# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > CBOM >  Eastman Octave

## Jared Heddinger

Has anyone gotten any updates on the Eastman Octave regarding supply? The only info I can find is that Elderly has ship date unknown and TMS has an estimate of Fall '17. I know a few people have their hands on one and I'd love to buy one, but I'm just a bit hesitant on putting a deposit down on something that may not be in my hands for 6 months. 

Thanks!

----------


## multidon

I have nothing to add except to say I share your frustration. The arrival date keeps getting pushed farther and farther back. First it was June, then July, now Fall? It really makes you wonder whether Eastman will be able to deliver on their promises. Exactly how many people have placed pre orders, I wonder, for instruments that may or may not exist? Seems to me they introduced them at Winter NAMM to create buzz and excitement, then allowed their dealers to take pre orders, which created more hoopla. Classic marketing hype. All sizzle, no steak. I have to say, this has caused my respect for the Eastman brand to go down even further. And, incidentally, does anyone remember the ill fated flat top octave they came out with years ago? They designed them so they would not fit in any off the shelf standard hard case out there, and they were delivered to dealers with pre- collapsed tops. Dealers (at least reputable ones) sent them all back, and they were never re-designed and were never seen again. So Eastman does not have the greatest track record with octaves. This model, with a solid carved top, is actually coming in at a lower price than the flat top. Indeed, it is in the same price class as the flat top Trinity College. So very ambitious pricing. Too ambitious, perhaps? Is it possible Eastman has bitten off more than it can chew? I remain skeptical, and I absolutely refuse to lay down one red cent deposit so I can be on some kind of "waiting list". If I see one in a store, or see on line that it's in stock and available, just like countless thousands of other musical instruments are sold every day, then I might bite. 

It makes me a bit angry that good folks here have bought into the hype. I guess the prospect of getting a carved top octave for 1/6 the price of a Weber was too much to resist. But by feeding the marketing hype, we all just exacerbate the problem. And all of you on the "waiting list" just sit and wait. Personally, I have better things to do with my time and energy. For instance, writing curmudgeonly posts like this!

----------

ABrown, 

Jared Heddinger, 

MikeEdgerton

----------


## Mandobart

If you want a carved top OM for less than Weber prices there are great luthiers around that will build them.  I have NFI but why bear this kind of hassle/frustration?  Check out Joe Mendel or Tom TJ Jessen just to name two.

----------


## fatt-dad

I'm okay with the wait.  I'm looking forward to getting an octave mandolin too!

f-d

----------


## foldedpath

I've ordered a few high-end custom guitar builds in the past, with waiting times ranging from 8 months to a little over two years. With those orders however, there was an existing track record of quality and I knew what kind of wait I was in for. 

With the Eastman octave, there is no track record to speak of (prototype only, I think?), and moving the delivery targets sounds like they're still getting a handle on production. It's not clear yet whether this is a "real" line of instruments they'll be able to offer in a steady run at this price point, or just knocking off a few to gauge market interest. Which is a long way of saying I can understand people getting a little frustrated at this point. 

I still hope this turns out well, because it would be great to have a more affordable carved archtop OM. And one that actually looks like a mandolin and not a guitar (heh). It might hurt the market for higher-end Weber and independent luthier instruments a little, but it will also expose more people to this particular sound spectrum in an OM. Maybe in the long run it will help expand the archtop OM market for all the builders. But first, this less expensive option needs to actually get out there as a real contender.

----------


## fatt-dad

it's a bit of a, "Dice game!"  (The other term would return the dreaded #!)

I'm hopeful as well and am fine waiting for them to get it right! I trust that they convey their honor of making good products.  I'll let their process play out.

If this is a great thing of a limited run, heck!  We may stand to make HUNDREDS!

f-d

----------


## Jared Heddinger

I guess I would have no issue waiting for them if we had at least SOME indication of the process. Unfortunately Eastman has the high ground here - there a is (presumably) a large market for cheap octaves (compared to high end). 

Here's hoping they can figure something out soon. I've never been disappointed by Eastman in the past and hopefully this doesn't change that.

----------


## allenhopkins

> ...I've never been disappointed by Eastman in the past and hopefully this doesn't change that.


Yeah, I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Most of the mandolins, guitars (both flat-top and arch-top), and banjos they've come up with in the recent past have been decently designed, and good value for the money.  I heard about the fiasco with the flat-top OM's, but all four of the Eastman instruments I own (DGM-1, DGM-2, MDA-615 mandola, MDC-805 mandocello) are quite satisfactory.  There was a tailpiece failure on the mandocello, but Eastman got me a redesigned replacement in fairly short order.

----------

Paul Statman

----------


## eyrawn

I'm quite excited for this instrument but I got to say that I'm quite dissapointed that there is not a single word on release/production status. Eastman doesn't seem to appreciate their own product enough - a little dissapointing as well. Something tells me that Eastman underestimate the demand for a good cheaper octave mandolin like this. These instruments are getting more and more popular. At the NAMM show interview they said that they perceived that this may be something that was just going to "lay around the house" for some occasional "singing and song-Writing" - How utterly wrong they are... at least in my opinion. 

I'm not eager either to be on a waiting list for an instrument like this that's not even been released yet. The price makes this instrument incredibly attractive though...

----------

multidon

----------


## multidon

Yes! +1! Who is doing their market research? If it lives up to expectations, they would be filling a niche that had been empty for a long time. At their price point, the next highest option would be at least quadruple their street price. Have they even considered the Irish trad market? Or artists like Sierra Hull or Sarah Jarosz giving octave mandolins exposure? Or did they even consider the possibility that it could be alternatively strung like a short scale bouzouki? 

Lay around the house? Singing and songwriting?  :Disbelief:  Complete hogwash. Who doesn't use a guitar for that?

The market for these, if they are even able to follow through, would be 1. People who have considered OM but the high cost kept them away 2. People already familiar with OMs, maybe even have a flat top, that want an arch top but thought they couldn't afford one. We could have told them what their market was, if they had asked us. With their flat top OM debacle several years ago, one of their instrument designers actually started a thread here soliciting suggestions for what we would want in an OM. As is usual here, we gave advice freely. And they ignored most of it. Even if they had made it the way we wanted it, they wanted 1000 dollars for an instrument that shipped with a gig bag that was more or less equivalent to a Trinity College that sold for 600 with a hard case at that time. 

Interestingly, this new OM offering was also going to ship with a gig bag. Apparently, from what I can gather, Eastman's big dealers like The Mandolin Store and Elderly told them "Our customers that are calling to pre order are all telling us they want a hard case". I guess they didn't want the headaches they got with the previous flat top, where they couldn't find any hard case that would fit, even aftermarket. So now they may charge an extra 50 dollars and let folks have their hard case. Duh.

----------


## allenhopkins

> ...Interestingly, this new OM offering was also going to ship with a gig bag. Apparently, from what I can gather, Eastman's big dealers like The Mandolin Store and Elderly told them "Our customers that are calling to pre order are all telling us they want a hard case". I guess they didn't want the headaches they got with the previous flat top, where they couldn't find any hard case that would fit, even aftermarket. So now they may charge an extra 50 dollars and let folks have their hard case. Duh.


Interesting indeed, considering that Eastman puts many of its _mandolins_ into the most elaborate, violin-style rectangular cases, with zippered case covers, interior blankets to lay over the instrument, hinged-lid accessory compartments, and outside "sheet music" zipper pockets in the case cover.  My Eastman mandocello came with a extremely sturdy plastic/Fiberglas/whatever hardshell case, as well.

Skinting on the OM case, even if it's a good-quality gig bag, seems nonsensical to me.

----------


## fatt-dad

I have no reason from Elderly that it won't be a hard case.  I had seen internet pages of other retailers suggesting gig bag.  That's a bit of a confusion.

That said, I don't mind a gig bag?

f-d

----------


## foldedpath

> I have no reason from Elderly that it won't be a hard case.  I had seen internet pages of other retailers suggesting gig bag.  That's a bit of a confusion.
> 
> That said, I don't mind a gig bag?


If it were me, I'd pay the extra 50 bucks or whatever for a cheap hardshell case, and just call it peace-of-mind insurance. It adds an extra layer of protection; a higher chance that the instrument won't be damaged in transit. 

