Dreadnought Battle: Recording King RD-318 vs. Eastman E10D | Are All Imported Guitars Created Equal?
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- 🎶In this detailed comparison video, we put the Eastman E10D-TC and the Recording King RD-318 side by side to explore the nuances that set these two popular import guitars apart. As we delve into their specs, playability, and build quality, we aim to shed light on why not all import guitars are created equal.
🎵Discover what makes each guitar unique as we break down their materials, construction methods, and the sound quality they offer. This comparative review will help you understand the subtle and significant differences that can affect a guitar’s performance and appeal.
💬Let us know! Did this help you decide which model to buy? Which one was your favorite?
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🔗Check out Recording King Guitars here: bit.ly/Recording-King-Guitars
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00:30 - Our Thoughts On Recording King
02:54 - Comparing Specs
06:30 - Tone
08:21 - Playability
09:12 - Build Quality
11:04 - Aesthetics
12:07 - Value
13:05 - Who Is This Guitar For?
13:59 - Our Biggest Cons
15:48 - Tone Samples Back to Back
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#Acousticguitarcover #EastmanE10DTC #recordingkingrd318 #Guitarcomparison #bluegrasssongs #Bluegrassmusic #Guitarperformance #Musiccovers #Eastmanguitars #recordingkingguitars #EastmanE10dtcvsrecordingkingrd318 
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Today's 'entry level' guitars are far better than those available when I started playing in the mid-1960s - a buyer is spoilt for choice. They sound better, the intonation's better - you pay your money and take your choice!
318 all the way sound warmer and smooth..and love the v shape I’m getting used to it and never looking back..😊
@@boygeorgemonde6608 I agree, I don’t even notice the V. It’s actually super comfortable.
And ordered a JP Cormier Alvarez Guitar from the Acoustic Shoppe.
MD60BG?
Was considering one but fortunately came into enough cash to buy a used D-18
@@herbmichael5053 For resale value, perhaps, safe move. But, as a player the D-18 with the Sitka Spuce top, even after it opens up, will never match the superior power and tone of the Adirondack spruce top of the Eastman. Martin’s used to have that on their D-18’s and it’s the pre-war Martin’s most-cited feature for the cause of their unmatched tone
I own RO-328 and I'm loving it - I have also Eastman E2OM, and Martin 000-10e Road Series (yes, I admit, I have soft spot for 000 shape). So I think I have some experience with similar priced guitars from different builders. From my perspective: each of my guitars is having their own tone and vibe, so I found that depending on specific tune I prefer to play it on different instrument, but if I could keep only one it would be RK, but I'm aware that because it is factory made I can be just happy to have really well made one So I would say this is biggest problem with builders like RK: differences in quality may be really drastic, so it is some sort of quality roulette. The way Eastmans are made gives less quality issues, and Martin quality check is also restrict enough not to put instruments below certain level. In my case all 3 are great, sound great and I can recommend each one of them :) Looking at dreadnoughts I considered RD-348 but I gravitate more towards Eastman E2D-DLX - so maybe some day I'll decide to buy dreadnought (of course I would love to have budget for Martin D-18 then :) ).
For a correct comparison you should have chosen the upper models of Recording King which are closer in price and build quality. This was an unfair comparison from the beginning. I’m not saying the Recording King would be better but the evaluation would be better. As far as headstock shape do they all have to look like Martin? You’re comparing a $500 instrument to a $1500, would you do the same with a $1800 Eastman with a $4500 Martin? I think not
We would love to do an Eastman/Martin comparison with similar specs and have done before, regardless of the price. We feel like the best subjects for blind test and instruments that have similar specs, like this one. But that’s just how we chose it, comparing by price points is also valuable and we would love to do a large comparison in the $1,800 range, including many brands!
@@marktestoni6483 They love Eastman… just look at all the Eastman episodes on their channel. I agree it was an unfair comparison. Now that they are Martin dealers as well as Eastman I don’t think you will see them say an $1800 Eastman is better than a $4500 Martin like they did with the RK in this video or they might find themselves NOT selling Martin anymore. 😂
And let’s be honest here all Eastman makes, for the most part, are knockoffs of the Big 3 USA brands.
@@AcousticShoppe In fairness you did the Eastman/ Martin comparison BEFORE you were a Martin dealer. Rodger?
