Mr. Daniels I am trying to actually build a collection of les Paul single cuts from every country..FGN Japan-Maybach Chech Republic-Eastman China- etc. I can't wait.
China owns Eastman, there is no separation between Government and company. China also sends tons of Fentanol to North America and Europe. When they stop "helping" westerners meet God early, I will think if buying an Eastman. Fcku China
I'm finally fed up with Gibson and selling my R9. I already have a Private Stock 594 that does that thing for me, but if I was gonna buy one of these it'd probably be the Heritage Custom Core. They're all great, though. I really liked the Eastman a lot when I played it.
@@BellTunnel Gibson blaming customers for them rushing the Murphy Lab stuff to market and the finish falling off in chunks. Then on top of that the really shady "buy shares in our guitars" thing.
Thanks for loving my comment yesterday, I noticed two things today, the first being the remark about the tuners on one being made to feel vintage. If you'll look at the Eastman, at least all the SB59/Vs I've seen are Gotoh reliced tuners, and don't have the ridge from injection molding. Second, I noticed you seemed to really enjoy playing the Eastman, and it showed in your playing. They all are great guitars, but I paid $1500 brand new for my SB59/V 1 year ago, and have a T59/V on order now, I love them and can't find anything as nice for twice the price!!! Thanks, Keith
I choose the custom core and could not be happier. It’s resembles a 59’ in many ways. And I was about to buy a Tom Murphy but glad I didn’t. Selling my Gibson classic and not looking back
I love the Eastman SB59 and both Heritage models best. As an owner of Heritage H150 & 140, Gibson Peace(standard variation I guess), PRS 58 Strpped, I would say PRS's single cut models are also unique and competitive in this arena.
I have an FGN Expert Flame, as he said, great guitar, standard pups are good, not great. Swapped in some Bare Knuckle Black Dogs, which are fantastic and give it more of a less modern sound. There is Tokai as well who make a LP clone that IMO is much nicer than a Gibson and much cheaper.
Got the Eastman sb59 v amber with Stormy Mondays from Bareknuckle. It's something about the feel and sound that makes we play it all the time. Highly recommend.
@@CBGypsy03 hard to say. All I know is that I like them. I have no comparison so I would say they are a little hollow in the mids. I don't know if they are worth the upgrade because they are really expensive but the guitar came as special edition with them so I don't bother. But you probably get a great sound with other cheaper PUs as well.
To Me i like the drive sound on the Heritage Custom Core and the clean tones as well ... it does help that the wiz kid is showing them off with his great chops, gear and that dry as Phuck humour... love it henning!!
I own the exact FGN Expert Flame(blue) that was pictured on the FGN website. I found it at a distribution warehouse in Chicago. It was in the US for the NAMM shows.
I own 3 Eastman guitars, also Gibson’s. I never mentioned shape. It’s the entire guitar down to hardware,scale and headstock shape. They are currently making their own designs which seem interesting.
The Maybach and Heritage are both great but not available to try here in HK, unfortunately. I managed to spend a bit of time with an Eastman SB59/v a few weeks ago across the border in Shenzen (thanks Eastman Beijing for sending it down along with the Juliet for me check out) and it is definitely my next guitar buy - lovely instrument and should pair up nicely with my Gibson 1968 Custom - different enough to own both. Cheers.
I kind of respect there being no Gibson there(cause you know), but there is value to a list with a Gibson included. Although, It's really nice to just shine a spotlight on the cool alternatives.
on my custom core... i put the pickups down almost even with the rings... couldn't agree more out of the box with your description. my standard H150s all began with the SD59s... usually i switch the pickups. amazing axe... the custom core. i think the wood quality is something to do with it since those seem to be in the 3.5kilo/8.5lb range. lighter than most. after a bit of playing it really starts to rattle your belly. hard to tell how you could go wrong with any of these selections. very thoughtful review. the audience definitely doesn't know the difference.
I just spent 2 years playing every LP-style guitar I could get my hands on as spending that kind of money I wanted THE LP for me. Played the Eastmans, Heritages, Gibsons & PRS’s. Nobody anywhere near me sells Maybach though. Ended up buying a Gibson Standard 60’s. It was just a matter of what played best & did the Les Paul thing for me in the most classic way. The other guitars sounded great, played good but just didn’t play & sound as I feel an LP-style guitar should. YMMV but for me the Gibson just did “it” where the others were just not quite the same.
Such an awesome video, informative AND funny! Very much agree with you on Gibson... Will you do any video's on the Eastman SB55/v or Maybach Lester Junior anytime soon? Cheers!
There are not any guitar shops that carry any of those makes near me? If love to try them all. I liked the Maybach, but those Heritage guitars just do it for me!
It would have been nice to see more Japanese guitar brands like Tokai and Edwards/Navigator, but I know those are difficult to get outside of Japan because they are the closest shape-wise to Gibsons
I would really like to play a Knaggs I've heard they're super good. I personally think the Heritage company makes their single cut style guitars with as good or better quality as Gibson does. The Eastman is probably the best deal in my humble opinion.
