitar, and this one is absolutely gorgeous. I intend on getting a 335 style Eastman in the future.

I’ve been eying these for awhile. Some I see come stock with Lollars. Great video I’ll have to check one out!

As an Eastman owner it's great to see you finally run one of these through its paces - bit of irony is I bought the guitar featured on a YT demo as well --> kzfaq.info/get/bejne/btGpaLCmqcixnYk.html as it immediately struck me. Shane isn't nearly as refined a player as you but neither am I ;) I've played plenty of LPs in my years and this guitar is far better than any I have played, Lighter, masterfully finished and handmade. Speaking of handmade, odd you didn't note this, as well as the 1 piece neck, and 1 piece body, all hand carved. Lastly I don't quite get how a neck can be "over polished". One of the most striking qualities of this guitar is the "black glass" as I like to call it, ebony fret board. I don't understand how a less porous board less subject to catching and trap gum and mung is a bad thing, personally @_@ I think it would be the opposite? Looking forward to hearing more!

I have the T59V and it's awesome! I do wanna check out the SB 59v .

I have an sb59 and I have to say I like it better than any standard I’ve played. It is the most comfortable guitar I’ve played and it sounds great. I also have an old Greco that is just incredible. I don’t really thing Gibson makes the best guitars. I guess if you get into paying over 5k you’ll get something special, but spend $1200 on a used Eastman and I know you will be shocked at how good they are

Stunning looking instrument. Eastman always surprises me. The only thing I don’t like about this is the look of the headstock

Got the Eastman SB56 with Lolar p90”s ... its a fantastic guitar

Eastman owner here (3 arch tops) I am a believer… Thanks for always being inspiring!

For what it's worth I went to try one of these at Guitar Village and it really didn't hit the mark, it was a gloss version which I think this makes a significant difference with the Eastmans. I then tried a SB55/v which was awesome and I later bought. After a wander round the shop I found an amber T59/v hanging up and I thought I may a well try it. Well, it blew me away and is now one of my favourite guitars, they did have two others (red ones) which I preferred the look of but when I tried them they were just not a good, the amber one was lighter and much more resonant so just goes to show you need to try them.

I just bought one of these about a week ago in the black antique varnish finish. Your assessment is pretty spot-on. It's the best playing single-cut style guitar i've had, including better playing than the Gibson R0 I had. Is it better in every respect than a Gibson? I think it's better in most respects than a Gibson USA, and really close to a good Gibson Custom Shop example. The Eastman wins as far as intonation and playability. The Eastmans are on average, it looks to me, as light or lighter weight than the best Gibson Custom Shop examples. I did like neck pickup (Custombucker) on my R0 I think a little better than the Lollar Imperial on the Eastman. More of a preference than just being objectively better. As far as the finish itself, the main advantage of the antique varnish/ aged finish is the feel. It simply feels more comfortable. Appearance-wise, that's personal preference whether or not it's better.

I've had my SB59/v in the Gold Burst finish for just shy of two years now, and when I got mine was retailing around the A$3,100 mark (though I paid A$2,500 at the time). Fast forward two years and supply/demand curves, the change in the exchange rate, and the overall effects of inflation worldwide and they now sit at A$1,100 more than that (Retail A$4,199, sell for around A$3,420). With the Gibson Tribute retailing for A$2,500, the Gibson Studio for A$3,999, and Gibson Standards going for anywhere from A$5,500 to A$6,500 depending on the model (and Gibson Custom Shops being upwards of A$10,000), A$3,500 represents a much better instrument - what many say is Custom Shop quality - a hand-carved guitar with features like the Lollar Imperial Pickups, Gotoh hardware, ebony fretboard, etc, etc - unless the badge and the headstock are sacrosanct, I can't imagine buying Gibson over this (though I will begrudgingly admit, if I had the money to preorder the new Kirk Hammett/Gary Moore/Peter Green "Greeny" LP that's coming out later this year, I'd be sorely tempted). If you had the A$2,000+ left over from the difference between a Gibson Standard and the SB59/v , you could buy either a damn good amp, or a decent amp and a good selection of pedals, or a high quality digital studio, whatever your personal preferences are, or just save it or spend it on some other interest. Eventually I'd like to get one of their ES-style guitars... though their new Juliet line interest me as well.