Even if a retailer has an ironclad policy for replacement in case of shipping damage (and I mean _replacement_, not repair), there can be problems if the replacement isn't in stock, on a long back-ordered status, or just a small run of instruments. It might be a long wait for a replacement if the instrument arrives damaged. So I'd just pony up for a hardshell case, if it turns out that they're shipping with a gig bag to hold the cost down. And ship the gig bag separately. Just my $.02

----------


## Steve-o

I just received an apologetic email from Elderly saying Eastman has pushed back the expected delivery date to late August - early September.  :Confused:  :Frown:

----------


## Doug Freeman

> I just received an apologetic email from Elderly saying Eastman has pushed back the expected delivery date to late August - early September.


And they expressed very little faith in that date, stating there's no realistic ETA at this point. They've have told me, however, the price includes the hard case.

----------


## fatt-dad

Yes, a touch discouraged. . .

But, we get a hard case!

(if we get it?)

f-d

----------


## multidon

Ok, now more confused. Elderly is now listing it as a "Recent Arrival", but the listing still says "Available for pre order, expected arrival known". In what way is that a recent arrival?

----------


## fatt-dad

today's email said their are 29 incoming, but they will be arriving in little doses.  All with gig bag, apparently the hard case being something of a production issue?

Somebody will be getting one soon, then we'll have a better idea!

f-d

----------


## Doug Freeman

I believe they said they have 29 buyers on the waiting list, two instruments in now, and more trickling in through summer into early fall.

----------


## Kieran

We placed an order for one when it was announced and it just arrived last week!
Very nice instrument and compliments the non-ff hole OM's only usually found in this part of the world.

(Declaring FI - but just to help confirm the MDO-305 is starting to trickle into dealers)

----------


## colorado_al

I have a buddy who received his on Friday here in Boulder, CO. I have yet to check it out, but he's quite pleased with it

----------


## Larry Mossman

Look what arrived in the mail from Elderly instruments...!
Will send a full report later but thought I would post a picture.
They are starting to arrive and make their way out to eager mandolinists.

----------

OneChordTrick

----------


## Seter

That is my favorite color of finish. I'll keep my eyes out for one when they start hitting the used market.

----------


## multidon

Does it actually come with the key to a new car in with the case candy?

----------

Franc Homier Lieu

----------


## trevor

I've had my first delivery and they sound great and are great value for the price.

----------


## soliver

Good to hear they are starting to arrive!... I've been excited to hear the reviews!

----------


## Larry Mossman

I've been messing with the octave.... a really fun instrument to explore. 
First thing I noted was the weight, very light in the body.  Will definitely sit better with a strap.  I was pretty surprised by the size of the body. I'm sure I read measurements but did not give it much thought really until I took it out of the case. Fit and finish are good, nice pieces of wood from what I can tell.  The setup is great from Elderly. Came with GHS PF285 -  44w, 32w, 22w and 12.   

First thing my partner said was that it "sounded like a banjo". I won't  hold this against her.  :Wink:

----------


## Eric Hanson

> Does it actually come with the key to a new car in with the case candy?


Yes. 
It helps the OM to have a hard "driving" sound.
 :Redface: 
So sorry. It just had to be said.  :Wink:

----------


## Larry Mossman

Here's a quick video of my friend Guy Drollinger and I playing a tune tonight...  you can't hear it as well with the fiddle but gives some idea how it holds its own. I am more than pleased and look forward to getting to know the strengths and features of this instrument.  Thanks to Elderly for the good packing and prompt shipping.  Larry

----------

Larry S Sherman, 

Rick Schneider

----------


## Larry Mossman

I have never tried to post a video.... The one above does not appear to work.... Let's try a link.

https://youtu.be/KdIrohva1I4

----------

Clement Barrera-Ng, 

Seter

----------


## foldedpath

Here 'ya go, nice playing and it's great to see an OM available now at this price range!:

----------

Astro, 

Franc Homier Lieu, 

Larry Mossman, 

Rick Schneider

----------


## multidon

Well, another interesting development. The Mandolin Store reports now "hard case is not available". I believe them, Dennis is a straight shooter. But just to review, the retailers for these reported to Eastman that their customers were saying they wanted a hard case. The retailers reported back that they were told customers could have one for an extra 50 dollars or so. And the pre-orders rolled in. A bunch of customers who thought they were going to get to have a hard case, even if they had to psy extra for it. But now, another broken promise. Everyone gets a gig bag, take it or leave it. I thought the wording on TMS's website was very interesting. Not "you can stick it in a tenor banjo case", or anything like that. Just "hard case not available". Obviously, Eastman has not learned from its past mistakes. It's deja vu all over again. They designed a flat top octave mandolin that would not fit into any hard case known to mankind, why not design an archtop the same way? Of course, with the failed flat top, no hard case was just the tip of the iceberg. Let's hope those of you who took the plunge this time don't have any of the problems that one had.

It's just sad. I used to think highly of Eastman. But they obviously don't care about their customers. There was overwhelming demand for a hard case. The customers would have been willing to pay extra for it. It is easy to get a custom hard case made to fit anything. If they cared to go to the trouble they could have done it. But they didn't. I hope everyone is happy with the gig bag, because you will never get the hard case you wanted. Never.

----------


## fatt-dad

I am okay with the gig bag.  I mean if I'm not, there are other options - maybe not an archtop f-hole though?

I think I'll see mine this month?

Really thinking on application!

f-d

----------


## foldedpath

> But now, another broken promise. Everyone gets a gig bag, take it or leave it.
> 
> (snippage)
> 
> It's just sad. I used to think highly of Eastman. But they obviously don't care about their customers. There was overwhelming demand for a hard case. The customers would have been willing to pay extra for it. It is easy to get a custom hard case made to fit anything. If they cared to go to the trouble they could have done it. But they didn't. I hope everyone is happy with the gig bag, because you will never get the hard case you wanted. Never.


I agree that *if* it was just another $50 on the retail price then it was a foolish move. But who knows what else was involved with manufacturing and the added shipping weight? 

If Eastman can hold this price, and (a big one here) you're buying from a retailer with an ironclad guarantee of no-questions-asked with shipping damage, then I don't see a problem with the gig bag. 

With an instrument like this, you're probably going to be buying something else anyway, if you take it out of the house. 

My Weber Yellowstone F OM (see avatar photo at left), bought secondhand, came with a hardshell factory case from Weber. It's literally the heaviest case I've ever seen, for any of my acoustic instruments. It never leaves the house. It will leave the house when I'm dead and gone, in an estate sale, because nobody in their right mind would carry this humongous, overbuilt, heavy thing anywhere. When I take my OM out on a gig, I use a Reunion Blues padded classical guitar gig bag, just to save the weight. That's my way of dealing with it, and I'm sure someone else would make a different choice. 

Anyway, the point is that you can't assume that even a hardshell case is what you'd want. If the instrument arrives A-OK, then you you can decide how you want to schlep it around.

----------


## multidon

Hi foldedpath! Yes you bring up some valid points. The price point is such that, if I decided I wanted one of these, I would be happy to spend the extra bucks to get a hard case. If I could. But there are two different kinds of hard cases. There are ones custom made for the instrument, and there are "off the shelf" generic ones, which are fine. If you need a case for a dreadnought or a Stratocaster, the world is your oyster. But for a niche instrument like an octave mandolin, there is a problem. When Eastman did the ill fated flat top octave it shipped with a gig bag. Now, for a lot of octave mandolins, if they don't come with a custom case, the go to has always been an off the shelf tenor banjo case. They usually fit pretty good. Some makers of OM even deliberately tailor their dimensions so that their instruments fit into a tenor banjo case, that being the closest match out there. But the Eastman flat top octave wouldn't fit into it, or any other off the shelf case for that matter. So, no custom hard case, won't fit into an off the shelf case, you're just stuck with what it came with. Apparently, we have the same situation happening again. I have very seriously considered buying one of these, but no more. The lack of a hard case is a mark against it in my book. But the bigger problem I have is all this preorder nonsense. I can't play it before I buy it because no one has one in stock. You have to buy it sight unseen. And wait for months and months to get one. The Mandolin Store is telling its customers they should be able to fill their pre orders by mid September. These are folks who placed orders in March or April. This just irks me beyond belief. I'm out until I can order one and have it shipped the same day, like pretty much any other instrument made, or walk into Elderly or some other music store and play it to see if I like it. Even if I liked it, the lack of a hard case might still be a non starter for me. I need to have my instruments protected. If it was a matter of just spending extra money, that would be fine with me. Being told what I want doesn't exist, and most likely never will, is a totally different story. So, all you guys and gals who are fine with the gig bag and ordered them, good for you. I, like you, was looking forward to the prospect of owning an instrument like this. But my patience and tolerance will only go so far.