So a common us corporate tactic is to drive the competition under then raise prices whether by lawsuit or under cutting smaller companies to bankrupt them
Hi Henning, Thanks for the interesting shoot-out - and especially for the honest appraisal of Gibson Les Pauls at the start. It would have been disingenuous not to give them a nod, but I totally understand and support your decision not to promote them as a brand currently. I have a Gibson - a "The Paul" (a dreadfully clumsy name...), which I bought new back in the late '70s and I wouldn't part with it willingly, because it's aged beautifully and just "fits like a glove" now after years of playing. It was my first "serious" guitar and it totally holds up against guitars which I bought later (it was light years ahead of an '80s American Strat in terms of build quality!). But would I buy a new Gibson? Almost certainly not. I bought an Eastman T59/V-RD at the start of the Covid crisis and it's a great guitar. OK - some may call it a poor man's '335, but it has a hand-finished quality at a fraction of the price of a custom-shop Gibson and outplays any "affordable" modern Gibson that I've tried (a bit like my Tonefox Elcaster vs. a Fender - thanks for the heads up on that beauty - it's stunning!). Based on my experience with that Eastman, the SB59v is really tempting! All the best Rowan
I Love the h150 dlb and tend to buy one in the future. I do Not know if the Custom Core is really worth the premium. I would like to see an in depth comparison between the Standard and Custom Core
If I really had to choose, I would take them all ! Seriously though, I had a Maybach Lester Midnight Sunset too and I agree with it sounding round and warm. Mine was also really light. Out of all of them, based on this comparison, I would get the Heritage H150. Better suited to the kind of music I play. I kind of had to get used to the headstock, but it has better string pull than the "traditional" LP headstock. Plus, you don't play the headstock.
I‘d say Maybach wins in the looks department. And I would be ready to argue, that if I put the pickups from The Heritage H-150 in the Maybach Lester, these two would sound as similar as it can possibly get. Owning a Maybach Lester myself, I can assure you, that this guitar feels so damn good, that it‘s quite hard to put it away. I‘ve sold my two Gibsons and went to Maybach and let me tell you one thing: It was the best decision ever. I won‘t ever look back.
Maybach does awesome relics, but the price is too high in my opinion compared with the G for a two pieces body with weight relief, no abr1 bridge, no nibs and more important: not perfectly aligned dots :D
Had a similar Maybach and sold it due to its dull sound. Changed wiring to 50s, changed caps... No change. also the laquer felt rather thick and therefore cheap to my hands. Looks were great and it was also light due to their chambering. Bought an Eastmen SB 54 goldtop after testing several Les Paul's (Tokai, Maybach, Eastmans) which checks most the boxes: light, resonant, no chambering, great feel, clearity in tone even without an amp (very loud actually)... Great guitar.
I have a Burny single-cut that cost me, second-hand, about £400. It does what I need it to do and it looks lovely. I'll probably never sell it, and I now have no need to fork out for a £2k+ Gibson. Frig 'em, I say!
Gibson is launching these lawsuits -- many of which are frivolous -- in an attempt to drive their competitors out of business from the legal cost to respond to these suits. (Which is pretty amusing considering they stole the LP design from Epiphone.) I applaud you for taking a stand against this sort of despicable practice.
Brush up on your history. The LP design was from Les Paul himself directly with Gibson. Hence the name of the guitar. Go watch the video by Five Watt World where he goes into the history of the LP and educate yourself before you support this fool of a RUclipsr and his thieving "principles"
I guess FGN LS30 would be a better choice for comparison here - Expert Flame is a single cut, OK, but LS30 is closer to a traditional Les Paul design. And it is a pretty decent LP, you said it yourself...
You are authentically a badass. Going now to rock out on my LP Standard 😉😂 but truthfully appreciate these beauties you have on show. The real question is after a lot of stroking does the G string stay in tune??
have many Heritage and the G strings are better behaved than on my Gibbies... but... i LOVE THEM ALL. lately though I've only been playing heritage guitars. H555, H576, H535, and H150. oh, also the H575 big hollow body is fun as heck to play. on some of the big jazz boxes the heritage headstock actually grows to the point where it looks great and the g string is right there with a LP or ES335... hope that helps with the question. seems like we all "hear" that open book headstock as better. or at least i did for a long time hearing with my eyes.
Can’t afford any of these guitars. Frankly I would take the Fgn - to me it has the best balance between clean and crunch sound. Still I will have to use my old Gibson 135 for this stuff. I want to have this T-Shirt! Where can I buy it. Still try to spare some money for the drum programming course 🥁… and yes HP you nail it. Really I like your stuff.
Thing is that we all know Gibson does not give you loaded specs on the Les Paul unless you fork out 4 grand and other brands will give it to you for 2 but, how many of us dream of having a Les Paul that reads " Gibson " on the headstock? It's almost an impossible sell for any other brand even if they are better. An established name is a powerful thing. Artists endorsements for decades, most of your favorite rock music that's been recorded, the history. It's Iconic and nothing else can substitute it!
That Hedgie in the closing credits! Gorgeous creatures. Great review. I love the Eastman brand and play a red T386. But from the start the H150 was wonderful to listen to and would likely be my choice given the option. Fab vid. Thanks!
I can’t speak to the others, but I played an H150 (just like this example) and it was amazing. Your comments about clarity with weight are right spot on. I would have shrugged at that before as pretentious but it really did provide more articulation to notes and chords. Beautifully built … and the smell of that nitro finish is glorious!
Looks good and sounds good. I think Harley Benton does a nice job for what you pay. In fact I should be taking delivery of my second Harley Benton guitar tomorrow. It's a JA60 Jazzmaster style and if it's as good as my TE90 Cabronita style from Harley Benton I'll be very pleased!
The best guitar I have is a Gibson Les Paul, why? Because when they had those robotic tuners and stuff they were not selling well and thommann/musicstore would offer great deals on them, I bought 3, one of them was great and I knew they would have good resale value so no worries getting rid of the others. Gibson as a company sucks, but the guitars I got from them were actuality quite good for the prices I paid.
ask someone who repairs guitars instead of someone who sells guitars about Gibson and you'll get univocally the same reply : the good ones are good and many of the others are just a punch in the face of the customer. they don't care about the quality as long as the sales figures are right. it's not that they couldn't, they just don't want to.
