Review of new GJ models at NAMM

Bones

I'm a little surprised Eastman didn't have a booth where you could try the stuff in a little quieter environment. Yeah that floor at NAMM is crazy loud.

billyshakes

dennis wrote: »

Godin GJ guitar:

I was the one responsible for this guitar. It’s something that started over 10 years ago when I first met Robert Godin. I kept pestering the Godin company to make a GJ guitar.

I remember seeing Sylvain Luc play a Godin Multiac at Samois sometime in the early/mid 2000s. (2004? 2005?) I'm surprised it took that long for them to make a GJ model. Do you think their reticence to build a wider guitar is due to cost? Or is this new model just seen as a variation in shape from their Multiac?

dennis

Day 2:

Showed up early at the Eastman booth and was able to try the instruments in peace. Well, the instruments definitely sound like GJ guitars, but a tiny bit on the trebly side, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I personally prefer the sound of the cheaper Altamiras, but that’s entirely subjective. It depends on what you are looking for. I think playability wise , these guitars were the easiest to play at NAMM along with the Godin, but that’s because the Godin has an electric guitar neck.

Like I said, the Altamiras were not set up at all, and the few that Tommy did set up did play well but not quite as well as the Eastmans. The best way I can explain it, is that if you have a strong technical foundation on GJ guitars, it’s not a huge difference in playability but if your technique isn’t that strong or you’re not used to playing on GJ guitars, the Eastmans might feel a lot easier, especially for those coming from other styles of music.

I personally feel the best Altamira was the new 650$ budget model. It was one of the few that were set-up. Again, it’s very plain looking but everything is there. If you want something somewhat fancier looking and potentially easier to play (would have to see if they set every single guitar up properly), then you pay 1250 for the Eastman. Don’t forget though that if you do get the 650$ Altamira, you absolutely need to find someone who can set it up for you.

For the Saga , their cheaper models are significantly better than their flagship models but they have that mid rangy honky Gitane tone that most people know about. Not a bad sound, but very typical of Gitane.

My verdict? I personally feel that the 650 Altamira could be the biggest threat to Saga’s monopoly on quality/price instruments. But the people at Altamira need to play it right and make sure that the instruments are set up.

For Gitanes and Altamiras, ignore anything above 1000$, go for their basic models.

If for some strange reason, you want to spend more than a 1000$ then you definitely go for the Eastmans. The difference between both models is minimal and mainly in aesthetics. I was under the impression that the vintage model would cost more but they both had a price tag of 1250. Unless it’s a mistake and the vintage will cost more, i personally would opt for the cheaper model as it’s practically the same.

Otherwise, read what I have to say here:

http://denischang.com/index.php/2016/12/01/choosing-the-right-guitar-for-gypsy-jazz-part-1/

Bones

Thanks for the info D!

gitpicker

Great review Denis! I'll have to check out the Altamiras at one of the trade shows in China here in a couple months. Hanson is a nice guy and I'm happy to see he came out with a budget model!

The Eastman $1250 price is MSRP so the street price for those will actually be less. Eastman has another model coming out at Summer NAMM this year too.

Do you recall what the price of the Godin will be? I like what they're doing with that too.

All great!

dennis

Good to know that the street price will be cheaper!

Day 3: I had more opportunities to sit down and try all the models again. Re: the Godin: my initial review stands but I will add the following:

If they follow my advice, then it will be a legitimate GJ guitar and an ideal solution for people who often play noisy venues. It would also be a great instrument to practice quietly at home. It’s not a quiet instrument, but it doesn’t have the massive projection of an actual GJ guitar.

If they don’t follow my advice, the guitar would still be usable but it is guaranteed that every GJ player will say that it isn’t an actual GJ guitar in sound and feel. The lipstick stimer style pick up is the closest element to making it sound real.

