Eastman E20P vs Martin 00-28vs

I own Martins and Eastman guitars, Eastmans win hands down, simply because of the sheer value for money. I think those who give Martin the edge are heavily drawn by the name. Never had a bad Eastman nut, most have come to me generally better set up than the Martins I own.

High quality guitars have been built with jointed necks like that for at least a century, and of course all lutes had them. Unattached to a guitar, because of how the grain runs, the heel of a neck is quite weak. It’s being glued into the body that gives it strength. A glued heel is not a structural problem. The glue is strong. Also, the grafted headstock is arguably stronger in a fall than the way Martin does it. I believe Gibson mandolins have grafted headstocks.

I have an Eastman E10OM with a wider neck and LOVE IT! It fits my hand much better than other standard guitar necks. I really love that guitar.

Just an fyi, but the joints on the neck are not a bad thing. 2 pieces of wood joined together can reduce movement in the wood. An all solid wood neck may be more prone to moving and warping due to environment. Plus adding the scarf joints also reduces how much wood is used in carving the neck. I am not a guitar luthier, however i do work with wood and make furniture. Just a little info for you. I do have an interest in Eastman guitars. Thanks for the comparison.

I own two Martins—a D-28 purchased new in 1973, and a 2004 000-28EC, purchased in 2016. I also own an Eastman E8OM. I don't kid myself that the Eastman sounds like either Martin—it doesn't—however, it has its own distinct voice and sounds really good. And when you consider the price differential, which is enormous, the Eastman stands right up and deserves to be counted.

I’ve owned both of these. The Eastman neck is easier to play (C shape vs soft V). At 1 7/8 the Martin soft V feels “sharp” at the edges. The C shape is more comfortable. The Eastman is overbuilt a bit. The Martin sings. The Eastman is a tiny bit duller. For the money - the Eastman wins. You can get the Eastman used under $1000. You can get the Martin Used for $3700.

I was a main dealer for Martin guitars for a decade and I can tell you they are the most variable guitars out there. My best advice for buying a Martin is to try 20 and find the best one - because there will be plenty that disappoint you. I used to bury my head in my hands at the thought of giving honest advice with a Martin. No doubt there are nice ones but terrible consistency lets them down.

Thanks for the review. I have been considering buying an Eastman. I have a Potomac by Eastman and its a pretty nice guitar.

Great review, very detailed, thanks!!

Thanks a lot! Very informative and useful video.

The Eastman e40oo would be better compared

Eastman is definitely a poor mans Martin. I have 3 of them and LOVE THEM. I do feel it is the closest you can get to a Martin without spending 3 times the money. I STRONGLY recommend them.

I have bought a few Eastmans over the years. All nice guitars, but I end up selling them. The Martins I've bought tend to stay :).

I was fortunate enough to play a Martin 00-VS earlier this week and yes it's a killer music making machine. I had never played a V necked Martin but found it totally natural. If I were rich and famous or at least rich I'd have snapped it up in a heartbeat but I'm neither and I didn't. Unfortunately there is no Eastman dealer within driving distance so I've never been able to compare them although I wouldn't expect them to be perfect but then the Martin wouldn't be twice as perfect but costs twice as much. Since they are both used it's unlikely they have the same strings which nobody ever seems to take into account in reviews.

I have a blueridge br361...sounds amazing. I prefer a nut 1 3/4 over the 1 7/8 and not a V. However...its much warmer than any eastman ive tried. Both are great.

Forgot to mention Fretboard Radius, which is, 12in. Martin much flatter at 16in. A rather important factor to consider, could be a game changer for some. And lastly the very important fact that the Eastman joins the Guitars Body at the 12th Fret, the Martin at the rather curious 15th it would appear. Another possible game changer.😮😯😮

Thanks for your great review. One case latch on the Eastman case is not connecting as well but still will work after tweaking. I bought a used E20p back in 2012 and I like it a lot as my couch guitar. I have several Martins (J40, HD35 D28 and D18Retro) and they all play great ... well..like a Martin! So I can say I have same experience with Martin dreads and a jumbo. All are stellar! But the Eastman Parlor has it's own unique sound and for the price it stands out as a keeper. One question for you is if you still have the Eastman...the frets feel like "roadblocks" especially on the b and high e strings and when playing single notes when sliding up and down the neck and wonder if you have that issue as well. It gets distracting for me so I am considering changing the frets maybe to what is on my J40. I tried a re-crown but either the guy did a poor job or just could not round the frets etc. Another question is what electronic pickup would you consider for the Eastman. Would be fun to use in a raunchy sort of way when I play Dead/Young stuff in bars for free beer! Update: Git new frets on Eastman and love it! Thanks for your or anyone else's thoughts on this! Happy New Year! Cheers!

Martin has a 16 radius fingerboard.Eastman has a 12 radius fretboard.. which is like gibson.Eastman price is way lower..so for a lot of people great guitars.

I recently purchased an Eastman E20 00. I believe that the standard nut widths are wider than the Martins at 1-13/16” as opposed to the Martin 1-3/4” . I’d like to know what the nut width is on your Eastman. It should be 1-13/16”. I have heard that they vary but I have not seen that.

thanks for eliminating the case reviews. a really good comparison and the Vince Guaraldi piece is well done.