----------


## Chuck Leyda

We played a State Fair gig and had to park nearly a mile away.  I carried a Weber Octave case AND a Weber archtop guitar case the whole way.  In August.  That was my exercise for the year!

----------

Charlieshafer

----------


## allenhopkins

Are we _sure_ that the Eastman OM won't fit into any existing banjo case?  Would it fit a resonator banjo case, but require some extra padding?

My major gigging instruments pretty much live in gig bags, because I take them out so often and I need to sling one or more over my back so I can carry the others in my hands.  But I was able to acquire hardshell cases to fit all of them, when needed.  My Sobell 'dola fits in a slightly modified banjo case; my long-neck resonator banjo is OK in a Gold Tone plectrum banjo case.  And I actually built a couple "coffin"-style cases for oddities like my bowl-back manual.

My dealings with Eastman have been about the reverse of Don's.  When the tailpiece on my 805 mandocello failed, the Eastman rep actually cannibalized an instrument just shipped from China, to send me a replacement -- newly designed to avoid future breakage.  I have been helped by the fact that John Bernunzio here in Rochester works closely with Eastman, helping to design their "Whyte Laydie" clone banjo.  So perhaps I got better service than others may get, I dunno.

But I think we also have to realize that Eastman builds and ships hundreds and thousands of guitars and mandolins to the US, and only a few dozen OM's or mandocelli.  They have to make some business decisions about what to tool up for, and what to contract from suppliers.  I totally agree that they shouldn't promise things they can't, or won't, deliver -- but I'd look at the overall picture, which I see as well-made instruments at reasonable prices.

Just my 2¢.

----------


## Clement Barrera-Ng

> I have never tried to post a video.... The one above does not appear to work.... Let's try a link.
> 
> https://youtu.be/KdIrohva1I4


Really nice sounding, and great playing too. What's the name of the tune BTW? 

Also, it's interesting to see that the fiddle on the table picked up on some of the sound coming from the OM, and started vibrating sympathetically. You can see the clip on tuner registering a D or a G when the chord hits.

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Clement, the name of the tune is Petronella... some debate about it's origin but a fun tune that I learned from folks around here. 

This is the first Eastman instrument that I have owned so I have no experience of them as a company... What Allen says seems to make sense.  I imagine they underestimated the interest in this kind of instrument. There just are not many (any?) entry level, archtop, ff-hole octave mandolins to be had. If the hard case was an issue in slowing down delivery, than I for one am glad they starting getting them out with gig bags. 

I think it is alot of instrument for the money. I feel fortunate to have gotten one of the early ones from Elderly as I heard they had something like 29 pre-orders..!  

If anyone is interested I could try to get up a video of just the octave by itself... 

Best.  Larry

----------

allenhopkins, 

Clement Barrera-Ng, 

Rick Schneider

----------


## Astro

_Re: "If anyone is interested I could try to get up a video of just the octave by itself...

Best. Larry "_

Of course we're interested, Larry !

----------


## Doug Freeman

> I have very seriously considered buying one of these, but no more. The lack of a hard case is a mark against it in my book. But the bigger problem I have is all this preorder nonsense. I can't play it before I buy it because no one has one in stock. You have to buy it sight unseen. And wait for months and months to get one. The Mandolin Store is telling its customers they should be able to fill their pre orders by mid September. These are folks who placed orders in March or April. This just irks me beyond belief.


I for one applaud Eastman for their effort in getting an exciting new product to market at an unbelievably great price, hard case or not. Did they put the cart a little before the horse, and did several prominent retailers rely on their market readiness estimates? Yes. Big deal. It's a zero cost commitment on the part of the folks most eager to get one.

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Astro - sorry it has taken awhile... now, let's see if I can embed a YouTube video...! 

Recorded with a Zoom H4N into my laptop.

................ well, once again I can't seem to figure out how to embed a video. 

so here is a link....  if someone wants to upload it or send me a tutorial that would be swell....  but we certainly don't need it up twice.... argh. 

Larry 

https://youtu.be/OSqaBLIv3fI

----------

Astro

----------


## pheffernan

Go Advanced and enter the video number in the red YouTube icon:

----------

Astro, 

Larry Mossman

----------


## Larry Mossman

thanks for the post Pheffernan..  is it Tony..? 

I tried the route you suggested and both times did not seem to work. 
I am not completely tech challenged but maybe looked in the "preview post" and didn't wait to see the actual post up...oh well..? 
Funny - I also can't find the "edit post" function which I know used to exist ..?  
not trying to derail this discussion with my failings...  so carry on. 

Oh, and please disregard the flub ups in the above clip... maybe I should video record myself more often, it is clear that I'll need to work on extending my fretting fingers more given the longer scale....! 

L

----------


## Freddyfingers

A big thanks for the video reviews!   Does anyone that has played the Eastman have any experience with similar priced OM's, gold tone and trinity make a OM in a similar price range.   I have played the gold tone bouzouki and was not overly impressed, then again it had very dead strings and a poor set up in store

----------


## multidon

Comparing the tone of these to the Gold Tone and Trinity flat tops would be like comparing the tone of an arch top f hole mandolin to a Big Muddy flat top. Whole different ball game. The funny thing to me is, flat tops with oval holes have been the weapon of choice for Irish tradition for some time now. I think that is because the octave mandolin is approached by many as a shorter scale bouzouki, and those have usually been flat tops. The current fascination with archtop f hole instruments seems a lot more recent. Webers were the first I saw like this, astronomical prices of course. I never heard one of the new Eastmans in the wild, but judging by the recordings I've heard, the tone is much more complex and "woody" than the GT or the TC flat tops. More like a big version of a mandolin that one might use for Bluegrass. At least to my ears. So is one "better" than another? Tone is subjective, so it depends on what you're going for. Time will tell as far as whether these are embraced by the Irish trad players. But if you are more into modern eclectic "Americana" "String Band" music, these would probably fit in nicely. TCs and GTs sure are a lot easier to get your hands on, though.

----------

Freddyfingers

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Freddy F... I did own a Trinity College octave mandolin many years ago now. I believe it was a TM 325 although when I look at the current pictures they appear to have changed the design or something as the one I owned had the triangle-shaped sound hole and rosewood back and sides. It had a slight arching to the top so not completely flat.

What I recall about that instrument - it seemed overbuilt to me, really heavy at any rate... it had loads of sustain and not as much note separation so better for chording along... it was"jangly" with less projection. This Eastman has nice clear note separation for playing melody lines but also sounds good playing chords. Of course, not as deep on the low end as a larger bodied instrument - say a guitar body octave mandolin. Or the Trinity College for that matter... they may have a deeper low end. At any rate, I passed it along so no way to compare directly at this point. 

As Don says - the differences that are typical of flat-top oval versus carved ff-hole instruments certainly carry over to the octaves I have owned.

My interest in the OM flows from a love of ITM and than separately from the playing of Tim O'Brien.  I knew I would never have the scratch to purchase my own Nugget GBOM like Tim's.... But that is a whole other can of worms...  :Smile:  

Larry

----------

Freddyfingers

----------


## Freddyfingers

Thanks for the quick replys!

----------


## pheffernan

> I tried the route you suggested and both times did not seem to work. 
> I am not completely tech challenged but maybe looked in the "preview post" and didn't wait to see the actual post up...oh well..? 
> Funny - I also can't find the "edit post" function which I know used to exist ..?  
> not trying to derail this discussion with my failings...  so carry on.


I copy the YouTube web address from my browser, paste it into the red YouTube icon on the Go Advanced page, delete everything up to and including the = sign, hit Preview Post and wait for the embedded video to appear. 

The Edit Post option disappears after a certain amount of time in this forum.

Good luck and thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for your new octave!

Pat

----------


## fatt-dad

I'm at work.  It's at home.

NOMD!  Just have to see it next!

f-d

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Carl, I know you been looking forward to receiving this instrument... give us an update and your impressions tomorrow once you've spent a little time with the OM. It will be fun to compare notes. Larry

----------


## fatt-dad

it's great. . . more to follow after some driving lessons!

