Hey, has anyone ever heard and or played an Eastman E40D acoustic guitar? I'm thinking of getting one, but no music stores in this town has one, so it's a risk just ordering one without being able to try it out myself. They kind of look like a Martin D42, but does it sound like one? I have only had you tube videos to go by. I hope this is the appropriate place to start this thread.....
Eastman Acoustic Guitars
- Thread starter Gemini
- Start date
Yeah, I thought about talking to Artie, but I dread hearing his pontificating, and I'm pretty sure he would have a lot to say if he knew i'm thinking about selling the Eastman E10D that I bought there, plus the Taylor that i also bought there.... That's why I haven't talked to him yet. He probably wouldn't want to take those guitars as partial payment. He always wants cash. Anyway, who is Pete R, and what is FGN?
Oh, I just figured out who Pete R is... I thought if anyone on this site has experience with the E40D, they might respond here....
PeteR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2024
- Messages
- 297
- Reaction score
- 938
sadly not
I am the crazy FGN-Fanboy from Germany,
Meeting with the FujiGen Founder Family [ FGN (FujiGen) Guitars Information Thread ]
Shoji Yokouchi (the eldest son of the FujiGen founder) and his family made a trip across Europe - and we've met last year (June 2023) in Würzburg (Bavaria) which is close to where I live. We had been in contact for some time on facebook, he's a contributing member of my FGN (FujiGen) Guitar...
forum.geartalk.com
GrandmaShreds
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2024
- Messages
- 233
- Reaction score
- 579
What is the reason you want an E40D? Eastman tends to have a more "modern" tone and won't really resemble a "Martin". If you want something similar, try a Recording King RD-342. They are built like pre-war Martins at a really decent price. I have not played an Eastman E40D, but I own a Recording King RD-318 (pre-war D-18 clone) and I had a guy at my local guitar shop tell me that a Martin HD-35 doesn't even come close to my RK, meaning my RD-318 is way more resonant and punchy than a guitar that costs 4x as much. I'm just suggesting this because maybe you would regret selling your E10D and Taylor.
Recording King RD-342
Recording King RD-342
Last edited:
I really appreciate your message... Well, after looking at the prices of even used Martins, I realized it is totally out of my reach now, unless I win the lottery or find a part time job, which I've been looking for. I'm retired, and I might be considered too old, even though nobody believes me when I tell them my age. I have listened to many videos demo-ing the E40D, and I've read a ton of reviews from people who bought one. I have not seen any negative reviews at all. I have also heard some comparisons between Eastmans and Martins. The Eastmans do not sound like a Martin, but they do sound REALLY good. I have heard some good things about Recording King guitars, too, but no music stores around here have any. The Eastman build quality is impeccable, and I have seen them in person, so I feel more confident in their reliability. I just bought the Eastman E10D, thinking I would really like a D18e style guitar, but I found out after playing it for a while, that I really prefer the sound of Rosewood. There's a music store seller on Reverb who has given me a $500 discount offer on a brand new E40D, and a guy is coming over tomorrow to look at my E10D. If all goes well and he buys it, I may not have to sell my Taylor... Boy, this is turning into a book! 
Anyway, thanks again. I'm going to check out that Recording King RD-342!
Anyway, thanks again. I'm going to check out that Recording King RD-342!
GrandmaShreds
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2024
- Messages
- 233
- Reaction score
- 579
I can vouch for the quality of Recording King since I have owned my RD-318 for a while now, and they are built like tanks. The fit and finish is flawless and the set up when I got mine was perfect. I don't think you would at all be disappointed in the Recording King. They are on par with guitars that cost 4x as much. They also make the RD-328 which is essentially the same guitar as the RD-342 just without the abalone rosette and the binding along the neck, etc. It's a Rosewood/Adirondack dread and there seem to be more reviews and tone samples for it as compared to the RD-342, but as I stated, they are the same guitar. The only big difference is the nut width. The RD-328 has a 1 11/16 nut and the RD-342 has a 1 3/4 nut respectively.I really appreciate your message... Well, after looking at the prices of even used Martins, I realized it is totally out of my reach now, unless I win the lottery or find a part time job, which I've been looking for. I'm retired, and I might be considered too old, even though nobody believes me when I tell them my age. I have listened to many videos demo-ing the E40D, and I've read a ton of reviews from people who bought one. I have not seen any negative reviews at all. I have also heard some comparisons between Eastmans and Martins. The Eastmans do not sound like a Martin, but they do sound REALLY good. I have heard some good things about Recording King guitars, too, but no music stores around here have any. The Eastman build quality is impeccable, and I have seen them in person, so I feel more confident in their reliability. I just bought the Eastman E10D, thinking I would really like a D18e style guitar, but I found out after playing it for a while, that I really prefer the sound of Rosewood. There's a music store seller on Reverb who has given me a $500 discount offer on a brand new E40D, and a guy is coming over tomorrow to look at my E10D. If all goes well and he buys it, I may not have to sell my Taylor... Boy, this is turning into a book!
Here is JP Cormier comparing the Martin D-28 and the RK RD-328