Gibson vs. Eastman Five Key Points You Need To Know Before Buying!
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- #addictedtogear #gibson #eastmanguitars
Are you torn between the classic elegance of a Gibson ES-335 and the stunning craftsmanship of an Eastman T486? Choosing the perfect guitar can be a daunting task, but fear not! In this video, we delve into the world of Gibson and Eastman guitars, exploring the five essential factors you must consider before making a purchase. Whether you're a seasoned guitarist or a passionate enthusiast, these key points will equip you with the knowledge to make an informed decision. Join us as we compare and contrast the Gibson 335 and Eastman T486, covering everything from build quality and tonal versatility to playability and price. By the end of this video, you'll be armed with the insights needed to find your ideal instrument and embark on a musical journey like no other. So, let's dive in and discover the secrets behind these remarkable guitars!
Intro 0:00
Brand and Price 0:44
Construction and Design 1:59
Tone 3:20
Pickup and Electronics 6:01
Playability and Feel 6:54
Summery 7:55
Unplugged Sound Samples:
Unplugged Sound Samples 3:57
Bridge Pickup Sound Samples 4:28
Neck Pickup Sound Samples 5:15
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For anybody who is struggling to decide between these two brands. If you are the guy who just has one or a few guitars and is always looking for another guitar to trade, buy Gibson . You will have an easier trade or sale. For the guy who doesn’t mind hanging on to a certain guitar for a long time ( forever) or has a bigger collection of guitars: buy Eastman. It’s the better guitar
I have the Eastman T386. I was lucky enough to try them out from an Eastman vendor booth at a music festival. I played 4 different T386, each with a different neck feel. The Eastman rep told me the necks were hard sanded like Gibson original did in the 50’s. I picked the one that neck profile was more in line with my 50’s Gibsons. I’ve been very pleased with my Eastman and haven’t changed anything on it
Eastman all the way! I love it because the nut wide is a bit wider. I have small hands but narrower nut width does not feel good oddly the wider one feels bettwr. I think it is because of all those years I played an acoustic guitar when I was young....
Great post. i have recently purchased an Eastman T486 classic finish and am very pleased with it.
It's an awesome guitar
I'd definitely spring for the Eastman...sounds better, cheaper, and has an ebony fretboard (a big deal!)
Two beauties, but I'd definitely consider the Eastman ! Enjoyed the vid.
Thank you for this demo. I’m glad I found it. This is the best comparison I’ve seen where you truly go into the details, and I think the details are what matter here I am without a doubt a Gibson player I have 19 Gibson guitars. None of them are semihollow guitars, I also bought one of these Eastman guitars the T4 86, and after playing it decided to upgrade the hardware tuners with Gatos as well as putting in some whiz pick ups and a new wiring harness and Jack switch, etc. truly change the guitar completely and then dropped in some short A5, magnets, and again improve the sound, gave it much more bottom, and I think that changes the expression that you’re getting from the Maple, and takes away some of the brightness Those pick ups are made by throwback. I think this is a great guitar for my students. I am a purist, however, and gave this to one of my students after this it was truly an experiment but without a doubt my concerns about the laminate are no concerns any longer. It is a great guitar, but it is not a Gibson and it never will be. I’m sorry to say that there are some Gibsons out there that certainly aren’t the best representation. We all know it, there are plenty of errors. There are plenty of cracks on delivery, but you know what Gibson is America Gibson is USA Gibson is in my blood for the last 49 years and Gibson is what I will play but my students need an affordable option and Gibson doesn’t offer that and honestly these outrank up phone by a mile That’s where I’m standing on it but again for my personal taste I’m a Gibson man all the way thanks for letting me comment. And thanks for the demo. I will say this as a last note and sorry for writing a book but some things I think can be mentioned that aren’t heritage is also a great option and truly they stay in tune better than my ES 335 and heritage is all about purist. They are just as pure if not more pure than the Gibson’s being made today great guitars, and their custom shop models are under 5000 and they truly are amazing. Thanks. 7:41
Your devotion to Gibson is interesting. I have had a '65 SG Special from new and over the years I have had an interest in other Gibson models but every time I have been to play them in store I have either come away with something else or just decided to look elsewhere. Gibson's variable quality turned me off long ago and as Chinese, Korean and Indonesian quality has improved so much, Gibson are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Fewer and fewer young players are looking to Gibson I'm afraid.
Very good comparison of these two great guitars. I find your observations dead-on! In the past I have owned a few Gibson semi-hollow bodies, but now refuse to pay their outrageous prices. As you just pointed out, these days you can get a guitar equal in comparison for 1/4 the price of the Gibson. I chose the 'Eastman' and saved $3000! No regrets...
An important difference you didn’t mention was the nut width. Eastman is wider at 1 3/4. Gibson narrower at 1 11/16. Significant difference in feel.
Wow. A 1/16th of a difference ... Feel will have other sources to stem from. Neck profile, touch of the finish, etc.