Don't like the gig bag!  You cannot remove the shoulder straps, which I'll never use!  Just in the way stuff!

f-d

----------


## multidon

I also hate gig bags with non detachable shoulder straps. What a shame that owners of what is, judging by early reviews, a very good instrument, are saddled with no other case choices. I contacted Dennis of The Mandolin Store, and he told me Eastman has no plans for a hard case in the foreseeable future. He also has been unsuccessful in finding another case that would fit well. He told me the case that come with the Trinity Colkege OM will work, but the fit is "a little sloppy".

----------


## Steve-o

Looking forward to receive my OM soon, notwithstanding the imperfect gig bag.

----------


## Doug Freeman

> I also hate gig bags with non detachable shoulder straps.


 One word: scissors. Done.

----------

fatt-dad

----------


## colorado_al

> One word: scissors. Done.


That's 2 words...

----------


## jswag

Hey Carl,
So, how you liking it?
Are you bringing it out to any Jams here in Richmond?
Would love to hear it!
Let me know!
Thanks!
Jeff

----------


## fatt-dad

> Hey Carl,
> So, how you liking it?
> Are you bringing it out to any Jams here in Richmond?
> Would love to hear it!
> Let me know!
> Thanks!
> Jeff


Hi Jeff,  Sure, it's a blast to have around the house.  I really don't have any experience with an octave mandolin; however.  It arrived set up just fine.  Not sure I want to use my typical mandolin pick?  Maybe need to try different picks. Also, need a new set of strings.

All that aside, it's all I want and really is well made.  It looks simple and cool.  I enjoy the sound too!

So, I see no fatal flaws at all.  We can certainly meet if you want to give it a go.

f-d

----------


## multidon

Hey there fatt-dad, glad you're enjoying it. You say you have no experience with OM. I know you didn't ask for advice, but here is a little bit anyway. It is a different animal from mandolin. I found it easier on mine to approach it more like a guitar. In other words, when playing melodies, instead of angling your fingers like on mandolin, keep them more or less perpendicular to the fretboard. And instead of assigning 2 frets per finger as is the norm on mandolin (index 1-2, middle 3-4, ring 5-6, and pinkie 7), I have found it better to assign each finger to only one fret (index 2, middle 3, ring 4, pinkie 5) while shifting my entire hand to go higher and to hit first fret too. Using that approach you move your hand up and down a lot more than on mandolin to play melodies on the upper frets, and you use your pinkie a LOT more. That said I have heard of people who use regular mandolin fingering technique on an octave, but those are folks with huge hands. Mine are small. There is no "standard" technique, folks just do what works. Just thought I would share what worked for me.

----------

Doug Freeman, 

fatt-dad

----------


## Astro

> Hey there fatt-dad, glad you're enjoying it. You say you have no experience with OM. I know you didn't ask for advice, but here is a little bit anyway. It is a different animal from mandolin. I found it easier on mine to approach it more like a guitar. In other words, when playing melodies, instead of angling your fingers like on mandolin, keep them more or less perpendicular to the fretboard. And instead of assigning 2 frets per finger as is the norm on mandolin (index 1-2, middle 3-4, ring 5-6, and pinkie 7), I have found it better to assign each finger to only one fret (index 2, middle 3, ring 4, pinkie 5) while shifting my entire hand to go higher and to hit first fret too. Using that approach you move your hand up and down a lot more than on mandolin to play melodies on the upper frets, and you use your pinkie a LOT more. That said I have heard of people who use regular mandolin fingering technique on an octave, but those are folks with huge hands. Mine are small. There is no "standard" technique, folks just do what works. Just thought I would share what worked for me.


I agree completely. I got my OM because I thought I'd be able to play a new instrument without relearning the hand positions--not true. 

Transitioning from Mandolin to OM is a little like getting older. You know exactly what to do, you just can't do it anymore.

----------

fatt-dad

----------


## foldedpath

> I agree completely. I got my OM because I thought I'd be able to play a new instrument without relearning the hand positions--not true. 
> 
> Transitioning from Mandolin to OM is a little like getting older. You know exactly what to do, you just can't do it anymore.


Hah! Certainly some truth in that. 

We don't all use guitar fingering though. My hands are large but not huge. I use mandolin-style 2-fret-per-finger on my 22" scale OM, except for the high B note in a fiddle tune, where I do a quick hand slide to reach the B note with my pinky. That's in first position where the big stretches are. It gets easier once you move up the neck, and the frets are closer together. 

I see it as a trade-off. It's easier on my hands if I use one-fret-per-finger like a guitar. But with mandolin fingering, I don't have to mentally re-wire how I finger a tune I know on mandolin. It's also more efficient if I'm not sliding my hand back and forth too much. 

Either way, I'm not able to play as fast on my OM as my mandolin, due to the longer scale and slower response. So I play the slower tunes like marches and metered airs on the OM where I can milk the sustain, and the fast stuff like reels on mandolin. That makes it easier on my left hand. If I only played OM as my primary instrument, I might be using guitar fingering. As it is, I play fewer tunes on it than mandolin, so it's not too rough on my hand.

Anyway, just another approach. There is no standard technique for OM; we're all inventing it as we go along. I know there are some folks who just don't have the hand spread for using mandolin fingering on an OM, but don't assume it's a standard rule to use guitar fingering. Mandolin fingering works for some of us. It's worth at least trying to see if you can manage it.

----------


## CES

Fatt-Dad,

I found that I liked a slightly thinner pick on OM. Used Wegen TF 120 and Bluechip TAD 50 (as opposed to 140 and CT-55 on mandolin). 

My OM was a 22.5 inch Weber Hyalite, and I'll admit the stretch and pinky use was tough, but I bought it thinking naively (and despite all the advice to the contrary here) I'd have a new instrument without having to learn new fingering. It was a rhythm/vocal accompaniment machine, but trying to play melodies on it was frustrating. I've recently acquired a Weber mandocello and am approaching it with a better mind set. I'm using beginner cello books to gradually learn how to read staff for it and gradually build my pinky strength up, and it's going much better so far. That said, when I heard about these Eastman OMs I was curious if I'd be able to use mando fingering on them given the 21.5 inch scale...but, the MC deal became available before I could try one of the Eastmans...

Regardless, enjoy experimenting with picks and learning the OM!

----------


## Whim

Hello guys,
This is my first post on this forum and I am in the pre-instrument portion of my journey. Currently I mostly play Irish fiddle which I got involved in during a break from guitar. My fiddle is an Eastman VL-305 and when I saw an ad for the Octave I thought this is fate and ordered one on a whim. In reality I thought it would be more appropriate for backup when playing Irish ballads with my picking partner. I only placed my order with Elderly in late June so I guess I still have a long wait. I do have a couple of questions that hopefully you can answer. First when Elderly ships the instrument do they give you much advance notice and tracking information. I bought a nice Martin from them a few years ago and FedEx just left the box on my front porch in the middle of January. Fortunately I knew it was coming and made sure I was home and looking for it. I have no idea when this will be shipped and do not want to be away on vacation or something when it arrives. My second question is about a location for a strap button. I read an earlier post that due the light weight of the instrument, use of a strap would be helpful. Will a strap button located on the heel of the neck work or will the longer neck throw off the balance. Thanks in advance for your input and I am sure you will be hearing from me again after I get this thing and try to figure out what to do with it.

----------


## fatt-dad

a woman called my cell phone and confirmed the address for shipment. She confirmed my email and I received an email with fedex tracking.

It just showed up at my door.  Thankfully, my wife was home!

They will call though.

f-d

edited to ask, "What's a good capo for an OM?"  Just a regular shubb guitar capo?

----------


## foldedpath

For a capo, anything that works on a guitar should work, although you may have a little overhang. I use the same Planet Waves NS capo on my guitar and my Weber OM.

----------


## CES

Anything that works for guitar will work. I liked using a Paige because I could just slide it above the nut and never had to worry about losing it...

----------


## fatt-dad

today's update:  I finally got around to putting a strap on it!  I played some Celtic tunes, a few old-time tunes and I gave a go on some Bach.  I attempted mandolin fingering - 2 frets per finger.  Pinky is a problem, but that's the case on mandolin too.  It's just a bigger problem on the OM!

