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Yep, I don’t like under saddle pickups either. There are are a lot of emperors without clothes plugging in acoustic guitars with under saddle pickups in my opinion. Re the loose saddle here, I have a snug fitting bone saddle in this guitar now and I think it sounds better.

It turned out the Wilkinson bridge radius was not right. Maybe that’s why the guy sold it to me? I left this guitar with my luthier friend and he has put in a lightweight aluminium wraparound bridge and fixed it up for me. I still have to pick it up.

Thanks for your comment. I would like a mahogany version of this great axe too! I just took the Yammy to an Irish session and it was great. Loud and lots of bottom end. Though I would go for an LS I think if I was to get another. Just for variety. I will check if these are still for sale here on Australia. They are a steal for the price considering the rock solid quality, solid woods and the ebony fretboard. They are beasts.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel I may try to find an LS myself. The prices have gone up a lot since I bought my two some years ago. In fact, they are around twice the price these days. I'm in the UK. They do have real power for harder strumming. I have other acoustics of the same or perhaps even better quality, but these get played much more. I once owned a 2012 Martin D-18. That is my benchmark for all other guitars. Some say that these LL and LS series are overbuilt. Personally, I think that's a good thing. Less likely to have problems with the tops bulging etc.

Thanks for your comment. I am keeping an eye out for an LS16 with mahogany. I'd like to try that smaller body with the mahogany.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel Those are really nice. I'd like one too.

Thanks for your comment. I am a fan of Recording King for street guitar also. The latest Sigmas by the German company are pretty good too but they are only related to the old Korean and Japanese ones by the name on the headstock.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel It's a good point, but wherever that name goes, so far, so good.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel Here in the UK, I’ve seen a Sigma D45. Looks gorgeous but the back and sides is Tilla wood. That has to be some kind of cheap laminate. The top is solid spruce. It’s one of the newer German ones but of course, made in China. The newer Sigmas have a different style Sigma branding on the headstock.

Thanks for your comment. I recently got a series 7 dreadnought and checking the specs online, it says it is laminated top. The 9 series is identical construction but with solid spruce top. The 7 series has the white edging on the soundhole which prevents checking.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel it clearly states on the Recording King website that the tops on series 7 guitars is spruce both in the descriptions and specs.

However it does not say “solid” spruce on the series 7. But I can clearly see book matched top on mine and it sounds pretty good if not a bit thin tone-wise.

@@danleyrold45 hi mate, I think you will find they still book match the top spruce layer on the laminated top.

It’s a laminated top.

I 💯 believe a Blueridge could sound better than a Taylor ☝️👍 And the Blueridge does a more Martin thing so they are also different.

Wow, that bluegrass b variant would be a rare one! My main guitar for acoustic sessions is the e10d with the Adirondack. My Yamaha LL16 is also powerful enough and puts out a lovely low end in a loud session.

Hi Mike, do you mean the nut, bolt and washers I used to attach the speaker to the baffle?

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel Yes, that is what I meant. BUT, it was enough that you mention the simplicity of carriage bolts. So my little speaker I'm DIY-ing a cab around will need a very slight modification to get the 1/4" bolts through, with appropriate star-washer attached nuts. $1.82 right around the corner from me.

@@nashmanzl sounds good! Or you might choose a bolt thin enough to get through the holes in the speaker rim?

@turrafirmaguitarchannel If they're too long I can cut them down. Roasted red oak 1x10!

I don’t think Australians are as picky as a lot of US guitar players about Asian made guitars. So many good ones being made there and what about those Indonesian made inspired by Gibson Epiphones! They are outstanding. I like these RKs too.

Glad you liked it!

Thankyou, I liked this Tasman series with the laminated rosewood back and sides as it had the pickup controls in the soundhole. The all solid Tasman series has the pickup controls cut into the side which is a show stopper for me. Unless one comes up very cheap.

The one I reviewed here was Korean and it was nice, but nowhere near US Martin quality in my opinion. I agree the earlier Japanese Sigmas are the best!

I don’t own either of these guitars any more. The Blueridge did sound really nice. Complex as you say but also very warm which was surprising from the rosewood. Yes the Eastman was new and would have only got better. But that one had an issue with a lifting neck which required lowering the saddle extremely. Since then I have learned to keep my guitars in their cases with dehumidifier bags. This helps prevent the action deteriorating through excessive moisture. I did prefer that Eastman over the Blueridge.

Thanks for your comment. I definitely noticed an improvement in the sound when I remounted the speakers. I didn’t know there were some cabs out there that chose front mounting. I wonder why? It can’t be a noob mistake as in my case 😂

based whistleblower

Do you mean 440, or the relation of the strings?

I have bought guitars online and I like to see a photo of the saddle height and a measurement of the action at the 12th fret. If those things are OK I will take a punt. Did you end up getting an LL16?

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel Haven't bought the LL16. Those photos are a good idea. There is no rush to buy. I am a bit curious about the rosewood vs. mahogany difference. Does it really matter all that much?

I am not sure that Eastman would be saving money on shallower bridge. I rather suspect that there was a period where they set some of their necks with not enough angle and when they were an a straight edge they reduced bridge height to compensate. I also think that over the years they have tended to go with lower bridges to reduce the leverage of the strings, which would reduce the volume and tone but make the guitar more stable.

Hi that is my own tune, it goes from the d minor shape to the d major and I play a g minor shape without the bottom e string.

Many thanks!

Hi, good luck with your build. One thing I didn’t point out in the video, you need to account for the depth of both the baffle and the frame for the fabric, I didn’t leave enough depth there when I did this one.