Thanks guys, you managed to make me love my E10D even more. That RK has the booming bass that Americans are supposed to love but other than that, it sure sounds muffled. It just does not sound like mahogany to me. I suspect that non-torrefied 30 year old top is just not going to sound any different than new, non-torrefied wood and needs to be played-in a year or two until it opens up and sounds right. None of that will solve the V neck issue which for me would definitely be a deal killer. Speaking of E10's, have you demonstrated the E10SS-TC yet? I know what those are copies of and I really want to know how close Eastman got.
If you want a bluegrass guitar, get the Eastman. If you want a “softer” sounding guitar for the singer songwriter type, get the recording king. I love Eastman and have owned at least a dozen of them, but I actually preferred the rd-318 for it’s almost “Gibson-like” tone for vocal accompaniment. Having said that, Eastman are certainly better built, louder and have better quality materials.
For Gibson-esque, try the Eastman E22SS-V-sb ir E10SS-Tc
Your knock on the RK tone is a perfect description of Adi before it gets warmed up and humming. Not sure if you're shooting straight there. I have some really nice guitars and my RK RO 318 hangs right in. And i don't think twice about leaving it around a jam. I did scrape/sand off the thick poly and spray a thin lacquer coat. So i agree there. But it's got serious tone and volume when it's warmed up and singing!
Did you sand the whole body/top , neck or just the soundboard. Curious to know as I’ve been thinking of doing the same on a gretsch G3303 I’m style
@@ryanmurphy3897 it's been a step wise process. I started with just the top of the body mainly because i wanted it to age and breathe more naturally. I only took off the strings and taped up the fret board. It turned out so good i did the back. I'll probably do the sides soon. It's noticeably more resonant to tapping. I'm happy. I may do the neck and headstock someday but probably not enough juice for the squeeze. It's turned out great. I can connect with the guitar and not feel plastic. It's not perfect but i like that. I didn't go for distressed, I'm not a fan of fake wear, but it looks more played in or real, if you know what i mean.
Thanks for your feedback. I’m not a great fan of thick poly either. I think I’ll try it on mine starting with the top, as it does seem pretty stiff even though it’s from 2000. 👍🏼
Sounds like RK didn't like those crappy strings from D'adderio that you guys put on in the shop.
My Eastman showed up with those on it and sounded so bad I almost returned it. Put a set of good Martin strings on it and boy didit come alive.
For anyone waffling between the two: I love Eastmans and I love Recording Kings. Yes, the poly finish sucks, but imho, I think a simple switching of bridge pins in the RK Tonewoods models does WORLDS of a difference. I have no idea why RK chose to cut corners with bridge pins, as I think almost all Eastmans come stock with ebony pins? I think RKs are more Martin-adjacent tonally-speaking, and Eastman has its own, more modern, in between Gibson/Martin tone.
No, Eastman’s are nothing like Gibsons. They are like a cross between Taylor/Martin. Bright like a Taylor w/ a rich bottom and volume of a Martin.
@lawsonbowick4602
You're spot on, and i have all the ones you mentioned as a reference (wife plays the Taylor). My buddy has the Eastman and it's finished nicer., but the RK tone is what i want to hear.
100% on the pins also. I go between bone and ebony depending on the strings and tone i want.
@myguitarsetective5961 Agree on the Taylor part, not the Martin part. The bottom sounds weird to me. Not bad, just not Martin. Modern is a nice way to describe it.
@@briancook467 My Eastman sounds better than the Martin HD 28 in the bottom end. Scoped they register the same btw…the tone is slightly different though…the Eastman E40D sounds just like the Mark Whitebook I played in 1978: the perfect fingetstyle guitar.
@@lawsonbowick4602 RK not only one to cut corners with bridge pins. I paid a few thousand dollars for a new D 28 and it has plastic pins as well. A lot of high end guitars come with plastic because they know everyone has their own preference when it comes to pins. I personally like bone pins, but that being said, if the gold liquid metal pins weren’t $200 a set I would like to try those guys out!
I think the RK has a very ‘compressed’ sound. I believe that also fits the adjective you were looking for in your description. It sounds like the sound-hole is full of marshmallows.
After watching Jp Cormier’s videos on RK.. i was hopping someday to try them out. Finally did. I was really disappointed. I tried out 3-328’s and 2 218’s. I feel the exact way John feel about them. Wasn’t bad , i was just expecting more. Plus i don’t like these neck’s.
out of my studio monitors I find the Recording King for sure doesn't allow the sustain based I think on bracing and amount of lacquer. I have defiantly played some killer Recording Kings but this model just doesn't quite get there for me. Cheers guys!