Overall, I'll likely approach with the two-finger-per-fret method.  After all, I'm 6'-5", wear extra-large gloves and overall a skinny dude.  I have some finger-span, even with an unmanageable pinky!

Regarding the tone of this instrument.  I went to a heavy teardrop, which is likely at 1mm or thereabouts.  It's a better fit for sure gliding over the strings!  I'm in the backyard playing away and my audience is in the house.  So, it has some projection!  Then again, I have a heavy hand!

I'm going to have a lot of fun with this instrument!  I'm not even looking for my next OM. . . (yet) - ha!

f-d

----------


## OneChordTrick

I use a Shubb mandolin capo on my OM, works better than my guitar capo. But that may be because the Shubb is a higher quality capo?

Regarding straps. My "starter" OM I tied the strap to the top of the neck, but my Ashbury has a button at the base of the neck. It felt odd for a while but after a few weeks I got used to it

----------


## fatt-dad

. . . and another thing.  What's the J74 of OM-land?

f-d

----------


## OneChordTrick

What's the scale length? For my Ashbury the closest standard set is EJ72, but I'd look at what the manufacturer recommends as a starting point

----------


## foldedpath

> . . . and another thing.  What's the J74 of OM-land?


There isn't a one-size-fits-all equivalent in packaged string sets, because the scale lengths are all over the place with different OM models. The closest to a standard J74 set might be the D'Addario EJ80 phosphor bronze set, which I believe is aimed at somewhere around a 21"-22" scale length. That's what I use on my 22" scale Weber OM. Although, I have to replace the stock .012 E strings with .014 gauge, because the stock E's sounded a bit wimpy. 

If your new Eastman has a 21" scale, like the one currently listed at the Mandolin Store, then EJ80's might be a little too low-tension, but you might try it as a starting point and then adjust from there. I think many of us OM players end up with at least a partial custom set, if not a full custom set of strings that work best on our individual instruments.

----------


## fatt-dad

Okay, the Eastman spec sheet does claim EJ80s.  So, that'll be fine for now.  Should have looked more closely earlier. . .

Thanks for all support!  I think I'm on a fun journey!

f-d

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Carl, thx for the updates... I had a similar question regarding string sets.  The OM came from Elderly with a GHS set - PF285 Regular. It has 44W, 32W, 22W and 12.  I have not looked into or researched any other strings but will be curious to explore that issue. I have a friend with a guitar body OM who strings his, at least partly, in octaves but I know even less about that. So, open to all suggestions and plan to complete a search here as I imagine this has been discussed at length... 

With regards to picks, I'm preferring a softer graphite one which gives it a little warmer sound. 

Larry

----------


## fatt-dad

Oh my!  Another pick material!

Never heard of graphite picks.  the geologist in my is intrigued. . .

f-d

----------


## Narayan Kersak

My 20" scale length Rozawood OM has Mandola strings on it.  They sound fantastic.  Perfect tension for drive.

----------

fatt-dad

----------


## multidon

I use J72 D'Addario light mandola strings. 14-23-34-49. They work great on my short scale, a TC clone. 20 3/8 scale length. The previous owner had a luthier widen the slots a bit for the thicker strings. I tried J80s on it and it sounded horrible. The heavier strings made all the difference. Like night and day. I can't swear to how they would work on the Eastman, though. YMMV.

Some like the set that Weber puts on their short scale OMs, the John Pearse custom octave mandola set (octave mandola being Eurospeak for octave mandolin). Those guages are close to being the same as J72, but not quite.

----------

fatt-dad

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

For those who have it, how does the nut width and string spacing feel?

----------


## fatt-dad

my Elderly setup seems fine.

That said, I have no experience with other octave mandolins, so I'm no real judge!

f-d

----------


## michaelc

> For those who have it, how does the nut width and string spacing feel?



Mine came from The Mandolin Store, and the setup was great right out of the box. Much lighter weight than I expected.   Low action, no buzzes.  Plays like butter. The back of the neck is very slick, almost like a speed neck.   The satin finish seems perfect, and I can't find any flaws.
The nut is a tiny bit wider than the specs I had seen.  I had seen a spec of 1 3/8 nut, but mine is 1 7/16.   The string spacing , to me is just right.   1 3/16 at the nut, and 1 7/8 at the bridge, and the radiused fingerboard feels great.   The scale length by my measurement is 20 7/8, ( distance to the 12th fret x 2).   Very comfortable.   

The only surprise was the body depth, which is 1/2'' shallower at the edge of the body than my friends Weber Gallatin.  The Gallatin seems much more highly arched also.  Still, the Eastman has excellent volume, very nice projection, and quite a lot of sustain.  Personally I think a little deeper body might give it a a little better bottom end, maybe at the expense of the projection and clarity, but I don't know.    IMO it's well worth $699, although the gig bag is pretty flimsy.  I'm on the lookout for a HSC, even if the fit is not perfect.  I also would have paid a little more to have binding on the back of the body.    I would be okay with no binding at all vs. only top binding.  But that's just me.  It didn't keep me from buying.

Overall I'm pleased with mine.  This was my first dealing with Dennis at The Mandolin Store, and he was great.

MC.

----------


## fatt-dad

As seen about today. . .



f-d

----------

Doug Freeman, 

Steve-o

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

Any insider info on when next ones will hit stores?

----------


## Sothoth

Just played one at Sylvan in Santa Cruz.  For some reason they don't have it listed on their website but I'm sure if you call them they'll take good care of you.

https://www.sylvanmusic.com/store/c1..._Products.html

I haven't played an OM before (except a little screwing around) but at that price point I'd totally buy it if I didn't have a custom build already initiated elsewhere.

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

Thanks. I reached out.

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

> Just played one at Sylvan in Santa Cruz.  For some reason they don't have it listed on their website but I'm sure if you call them they'll take good care of you.
> 
> https://www.sylvanmusic.com/store/c1..._Products.html
> 
> I haven't played an OM before (except a little screwing around) but at that price point I'd totally buy it if I didn't have a custom build already initiated elsewhere.


No dice.... they are out of stock and backordered there too...

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

Wow - Just want to offer some thanks to Cafe buddy Sothoth for the assist. I followed up with Sylvan after his post, and the first rep there couldn't find the Eastman Octave and told me they were out of stock until the unknown fall date like everybody else. Then Sothoth called the store to tell them where it was in the store and sure enough they found it. Diamond in the rough! I think I was first on list at Spruce Tree music if anyone is currently looking.

----------


## Sothoth

Glad it worked out.  TBH when you said they were out of stock I was sort of questioning my own sanity and thought maybe I had played a mandola instead of an OM and hadn't been able to tell the difference.  So I was eager to call and verify it was actually an OM just to verify I hadn't gone crazy  :Smile:

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

Another on Ebay from a little store I've never heard of. Buy it now is a little more than stores but free shipping still.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eastman-Octa....c100338.m3726

----------


## multidon

Some red flags there. Listed as "new" condition but seller will not take returns? Maybe they aren't authorized Eastman dealers? It seems funny that a tiny "store" like that would have one when Elderly, The Mandolin Store, and other legit dealers can't.

----------


## Eric Platt

Dietz Brothers is a legit store. It's probably used. Purchased from another store and traded in there. Have never dealt with them, so can't comment on any other part of it. But I've seen their name from time to time over the years.

----------


## multidon

So, Eric, let me get this straight. A "legit" store takes in an instrument on trade in, which makes it used (no matter how pristine its condition), lists it as "new", at a higher price than the authorize dealer gets. Now, it may be true that they never claim to be Eastman dealers, but since they call it new (and they were just introduced this year, how old could it be?), you can see how a trusting soul would think they were getting a truly new instrument, including the factory warranty, especially given the outrageous pricing. Like any other used instrument, it should have at least a 25 percent markdown from street price. I could see myself paying 500 for a used one in excellent condition. Their ad is, in my opinion, deceptive. I suppose they've done their homework and think they can get away with it because of the scarcity. Caveat emptor!

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## Eric Platt

Don,

Don't disagree with what you said. My own preference would have been if they listed it as "new - other". 

Then again, Eastman is located the other side of LA from the store. It is possible they are a dealer. If so, it could be there is a price increase. Or this shop discounts a bit less than others. Or, they are figuring in the cost of shipping in the price. Makes it easier for the buyer as they won't have to wait for an invoice.

