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Thread: Does anyone own one of the Eastman varnish finish mandolins?

  1. #26

    Default Re: Does anyone own one of the Eastman varnish finish mandolins?

    Dan,
    Regular 515s show up from time to time in the classifieds for <$1000. If you're patient a 515v may come along. https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/search[/URL]

    "Good tone"- they are a loud, full sounding instrument but they don't have the traditional bluegrass voice some are seeking. Of course it won't have the the subtle nuances of a $7000 instrument.

    A varnish finish is going to be softer (thus less durable) and have a mellower tone in general. It's more labor and time intensive to apply, thus a higher cost.

    "Space age finish" I'm guessing is referring to the catalyzed finish that has migrated over from Bourgeois to Eastman guitars since the merger. I don't know if that finish is now applied to Eastman mandolins as well. I have that finish on my Bourgeois D Vintage dread and there is no sacrifice in tone there. The catalyzed finishes get hard in days instead of years and are way more durable than nitro or varnish. The Eastman 515 is already a loud instrument with a strong attack so I can see how the varnish finish might be complimentary.

  2. #27

    Default Re: Does anyone own one of the Eastman varnish finish mandolins?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan in NH View Post
    Man, the 815/v, that’s a nice one. And not really THAT much more money that the 515/v.
    I've heard terrific music made on MD5xx series from Eastman. Heck, I've seen a video of some guy playing a GoldTone that sounds as good or better than many folks (myself included) plinking away on more expensive instruments.

    You really want to play as many mandolins as you can, and hear others (preferably experienced, playing a style you are working on) play them, to really get a sense of what they sound like in capable hands as well as under your ears. The reality is that a lot of the sound (ok, I think *most*) is in the hands of the player, once you get past the pressed cardboard clunker stage. Yes, there are subtle differences, but "players" have a sound in their head and they'll get it out of just about anything you put in their hands. True, there's more variance in mandolins, as a class, than say trumpets, perhaps, but listen to Tone Poets, and you can get a glimpse of how much the person holding the instrument matters, vs. the piece of wood itself. Or pick an artist that has migrated through a few different instruments and see if you can pick out differences. I know I can't. I'm not saying one instrument or another doesn't feel different or make some things easier, or is simply inspirational, but it's not that piece of gear, alone, that makes the listener perk up their ears. My $.02.
    2018 Kentucky KM-950, 2017 Ellis A5 Deluxe

  3. #28
    Registered User Bren's Avatar
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    Default Re: Does anyone own one of the Eastman varnish finish mandolins?

    In the UK, an 815v is now about US$1000 more than a 515v so it is quite a difference here.
    Bear in mind that I was buying an untried instrument during lockdown and had enough spare cash, so I wanted to get the best I could afford.

    The V-shaped neck was a challenge for me but i've been getting the hang of it.
    Bren

  4. #29
    Registered User Doug Brock's Avatar
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    Mar 2010
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    Default Re: Does anyone own one of the Eastman varnish finish mandolins?

    A couple of years ago I went on a road trip from Kansas City to a couple of music stores in southern Missouri where some nice mandolins were in stock. I played some nice Collings, Gibson, Eastman, and others, up to about $10k, but the one mandolin that stood out that day was an Eastman MD815V for just under $2k. I had reservations about the red-ish color and the relic-ing, but it sounded so full and strong! It was significantly better than non-varnish Eastmans I played, and really it held its own with ALL the mandolins I played that day. I wish I had just gone ahead and bought it, lol. I don’t really need another mandolin now, but if a decent deal for an MD815V comes up on the used market one of these days, I’ll be very tempted!
    Doug Brock
    2018 Kimble 2 point (#259), Eastman MD315, Eastman MDA315, some guitars, banjos, and fiddles

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