Hey John, great video, thank you. My 2020 Eastman T386 classic in Nitro was an online leap of faith that proved to be one of my best descions. Better finished and set up than my 2009 SJ200 and comparable quality in every way to my Custom Shop Strats, Martins, Taylors and Japaneese Epiphone Elitist Casino. The only distraction from all the great stuff is my own gear snob perception of the brand image and “chinese built” The stupid thing is if the factory was in Pamona California rather than the just the sales and marketing operation, I would happily pay a grand more for what I have. It is an exceptional instrument that I CAN’T PUT DOWN, and I just don’t know whethter I should be proud to own it or not. How ridiculous is that. We buy with our eyes and validate with our egos. I look forward to your longer term views Because the validation by others really matters too 🤪

The Eastman that I really liked was the SB55DC/v.

These are great guitars! The key is getting one of the older models that has a nitro finish, 9or get the varnish finish. Since about 2021, the nitro finish was switched to a two-pack poly finish.

I have the 56 goldtop with p90’s. One of my favorite guitars to play. And very good value!

Nice demo of that Eastman...

I have a Sire L7 in black/gold and it’s a very fun guitar, I use it when I teach lessons and as a spare guitar. Do you think it would benefit a lot from a pickup upgrade? My Gibson Les paul (it’s a really good custom shop one, with Custom buckers) sounds brighter and with more output, and the Sire is a bit more mid focused, it’s nice but it doesn’t have the same weight sonically. I don’t know, just wondering… If upgrading the Sire makes any sense…

What’s your setup on the demo? Sounds great!

I’ve now got three Eastman solid bodies and a t64. Love them. Have owned many guitars over last 30 years and these things are winners. Picked up two of the second hand for half the price so they don’t currently seem to hold there value but I think this period of solid bodies will be sort after in the future.

That’s an sb59v which is a bit more expensive and different than the sb59 standard

Welcome to the Eastman club haha, im about to buy my third one and couldve gone gibson each time haha. I'd still love a custom shop gibson which by design is where the best stuff is... but these are just great, just as enjoyable to own.... for less... so it's eastman number 3 for me!

Owned two ear and and still own the Jr. Amazing instruments.

You said, “it’s not the best Les Paul I’ve ever played, I have to say.”’ Can you expand on it and what ones you liked more?

I bought a T486 and I’m delighted with it. I didn’t intend to buy Eastman, I was actually after a Gibson es335 but after trying both side by side I was struck by how much better the Eastman was. The upshot was I sold my R8 and R9 and I’m now looking to ‘upgrade’ to Eastman. They stand easily beside Gibson Custom Shop guitars in my opinion and their choice of pick ups, hardware and overall finish quality make them super value.

Recently found the Eastman brand. I now have 3, the SB59v, T484 and the Juliet. All excellent value for money, handmade by people who care about their craft. With high end woods, hardware and electronics. As John Hammond would say "Spared no expense".

I think the 59/v comes with Lollars and is reliced. Unless they’ve changed specs. The regular 59 used to come with Duncan 59s, I think. The /b is a monster guitar and different enough to make a difference.

I tried a few now, I must say those with Lollar Imperials are always better for some reason. I might get the Romeo at some point. really killer guitar!

Own a 1988 LP Standard, 93 SG and 86 LP Studio. I bought a SB59v Eastman because it played and felt perfect. Love Gibson but the Eastman stays in tune better, sounds better and I truly wished I had this instrument back in the band days. My 3 Gibson's don't even come close, sadly.

Lovely guitar, happy you got hold of one to try. I have played the SB59/v (more or less same as this one) and the Juliet with Bare Knuckles and loved them both. Hoping to buy them at some point! I think, overall, Eastmans are leaving Gibson for dead, frankly. The ebony board is a plus for me, same as my 68 LP Custom, and everything from the choice of pick-ups, Gotoh hardware, bone nut and what have you just elevate these guitars beyond most Gibson offerings and at a considerably lower price point.

Do you use the same preset to audition guitars?

Plek process doesn't remove anymore material from the frets then absolutely necessary. If the neck relief is set properly and all the frets are seated correctly, plek is much safer than filing frets by hand. On a new guitar there's just no way you'll end up with any less fret material. That's nonsense.

Thank you for reviewing this. I own a 335 style T59/v and absolutely love it. Its the first guitar I’ve put 11s in and it so feels super easy to play. Would love for you to review t59 as well.

Gibson being the "bar" for quality seems odd to me. Yes, they made the first Les Paul. But, Gibson had build quality issues before they left Kalamazoo and they got worse in Nashville. They lost the title of "best in class" decades ago.

Oh and you say it seems sticky. Maybe since it’s new. I got mine new and I think also felt a bit like that. But that went away pretty fast. And for me it’s kind of the opposite of being sticky. Feels fantastic on the hand in every way. So just have to play it! 👌🏻👌🏻

Which one do you prefer out of this Eastman and your Maybach Lester?