Again, I don't know any of this. Playing devil's advocate, if you will.

Plus, if I really wanted one, and right now, this might be on my radar. And while I do want one, am going to wait until the mandolin fund gets built back up.

----------

multidon

----------


## multidon

Yes, interesting that they are so close to Eastman. It does make me wonder how they acquired it.

These are on my radar too but I'm in no hurry. Eventually, production will catch up with demand. Then they will actually be in stores where they can be seen and tried. And sooner or later, there will be used ones on the market. And, if Eastman follows their previoys pattern of behavior, there will probably be substantially reduced B stock examples with minor cosmetic defects. All of this will come to pass if we are just patient. I agree though, that if I just had to have one now for whatever reason, I'd consider it.

I checked out the Dietz Brothers website. They look like they have a very large stock of instruments. Hardly a "little" store. But what I found most unusual is that their website communicates quite extensively about lessons, band instrument rentals, instrument repairs, and so forth, but nothing at all about their inventory or on line sales. It would appear that they go against the current in this regard. Seems their only on line sales are through eBay, currently only five instruments. Very odd in these days of everybody selling online. I guess they must do well with local sales.

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

You guys are jumping to some big/wrong conclusions here... Eastman lists them as a dealer if you do a quick zip code check on their site. They likely have many we're all not aware of that don't do the volume of sales that stores that advertise here do. Doesn't make them any less credible. Their website is pretty old and low tech and likely not capable of e-commerce, as well as hard for them to keep up to date in comparison to just using EBAY and Reverb to manage their online sales. Many local stores without digital marketing-savvy/budget do that. That's a big reason these web platforms exist.

And as for the price, they are just compensating for shipping costs and ebay costs, and possibly less attractive wholesale costs than bigger stores. It's also not so far off where others are selling it, especially given the demand. If I was 29th in line at Elderly and really wanted it, I'd probably spend $26 bucks more. Or just call them directly and try to work it out.

BTW, the one I found was at a pretty small local store just hanging around waiting to be picked up, so it's pretty likely others are out there, or waiting lists are shorter elsewhere (like spruce tree).

----------

Eric Platt, 

fatt-dad, 

multidon

----------


## multidon

Thanks Brad, for confirming they are a dealer. It could easily be confirmed by a phone call whether or not this is truly new with warranty. If it is what it appears to be, it would indeed be worthy of consideration if one were tired of waiting for the big dealers to get them. And kudos to Eastman for making sure their small dealers are getting some stock, too.

----------


## darrylicshon

There is also one on reverb. I want one but just don't have the funds yet, so here is another chance for someone

https://reverb.com/item/6332384-east...ctave-mandolin

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

mandolin store showing in stock now too

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

Got that "out for delivery" excited feeling this morning. Hoping to duck out early from work. 

What do folks suggest for strap on an a-5 style octave? I really like he neotech/neoprene strap on my banjo. Will mandolin version fit (looking to loop under fretboard extension not by nut). Or should i get another banjo strap?

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

So have gotten a little time to play on the Eastman and first impressions are really strong especially after digging into it for 15-20 minutes and getting the new instrument initial break in loosening. Will wait for more formal review when I play it with group tomorrow but it really packs a nice punch and definitely offers the kind of OM sound I was after. Briefly owned a gypsy OM but never bonded with it. Scale was a little shorter and G course didn't ever settle in right for me. I'd say overall it was pretty muddy in comparison to the note separation I think this one is capable of. 

Setup overall feels ok. A little high on G course higher on the neck if I had to complain about anything. I definitely want to change strings soon and see what affects it has and work on action overall at some point. First need to see how much is just related to stretch of longer scale, reminding myself to use guitar fret fingering, etc. 

String set recommendations for those who have?

----------


## Doug Freeman

Just received mine at work from Elderly. Spent a lunch hour with it on a park bench for a test drive and I'm impressed. It exceeds my expectations. I imagined I'd find things about itmaunufactured under the pressure of backorderthat I didn't like. But that didn't happen. It is a beautifully designed and executed instrument. The maple is about as plain wrap as any I've seen on a mando family instrument, but I'd prefer it that way to one that's trying hard to be fancy but just isn't. The spruce top grain is very even and tight. The ebony is dark and consistent. The overall aesthetics are clean, elegant, and sublime. I bought D'Addario EJ-72 light mandola strings guessing I would want more low end out of it, but that exceeds my expectations too. Very balanced response, volume, and tone. I'm a bit unsure of the tunersthey seem a little sticky, but that could just be a matter of some graphite in the bushings or nut slots. Setup out of the box is great. I'm a consummate fiddler/adjuster in that regard, and other than the aforementioned graphite I doubt I'll do a thing to it. I will hit the ebony fretboard and bridge lightly with some lemon oil, however, as they have that parched, newly-manufactuered look and feel. That's about it.

This instrument debuted at NAMM just nine months ago to the day! That Eastman could get them out in quantity in that amount of time is extraordinary in my estimation, and all the noise about over-zealous marketing, sales, backorder, etc. is laughable at this point. True, they didn't come with a hard case as originally thought, but Eastman and the dealers were all clear about that change. Take it or leave it. And the gig bag...will it protect the instrument in an aircraft cargo hold? Sure...if it's placed inside a legit flight case. Will it protect the instrument around the house, or going to and from a local music gathering? Absolutely...with the due care that any decent instrument ought to get in similar circumstances. (I have to say, in 45 years of experience with stringed instruments, I've observed that people who squawk the loudest about cases tend to be the ones who do the least with the instruments they contain. Same with tuning keys, my note above notwithstanding.)

The Eastman MDO-305 is a tremendous value and fills a void in the marketplace that nothing else touches. It's worth having, and waiting for. That's my 2¢.

----------


## multidon

I find it interesting that your maple back is as plain as you've seen, but the picture on Elderly's website shows a nicely flamed example. True, no two are going to be alike, and the website description makes that clear, but based on that picture one might be forgiven for thinking theirs would be figured in a similar fashion.

----------


## Doug Freeman

Correction to my post above: EIGHT months to market, not nine.

----------


## bradinbrooklyn

> Just received mine at work from Elderly. Spent a lunch hour with it on a park bench for a test drive and I'm impressed. It exceeds my expectations. I imagined I'd find things about it—maunufactured under the pressure of backorder—that I didn't like. But that didn't happen. It is a beautifully designed and executed instrument. The maple is about as plain wrap as any I've seen on a mando family instrument, but I'd prefer it that way to one that's trying hard to be fancy but just isn't. The spruce top grain is very even and tight. The ebony is dark and consistent. The overall aesthetics are clean, elegant, and sublime. I bought D'Addario EJ-72 light mandola strings guessing I would want more low end out of it, but that exceeds my expectations too. Very balanced response, volume, and tone. I'm a bit unsure of the tuners—they seem a little sticky, but that could just be a matter of some graphite in the bushings or nut slots. Setup out of the box is great. I'm a consummate fiddler/adjuster in that regard, and other than the aforementioned graphite I doubt I'll do a thing to it. I will hit the ebony fretboard and bridge lightly with some lemon oil, however, as they have that parched, newly-manufactuered look and feel. That's about it.
> 
> This instrument debuted at NAMM just nine months ago to the day! That Eastman could get them out in quantity in that amount of time is extraordinary in my estimation, and all the noise about over-zealous marketing, sales, backorder, etc. is laughable at this point. True, they didn't come with a hard case as originally thought, but Eastman and the dealers were all clear about that change. Take it or leave it. And the gig bag...will it protect the instrument in an aircraft cargo hold? Sure...if it's placed inside a legit flight case. Will it protect the instrument around the house, or going to and from a local music gathering? Absolutely...with the due care that any decent instrument ought to get in similar circumstances. (I have to say, in 45 years of experience with stringed instruments, I've observed that people who squawk the loudest about cases tend to be the ones who do the least with the instruments they contain. Same with tuning keys, my note above notwithstanding.)
> 
> The Eastman MDO-305 is a tremendous value and fills a void in the marketplace that nothing else touches. It's worth having, and waiting for. That's my 2¢.