The difference in sound quality is pretty dramatic. The Eastman wins hands down. And yes, the headstock on the Recording King is down right ugly.
Is there a comparison between the Eastman E10D and the Yamaha LL16??
We have not made a comparison directly but we have reviewed each separately - we also play the same tone samples in each review, so you can open these reviews in two tabs and check them out back to back. Hope that helps!
E10D - ruclips.net/video/cQ0A_HghJY4/видео.html
LL16 - ruclips.net/video/QUW9TK03-tk/видео.html
@@anmolatwal the Yamaha LL16M is the mahogany version and it is a stellar guitar! I have every version of the LL16’s and they are all amazing and less expensive than an E10D. Get the Yamaha you will love it!
To be fair I also have a Martin D28, a Recording King RD 328, and 2 Gibson Hummingbirds and the Yamaha’s can hang and hold it’s own with any of them. The Yamaha has it’s own unique sound, tune it properly, hit a big E or G and it sounds like a piano in it’s beauty and sustain.
@@AcousticShoppe even though I gave you guys a hard time about this comparison I do love the channel and the Chapman’s are a talented group tbf.
I think I might like that narrow nut V neck on the 318. How do both of these compare to a Blueridge? I guess I'm not too concerned as I have another dreadnoght ordered. I tend to disagree with Johns on neck profiles, but he probably didn't have fretting hand issues at age 3, nor getting the hand run over by a car. Also, I sing and play rhythm. John sings and plays lead: possibly different needs.
Hey, Tex! These are certainly comparable to Blueridge, they're all just a little different tone-wise. And yes, I can see how we have neck profile preferences!
@@texhaines9957 I don’t even notice the profile anymore. To be fair I hardly noticed it from day 1. The neck isn’t thick so it’s actually super comfortable and I find it easier to chord certain shapes because I have small hands it feels real good.
@truckmonkey68 my hand bones were not set straight, and Dupetrens disease complicates things. A classic, thick, baseball neck profile causes the hand to spasm and usually it doesn't clear up for hours
I got rid of all those vintage necks.
@@texhaines9957 sorry to hear that, but super impressed that you still push to play. The thinest neck on anything I own is the neck on my D28 “reimagined”. The low oval and high performance taper is substantially thinner than anything else I have. Keep on playing!!
@truckmonkey68 my Dad was in Memory Care and couldn't recall the title or all of the words he was trying to sing. I figured it was Wayfaring Stranger, and would come and sing & play it and other old hymns he knew. I would come and play after Church on Sunday. One time, the nurse asked him if he wanted to listen in the living room outside his room. He told her "that would be nice." I discovered 8-9 others listening there. I started singing and playing regularly on Sundays. It continued after he died, and 10 months later, after my wife died. 13 months of shutdown, I was brought back as part of working in a medical facility although I am completely volunteer. What got to me most, was a few of the Memory Care residents asked where I had been. I now sing and play 4 days a week, about 25 hours. Today, the Hymns and Sings session had 26 (of 32) residents and 7 family members (33 total). Most all hymns and patriotic songs. I have a Music Villa Custom Shop Martin D28 12-fret VTS Adirondack top, 1-11/16 nut, soft V neck, "Authentic" aged finish, and it plays and sounds great. It will be a guitar for my children or grandchildren. Yes, Music, especially OLD songs work well for Memory Care folks, especially if you play them a bit slower than recordings. Did you know singing can bring back speech lost from a stroke or TIA? I have seen, using my playing & singing. When you see miracles like that, a messed-up fretting hand seems like a small challenge. They don't have to see words, They have them. I didn't mean to go on so long, just that I have seen the changes in people's lives from just trying. I keep thinking I'm not that good, I have fun, and it helps. I also get to jam with 20 other acoustic players once a month there. That's when we get 90+ retirement community residents (of 220).
The Eastman is the “winner “ to me. Better note.clarity. Lower prices usually mean sharp fret ends, cheaper tuners, nut slots not filed correctly, etc. Detail stuff that takes time to do and incurs labor charges. That said the quality of the overseas made guitars is much better than it was in the 60 s when I started playing!
Another question; why did Martin stop the SuperD?
@@jasper_north I think you can still order a super D… I just don’t think they make them for dealer stock. I might be wrong but I believe if you go on the Martin website you can still get one.
@@jasper_north Custom shop Super D is on the website $3999 usd. I just checked tbs
@@jasper_north yup definitely still on Martin website as a Custom Shop model at $3999 US dollars.