I've read so many horrible stories from people who worked at Gibson actually building the things. They basically get treated as cheap unskilled manual labour instead as as artisans and luthiers. They get pushed really really bad to produce in numbers and the pay isn't great either - from the hand of accounts I've came across a few years back. So: shitty manufacturer and probably even shittier employer, which isn't great when literally your only claim to your ridiculous pricing is "Made in the U.S."
The Eastman is definitely the best one on the eyes, loving the finish and the headstock design is far better looking than the competitor, I would chose that one and swap the pickup with some boutique unpotted PAF
The lLollar Imperials are based on PAFs, but I bought a 2018 SB59/V new last summer, but from a store in New York that sells mainly acoustics, so it had been in the store since early 2019, and was an August 2018 build which was when they sold them with Seymour Duncan Antiquities, which are built exactly like PAFs, and I have owned over 100 top of the line guitars, and it is one of the top 5, and considering it only set me back $1500 including tax and delivery, it's the best deal on a custom shop quality single cut I can see! I have fallen in LOVE with Eastman guitars, and fall In love all over every time I open the case! Peace, Keith
@@yadakc I agree Eastman makes fine guitars. Unfortunately, they are super hard to find in the US right now and prices have gone up quite a bit. I just bought an SB55V and it was nearly $1500 after taxes and shipping was free. They could be had for $1100 less than two years ago. That was the only one available from a US dealer on Reverb. You can buy from dealers outside the US, but will end up paying several hundred dollars more after Customs duties, VAT tax and other fees.
Right my opinion.oops. Mixed thoughts. I have a Gibson les Paul classic 2021. It in short is utterly amazing. I have an Eastman sb59. Purchased last week. The eastmans weak point is definitely the Seymour Duncan 59s. They don’t hold a candle to the gibson 61s in my Gibson. They just don’t. They are thinner in sound and less dynamic that is a fact! At least for my style. I love full on rock sounds, I don’t want to have to squeeze my guitar to get out the sounds I want. Turn on the amp and the Gibson is there in bucket loads, clean or with drive. It just is as much as Gibson bad ethics go the one I have is better…….. and I mean better than the Gibson custom shops I have had and parted with including a custom shop 59. I suspect that run of classics was exceptional and although I do agree about ethics here my guitar does not lie. It truly is an exceptional guitar by any standard at any price and the fit and finish inc action and set up was 150% out of the box. Well, am I sorry I purchased the Eastman? No and I’ll tell you why. A while ago (around six months) I purchased a new unused set of Gibson classic 57 + and I’m going to pop them into this Eastman. I know for a fact this Eastman sb is going to be awesome. The fit and finish on it is custom shop quality and it’s lighter than my Gibson classic 8.7 lbs compared to 8.2lbs Eastman. The Eastman is sublime to play. Is it a 59? No. It is not, it is a bloody fantastic guitar to play, has a long neck tenon is solid, has an ebony board and real mother of pearl linlays and to look at is gorgeous. I just have to put in a different engine in it. Gibson make the best pickups in the world bar none…… fact despite their ethics.
Thank you Henning for your hard work and dedication. Also, for sticking to your principals, it goes a long way. I am most definitely a LP player, but not tied to Gibson. The big 50's style neck profile is a big reason why I feel the most comfortable on Gibson LPs. I was wondering which one of the guitars you tested today have the closest to that classic neck shape and size. If I could find a company that had that and as a lefty, then I would happily invest in that company. Thanks again Henning!
Go with Maybach and get yourself a Lester 59 and if that‘s still to thin (which it probably isn’t) get a 58! Those necks are where it‘s at and great news: All Maybach models can be ordered as a lefty. I hope, I could help you with that.
I agree, I had a Gibson Reissues R7 and a ‘58 custom with the alnico v P90. I loved those guitars and especially the necks. Had to sell them at the time due to financial issues. I was looking to replace them with ‘cheaper’ lawsuit Tokai, Greco, Burny or even Orville, but non had the Gibson neck carve. The only one that nails it is a special edition Faber ‘58 Korina Flying V (with ‘67 Outer shape though). I was tempted by Maybach as I like the Classic contour more than the Eastman. I don’t have issues with the big G brand but never had ‘standard’ models. Always Reissues, Historics, Custom shop series, vintage ones... so I might have been spoiled but all of them were great...
@@flowryan5829 Thank you Flow Ryan. That's great to hear that they can be ordered in lefty. I am used to a chunky R7 neck, so if it's in the ballpark of that, I think it'll be alright. Time to start saving up. Thank you for your insight.
@@bonneymaes2757 I'm sorry that you had financial issues. I hope circumstances are better now. I have a R7 that I am just so bonded with but do not want to take out everywhere, hence my looking for something comparable as a tool. I'll look into Faber, hopefully they have lefties. There are a lot of great companies out there that make LP's, some that have fixed the design flaws as well, but they just don't have the same neck. The neck profile is so important to the overall feel, that for me at least, it's kind of a deal breaker if it doesn't feel right.
If you take all the shit off an lp and just leave the switch tip youd be surprised how close those heritages are in shape. Shows u that most of the swag on an lp is the dressing and specifically the poker chip.
