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Eastman AR-803-15CE
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Serial#: 2762
Body size at lower bout: 15" Body Depth: 2 3/4" Scale length: 25" Nut: 1 3/4"
Materials: Solid bookmatched handcarved fine grain spruce top; handcarved AAA tiger flame handcarved maple back and sides with Venetian cutaway; 3 piece tiger flame maple neck; solid ebony fingerboard; ebony truss rod cover; 7-ply body binding; 5-ply neck and peghead binding; triple bound f-holes; solid bone nut.
Hardware: Solid ebony tailpiece and finger rest; gold sealed tuners with ebony keys; compensated adjustable ebony bridge; Armstrong PAF humbucking pickup; volume and tone controls; endpin jack.
Notes: All solid. All carved. Hand built, one at a time, with remarkable high-figure tonewoods. Eastman archtop guitars are individually crafted by violin-trained luthiers, without shortcuts, the old-fashioned way. And they share the appointments of the costliest high-end guitars. Solid ebony finger rest, tailpiece and fingerboard like a Benedetto. An X-braced top and 1 3/4" nut, like a Johnny Smith. Even triple bound f-holes, like the Super 400. All at a price point previously dominated by factory plywood boxes.
Lighter and more comfortable to hold, and more convenient for travel, smaller bodied archtops have become increasing popular in recent years. However, few builders have risen to the challenge of crafting more compact instruments with all solid, all carved tonewoods. When we found a stash of this now-discontinued model, we grabbed them, and they've been a big hit with our gigging customers ever since.
With its extravagantly figured AAA tiger maple body, and solid, quartersawn, fine grained spruce soundboard, this guitar is a strikingly handsome example of Eastman's finest tonewoods. Bookmatched in a dramatic chevron pattern along the centerseam, the back is illuminated with intense 3D flame from rim to rim. And at barely 5lb, the instrument is astoundingly light in weight and well balanced: a delight to hold for the longest gig. The soundboard is finely carved and produces a remarkably lively acoustic voice, ably transmitted to the amp by the Armstrong PAF with warmth and clarity. The gentle D neck profile is comfortably tailored to the palm: not too skinny, not too big, with smooth low action over a fresh high precision setup. Finally, the Eastman contour molded plush lined fiberglass case is highly impact resistant, yet little heavier that many gig bags.
With a combination of workmanship, materials and design unheard of in its price range, Eastman has raised the bar for quality, performance and value in a true handcarved jazz guitar. This is the last of these maple stunners: new old stock with full factory warranty. Grab it while you can: just one left, and an unbeatable value. Call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Original Eastman silver grey contour molded plush lined fiberglass hardshell case.