Since the Gibson is considerably more expensive, it might have made more sense to compare it with the Eastman T59..? I recently bought a T59 for $1,839USD shipped. I decided on the T59 instead the T486 because I prefer its varnish finish, and its Antiquity AlNiCo-2 unpotted pickups. Is it worth paying an extra $300-400 more? Maybe not, and I'm sure the two Seymour Duncan pickups in the T486 sound great too, the Jazz/neck and Seth Lover/bridge, potted so if you play loud they might work better? The Gibson ES-335 sounded darker, likely because of the mahogany neck and pickups. I like having the extra treble, which you can tame, but if it isn't there you can't bring it back. All of them are beautiful guitars!
Nice comparison. I’ve owned 3 Eastman’s over the years, one of them being a 486. When I bought that guitar used, the shop also had an early 2000’s Gibson 335 (I’m of a fan of early 2000’s Gibsons) and I was able to play them side by side. The Gibson was the better guitar that day, and had a better feel and with the Kent Armstrong pickups in the Eastman definitely the better tone. However it was really close, and what I was looking to spend at that moment I bought the Eastman. The V series guitars from Eastman is where they really shine IMO they feel incredible and put much better pickups in them
My 486 came with SD jazz and 59 pickups. (2015) . Great guitar
Fascinating - very concise comparison vid, thanks! Eastman worked better for me and I was quite shocked when you noted that you had fitted the same Gibson 57 pick-ups in both. I thought the richer tonality of the Eastman was in part due to their Seymour Duncans but the difference is clearly in the build of the instrument itself so again, for me, the Eastman hands down shone thru. The Ebony board a definite plus (I play a 1968 Gibson Les Paul and prefer the ebony and 60's style thinner neck so no brainer for me if it came to choosing between these 2). I am actually considering the T484, which has a slightly smaller body and a different pick-up configuration.
Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve come very close to getting an Eastman. They’re awesome for the money.
They are very nice indeed.
I've bought a Eastman 486 and replaced the Humbucker with Gibson 490 R & T. Now it's a fantastic guitar
I want to help Eastman, but it is nice to know I can flip the Gibson to some other sucker if I want to. Lol
LOL
I own both an Eastman and a Gibson. Without doubt Eastman kills Gibson on all points for those players who can‘t justify laying out Murphy Lab prices. Below its Custom Shop offerings, Gibson is riding solely on its name because the quality simply isn‘t there.
I got to say that I am extremely satisfied with my Eastman
Gibson can't touch the quality of Eastman. Even Gibson Custom Shop is just assembly line quality (just fewer workers in the Custom Shop). Walk through any music store that carries both brands and just pull them off the wall and compare.
I have an Eastman T486B, incredible instrument. I chose it over the Gibson 335 and for me, price was not a deciding factor. Happy with my decision.
Shocking thing I noticed recently - Eastman's are holding their value in the second hand market better than Gibsons. Don't take my word for it, check Reverb.
I sold my Heritage 535 (335 Equiv) a few years ago...wasn't 'special'....then bought a T486 a couple years ago and it's most the impressive thing I've played in 50 years from a total of 40 guitars I've personally owned. I"m a 61 years old lefty.... I paid $1100 new....total cost. They are about $1400 now. My 2010 Gibson LP Traditional was $2700 new...it's still about the same price. To be fair, my Eastman ( I also have a SB59 GT LP) has signs of sloppy finish around the binding in several spots....something I've not seen in 7-8 Gibson's I've owned.
@@lazvt8469 I picked up my T486B for $1300 new, in 2021 (pandemic pricing!) and they're going for $900-$1250 used now. Kind of surprised how well it's holding value, I didn't expect that.
The binding on mine is pretty good, but not perfect. I have a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul, and I would say the binding on the Eastman is both more elaborate and has better fit & finish to it. Overall, I'd say I'm happy with both, and they both get a lot of play time, but I'm probably done with Gibson. There might be another Eastman in my future though.
@@francischang I suspect they are holding value better than Gibson because their name and brand is getting positive and well deserved traction, supply is somewhat limited (lefties for sure), and folk like us are praising the brand and creating buzz/interest/demand. My guess...
T186 if you want upper-fret access with no center block
What's the name of the color on the Eastman? Thaak you
Eastman. I love mine.
An Eastman vs Epiphone “inspired by Gibson” would be a very intriguing shootout
Having had an epi 339 and currently a t484 Eastman, I can attest that the Eastman smashes the epi
You should watch the Gibson vs. Epiphone shoot outs on CZcams here.
Sorry but there’s no comparison. Eastman are hand made in a custom shop…way better pickups and a proper fret board
The Eastman looks a wee bit smaller but very nice🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I own an Eastman T386 (with Wolfetone humbuckers swapped in), SB55v, SB55dc/v (Wolfetone P90 meaner just for variety), SB59v and E10P. If they made a Firebird, Thunderbird, two-pickup LP Jr. or any number of other "classic" guitars, I would probably buy them too.