I’ve got an SB59 that seems to have found a permanent spot. I’m not much of an LP guy but anytime I think it might hit the chopping block, it falls back into rotation.

I own a T59/v (335 "clone") that I bought after trying out more than a dozen Gibson 335/339 at my local Guitar Centers. It comes with Duncan Antiquities. It is hands down better than any of the Gibsons I tried and just sounds and plays amazing.

Nice guitar. As you mentioned, the fretboard finish is perhaps too shiny. I could actually see reflections on it as you played. I don't think I've ever seen such a shiny fretboard. It would be interesting to know why Eastman does that, as many guitarists prefer natural wood without any finish on it. 🤷

I have an SB59. Ill never go back to Gibson. I really couldn't care less about the head stock and its absolutely better than ANY standard I've ever played.

At some point I had a Gibson R8 2021, a Gibson traditional 2008, a heritage h150 artisan aged and Eastman SB59/v The 2 best for me were the Eastman and Gibson CS. Th heritage also was really good close, and last Gibson trad (although still liked it very much) Sold all and kept just the Eastman (cos I’m good with just one Lp style guitar) and haven’t regretted at all. The r8 was awesome but too expensive. Quality wise for me Eastman is as close at PRS or Suhr level (have owned both. I’m a massive fan of PRs and after playing them and grab the Eastman I’m always amazed in how good and premium it feels the Eastman as well) As a guitar in quality, craftsmanship and materials the Eastman is superior to Gibson USA for sure. If you prefer Gibson USA over Eastman or viceversa is personal preference cos Gibson are still high quality and great guitars.

Well built guitars, and the SD Antiquities are nice pickups. Strange Gibson hasn’t sued them for copyright infringement, which is just about all they can do these days, instead of focusing on upping the quality of their own products.

I have two of them, a goldtop and the antique cherry. Love them. The gibson fans hate on these guitars, but for the money and how they are built, they are in fact superior. Sorry fanpeople. Eastman makes the better Paul.

Hello I have a eastman t184 . It s my Best guitar

The Eastman SB55/V is the one to get IMHO.

Eastman or Maybach?

Try a Jackson Dominion

I have 2 Eastmans. The T-486, which is a 335 style guitar, and I have a Juliet. The Juliet is great! Bareknuckle P-90s on it are fantastic, very ergonomic, and noticeably light. If you get a chance, they are a lot of fun.

I have an sb59 V, and sb55 singlecut, and a Romeo la. They are all absolutely incredible. I have some really nice Gibson's but in general the Eastman guitars are just better. No need to upgrade them because all the components are the absolute best quality. If you play one you'll be sold.

"where they started adding robots to guitars....and also crushing guitars with tanks" I laughed out loud.

😊

I have a T-486 v , which is the B with shellac ( not the aged version like they have now) , bought it in 2015 for 1250€. Worth every cent . However you will probably never get your money back if you are the guy that likes to trade guitars for another one. I normally never buy new guitars, just vintage, but this guitar felt so good that I couldn’t pass. I have a 72 es335 as well to compare it with. Acoustically the Eastman is of another league. Neck is fuller and wider than the Gibson . Pickups ar SD 59 and jazz. Stays in tune all day ( Gibson doesn’t) . The thing is , that old Gibson is now worth 5 or six grand and will increase in value over time. The Eastman won’t. Strange world

The weight alone is reason enough to go with an Eastman. You need to spend over five grand on a Gibson to get near Eastman quality timbers. I have tried a good few reissues and some are just great, but some are very average. Every SB59 I’ve tried is alive, musical and plays like a dream. I also have a SB55dc/v which is simply perfect, maybe the best guitar I have played in my 37 years of playing. I have done the PRS thing as well, but my SB59 has better playability and soul than my core McCarty. I am converted

I hope you can try those Edwards LesPaul types. If I live in europe I would lend you mine.

PLAY THE SB56!

Best guitars on the market. The things that you’re mentioning are so easily fixed and for almost no money honestly coming with the liar pick ups saves an upgrade right there we all know Gibson pick ups are nothing to write home about and the tone market has been crazy with custom pick ups, Lawler being one of the top sellers so starting out with a good pick up has saved you $500 worth of pick ups, wiring, soldering, and all the other inconveniences that come along with buying a Gibson as well as the QC issues that you don’t have it’s hard to say this is not a better guitar because I can’t say that it’s twice the guitar Gibson is Out of the box, much less worn and played 8:05

eastman guitars are great, sadly they've become so popular that the prices have gone up slightly, but still better than a gibson,

