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Summer NAMM 2019: Eastman unveils Romeo thinline, Cabaret acoustic

One’s a versatile archtop, the other’s a modern nylon-stringed guitar.

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Ahead of Summer NAMM 2019, Eastman has shown its hand with two new models: the Romeo and Cabaret. The former is a thinline archtop created by master luthier Otto D’Ambrosio, while the latter is a contemporary nylon-stringed instrument designed in collaboration with John Buscarino, another master guitar craftsman. Here are the details:

Romeo

Eastman Romeo Thinline landscape

This stunning semi-hollow is the first entrant in an all-new series created by D’Ambrosio. It features a unique cutaway body shape, solid spruce top and mahogany laminate on its back and sides. You’ll also find a one-piece mahogany neck that sits below an ebony fingerboard. According to Eastman, the guitar’s tonewoods are a key component to its lightweight, versatile and ergonomic form.

As for pickups, the Romeo is loaded with a pair of custom-wound Lollar Imperial humbuckers. These pups are one half of the ‘tone’ equation, as D’Ambrosio explains: “Romeo’s voice combines the best plug-in signal, coloured by its sweet semi-hollow body construction”.

Rounding out the Romeo’s features are Gotoh hardware, an attractive pearl headstock logo and a classy Goldburst nitrocellulose finish.

Lists at $2,199/€2,199.

Cabaret

Eastman Cabaret acoustic landscape

Eastman is billing this instrument as a “must-have” for players of jazz and fingerstyle. The brand has taken the nylon-stringed guitar blueprint and upgraded it with modern appointments. These include an LR Baggs LB6 pickup, Schaller GrandTune tuners, a cutaway for better upper fret and a narrower nut width that’s said to give you an electric-like feel.

As for its tonewoods, the Cabaret features a solid spruce top, cedar neck, ebony fingerboard, as well as flamed maple back and sides. The back, in particular, is carved in order to enhance both projection and lower mid-range clarity, according to Buscarino. The luthier also commented on finer build details: “The two-way truss rod makes for a super easy setup and the oval hole adds a modern touch to the overall aesthetic”.

Lists at $2,999/€2,999.

More info at eastmanguitars.com. And for the latest Summer NAMM news, click here.

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