Re: Eastman 515V vs Collings MT
I read this thread before the blind test, so I went in knowing which was which. To my ears, you have two very nice sounding mandolins! Your Eastman proves (once again) that they are not just another import brand. Very nice tone with a clear, crisp attack on each note. This would be a great mandolin in a loud setting where you need that extra bit of 'cut' to get through. The Collings sounds a little richer to me, and delivers over the length of the note. There is a really colorful resolving chord near the end of the phrase around the minute mark on each recording that best illuminates what Collings does best. The blend of the notes in the chord are so sweet.
At my house, I choose my MT over others precisely for that sweet sound. I also prefer the feel, which is a combination of neck shape, good setup and incredibly light feeling in the hands. Your experience and ears may suggest otherwise, but like I said before, both sound very, very good!
“Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher ‘standard of living’ is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free.” -- Aldo Leopold
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