Too bad you couldn't demo and early Recording King RD-316 (2011-2012)-which went out of production in 2015. The early ones were killer but sounded a little boxy when new and green but after opening up were monster dreds. . The sound is close to say a Martin pre 1964 D18..
I really think a beginner would be better off with the E10d, a guitar that sounds better. You just play more , I have a E10d, and I probably play it more than I do, my Martins because it's always right in reach.
I owned the Recording King RD 318 and a Eastman E8D TC. Not the same woods, I know. The Eastman sounds and looks much better, but (at least in Europe) the Eastman price is more than 3 times. Not a fair comparision. If your budget is 500$, the RK with some setup is a good option. But If you have the money, Eastman is the deal, always fantastic instruments
Own a RD 328 love it for the price. I Would prefer a C neck instead of the V though but you get used to it
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I have the RD 328 and honestly if I put it out of my mind I have never noticed the “v” from day one. Probably helps that the neck is slimmer at the nut and the radius is a bit flatter than my real D28.
I have the RD 328 and honestly if I put it out of my mind I have 1:12 never noticed the “v” from day one. Probably helps that the neck is slimmer at the nut and the radius is a bit flatter than my real D28.
After hearing you trash the Recording at pretty much every point I was shocked at the tone sample. To me the Recording King was louder and had more presence. I agree with everything you said about fit and finish and the poly "dipping" process all the gloss Recording King's seem to go through, but Recording King wins in a sound/tone only shootout, here. Having owned several Recording King's and 2 Eastman's I think Eastman has a better, more consistent product, but about 1 out of 9 or 10 Recording King's have that that special magic. It SOUNDS like this RD-318 is one of those. I have a ROS-729 that is another. My ROS-729 is Plecked and so full of magic it can compete with my custom Martin's and Gallagher...once you hear it...try not to look at the poly on the neck joint.🤣
I think the finish is killing the recording kings thick finish us really chocking out the tone . it's like the guitars tone wood is having to fight against the finish. The Eastman had a ringing open tone very nice . I think if recording king used a less finish ut would open the guitars tone up a lot
As usual most guitar channels can't say hardly anything nice about budget guitars even if they are great because they are stuck with greed to sell you expensive guitars !!!!!
I guess you haven’t looked at their web site. These guys are giving you their honest opinion even if you don’t want to accept it. Eastman is an import made in China, but they are handmade instruments and the QC is exceptional. Give John and Jeremey a break, they are passionate about their business. Buy an instrument from them and you find out that they certainly aren’t greedy.
I'll take my EASTMAN E40 in this case...LOL
Eastman sounds best by a country mile to my ears.
I don’t like the line down the middle where the two halfs of the soundboard are joined on the Eastman.I don’t have a dog in this fight because I own neither. Both have good sustain. The recording king is brighter which is probably from too thick of a finish and probably lack of tone optimization. The Eastman sounds better but is it 800 bucks better? That is subjective. For a new player, on a budget the king would probably be a good choice. I am also not a huge fan of ebony for the fretboard.
@@MatthewCuda tonally you don’t like an ebony fretboard or looks wise?
Yeah I am confused on the not liking ebony too. If he doesn’t like ebony he may want to stay away from anything “high end” except Gibson. I like ebony but prefer a non-dyed ebony. My Yamaha’s have dark dyed ebony and my D28 has naturally streaked ebony… I prefer the streaking/ natural colour variations in ebony. But that is an aesthetic preference because I doubt dyed ebony or undyed has a different tone that I could actually hear.
This is an incredibly biased review/comparison and you can tell the disgust you have for the Recording King. I own the RD-318 and it is an absolute sound cannon. What are the chances you guys put some dull/cheapo strings on it before the demo to make it sound less desirable? I installed some Tusq bridge pins on mine and it opened up the sound 10X what it was with the crappy plastic pins. I will agree though, the V shape neck might not be for everyone, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about and actually prefer the V shape over a conventional C shape profile you get say on a Martin or something else. Opinions are subjective, but you two basically put this thing in the dumpster before you even got started. This shop is heavy on the Eastman promotion so it makes sense.
Fender acoustics have always been sort of ;eh .
The Recording Kings are too hit or miss....there are some good ones but no consistency. I like the darker sound of the one you have. Recording Kings are near impossible to buy successfully online. You need to play it and hear it in your hands or buy from someone who makes it very easy to return. If you want them to cut through with a bit more volume and tone then install a zero glide zero fret...it sits in the nut. Will increase sustain, tone, liveliness, and volume a bit.