Nice review, and I agree with you pretty much across the board. Hard to believe they could get this done for $699 as it is. I think you'll be pleased with the j72 swap. I am considering when i get a setup done on it to actually try a set with .052 on the bottom like other 21" scale OMs seem to have. I found the heavier gauge actually seemed to make it easier to play which is kind of counterintuitive. Certainly easier to get better tone out of bottom end with less pinky fretting precision (ie playing low C in open position). But hopfully that will also improve with practice, building strenght and muscle memory. It's not quite like guitar or mandolin.

Re: the tuners, i agree mine are a bit sticky as well and the only place on the instrument where I'd complain a bit. Could be an issue of just tending to them in a setup or they might just be not super good quality tuners. Hasn't been a problem for me as it holds tune really well even after string changes. Since I really like the OM and probably won't have funds for anything much nicer in the near future (and because, gasp) it could just be the last one I buy, I'm considering try a set of the Rubner tuners on it. Big fan of ebony buttons.

My back is a pretty plain jane too. No biggie. I'm with you on good quality simple appointments.

----------


## multidon

If those are the same tuners that they use on all the other 300 series instruments, people have been complaining about them for a long time. It is common to upgrade those, as well as replacing the stamped tail piece with a cast one piece. Both would be worthy upgrades when you get the time, money, and inclination. Getting drop in replacements is unlikely so plugging and drilling will probably be involved. Might be best to live with it until the warranty expires. Unless it's lifetime, of course!

----------


## Doug Freeman

Couldn't help myself, had to do some tweaking. Decided I'd go ahead and try the heavier EJ72 mandola strings. Glad I did, as they add definition and heft throughout the rangeas noticeable on the E strings as on the Gs. Wondered whether it would require a truss rod adjustment but so far the relief, essentially flat to begin with, hasn't budged. Before installing the new strings, I dropped a bit of lightweight oil between the tuner string shafts and bushings and worked them with a manual string winder to loosen them up a bit. Also made sure the post screws weren't putting undue pressure on the pinion gears. With the addition of graphite in the nut slots, the tuners no longer stick as they did on day one. They're cheap-ass tuning keys, never will be great, but they'll do the job. The fit of the bridge base to the top was acceptable but improvable, so with a roller jig I sanded it slightly to better match the top contour. I then lightly rubbed the bridge and fretboard with linseed oil to moisten them up a bit. That's about it. This thing sounds and plays great. It's definitely a challenge and a finger stretcherkind of messes with my memorized classical/baroque fingeringsbut it's fun and helpful to my playing overall. It'll probably sound like an open-back Harmony banjo compared to my neighbor's F5-bodied Gilchrist OM (the price of which could buy 35 Eastmans!) but for my humble needs I doubt I'll upgrade in the OM department any time soon. Totally pleased with this purchase.

 :Mandosmiley:

----------

Paul Statman

----------


## Paulmazz

Does anyone else have a demo of this octave being played. I played one at freshgrass, but couldn't hear it very well due to the crowd. Also, are there any other budget octaves around worth looking into?

----------


## Doug Freeman

Here's a couple:

----------

Al Trujillo, 

Astro, 

chuxster, 

Dave Martin, 

Em Tee, 

Eric Platt, 

fox, 

meow-n-dolin, 

Paul Statman, 

Paulmazz, 

Seamus B

----------


## Eric Platt

For those that have them, do you still like and play it?  Tried out one yesterday. Really trying to decide if I need it, or if I just like the idea of having one. Was able to play a duet with a fiddle player I've known for ages and it seemed to go well. Did take a bit of getting used to the bigger jumps than a mandolin, but not as much as my guitars.  

Still, it's very tempting. Probably will be gone today when I go back to look.

----------


## Hudmister

> For those that have them, do you still like and play it?  Tried out one yesterday. Really trying to decide if I need it, or if I just like the idea of having one. Was able to play a duet with a fiddle player I've known for ages and it seemed to go well. Did take a bit of getting used to the bigger jumps than a mandolin, but not as much as my guitars.


To answer your question, "Yes I have one and I like it a lot.  I have put many hours on my Eastman octave and have become quite used to the larger fret spacing.  I have several nice mandolins but have hardly touched them since getting the octave.  I have experimented with the strings, the D'Addario mandola strings work the best for me. I can play pretty much every tune I know on the mandolin (not all) and the lower octave gives such nice rich tone it is a big hit with my family.  When I first made the purchase, but before it arrived I did have second thoughts about it and thought I may have had another MAS moment.  I now think it is one of the best buys I have made.  The Eastman is a quality, all solid instrument and you will enjoy owning one for sure.

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## allenhopkins

The Eastman octaves seem to be selling well around here (Rochester NY); *Bernunzio has four on his website,* all marked "Sold."

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## Dacraw54

And now Eastman are coming out with a MDA 315 - F5 Mandola...  for sub $1,000 - to compete with the MDA 815?
Pre-order at The Mandolin Store for $799.

----------


## Eric Platt

Thanks for everyone's help and advice in this whole thread. Decided to go for it this morning. Thankfully, the dealer still had it. While I may still do a few adjustments, including maybe heavier strings, it is surprisingly nice.  Nice enough that about 7 hours after I purchased it, was playing it for a tune on stage tonight. Was just one tune, but it went off very well. 

While at the festival today, had a number of my friends play this particular one. Probably could have sold 4 of them by the time we headed home.  Am grateful our local dealer got this one in stock. Going to be fun figuring out where it will fit in my music.

----------


## Eric Platt

First performance with the new Eastman. As in I had purchased it about 7 hours before and had less than one hour of actual playing time. Went off a lot better than expected. Very happy with how it sounds and plays.

https://www.facebook.com/tamara.bake...6437248185270/

----------


## ukrobbiej

Just bought one of these. It is brilliant! I enjoy playing this far more than the Weber Yellowstone I once owned, and far easier to play. Now that Weber have regrettably decided not to make any reasonably priced octaves any more, the Eastman more than makes up the gap in my opinion, and they deserve to fly off the shelf.  I am not impressed with either the tuners of the case, but in every other aspect this is an absolute bargain.

Robbie

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## Pedalvet

I just pulled the trigger and ordered one from Elderly. Anyone find a decent hard case that fits yet?

----------


## Eric Platt

Finally got a set of J72 on mine last night. Yes, it's worth it, IMO. Immediately, my wife noticed there seemed to be more bass coming through. 

For playing ease, I can see why the J80 is standard. As well as a probable cost issue. And it's not like the instrument sounds bad with them on. Just more potential with the heavier strings.

Now to decide on a pick. That's going to be the tough one. Down to about 6 or 7 different candidates.

----------


## Mandolin Cafe

These are flying off the shelves... at times. The four at Bernunzio came in last week and all sold within 48 hours. But interestingly, the one at Elderly has been there five days, no bites yet. The Mandolin Store just posted one at a real low price that had a minor top crack repaired. I'm going to have to pick one of these up eventually. That's way too much fun for the price. Will likely buy the next one that arrives at Mass Street Music since they're less than a mile from Cafe headquarters. They got one in a month or so back but it sold before it hit their web site.

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## Eric Platt

> These are flying off the shelves... at times. The four at Bernunzio came in last week and all sold within 48 hours. But interestingly, the one at Elderly has been there five days, no bites yet. The Mandolin Store just posted one at a real low price that had a minor top crack repaired. I'm going to have to pick one of these up eventually. That's way too much fun for the price. Will likely buy the next one that arrives at Mass Street Music since they're less than a mile from Cafe headquarters. They got one in a month or so back but it sold before it hit their web site.


Yeah, I was surprised mine lasted as long as it did at the festival. Did help that I was able to test drive it before buying and was able to play with a fiddler to see how it worked in that type of setting. Was a classic example of talking myself out of it Friday night, and by Saturday morning was ready to buy.

It's possible the Elderly one has sold, and the website is not updated. Did an order with them Monday and it arrived yesterday, without any heads-up on it being shipped. First time that's happened in over 20 years.

----------


## Mandolin Cafe

> Yeah, I was surprised mine lasted as long as it did at the festival. Did help that I was able to test drive it before buying and was able to play with a fiddler to see how it worked in that type of setting. Was a classic example of talking myself out of it Friday night, and by Saturday morning was ready to buy.
> 
> It's possible the Elderly one has sold, and the website is not updated. Did an order with them Monday and it arrived yesterday, without any heads-up on it being shipped. First time that's happened in over 20 years.


