Impressions compared to Gold Tone or Trinity College?
Impressions compared to Gold Tone or Trinity College?
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I used to own a 305 and have played a Gold Tone. The GT sound was much fuller, due to the significantly larger body. Scale length is quite different; 21" on the 305 vs 22.5" on the GT.
Have you played any of them?
It seems like the Eastmans have a better reputation on this forum from what research I did prior to buying a Gold Tone OM-800+. I'm happy with mine though, but I am pretty damn new to this.
It's okay, you can always buy another one. Its encouraged around here.
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Have had a MDO305 since not long after they came out. Have compared to the Trinity, and I like the quality of the Eastman better. Now, sound - the TC has a bit fuller sound, but it seemed to me it didn't cut through as well.
Have played mine in a few jams with other OMs or zouks and mine can always be heard. Whether that's a good thing or not is something different.
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My first mandolin was/is an Eastman MDO305, bought through the MC classifieds about a year and a half ago. I took it in for a setup and fresh strings (D’Addario EJ72 mandola set) and I’ve been happy with it. I play mostly fiddle tunes, old time and folk. As noted above, the body is rather small for an OM, yielding a tone sometimes described as “nasal” but I feel that it works very well when there’s a guitar or two playing. They handle the bottom end and the MDO305 timbre is heard well without stomping on aural toes. The 21” scale is comfortable and when I do graduate to a more better OM I’ll be looking at 20”-22” scales. I have played (briefly) a Gold Tone but not yet a Trinity College and I’m not terribly fussy so I have little to offer WRT comparisons.
HTH
A couple years in, now, and still learning!
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I had an Eastman MDO305 for about a year. Playability and feel were great. As stated, It has a thinner nasally quality that does cut through. I needed something a bit fuller sounding so I picked up a Weber. If Eastman had made the body a bit larger and deeper, they would have a total hit. But, they hampered it by using a mandola size body. Played great and had good pop with J72 strings, but for solo work, it's just doesn't have the largeness in sound that I needed.
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I have an MDO305. I agree that it has excellent playability (also using J72 strings) and a - pleasing to me - somewhat nasal quality. Yes, the body could/should be a bit larger/deeper. But I bought mine with a K&K Mandolin Twin pickup system pre-installed, and it sounds glorious through a good acoustic guitar amplifier. Still want a Weber Yellowstone, though!
I had one TC but a few GTs & an MDO305 among other Eastmans & I thought Eastman was the better brand within my sample. I didn’t like the MDO305’s lack of low end though I do think a pickup could help immensely.
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