As long as Gibson charges absurd prices for their guitars, I will not buy one. I paid about as much for my T386, SB55v and E10P combined as I would have for a single ES-335. I believe that Gibson will turn into a Rickenbacker-sized operation once the Boomers stop buying their overpriced stuff. The Les Paul Jr. that I tried before getting my SB55/v felt like an Epiphone. The Eastman felt like a custom.
The varnish-finish guitars (as opposed to the nitro finish that come on their cheaper options like the T486) have a similar look to custom shop guitars. I cannot express how expensive these look. If you hid the name on the headstock, you would think they were Custom Shop Gibsons. They are THAT good.
The only real downside with Eastman is the lack of color options and limited "interestingness" of the builds. If you want their SB55, you need to either get the sunburst single-cut or the faded red double-cut. You also won't find a wide range of options for pickups, tuners, or other bells and whistles. For me, a person who doesn't want to own 5 different Les Paul-styles, it works. I have a buddy who loves to trick out all of his guitars with weird electronics, hardware and wood choices. Eastman is not for him.
I would advise to go with a T486, or better yet, a T59/v instead of the T386. While the price point is alluring, the stock pickups, nut and tuners fall well short of the rest of the Eastman line. It does not hold tune nearly as well as the rest of my Eastmans, and the Kent Armstrongs are noticeably cheap-sounding compared to the Bare Knuckles that came with my SB59v. It requires another $300+ to get it to sound and play as well as it looks. Just go with the T486 and you'll have solid pickups right out of the box. But the T59/v is what I would go with if I had to buy new today. It is worth every penny of the $1999 USD price tag and looks like a $4500 guitar.
I love Gibson but I’d consider the Eastman. However the Epiphone 335 are just as nice and I think cheaper than the Eastman? Nice explanation/ comparison Tony.
Yes they are cheaper but don’t play as nice IMO
I had an Epiphone 335 and upgraded to an Eastman T486 which in my opinion is on another level to the Epiphone so worth paying a bit more as you're getting a lot for your money.
The Epiphone is a nice instrument but not in the same league as the Eastman. With the Eastman you have a quality instrument that is comparable to a Gibson 335 for around half the price and an excellent gigging guitar.
I have had gibson and eastman ES 335 's , now i have an Stanford AV 35 wich is an "overseas made maybach " ES 335 , sounds and plays great and is on the same level as eastman and gibson , but for a better price ! I also tried the ibg epi 2020 ES 335 but although it is an good guitar is it of an lesser level then the stanford / eastman /gibson level .
Thank you for the feedback!
I can only confirm. I have a Stanford CR30 (hollow) and they are on par with Eastman for half the price. I yet have to try a Gibson (semi)hollow though. Currently looking for a semi.
The Eastman Clearly sounds warmer. The Gibson has too much high.
I have one of the Eastman’s. I picked it up in 2016 for a steal. Only negative thing I have to say is the pots, switch and jacks were crap. I had to have them changed within 15 months. Everything else was and still is great. Would not sell it.
dang bro you play pretty good
Resale has to be a huge factor in this purchase decision for a lot of people. Eastman guitars are fantastic, but they only make sense to me second hand where they sell for half the MSRP. The Gibson may lose 20-30% at most unless it gets damaged
I agree. Grab them on the used market whenever possible. They make great guitars...
East,ans don’t sell at half the price and almost nobody sells them once bought
I did not enjoy the sound of the Eastman unplugged. Overall I thought the Gibson sounded a little darker and the Eastman a little too bright.
If they were the same price I think 99% of people would take the Gibson. But close to half the price the Eastman is certainly worth considering.
I wouldn't buy either unplayed from an internet supplier. I'd need to feel them and hear them in person.
I think if I bought the Eastman a part of me would always wish it was a Gibson. Buy the Gibson and I'd probably have a guitar I'd keep for life.
unplugged the gibson sounded 5x better than that chinese poc. better with pickuos too tho same pickups. noice
So, hmmm, two Eastman’s for the price of one Gibson. Hard choice …
Both guitars did NOT have a big difference in the fatness of the neck pickup and their bridge PU . Why Not ?
A good Les Paul is fatter on the neck PU than either of these .
UNLESS the amp had a steep bass Rolloff.
The 335 had a much fuller unplugged sound .
But I heard little Bass / Low Mids from EITHER GUITAR ON NECK PICKUP.
I like the way you compared these but I think the Amp was set to ' thin '.
Only a fool would pay twice the price for a guitar that is not twice as good as the competition.
Wow! The difference in the tone un plugged was drastic. Gibson took it hands down.
Yes it is quite a difference.
Gibson sounds better IMO.
That Gibson sounds dead acoustically the 486 all day long
Agree, either dry or amplified, the east,an has more character
Totally agree. Not mentioned in the review is the Maple neck on the 486 vs. Mahogany on the Gibson.
Gibson sounds better