Super Vergleich, deine Videos sind immer sehr lohnenswert!! Wenn du dich zwischen der Maybach und Eastman entscheiden müsstest, welche würdest du wählen? Für classic Blues und Rock finde ich beide sehr gleich auf, deine Meinung dazu würde mich sehr interessieren!:)
I love many Gibson models and recently just bought an LP Standard 60s, but some of their business ethics make me sick. I can't say I'd stop buying their guitars, but I may stick to buying used and vintage rather than give them my money. The lawsuits, Rally investing Ponzi, that whole Gibson Hendrix strat, that video Agnasi made, and the bad vibes I get from their new CEO are pretty off-putting. I'll definitely be more willing to support other brands now. Eastman is definitely on my list; that sb59 is amazing.
Great video Henning! How would you rate the "Prestige Heritage Standard" in comparison with these guitars? (as if you didn't have enough models to compare!! lol)
Thanks for introducing me to these brands, I was completely unfamiliar with any of them. Having said that, they're also out of my price range. Why one of these over an Epiphone? New, Slash Epiphone in particular?
@@EytschPi42 For sure! But I'm not sure of what instance you're referencing? I apologize for my ignorance in advance. I just pop in and out of the forums when I can.
I've read a lot of comments here from players who take down "Gibson". I play 36 years guitar.(still every day) and i own a couple Gibson guitars. (SG's R7, R8, R9, Standard's...) I also work on guitars. I had hundreds guitars in my hand for customizing, aging, wiring, adjusting. In 2008 i bought a Gibson R9 VOS. First thing i did was swapping out those shitty burstbuckers and replaced them with Amber spirit of 59's pups. Did wraparound on the stoptail, 50's wiring, bone nut, 550K pots (instead of 500K) and oilfilled caps. (Vitamin Q's). I had the chance to compare this guitar with an original 1959 Les Paul. Well... My R9 sounded better than the original. The owner couldn't believe that. I know a lot of luthiers here in Belgium. All say the same: "Best Les Paul i ever played". But honestly... the feel of a real 59 Les Paul is heavenly. I played Eastmans, Maybachs, Tokai's, Heritage,... and for the price... Superb guitars! But nothing beats a Gibson CS in my opinion. All the copy's sounds good, some even great, but for me, none of them gives me the same feel as a my Gibson R9. I like to mod and fine-tune every guitar i have to "my" specs and make it "my guitar". I know that the prices from Gibson for a customshop (R8, R9, ...) are ridiculous, but the CS guitars from Gibson are still the best guitars you can buy! Greets from Belgium!
Gibson can make good guitars, but they can also make utter shit... but it isn't about the guitars, it is about their business ethics. It just isn't a company that I want to support. I want to work with good people, not with assholes.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
The Eastman is just an outstanding instrument on every level. Stunning to boot.
Hilariously dry humor, ruthless integrity, mad skills, hot gear.
Thanks @EytschPi42!
Marvellous shoot out. just pulled the trigger on a half price Eastman I had the opportunity to buy after hearing and seeing this review.
Definitely the Eastman for me. Prettiest to look at, best sounding, most unique.
Mine's scheduled to be delivered on Thursday! Yippee!!
Mr. Daniels I am trying to actually build a collection of les Paul single cuts from every country..FGN Japan-Maybach Chech Republic-Eastman China- etc. I can't wait.
China owns Eastman, there is no separation between Government and company. China also sends tons of Fentanol to North America and Europe. When they stop "helping" westerners meet God early, I will think if buying an Eastman. Fcku China
That has to be the best guitar demo yet ,I like the H150.
I'm finally fed up with Gibson and selling my R9. I already have a Private Stock 594 that does that thing for me, but if I was gonna buy one of these it'd probably be the Heritage Custom Core. They're all great, though. I really liked the Eastman a lot when I played it.
come on man don't you one share in history lol
Dude. A private stock 594?? 😍 dude that has to be a killer piece. Very cool 😎
I’m getting there too. Not quite, but getting there. What was the final straw for you?
@@BellTunnel Gibson blaming customers for them rushing the Murphy Lab stuff to market and the finish falling off in chunks. Then on top of that the really shady "buy shares in our guitars" thing.
@@Madchris8828 Thanks man! Yeah it's one of the 594 Graveyard I guitars.
would love this shoot out with sg's. it feels like no one really does that.
Yes! I would love that as well
SG is like the black sheep of every guitar family. Highly iconic, but looks like nobody's gonna bother demoing one lol
@@MetalMike87 That's because they're fugly. Iconic - yes. But still..... fugly.
@@jimmyz2098 I love the shape, the weight and the feel of the SG ... but I didn't know until I tried one
xD
Same here. Ugly, no one else seems to like them, but I have two, and they are both great.
Thanks for loving my comment yesterday, I noticed two things today, the first being the remark about the tuners on one being made to feel vintage. If you'll look at the Eastman, at least all the SB59/Vs I've seen are Gotoh reliced tuners, and don't have the ridge from injection molding. Second, I noticed you seemed to really enjoy playing the Eastman, and it showed in your playing. They all are great guitars, but I paid $1500 brand new for my SB59/V 1 year ago, and have a T59/V on order now, I love them and can't find anything as nice for twice the price!!!
Thanks, Keith
Correct my Eastman sb59 has aged tuner pegs.
Loved the Video! I play Maybach after your Review and I play Blues so I love it. Live long and Prosper
I choose the custom core and could not be happier. It’s resembles a 59’ in many ways. And I was about to buy a Tom Murphy but glad I didn’t. Selling my Gibson classic and not looking back
Sold two Gibsons and went to Maybach. It was the best decision ever.
I love the Eastman SB59 and both Heritage models best. As an owner of Heritage H150 & 140, Gibson Peace(standard variation I guess), PRS 58 Strpped, I would say PRS's single cut models are also unique and competitive in this arena.
