Eastwood

[Max Soren]

I keep running across references to these, but have no direct knowledge of them.  Some of the retro basses look cool, but I have no idea how good they are or not.  I'd really like to at least play one sometime and hear what it sounds like.  I'm just curious and I do like the idea behind Eastwood.  I really wish they issued more basses I was more interested in, though.  At the moment, I don't know if I see anything I'd ever want to buy.  I hope they come out with some more models.

[Dave W]

Max, an Austin store was carrying some of the Eastwood basses and guitars last year. I played the Club Bass copy. The fit and finish looked very good for the price, but nothing like the look of a real Hofner finish -- not surprising considering the price. The playability was good. But IMHO the big problem was that it sounded nothing at all like a Hofner Club.

[Chris P.]

I played the A,peg Scroll Bass copy and it's alright. No Fender USA of course, but nice. A friend of mine has a semisolid Gretsch-a-like Eastwood and he likes it very much. He's a pro player in Holland and he uses it live much.

[leftybass]

Just got the lefty Eastwood EEB-1 last week, I love it. It's nice and light and has a tone like a P-bass but with more low-end. Pictures soon.

[Dave W]

Just got the lefty Eastwood EEB-1 last week, I love it. It's nice and light and has a tone like a P-bass but with more low-end. Pictures soon.

I didn't recognize the model name, but I found this:

Ooooh.    Cool Ampeg AEB copy and it sounds good too. Did you buy online or from South Austin Music?

[leftybass]

I didn't recognize the model name, but I found this:

Ooooh.    Cool Ampeg AEB copy and it sounds good too. Did you buy online or from South Austin Music?

Dave, I got it direct from Eastwood in Canada, only seems right since Rick Danko was my inspiration to get one. Played it with the church band Sunday morning, sounded great, very punchy. Good hardshell case too.
Will take photos at some point but here's from the website:

[Dave W]

I just looked at their website, didn't realize they were headquartered in Canada. Quite an interesting artist roster. If Stan Ridgway likes 'em they must be okay. 

Yeah, I should have realized that even if South Austin Music had one, it wouldn't be a lefty.

Twice the holes of an Ibanez Jem and it sounds better. Steve Vai, eat your heart out. 

[leftybass]

As promised:

[Dave W]

Thanks, Ronn. Now you've got me thinking about ordering one.

Is that a tilt-back headstock or am I just seeing the downward angle of the strings on the open headstock?

Either way it ought to be less break-prone than the scroll headstock.

[leftybass]

Yep, it's tilt-back, plus it has what I think Gibson refers to as a "volute".

[Max Soren]

I like the look of that bass.

[Chris P.]

It's nice! I love them too, because of Rick Danko.

[gweimer]

I love the Ampegs because I remember one in the window of the local music store when I first started playing.  Later, it was Boz Burrell that kept my interest in them.  There was a fairly well-known Chicago band, The Bad Examples, that had one of these.

Can't wait for my Johnson Scroll Bass this summer!   

[JimmyBond8]

A local store here in TN specializes in Eastwood and boutique amps and pedals (which since its in my town is a bit on the unusual side). But I've played most of the Guitars that they have and the AEB that they have in stock and I've been very impressed. Had I known they had a Seafoam Map bass a few months earlier, I may have owned that instead of my Gibson Thunderbird Studio.
Some of them can get a bit pricey, but when you consider that they are improved copies I guess its not so bad. And you know they're going to play better than their original counterparts for the most part. If/when they get anything new in, I'll do my best to kinda give it a review (Though I'm not sure how helpful it may be). Or if anyone is interested in anything specific that they may have, I can do that also.
But again, I was very impressed with the quality, and the sheer 'cool' factor that the Eastwood guitars have.