The Eastman Romeo SC Hollwbody Guitar is a new limited edition thinline and largely hollow archtop electric design by Otto D’Ambrosio at the Eastman Custom Shop in California.
Intended as an imagining of what ‘The Telecaster of the Archtop World’ would be, the Romeo started with defining its balance and player’s hand positions. The body is fairly small at 14.75 inches across, and the ‘Single Cut’ design gives plenty of access to the fretboard.
Drawing from their archtop instrument history – Eastman is one of the largest builders of violin family instruments – the Eastman Romeo SC features a carved, solid Spruce top on a Laminate Mahogany back and side set. It’s not completely hollow, as is apparent from the use of a non-floating adjustable bridge and a stop tailpiece; there is a solid block to support those components. The neck is Maple with an Ebony fingerboard.
For non-electronic hardware, top quality Gotoh parts are used. Tuners are a Gotoh SGS510Z HAP set. HAP stads for Height Adjustable Post, and allows the player to tune the string’s downward angle from the nut to the tuner post. The bridge and tailpiece are a Gotoh Gotoh GE-104B and GE-101A set, all nickel plated.
Electronics on this version of the Eastman Romeo SC include a Tele-style Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack in the neck position and a Duncan humbucker in the bridge. Some versions have used a pair of humbuckers. Eastman has paid attention to what most often fails on import guitars – the pots, switches and output jacks – and used US made Switchcraft and CTS components.
This is a very nice guitar, well built, well finished, very well balanced, versatile and sounding great.
DETAILS:
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Neck material: maple.
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Fingerboard: ebony.
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Fingerboard radius: 12 inches.
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Neck profile: traditional even “C”.
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Nut: bone, 1.72 inches.
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Nut height: .022 inches.
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Fretwire: 22 Jescar FW47104-P.
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Scale length: 24.75 inches.
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Body style: Thinline archtop.
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Body dimensions: 14.75 inches by 1.75 inches.
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Body top: Solid spruce.
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Body back/sides: mahogany laminate.
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Truss rod: single acting.
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Binding: top and back.
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Binding material: ivoroid.
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Logo: pearl headstock.
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Inlay: pearl dots.
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Side dot colour: pearl half circle.
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Finish: gloss finish.
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Hardware colour: nickel.
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Tailpiece: Gotoh GE101A-NI.
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Bridge: Gotoh GE-104B-NI.
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Tuners: Gotoh SGS510Z-S5-HAP-XN.
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Knobs: ebony dome knob.
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Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan vintage stack.
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Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan humbucker.
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Pickup height: 3/32 inches.
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Pickup frame: black plastic.
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3-way switch: Switchcraft 12120X.
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Switch tip: Switchcraft black T12742.
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Capacitors: 0.047μf.
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Potentiometers: CTS 500k audiotaper.
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Output jack: Switchcraft l11.
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Strings: D’Addario NYXL .011 – .049.
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Case: hardshell case.