I have an FGN Expert Flame, as he said, great guitar, standard pups are good, not great. Swapped in some Bare Knuckle Black Dogs, which are fantastic and give it more of a less modern sound. There is Tokai as well who make a LP clone that IMO is much nicer than a Gibson and much cheaper.
i can see you're having fun playing with the eastman and heritage guitar!
Got the Eastman sb59 v amber with Stormy Mondays from Bareknuckle.
It's something about the feel and sound that makes we play it all the time. Highly recommend.
How would you describe the stormy Mondays ?? I have an SB59 with the Duncan's installed, thinking of trying something new. Cheers
@@CBGypsy03 hard to say. All I know is that I like them. I have no comparison so I would say they are a little hollow in the mids. I don't know if they are worth the upgrade because they are really expensive but the guitar came as special edition with them so I don't bother.
But you probably get a great sound with other cheaper PUs as well.
@@fronthorse
Henning - You know what? Man.... you are just awesome. Not much else to say, really. You're just awesome. Another great vid, too. Rock on, Brother!
YES. This is the video I’ve been waiting for.
Damn, the wood binding on that fgn is gorgeous
To Me i like the drive sound on the Heritage Custom Core
and the clean tones as well ... it does help that the wiz kid is showing them off with his great chops, gear and that dry as Phuck humour... love it henning!!
Thank u finally see maybach and eastman in same video.
I own the exact FGN Expert Flame(blue) that was pictured on the FGN website. I found it at a distribution warehouse in Chicago. It was in the US for the NAMM shows.
I own 3 Eastman guitars, also Gibson’s. I never mentioned shape. It’s the entire guitar down to hardware,scale and headstock shape. They are currently making their own designs which seem interesting.
The Maybach and Heritage are both great but not available to try here in HK, unfortunately. I managed to spend a bit of time with an Eastman SB59/v a few weeks ago across the border in Shenzen (thanks Eastman Beijing for sending it down along with the Juliet for me check out) and it is definitely my next guitar buy - lovely instrument and should pair up nicely with my Gibson 1968 Custom - different enough to own both. Cheers.
I kind of respect there being no Gibson there(cause you know), but there is value to a list with a Gibson included. Although, It's really nice to just shine a spotlight on the cool alternatives.
on my custom core... i put the pickups down almost even with the rings... couldn't agree more out of the box with your description.
my standard H150s all began with the SD59s... usually i switch the pickups. amazing axe...
the custom core. i think the wood quality is something to do with it since those seem to be in the 3.5kilo/8.5lb range. lighter than most. after a bit of playing it really starts to rattle your belly.
hard to tell how you could go wrong with any of these selections.
very thoughtful review.
the audience definitely doesn't know the difference.
Excellent video and playing!
All of them will do the job, but the FGN and the lower priced Heritage stood out.
I just spent 2 years playing every LP-style guitar I could get my hands on as spending that kind of money I wanted THE LP for me. Played the Eastmans, Heritages, Gibsons & PRS’s. Nobody anywhere near me sells Maybach though. Ended up buying a Gibson Standard 60’s. It was just a matter of what played best & did the Les Paul thing for me in the most classic way. The other guitars sounded great, played good but just didn’t play & sound as I feel an LP-style guitar should. YMMV but for me the Gibson just did “it” where the others were just not quite the same.
I'd be interested in a similar shootout with P90s equipped guitars. I feel like they're not represented as often as guitars with humbuckers.
That might be because there isn‘t such a huge following behind the P-90. Hence it might not be worth the effort.
Hey Henning cheers from NY! Thanks for the vid, much enjoyed. :-)
For me it's Maybach vs Eastman. And has been for 18 months, still can't decide on which one to get :O
Eastman missed out on a varnish one for 1500 buck used of course but for a mint one for that price nothing comes close
You're a good man Herr Pauly
Such an awesome video, informative AND funny! Very much agree with you on Gibson... Will you do any video's on the Eastman SB55/v or Maybach Lester Junior anytime soon? Cheers!
I don't think there will be videos on these... Eastman doesn't even talk to me.
@@EytschPi42 Really? Such a shame :(... If you're ever willing to do a review on a Maybach Lester jr. '56 I'm in a front row seat!!
There are not any guitar shops that carry any of those makes near me? If love to try them all. I liked the Maybach, but those Heritage guitars just do it for me!
It would have been nice to see more Japanese guitar brands like Tokai and Edwards/Navigator, but I know those are difficult to get outside of Japan because they are the closest shape-wise to Gibsons
Yeah Gibson has a snob problem. Only one I have still is the Sg- 70ish , had it since high school because of Carlos Santana.
See!
This is why I love this channel 🍀
I would really like to play a Knaggs I've heard they're super good. I personally think the Heritage company makes their single cut style guitars with as good or better quality as Gibson does. The Eastman is probably the best deal in my humble opinion.
So a common us corporate tactic is to drive the competition under then raise prices whether by lawsuit or under cutting smaller companies to bankrupt them
Hi Henning,
Thanks for the interesting shoot-out - and especially for the honest appraisal of Gibson Les Pauls at the start. It would have been disingenuous not to give them a nod, but I totally understand and support your decision not to promote them as a brand currently.
I have a Gibson - a "The Paul" (a dreadfully clumsy name...), which I bought new back in the late '70s and I wouldn't part with it willingly, because it's aged beautifully and just "fits like a glove" now after years of playing. It was my first "serious" guitar and it totally holds up against guitars which I bought later (it was light years ahead of an '80s American Strat in terms of build quality!).
