Eastman AR503CE, classic truetone gloss finish, made in China 2020. Eastman started in the early 1990s as boutique violin and cello builders out of Beijing. They build guitars by hand using time honoured, labour intensive processes using some incredible timber. This is a slightly slimmed down take on the archtop genre, so it's comfy in the hands and easy to get around on, but still has many of the qualities of a full sized acoustic instrument. The quality of the finish and workmanship is outstanding: Eastman have a reputation for running a workshop that rivals or surpasses many USA makers for luthier skill and consistency in output. The tone on offer is lush and warm, with a generous percussive plonk and vivid articulation. Finding a new example of this model is tricky, and these come up used approximately once in a blue moon, so you've got one shot... the Eastman is a beast, man.

Model: Eastman AR503CE
Made: Beijing, China, 2020 (serial L200265)
Finish: 'classic', truetone gloss
Body: carved spruce top, laminate maple back, 412mm wide, 64mm deep, fully hollow
Neck: maple, ebony board, 12" radius, 25" scale
Weight: 2.425kg
Mods: none
Pickup: Kent Armstrong HPAG-1 humbucker
Case: basic hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has no major marks. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, very minor dimples on the back only. The back has some minor dimples in the bottom corner and some light scuffs near the neck joint. The sides have no major marks. The front has some light scuffs around the bridge and some play wear on the guard and horns. Overall: excellent condition (9/10).

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, intonation is good, action is low, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. The frets have minor wear only, 9/10 for fret life left. Setup with fresh 12/54 Moonshiners strings.