Eastman vs Kentucky

  1. BadExampleMan
    BadExampleMan
    Due to circumstances beyond my control I have found myself unexpectedly spending several weeks far from home without any of my instruments. And I was going nuts from not playing so on impulse I bought an Eastman MD315. I’ve had my eye on the Eastman line for a long time because I think that dark finish is just so beautiful.

    I have to say, it’s a very different instrument than the Kentucky KM252 I have at home. Despite having a very dark finish, it has a really really bright tone <g>. But what surprised me is it just doesn’t feel as solid as my Kentucky. It’s quite a bit lighter weight and that, along with the slimmer neck, makes it feel almost toylike when I hold it. That said, the tuning pegs feel much more solid and they turn more smoothly than the mechanism on the Kentucky.

    What I really want is to get back home so I can put matching strings on both and play then side-by-side.
  2. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    Sounds like a fun and worthwhile project
  3. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    I bet that what you will find is that there may be a winner between the two, but there won't be a loser. And the winner may well change from one tune to the next. Happy NMD!
  4. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    I had a KM-272 (oval hole) for a while and was amazed at the quality for the price. Nice sound and the fit and finish were just about perfect.

    You may want to try a few different sets of strings on both the Eastman and the Kentucky to emphasize their inherent differences.
  5. NDO
    NDO
    That’s awesome. Great excuse for some MAS/NMD action!
  6. BadExampleMan
    BadExampleMan
    So, NMD part two! I’ve been wanting an octave for a long time but they’ve been really hard to find. (What I really really want is the Eastman octave, same beautiful finish as the MD315, but they sold out their entire stock early in the pandemic and as I understand it they aren’t making any more this year, concentrating their production on the better selling mandolin.)

    However, I just happen to be in Nashville for a day and happened to drive past Gruhn’s music store. And they only had one octave in stock - a $13K antique, well no thank you, but they suggested I try a couple of other places. Long story short I had that Eastman for almost exactly 24 hours and traded it away for this, the Gold Tone octave. Spruce top, mahogany back, sides, and fretboard. Really nice and mellow sound. Also has an internal pickup and came with the hard case included.



    So that’s a thing that happened.
  7. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Wahoo! You are well and truly off to the races now.
  8. NDO
    NDO
    What a great trip!
  9. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    What has me scratching my head is that you traded it vs. just bring home two
    What about the matching string face off?

    Just kidding, that looks way cool, and it will be something very different to play with.

    With my mandolin, my mandola, and my Octofone (octave), I've discovered that they are much more different from one another to play than I thought they would be.

    Each one is a new adventure. Have fun!
  10. BadExampleMan
    BadExampleMan
    It’s a valid point, Sue, but getting the instruments home involves international air travel and there’s only so much a person can carry! There’s also a limit to how big a balance my credit card can carry!
  11. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    I thought mandolin purchases don't count against the credit limit.
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