But would I buy a new Gibson? Almost certainly not. I bought an Eastman T59/V-RD at the start of the Covid crisis and it's a great guitar. OK - some may call it a poor man's '335, but it has a hand-finished quality at a fraction of the price of a custom-shop Gibson and outplays any "affordable" modern Gibson that I've tried (a bit like my Tonefox Elcaster vs. a Fender - thanks for the heads up on that beauty - it's stunning!). Based on my experience with that Eastman, the SB59v is really tempting!
All the best
Rowan
I Love the h150 dlb and tend to buy one in the future. I do Not know if the Custom Core is really worth the premium. I would like to see an in depth comparison between the Standard and Custom Core
If I really had to choose, I would take them all !
Seriously though, I had a Maybach Lester Midnight Sunset too and I agree with it sounding round and warm.
Mine was also really light.
Out of all of them, based on this comparison, I would get the Heritage H150. Better suited to the kind of music I play.
I kind of had to get used to the headstock, but it has better string pull than the "traditional" LP headstock.
Plus, you don't play the headstock.
Love all of them. Which has the fattest, roundest neck?
I‘d say Maybach wins in the looks department. And I would be ready to argue, that if I put the pickups from The Heritage H-150 in the Maybach Lester, these two would sound as similar as it can possibly get.
Owning a Maybach Lester myself, I can assure you, that this guitar feels so damn good, that it‘s quite hard to put it away.
I‘ve sold my two Gibsons and went to Maybach and let me tell you one thing: It was the best decision ever.
I won‘t ever look back.
I have a Tokai LS1 R8.. My mate has a Gibson Historic.. He cries every time he comes over…But hey,it’s all in the name!! Right?!?
Maybach does awesome relics, but the price is too high in my opinion compared with the G for a two pieces body with weight relief, no abr1 bridge, no nibs and more important: not perfectly aligned dots :D
Sounds like the pickups were low on the Maybach Lester
Fender and Heritage guitars for me...
Sounds great. Love Eastman
Had a similar Maybach and sold it due to its dull sound. Changed wiring to 50s, changed caps... No change. also the laquer felt rather thick and therefore cheap to my hands. Looks were great and it was also light due to their chambering.
Bought an Eastmen SB 54 goldtop after testing several Les Paul's (Tokai, Maybach, Eastmans) which checks most the boxes: light, resonant, no chambering, great feel, clearity in tone even without an amp (very loud actually)... Great guitar.
I have a Burny single-cut that cost me, second-hand, about £400. It does what I need it to do and it looks lovely. I'll probably never sell it, and I now have no need to fork out for a £2k+ Gibson. Frig 'em, I say!
That FGN reminds me of Godin. Cheers from Canada.
Gibson is launching these lawsuits -- many of which are frivolous -- in an attempt to drive their competitors out of business from the legal cost to respond to these suits. (Which is pretty amusing considering they stole the LP design from Epiphone.) I applaud you for taking a stand against this sort of despicable practice.
Brush up on your history. The LP design was from Les Paul himself directly with Gibson. Hence the name of the guitar. Go watch the video by Five Watt World where he goes into the history of the LP and educate yourself before you support this fool of a RUclipsr and his thieving "principles"
Hey Henning.... hope you're doing well.... I haven't tuned in ...in awhile... kinda miss your German mug ... lol ... I'll be back ...
The Haritage stands out for sure.
I guess FGN LS30 would be a better choice for comparison here - Expert Flame is a single cut, OK, but LS30 is closer to a traditional Les Paul design. And it is a pretty decent LP, you said it yourself...
I consider to buy Maybach or Eastman. What would you choose for blues/rock (Paul Kossoff, Joe Boanamssa, Robben Ford) sounds? ;)
You are authentically a badass. Going now to rock out on my LP Standard 😉😂 but truthfully appreciate these beauties you have on show. The real question is after a lot of stroking does the G string stay in tune??
have many Heritage and the G strings are better behaved than on my Gibbies... but... i LOVE THEM ALL.
lately though I've only been playing heritage guitars. H555, H576, H535, and H150. oh, also the H575 big hollow body is fun as heck to play.
on some of the big jazz boxes the heritage headstock actually grows to the point where it looks great and the g string is right there with a LP or ES335...
hope that helps with the question.
seems like we all "hear" that open book headstock as better. or at least i did for a long time hearing with my eyes.
I have a LTD ESP PS-1000 in electric blue sparkle. It has Fat P90 pickups and I love it! Should I put humbuckers in it?
In terms of how it looks - Eastman wins here for me. Overall impression and value for money - Maybach. Thank you and good night
Mad respect Henning. Gibson is not something I support either. That h-150 Kills!!
Can’t afford any of these guitars. Frankly I would take the Fgn - to me it has the best balance between clean and crunch sound. Still I will have to use my old Gibson 135 for this stuff. I want to have this T-Shirt! Where can I buy it. Still try to spare some money for the drum programming course 🥁… and yes HP you nail it. Really I like your stuff.
Thing is that we all know Gibson does not give you loaded specs on the Les Paul unless you fork out 4 grand and other brands will give it to you for 2 but, how many of us dream of having a Les Paul that reads " Gibson " on the headstock?
It's almost an impossible sell for any other brand even if they are better. An established name is a powerful thing. Artists endorsements for decades, most of your favorite rock music that's been recorded, the history. It's Iconic and nothing else can substitute it!
That Hedgie in the closing credits! Gorgeous creatures. Great review. I love the Eastman brand and play a red T386. But from the start the H150 was wonderful to listen to and would likely be my choice given the option. Fab vid. Thanks!
