If youРІР‚в„ўre looking for an archtop that can stand up to the big boys, but doesnРІР‚в„ўt cost an arm and a leg, this just might be the guitar youРІР‚в„ўve been looking for.Archtop guitars are very popular in the Jazz, Blues and Rockabilly genres. Is it really an РІР‚СљL5 with a few differences?РІР‚Сњ Probably not, but it does have a similar build, solid tone and sleek look, all itРІР‚в„ўs missing is the Gibson logo, which these days is the most expensive part of any Gibson guitar. ItРІР‚в„ўs easy to play, sounds good and runs for less than two grand, which in this economy is an important consideration for many guitar buyers.

If youРІР‚в„ўre looking for a well built and affordable archtop to add to your collection then check out the Eastwood РІР‚СљDoral.РІР‚Сњ ItРІР‚в„ўs a well-built instrument. IРІР‚в„ўm not recommending that itРІР‚в„ўs better than when the guitar is plugged in, just that if someone wanted to grab the guitar off its stand quickly and play through a tune, they wouldnРІР‚в„ўt cringe from the tone or strain to hear their lines and chords. But the РІР‚СљDoralРІР‚Сњ felt good to play, had a nice tonal quality to it, and seemed to invite me to explore new areas of the guitar and new fingerings that I wouldnРІР‚в„ўt normally play on my solid-bodies, which was something I hadnРІР‚в„ўt expected from the instrument when I first picked it up.Р”Р‡or those who like to practice acoustically, or even perform acoustically on an archtop while running it through a mic, the РІР‚СљDoralРІР‚Сњ is loud enough, and has enough acoustic tone, that one could do this no problem. This was surprising, because I normally play solid-body guitars, PRS and Teles, and havenРІР‚в„ўt really been a fan of archtops in recent years.

While my main purpose for playing the guitar was to test it out for this review, I have to admit I had a lot of fun playing it and found myself having a hard time putting it down at the end of the day. Otherwise, I found the tone to be consistent across the neck, which made it easy to play and to let my ears and hands do their thing, without thinking about РІР‚СљwhereРІР‚Сњ I had to play in order to make the guitar sound its best. 10 round wounds so it was a little bright for my normal tastes, but IРІР‚в„ўm sure if I had wanted to bring the guitar out on a gig a new pack of Chromes would have rounded off the tone to a level that IРІР‚в„ўm used to.

Overall I was happy with the tone that I got out of the РІР‚СљDoral,РІР‚Сњ I was using DРІР‚в„ўAddario. I like to use both amps when trying out a new guitar because I donРІР‚в„ўt always want to practice on my stage rig, but I always want my guitar to sound good in the practice room, fancy amp or not. The first was my gigging amp, a Polytone Mini-Brute II, and the other was a Peavey 8-inch practice amp thatРІР‚в„ўs definitely seen better days. Now that I was acquainted with the feel of the guitar in my hands, it was time to plug it in and take it for a test drive. In my opinion, the РІР‚СљDoralРІР‚Сњ passed this test with flying colors, and the luthierРІР‚в„ўs who designed this instrument should be commended for building a guitar that is so perfectly balanced from front to back. IРІР‚в„ўve played way too many expensive big-box guitars that are either front or back heavy, causing the guitar to tilt one way or the other when sitting down, or in some cases even standing up. For me, this is a big consideration when buying an archtop guitar. The РІР‚СљDoralРІР‚Сњ sat perfectly balanced on my lap, even without having a strap to hold it in place, and I never felt like I had to steady the guitar while I was playing it. Yes it weighs as much as youРІР‚в„ўd expect from an archtop that size, but once I got it in my hands I never really felt like I had to fight the instrument to feel comfortable with it. When I first opened up the case and had my first look at the РІР‚СљDoralРІР‚Сњ I couldnРІР‚в„ўt help but think, РІР‚СљOh man, nice looking guitar but my back isnРІР‚в„ўt going to enjoy taking it through the paces.РІР‚Сњ To my surprise, and my chiropractorРІР‚в„ўs chagrin, this was not really the case at all. What is even more remarkable about that statement is that itРІР‚в„ўs not far from the truth, at least as far as the size, relative shape, woods used and pickup configurations are concerned.Р”Р„s someone whoРІР‚в„ўs played L5РІР‚в„ўs, and used to own an L4 but that had to sell it for a Telecaster because the weight and size of the guitar caused me back problems, I was a bit wary of playing on an archtop again for this review. In the company video below, the Eastwood Doral guitar is described as an РІР‚СљL5 with a few differences.РІР‚Сњ Now thatРІР‚в„ўs a pretty bold statement for any guitar company to make, especially one whoРІР‚в„ўs comparable guitar comes in at around 1/4 of the price of a low-end L5.

Eastman guitar reviews archtop