This is not in defense of Elderly, but assuming someone can email you in 2018 and it's a _guarantee_ 1) it arrived, or 2) it arrived and it's not in your spam folder is quite possible. Had a guy screeching at me a few days ago that had a dozen or so ads, said the classifieds didn't work--and then he finally did look in his spam folder after I told him twice, and there they were. No apology or nothing.

But the first thing we all do is point the finger at who we think should be responsible when often it's an issue on our own end as users.

A week doesn't go by that we're not working on issues we see arising with overly aggressive external email services that think they have all this figured out. They clearly do not. Bottom line is if you are not checking your spam folder once a day there's a pretty good chance mail is arriving right into your inbox and being missed.

----------

DougC, 

Paul Statman

----------


## Eric Platt

> This is not in defense of Elderly, but assuming someone can email you in 2018 and it's a _guarantee_ 1) it arrived, or 2) it arrived and it's not in your spam folder is quite possible. Had a guy screeching at me a few days ago that had a dozen or so ads, said the classifieds didn't work--and then he finally did look in his spam folder after I told him twice, and there they were. No apology or nothing.
> 
> But the first thing we all do is point the finger at who we think should be responsible when often it's an issue on our own end as users.
> 
> A week doesn't go by that we're not working on issues we see arising with overly aggressive external email services that think they have all this figured out. They clearly do not. Bottom line is if you are not checking your spam folder once a day there's a pretty good chance mail is arriving right into your inbox and being missed.


Totally agree. Usually it's in the spam folder. My guess in this case is they were short staffed & just didn't have the time. In the end, no harm happened. Probably shouldn't have mentioned it. Just out of the ordinary for them. They are still my default seller if I can't get it locally.

And to follow up, had more compliments of the Eastman at the old time jam this morning. And another person noticed the fuller bass with the new strings. Still in my honeymoon period with this instrument. Hope this feeling lasts.

----------


## jtv

> The Mandolin Store just posted one at a real low price that had a minor top crack repaired.


Saw that one. I'm not sure why I decided to click around and see it since I had convinced myself that I was going to wait to pick up an octave until I got more passable at the regular mandolin and mandocello. Here's hoping it sells before I give in to my weakness for shiny new instruments.

----------


## Steve-o

I've hesitated giving my opinion on the new Eastman Octaves, but believe it's only fair to give buyers a variety of opinions. My advice is to try to play one and compare it to other OMs before buying. I ordered an Eastman OM last year and waited many months for it to arrive. When I finally received it, I played it for 30 minutes and was frankly disappointed at how thin and quiet sounding it was, especially compared to my Petersen oval hole OM. I slept on it and tried again the next day. Same result. I played it in my bathroom to see if it was just the f-holes projecting the sound away from the player. Same conclusion. So I returned it.

Those of you who bought Eastman OMs and love them - I'm happy for you. But despite my happiness with Eastman mandolins, the OM to me was a dud. (Caveat - I did not try heavier strings). You hear it all the time and it's true - try before you buy.

----------

Astro, 

Eric Platt, 

fox

----------


## Eric Platt

Steve,
Agreed that it's best to try before you buy. And I may have been lucky. Not only did I get a chance to try it out, but did so with another musician to see how it sounded. Full disclosure - did have one fiddler tell me it sounded quiet. So what works for some doesn't mean it will work for all.
If I didn't have the opportunity to try it out, might never have purchased one. In this case, glad I did.

----------

Astro

----------


## multidon

Post removed.

----------


## Pete Braccio

I like the sound of the one I received (after an 8 month wait). I did immediately put on a set of thicker G strings though to increase the low end. It really sings with J72s.

The tuners do suck though. I replaced them with a pair of Rubners. Tuning is much better now.  :Smile:

----------


## Doug Freeman

> The tuners do suck though. I replaced them with a pair of Rubners. Tuning is much better now.


Was thinking about the Rubners too. Which set did you choose, and did they drop right in? All screw holes line up? Thanks.

----------


## Wandering Aengus

> Was thinking about the Rubners too. Which set did you choose, and did they drop right in? All screw holes line up? Thanks.


Hi, I see you never got a response to your question. Were you able to find a set of Rubners that fit without modifications? Thanks.

----------


## Eric Platt

> Hi, I see you never got a response to your question. Were you able to find a set of Rubners that fit without modifications? Thanks.


I put the silver with pearl buttons on mine. They dropped right in without any modification. Pretty sure the holes lined up.

One thing though - the tuner button shafts are slightly shorter than the stock tuners. No problems with contact with the headstock. But wanted to point it out in case someone doesn't like the look as much.

----------

Wandering Aengus

----------


## Doug Freeman

> Hi, I see you never got a response to your question. Were you able to find a set of Rubners that fit without modifications? Thanks.


I ended up selling the Eastman octave in favor of a boutique build. Great instrument, though! Had I kept it I likely would've gone with the Rubners. I don't recall the source but was able to confirm they dropped right in without modification. Rubner's customer service rep confirmed that too.

----------

Wandering Aengus

----------


## colorado_al

> I ended up selling the Eastman octave in favor of a boutique build. Great instrument, though! Had I kept it I likely would've gone with the Rubners. I don't recall the source but was able to confirm they dropped right in without modification. Rubner's customer service rep confirmed that too.


The tuner posts will line up but the screw holes most likely will not. Very easy to plug the old screw holes and drill pilot holes for the new ones.

----------


## Jake Biddix

For those using J72 strings, how did you use them on the A string courses?  The J72s I bought from Amazon for Mandola were not close to being long enough on the A strings.  Could you provide a link to where you bought them?  I was able to get all the others on the OM, just not the A strings.

----------


## Doug Freeman

I bought the EJ-72s through Amazon in September 2017. Don't recall any trouble with the strings being long enough. Might've been on the cusp, but they certainly worked out great.

----------


## Jake Biddix

Doug,
The ones they sell as EJ72 currently are not long enough for the A course I believe.  The back of the packaging notes that they are for a scale length of 15.875".  It just wasn't enough for the A course in the pack I bought about a week ago.

----------


## Jake Biddix

Follow up, Amazon sent me the wrong strings.  J72s came in today and they sound fantastic.   Highly recommended!  Thanks for all the info and suggestions!

----------

Eric Platt

----------


## Geoff Barber

I know that I am late to the party but I just bought my Eastman MDO305 octave mandolin today and am absolutely amazed with the quality and sound for under AUD$1000. The scale length is longer than I am used to (21 inch vs my current 17 inch) but my fingers compensated quite readily, aided by playing more open strings. 
Things that have impressed me:
1. Made from solid wood - spruce top, maple sides, ebony fingerboard.
2. Came out of the box perfectly set up. Plays like butter as one poster said. Intonation down the neck is spot on. It also holds it's tuning well.
3. The sound is wonderful. The instrument has volume, projection and presence. I played it for a couple of hours today - hard to put down.
4. The instrument is comfortable to hold. The neck is not heavy as I have noticed in some Trinity mandolas.

If I was to look for some negatives I would agree that the tuners are a bit sticky (might need some oil?) and I really need a clear pickguard to stop my fingernail scratching it when I tremelo. But both of these issues I will hand over to my luthier when I see him next. 

I have to congratulate Eastman on this - very impressed. Thank you.

----------


## mojocaster



----------

Astro, 

Chuck Leyda, 

Mandobart, 

meow-n-dolin

----------


## cayuga red

Very, very, very nice! 
Thanks for posting.

----------

mojocaster

----------


## mojocaster

Thanks a bunch!

----------


## Sheryl McDonald

> 


Very nice.  Is this what I should expect for an Eastman OM's sound?   If yes, I might have to think seriously about getting one.

----------


## mojocaster

This is the sound with the original strings, using a 1.5mm pick and recorded by an iPhone. No treatment other than whatever Youtube may do in terms of compression when you upload. So yeah, it's pretty close to what it sounds like in person, all things considered.

----------

Sheryl McDonald

----------


## kkeesy

Really glad to see so many fans of this OM.I ordered one from the Mandolin Store,arriving today.

----------


## Mandobart

> Thanks a bunch!


Gotta love John Prine!  Good job, I like your interpretation of it!

----------

mojocaster

----------


## mojocaster

I really appreciate that! John Prine is a hero of mine, for sure. So I'm always concerned about covering one of this songs. It would hurt my feelings to screw it up too badly  :Wink:

----------