I can’t speak to the others, but I played an H150 (just like this example) and it was amazing. Your comments about clarity with weight are right spot on. I would have shrugged at that before as pretentious but it really did provide more articulation to notes and chords. Beautifully built … and the smell of that nitro finish is glorious!
Only wish the Yamaha Weddington is still available.
Looks good and sounds good. I think Harley Benton does a nice job for what you pay. In fact I should be taking delivery of my second Harley Benton guitar tomorrow. It's a JA60 Jazzmaster style and if it's as good as my TE90 Cabronita style from Harley Benton I'll be very pleased!
Hey Henning, The new set looks nice man!🎸🤘
Nice house and grounds.
The best guitar I have is a Gibson Les Paul, why? Because when they had those robotic tuners and stuff they were not selling well and thommann/musicstore would offer great deals on them, I bought 3, one of them was great and I knew they would have good resale value so no worries getting rid of the others. Gibson as a company sucks, but the guitars I got from them were actuality quite good for the prices I paid.
I have a schecter solo 2 that's a bit over 9lb I love it but i cannot stand with it for more than 7-10 minutes. Or may back makes me sit down
ask someone who repairs guitars instead of someone who sells guitars about Gibson and you'll get univocally the same reply : the good ones are good and many of the others are just a punch in the face of the customer.
they don't care about the quality as long as the sales figures are right.
it's not that they couldn't, they just don't want to.
I've read so many horrible stories from people who worked at Gibson actually building the things. They basically get treated as cheap unskilled manual labour instead as as artisans and luthiers. They get pushed really really bad to produce in numbers and the pay isn't great either - from the hand of accounts I've came across a few years back.
So: shitty manufacturer and probably even shittier employer, which isn't great when literally your only claim to your ridiculous pricing is "Made in the U.S."
Eastman you have in hand , all Gotoh Brand hardware, my Euro friend
That Maybach is amazing. 20 times better than any fuckin' G...
Heritage for sond and how it looks, and FGN for desine and routing
Heritage has the by far ugliest headstock 😩
The Eastman is definitely the best one on the eyes, loving the finish and the headstock design is far better looking than the competitor, I would chose that one and swap the pickup with some boutique unpotted PAF
The lLollar Imperials are based on PAFs, but I bought a 2018 SB59/V new last summer, but from a store in New York that sells mainly acoustics, so it had been in the store since early 2019, and was an August 2018 build which was when they sold them with Seymour Duncan Antiquities, which are built exactly like PAFs, and I have owned over 100 top of the line guitars, and it is one of the top 5, and considering it only set me back $1500 including tax and delivery, it's the best deal on a custom shop quality single cut I can see! I have fallen in LOVE with Eastman guitars, and fall In love all over every time I open the case!
Peace, Keith
@@yadakc I agree Eastman makes fine guitars. Unfortunately, they are super hard to find in the US right now and prices have gone up quite a bit. I just bought an SB55V and it was nearly $1500 after taxes and shipping was free. They could be had for $1100 less than two years ago. That was the only one available from a US dealer on Reverb. You can buy from dealers outside the US, but will end up paying several hundred dollars more after Customs duties, VAT tax and other fees.
Maybach#1 Fgn#2
Love this video.....
Right my opinion.oops.
Mixed thoughts.
I have a Gibson les Paul classic 2021. It in short is utterly amazing.
I have an Eastman sb59. Purchased last week.
The eastmans weak point is definitely the Seymour Duncan 59s. They don’t hold a candle to the gibson 61s in my Gibson. They just don’t. They are thinner in sound and less dynamic that is a fact! At least for my style. I love full on rock sounds, I don’t want to have to squeeze my guitar to get out the sounds I want. Turn on the amp and the Gibson is there in bucket loads, clean or with drive. It just is as much as Gibson bad ethics go the one I have is better…….. and I mean better than the Gibson custom shops I have had and parted with including a custom shop 59. I suspect that run of classics was exceptional and although I do agree about ethics here my guitar does not lie. It truly is an exceptional guitar by any standard at any price and the fit and finish inc action and set up was 150% out of the box.
Well, am I sorry I purchased the Eastman? No and I’ll tell you why. A while ago (around six months) I purchased a new unused set of Gibson classic 57 + and I’m going to pop them into this Eastman. I know for a fact this Eastman sb is going to be awesome. The fit and finish on it is custom shop quality and it’s lighter than my Gibson classic 8.7 lbs compared to 8.2lbs Eastman.
The Eastman is sublime to play. Is it a 59? No. It is not, it is a bloody fantastic guitar to play, has a long neck tenon is solid, has an ebony board and real mother of pearl linlays and to look at is gorgeous. I just have to put in a different engine in it.
Gibson make the best pickups in the world bar none…… fact despite their ethics.
Thank you Henning for your hard work and dedication. Also, for sticking to your principals, it goes a long way. I am most definitely a LP player, but not tied to Gibson. The big 50's style neck profile is a big reason why I feel the most comfortable on Gibson LPs. I was wondering which one of the guitars you tested today have the closest to that classic neck shape and size. If I could find a company that had that and as a lefty, then I would happily invest in that company. Thanks again Henning!
Go with Maybach and get yourself a Lester 59 and if that‘s still to thin (which it probably isn’t) get a 58! Those necks are where it‘s at and great news: All Maybach models can be ordered as a lefty. I hope, I could help you with that.
