Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 20 Sep 2007 8:23 am |
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Here's my review of the Artisan EA-2 from January 2006:
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I finally received my EA-2 today after it being back ordered for months. It came well packed, with the legs in a separate bag. I wish the bags were somehow connected, but I think this is a good cost-saving compromise.
The three legs are made of thin metal, but feel sturdy when installed, and fit well into the recessed holes provided. I think they've upgraded the tuners as well - they seem much nicer than I remember on the EA-1. The connectors are tight and should last for a while. Because the leg holes are recessed, you can play this guitar on your lap like the EA-1 without discomfort.
The bottom part of the legs (the part that fits into the top) is numbered in inches up to 35. I like this feature, because you can set the legs to the same mark each time you set up.
My biggest problem is the legs aren't long enough to play while standing. I'm only 5'8" tall and with the legs fully extended, the guitar comes up to my crotch, so I have to lean over slightly to play. If you're playing while seated, the legs are arranged so they stay out of your way.
The bridge is an adjustable bridge, which I don't think I'll ever adjust. The nut is made of wood. If I had to upgrade it, it doesn't look like it would be a big deal.
The fretboard is black plastic with gold paint for the frets, and is screwed into the wooden body. The frets appear to be accurately placed. There are fret markers in Roman numerals at III, V, VII, IX, and XII, with the same markers repeating in the next octave (rather than XV, XX, etc.). The paint on the fretboard looks like it will come off easily, but I don't plan on fretting about it.
The tone and volume controls work as expected. The pickup is a generic black pickup. I don't have an amp here at work to plug it in, but I'll try to experiment with it when I take it home.
I put on a new set of GM Lap Steel strings (.018 to .056), tuned it to open D (bass to treble D A D F# A D), and played for a while. Even unplugged, this has a pretty good sound.
All in all this is a great deal for $80 (including shipping). It won't replace any of my other guitars, but it's a good one to have hanging around the office or in the bedroom, and if it gets damaged, I won't lose any sleep over it. I wish the legs were longer, but that's about my only complaint.
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