Ooh, I have been looking at the Japan made AC5 too. I am waiting to play one when it comes in stock at my local music store. I do have 4 dreadnought type guitars though …

Two yers ago I bought the LL 16 12 String too, and be still blown away of build quality and the sound! I changed the very white urea saddle to a creamy bone, but afterwards more of the reason that it fit the color of the binding timber, because I can not hear a difference in sound…. and I have good ears… so I believe there is more of psychoacoustic going on at this topic. Last year I bought a used LL TA (Transacoustic) which is exact a LL 16 but in sunburst and two added build in effects (Reverb and chorus) which sound fantastic with right amount of effect and also very good without, definitive comparable with some dreadnought‘s in much higher price ranges. I love my two Yamaha‘s beside al my other guitars.

I do agree with you. I didn’t know it had that ‘feature’ when I clicked the buy button. But it is not a showstopper for me like those old preamp controls they used to cut into the top side of the guitar. And the piezos for those usually sounded terrible too. The plugged in sound of this RK is halfway decent btw.

Hi as they are all similar large body size I think they would all be similar for vocal accompaniment. It would be a case of which tone you prefer. Maybe think about trying smaller body sizes to see if those sit better with your voice. All the best from Australia 👋🇦🇺

👍👌🆗, спасибо,привет из России.

Sorry Felipe I don’t know how they finished this guitar. I think we could rule out French polish, that is very time consuming process. In any case it is not a thick finish.

Thanks for your comment. I am also very interested in the adi top Tonewood Reserve series. I think they are the cheapest Adirondack guitars on the market. If you want crisp power the Adirondack is the way to go. I wonder if the tonewoods are built light like the 11 series though? That is a good thing about this series 11 000. My only gripe is the top strings are a bit thin. My Eastmans produce more depth and overtones. That said I really enjoy picking up the RK.l and it sounds spacious overall. I agree with you that removing the piezo might improve tone, but the pickup sounds very good so I will leave it be for now. PS I watch Brickhouse guitar videos and also JP Cormier. Go Canada, home of guitar tonewoods!

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel I don't think they are... I don't think they are particularly overbuilt But I think they're closer to your modern Yamahas and Martin's in terms of thickness and bracing... And they're going to have the relatively heavy polyurethane finishing.... (Which is really terrible, if not ideal) They do interest me as well! ... I think the QC is a bit higher on those.... But I wish I could pick through half a dozen or so to find one that I really liked!! The ones on RUclips often sound quite different from one another to me... They don't sound quite as open as the 11 series to me... In all the examples I've heard... They Do they have great sounding attack with that Adirondack spruce... And some seem quite complex and resonant... They're a little hit and miss for people I think... Not a hard miss... I think everyone I've heard of finds them some at least respectable. Very desirable woods.... And I bet some of them are particularly exquisite... If only it were possible to handpick that special one. Yeah I can hear that the series 11 isn't the most complex in terms of overtones or chimey attack.... But it just has this warm open woody tone... It's a certain thing.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel J.P. Cormier is so much fun! The main reason I would really to remove the under saddle pickup is that is one of those rounded thicker modern piezo's. They may sound a little better plugged in.... But it really affects the easy the bone resonates against the wood.

@@ramspencer5492thanks for your comment. I think we are on the same page on these guitars. I am really appreciating my adi top Eastman dreadnought and have my eye on a tonewood reserve 000 with mahogany back. They are available from online Australian store for A$950. To get Adirondack for that price! . I agree it would be great to play first but it is 800 km away. Meanwhile I enjoy this series 11. Just a bit thin in the top strings of I’m picky. But overall very lively, spacious sounding with good volume. And enjoy the neck, string spacing and it plays well.

@@turrafirmaguitarchannel I just recently picked up Dreadnaught version if the series 11. It was temporarily $100 U.S off at Sweetwater. Surprisingly good guitar! It's also fortunately quite balanced for a Dreadnaught. It's in a phase where it's opening up and opens up when you play it and warm it up.... I hadn't done that in long enough that I forgot it was a thing with new guitars. I'm really happy with it so far. I've also had my eyes on a 000... Adirondack at that price is pretty crazy!

There is nothing like age to improve the tone of a guitar. As long as the action remains good with enough saddle height they are the way to go. My almost 20 year old Eastman started to sound even better 2 years ago. Glad to hear you got a good old Blueridge. Agree it is a lottery buying sight unseen and researching a specific model is a good idea. Hope you get a good one!

Glad to hear that. I have struggled with mine and prefer playing my old Samick Artist Les Paul copy. The Eastman ebony fretboards feels bigger and more unforgiving than other electrics. I need to take it for a setup with my luthier I guess. Am also considering swapping the magnets to A2.

Hi, I go for 6/64 on low e and 5/64 or a bit less on high e. On this E3D this has resulted in the saddle being about level on both sides.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I must say I haven’t noticed this slope on my other Eastmans. What I do notice is the whole fretboard drops down a little after it joins the body, I guess to help keep the action from getting too low up there. The drop away on the E3DE is pronounced enough that the saddle on the low E side is a tad lover than on the high e side. Another Eastman owner commented he had one with the same ‘issue’. Perhaps it is something Dana Bourgeois brought to the table, along with the slightly smaller body dimensions on the R3. By the way the guitar is being kept in its case with a humidity bag and is is sounding very good.

I just put a pair in a Les Paul copy - they sound great and not too noisy either. I'm sold.

I like the Tonerider pickups a lot. They are a bit unusual being English company with China production. Their scatter wound A2 humbuckers are nice.

From memory that truss rod functioned OK. The neck was set pretty flat so it was doing its job. Problem with that action on that guitar was not because the neck had too much relief. Since this video I have started keeping my guitars in cases with humidity sacks to keep them dry. That has alleviated the issue with lifting action.