I have a 1950s Gibson A50 and an Eastman 615 F style. Naturally, I much prefer the sound of the Gibson. It has a really warm, woody sound that’s just hard to beat. I’m trying to decide on whether I should trade them both in for the Eastman 815 vintage or just trade the Gibson for the Eastman 315. I love the sound of the 315 when I compare it to the 615. I read that the 815 has that warm tone, but I haven’t been able to play one myself to compare.
I would keep the Gibson, but the neck is built very thick and I have a hard time playing in keys further down the neck.
I play in church and do small gigs from time to time with our family band. So I am looking for something that has a pickup and sounds good through a sound system but also one I can enjoy playing for my own personal pleasure. I’ve only been playing mando for a year and half so I’m still learning. Needing a great (affordable) combination of tone and playability.