The Eastman sounds better
Two things. The Eastman by no means sounds $900 better and are you using identical strngs when comparing?
i was wondering about strings also. were they the same on both models and were they both new.
if you are really going to compare. those questions are important.
Good question, both had EJ16's on them, that's typically what we keep on most guitars in the shoppe. We also make sure strings are changed often for customers to demo models in-store. Neither of these guitars had old or worn-down strings by any means.
@@AcousticShoppe can i make a suggestion. and this would be an interesting comparison of foreign hand mades. and i think you are a carrier of both now. why not pick two similar guitars. same woods, body style and so forth between eastman and yairi ? pit the two cultures who have been at odds for centuries using their hand made guitars.
just a thought.
@@willowen to be fair strings and guitar sounds and tonal qualities are subjective. What sounds good to John’s ears might not sound good to yours and vice versa. The Eastman does sound a bit better (and I own a RD 328, which in fairness I purchased new at a store closing down for $300) and I will give props to Eastman for their wood/ grain choices and their finishes are awesome but definitely not worth $900 more. Between the two I will take a Yamaha L Series 😂
I will go with the Collings on this one…
Just buy a Yamaha LL16M or a Yamaha FG3. Either one will blow both of these away. Ya-ma-ha!!
John looks like he's not enjoying the Recording King. Just look at his facial expressions comparative to the Eastman when demoing both. These dudes are the reason why I bought an Eastman over other entry level brands.
In my uneducated opinion, the Eastman sounds much better and looks better. Is it 2x more? Probably. I personally can’t get past the bridge or the finish. How does it stack up against an E1? If it’s a matter of having a gloss finish, I’d rather not have gloss if the finish is super thick. All the nice specs in the world don’t matter if they aren’t done right.
Eastman also has a hard case.
I have played $500 guitars that sound better than $2000 guitars stop chasing the high dollar price and start chasing the sound case closed
wow, you guys must get a good deal with eastman. because you were dissing the recording king from the beginning. which is fine. but you could pick up on the disdain you had for the brand. it was like you were openly doing marketing rather than a review.
It is not fine to diss the recording king from the beginning. As a Eastman-Dealer there could be not expected an objective justice. I own no guitars from the tested brands, so I think I try to be objective - I'm only a guitar "nerd" who owns under others a Furch Red, a Martin GPS, an Alvarez OM, three Taylors (326ce, 110e, 114ce) , a Guild 12 string and a Hanika Nylon strings acoustic guitar. I have tried a few Eastman models from my local dealer and I was wasn't satisfied with the performance. A few Taylors, Gibson, Martins and Lakewood Guitars had a much better performance that your preferred Eastman.
There was no hiding it. The Recording sound just okay when you played individual notes, but horrible finger picked and strummed. With head phones.
Oh calm the hell down. They are entirely different classes of instruments. I have two RK guitars and love them, but they are not an equivalent instrument.
I think they sell both. @@matthiasstahlhofe6475
I agree I have 3 RKs they are great value for the money i have gigged with them and people have commented how good they are ,I have Martins and Gibos and for tone and playability RKs are great solid wood all around guitars . Why didn't you compare it to an Eastman of the same value , Oh yes you have an Eastman dealership .
Eastman aren't worth shit. I have had several and they sound thin. They are overbuilt. I have many recording kings and alvarez and they all blow eastman out of the park. These two guys are obviously eastman homers.
Yeah you can tell they are just trying to up-sell you on an Eastman since they have a lucrative contract selling Eastmans. RUclips guitar reviews/comparions are more or less marketing for a certain company/brand and whichever brand a shop or creator is promoting, the review/comparison will be heavily biased such as this review/comparison. If anyone is reading this, don't listen to Jim and Bob in this video and be your own judge. Did they install cheap strings on the Recording King before the video? You don't know if they did or not. Strings make a huge difference. Put a set of Ernie Ball Earthwood strings on a Martin d-28 and it will sound like crap. This video does not do a good job at anything and is an Eastman promotion video at best.
@@Shalalala111 don’t forget the obvious fact. I can play a guitar I am trying to sell you with a pick attack that makes it sound totally different and better. I can get two or more tonal sounds out of any of my guitars with different picking and strumming styles. I can make a guitar sound thin or super deep and fat just by strumming different. If I want you to like a guitar I can make it sound great and conversely I can make an awesome guitar sound thin.