Eastman T145SMD

China handmade construction
Solid wood top, back, and sides - no laminates
Hollow Body Single cutaway, hollow body with parallel bracing, one built in humbucking pickup with 1 tone and 1 volume control, tuneable archtop bridge & ebony archtop tailpiece. Optional 2 pickups, 4 knobs control setting
-15" Spruce Top
-Maple Back and Sides
Artisan quality finish

UTILIZATION

The guitar is very easy to set up and play. Fret access in the higher frets is decent - it's a single cutaway jazz box, so the upper fret access isn't fantastic, but it is still playable up there. The fretwork itself is great. Fit and finish are second to none - this instrument looks like an instrument costing 4 times the price - it is absolutely a great guitar. The "made in China" label may deter people, but the luthiers that built this are very talented, and did an incredible job here.

SOUNDS

Tone in this thing is incredible, both acoustically, and plugged in. It is a perfect jazz box tone, and can nail rockabilly and blues styles also, as well as fingerstyle country, ala Chet Atkins. The 15 inch box isn't terribly loud acoustically, but the advantages to that are added comfort on the leg and standing up, as well as having a smaller footprint for storage purposes. The version I'm playing has 2 pickups, and the tone controls are pretty standard, and the pickups are warm, thick, creamy, and offer a lot of definition for complex chordings, intricate harmonics, and quick single note lines.

OVERALL OPINION

I'll give this guitar a 10 for the price point. This is an absolutely perfect choice for anyone looking for a guitar they can take to a smoky jazz gig to jam on some standards, or just to sit down on the couch and compose with. This absolutely nails the tone, vibe, and playability for the styles of Wes Montgomery, Lenny Breau, Barney Kessel, and other giants. Very recommended.