PART II
Are there any negatives to this guitar? There are a few if one were to look at every possibility of play and craftsmanship, since any guitar will have an Achilles heel. First, the neck is not what I call a ‘fast’ neck. Based on the radius/curve and shape of various necks, I do have guitars that are designed for faster fretting. But as stated, this guitar is like a re-issue from an era when metal blazers did not exist. And that’s all right, since anyone into ‘shredding’ likely would not be attracted to this guitar for what it has to offer. It’s like buying a Cadillac and wanting to race the Autobahn.
Correspondingly, the pickups do not have as much punch as guitars conceptualized in today’s age, e.g., EMG Active Pickups, and so amp volume needs to be a bit higher as compared to modern rocker-type guitars with hyper-sensitive pickups.
Last, unless requesting custom work, this model is available in only two colours, white or seafoam green. The green is very nostalgic looking, and for whatever reason I am drawn to white guitars (now owning three of them), and so the colour limitation was not an issue for me.
In sum, many of us buy and sell guitars, sometimes whittling down a collection of the most essentials and favourites. The Eastwood Airline ’59 Custom 3P is destined to be one of those guitars that will remain faithful to the collector. You will understand what I mean when you try to Net search for Eastwood guitars through private sellers (e.g., Kijiji or Craig’s list), finding very few if any. But then search for other name brands and you get dozens or even hundreds of hits.
The quality of construction and sound is enough to make you want to hold onto the Airline ’59, but its overall personality and charisma will captivate you from day one. Because Kurt Cobain loved his retro guitars and their retro looks and tones, and more particularly the Fender Jaguar, I have no doubt he eventually would have played an Eastwood model. He would have been hooked by the seafoam green, lured in by the vintage cream, and fell in love with the Sahara blue.