They made me demo the guitar, and I posted a clip on my FB. In the video, my stimer lipstick is plugged into a tube amp and the mic system was plugged into an acoustic amp. My buddy Emmett was only plugged into the acoustic amp. This was great as it would demonstrate both sounds. I purposely set up the amp in such a way that the stimer would be dominant. It was really close to Django’s late 40s sound! Unfortunately, as we started playing, the soundman decided to boost the acoustic sound on my guitar to make it match the volume of the tube amp, and that completely killed the effect that I wanted to demonstrate.

Anyway, if they release the instrument as is, it ‘s basically another steel string multiac but kinda simulating a Gypsy Jazz guitar. So actually, it has a wider appeal than to just GJ guitarists. I could see jazz musicians playing it, fingerstyle people , etc...

EASTMAN:

Went by their booth again. Same comments as before, but I will definitely vouch for the set-up. I really hope that all the guitars will receive the same set-up. The Eastmans were by far the easiest instruments to play at NAMM in my opinion (this can be subjective too). For anyone absolutely wanting to spend 1000$ or more, this is the guitar to get if you can accept that the guitar is slightly on the trebly side. I made this comment to them. Again it s not necessarily a bad thing, and it doesn’t sound bad to me, but it’s different from what I’d want.

ALTAMIRA:

As always, this is really where I spend most of my time because it’s quieter. The 650$ model is a serious contender in my opinion. Tommy set it up as best he could and it’s definitely playable. I had no problem with it, it’s a typical GJ set up but with slightly higher action , but for some people with weaker technique, it might be a bit tough, whereas the Eastmans should work for every one. Tommy explained that due to the construction of the Altamiras, he had to raise the action to a certain level to make the instruments sound right. I’ll take his word for it, he knows what he’s doing and the sound is definitely there.

Updated verdict:

The SAGA are what they always were, and they have good resale value. For me, at NAMM the two big contenders are the 650 altamira and the plain Eastman model which according to Doug, will be cheaper than 1250$, if the cheaper model (plain finish) ends up being 900$ , it could rival the 650$ Altamira. Like I said, it all depends on how the Altamira is set up. If you receive it without any proper set up, you will have to spend extra to get it set up. If Eastman is consistent with the set-up, then you could spend a few extra hundred dollars and be done with it. The Altamira has a more average typical GJ sound to my ears, the Eastmans have the sound as well but slightly more trebly. Again, try the instruments for yourselves if you can and you can try to see what you like.

For people who like numbers (keep in mind that this is entirely subjective)

650 altamira :

sound 8.2/10 (no budget model can reach 9 in my opinion as we are trying to compare to high quality luthier made guitars)
Playability (after Tommy’s set up) : 7.8/10 (see my explanation about Tommy having to give it higher action)
Playability of other instruments out of box (no set-up): anywhere between 4 and 6.8/10

Gitane DG-250:

Sound: 7.2 /10
Playability of the various models at NAMM (not set up) : between 6 and 7.5/10

Eastman:

Sound: 7.9/10
Playability: 9/10 (I would even give it 10/10 but the idea of playability can be subjective)

Godin:

Acoustic sound from a GJ perspective: 6.7 (it’s almost there, if they can bring it to 7.5 , it would be great)
Playability (keepind in mind it’s an electric guitar neck with longer scale length):8.7 (I deduct .3 points because it doesnt’ feel like a real GJ guitar)
Sound from lipstick pickup (comparing it to stimer) : 8.7

There you go! My full unbiased review!

There was another brand MR with a GJ guitar, but they freakin put bronze strings on it and the action was off the chart... Piece of junk as it was presented.

TDog

thanks for this Dennis - great insights. Hopefully they sort out the neck on the Godin. I don't play live much, but it would be great to have a GJ guitar to play at home at low volume.

I was also thinking about upgrading my Gitane to an Eastman or Altamira, though after reviewing your comments, maybe I will just stick with the Gitane until I can justify a hand built guitar if the difference between the Gitane and an Eastman / Altamira isn't that great.