I was the worst SOB when it came to Gibson I thought I could have been the most vain purist that existed now after playing one of these guitars, I have sold all of my Gibson guitars and have replaced everything with Eastman. I was a fool, and should have done so long ago, but I have certainly learned my lesson about being stubborn. It’s amazing how much better these guitars, even just stay in tune, simply that correction alone, along with the stunning quality, craftsmanship and unbelievable considering what Gibson has to say about themselves I think Eastman could toot their horn a whole lot and I don’t think Gibson ever saw them coming and I don’t think they will ever realize it until they’re out of business because Gibson‘s values are dropping Eastman are rising. People are realizing Eastman is a better guitar From top to bottom through and through a better guitar goodbye Gibson I am happy to have sold mine all of my semihollow and solid buddies are now Eastmans and I am proud to be an Eastman man. Hell I use the iPhone too, so what’s wrong with buying these guitars the iPhone is supposedly the best phone on the market. Well, evidently Americans and Chinese people can make things cheap that are no good, it’s us who outsource toys and all these things that caused all the problems we never gave China the credit they deserved in manufacturing, but as guitarists, I think we have no choice but to say Eastman has easily surpassed Gibson and quality and manufacturing and will continue to do so. I think we have a lot to see from this company in the future. I would love to be a stockholder. Thanks for the great demo.

Are they as good as a Gibson? Yes. Are they as sought after on the resell market? No. Gibsons may cost more up front, but they will bring more when you decide to sell. So just buy what's in your budget. You won't go wrong either way. Disclaimer: I own a 2019 Gibson LP Classic, a 2022 Gibson LP Standard 50's with P90's, and a 2022 Eastman SB59v-GB. I love them all, but the Standard and Eastman moreso than the Classic.

Eastman guitars get alot of hate....from people that have never owned or played one. They are superb.

I have had my eye on this guitar for over a year but it's a luxury so can't put the money on it at the moment :(

If I could find a Gibson built as good as an Eastman I’d buy it. Eastman’s quality craftsmanship is tremendous. Gibson, not so much.

9:31

I have a 486 and I love this guitars I also have a 335 made during the years of Gibson demise thru 2007 and 17 had nothing but trouble with this guitar. neck problems . forget Gibson they are overpriced and there are lot alternative that is just as good at a fraction of the price. Eastman and Sire are my go to.

As lovely as this Eastman probably is as a guitar in other ways, I've never understood the fad for buying a new thing that has been deliberately damaged or made to look worn. From ripped jeans to relicked (how do you spell that word?) guitars... I don't get it. If I want an old guitar, I'll look for an old guitar. and expect to pay secondhand prices. If I want a new guitar, I expect it to have a nice, un f***ked-with finish.

For accuracy's sake, you should re-title this video to reflect that this model is the SB59/v, not the SB59.

Gibson will always be the best, but for made in China affordable guitars Eastman are not too shabby

The irrational lure of a 'name' is now engrained as part of our culture. For those that can see beyond that, however, many better value options await. Sound and tonal qualities aside, my chief complaint about Gibsons of recent decades has been about the quality of the final finish. For example, overspray, orange peeling, rushed scraping and fret tool marks in the fingerboard are just not acceptable on an instrument costing over £2K. No attention to the detail. These are things I have never seen on an eastern (Japan, China, Korea) guitar for half the price. I think it's a shame that you have to go to the extortionate Gibson Custom Shop to get a guitar that's as well made as a 'standard' guitar from, say, Gretsch, Eastman or Peerless.

They’re WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY better.

Build quality of theses are far better than any gibson…sadly….

Gibson is the most premium feeling instrument in any guitar shop… even if you play one of the low end Tribute models. The prices are the same as they were in the 50s/60s when adjusting for dollar inflation. Same for Fender… just a lot of people not doing as well as they thought would crying and screaming because they can’t figure out how to finance purchases. East Asian slave labor isn’t the solution to providing you a lower cost product.

I bet that guitar has a Richlite fingerboard on it, they also used to call them Ebonol, I had a gretsch japan made duo jet that had one, i used to look at it and wonder why there was no grain indentations to the wood. Well there will not be, it is synthetic, supposedly it is paper and compressed. Supposedly will never Warp, and I have heard reports that guys say the guitars with it sustain much better. In the 2nd half of the video you see an awful lot of light reflecting off it, which makes me suspect this.

I see someone gullible enough to push these Chinese guitars pop up once in a while and while they have a propaganda video out pretending it’s a normal shop a guitar dealer told me that they using the worst sweatshops with young children to actually make guitars. Come on why do you think they are so cheap with all the manual labour involved????

Eastman is okay for the money but it will never be at Gibson custom shop level

Just came here to say that gibsons are not good.