I agree, I had a Gibson Reissues R7 and a ‘58 custom with the alnico v P90. I loved those guitars and especially the necks. Had to sell them at the time due to financial issues. I was looking to replace them with ‘cheaper’ lawsuit Tokai, Greco, Burny or even Orville, but non had the Gibson neck carve. The only one that nails it is a special edition Faber ‘58 Korina Flying V (with ‘67 Outer shape though). I was tempted by Maybach as I like the Classic contour more than the Eastman. I don’t have issues with the big G brand but never had ‘standard’ models. Always Reissues, Historics, Custom shop series, vintage ones... so I might have been spoiled but all of them were great...
@@flowryan5829 Thank you Flow Ryan. That's great to hear that they can be ordered in lefty. I am used to a chunky R7 neck, so if it's in the ballpark of that, I think it'll be alright. Time to start saving up. Thank you for your insight.
@@bonneymaes2757 I'm sorry that you had financial issues. I hope circumstances are better now. I have a R7 that I am just so bonded with but do not want to take out everywhere, hence my looking for something comparable as a tool. I'll look into Faber, hopefully they have lefties. There are a lot of great companies out there that make LP's, some that have fixed the design flaws as well, but they just don't have the same neck. The neck profile is so important to the overall feel, that for me at least, it's kind of a deal breaker if it doesn't feel right.
@@AndrewJayGuitar then the 58 neck could be right for you. Or if you want a black custom, take the 54 neck.
And Tokai?
If you take all the shit off an lp and just leave the switch tip youd be surprised how close those heritages are in shape. Shows u that most of the swag on an lp is the dressing and specifically the poker chip.
Super Vergleich, deine Videos sind immer sehr lohnenswert!! Wenn du dich zwischen der Maybach und Eastman entscheiden müsstest, welche würdest du wählen? Für classic Blues und Rock finde ich beide sehr gleich auf, deine Meinung dazu würde mich sehr interessieren!:)
Fujigen makes great guitars, that's a winner in every department!.
They are all nice the Heritage is very nice but hands down the Eastman is the LP dominator.
So, just buy Maybach and change the pickups?
Given that on the used market the Maybach and the prs ce 24 are the same price. Which one would you consider a better guitar and a better buy?
can’t say… they are completely different guitars…. CE is a bolt on with 24 Frets… in no way a Les Paul
Oef, you lucky man. Having those guitars there. i'm drewling.
I love many Gibson models and recently just bought an LP Standard 60s, but some of their business ethics make me sick. I can't say I'd stop buying their guitars, but I may stick to buying used and vintage rather than give them my money. The lawsuits, Rally investing Ponzi, that whole Gibson Hendrix strat, that video Agnasi made, and the bad vibes I get from their new CEO are pretty off-putting. I'll definitely be more willing to support other brands now. Eastman is definitely on my list; that sb59 is amazing.
I don't get it why those guitars don't have locking tuners.
Why didn’t you just use Andy’s single cut bend test?
Embrace your density !
Yeah, how should I possibly know what‘s good without that bend test? Bummer…
Make the video!! I’ll watch.
what's the Kloppmann set in the FGN?
59, I think
@@EytschPi42 thx, love that sound.
Great video Henning! How would you rate the "Prestige Heritage Standard" in comparison with these guitars? (as if you didn't have enough models to compare!! lol)
great guitar… modern sounding… clear and very fat sound
@@EytschPi42 Thanks Henning!!
Where is kiana nowadays?
The Heritage Lemon Burst is the best looking modern LP available today
But with the ugliest headstock.
H-150 kicked ass.
Thanks for introducing me to these brands, I was completely unfamiliar with any of them.
Having said that, they're also out of my price range.
Why one of these over an Epiphone?
New, Slash Epiphone in particular?
because Epiphone is Gibson and we shouldn’t support bullies
@@EytschPi42 Are there more affordable brands available that you know of?
@@EytschPi42 For sure!
But I'm not sure of what instance you're referencing?
I apologize for my ignorance in advance.
I just pop in and out of the forums when I can.
so you're saying you're less 1 paul?
SO FAR THE EASTMANS PICKUPS ARE PAF/ISH.....HAS THAT LOW OUTPUT SIZZLE
I've read a lot of comments here from players who take down "Gibson". I play 36 years guitar.(still every day) and i own a couple Gibson guitars. (SG's R7, R8, R9, Standard's...) I also work on guitars. I had hundreds guitars in my hand for customizing, aging, wiring, adjusting. In 2008 i bought a Gibson R9 VOS. First thing i did was swapping out those shitty burstbuckers and replaced them with Amber spirit of 59's pups. Did wraparound on the stoptail, 50's wiring, bone nut, 550K pots (instead of 500K) and oilfilled caps. (Vitamin Q's). I had the chance to compare this guitar with an original 1959 Les Paul. Well... My R9 sounded better than the original. The owner couldn't believe that. I know a lot of luthiers here in Belgium. All say the same: "Best Les Paul i ever played". But honestly... the feel of a real 59 Les Paul is heavenly. I played Eastmans, Maybachs, Tokai's, Heritage,... and for the price... Superb guitars! But nothing beats a Gibson CS in my opinion. All the copy's sounds good, some even great, but for me, none of them gives me the same feel as a my Gibson R9. I like to mod and fine-tune every guitar i have to "my" specs and make it "my guitar". I know that the prices from Gibson for a customshop (R8, R9, ...) are ridiculous, but the CS guitars from Gibson are still the best guitars you can buy! Greets from Belgium!
Gibson can make good guitars, but they can also make utter shit... but it isn't about the guitars, it is about their business ethics. It just isn't a company that I want to support. I want to work with good people, not with assholes.
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