Eastwood Guitars Twin Tone

Eastwood's Twin Tone is a copy of the Supro Dual Tone of the early 1960s, with updated electronics, a wooden body as opposed to the original fiberglass, and a more playable "shallow-C" profile neck. As far as I can tell, my Twin Tone was made in China in 2008. It comes equipped with a pair of "hot-rail" humbuckers, with nicely-chromed covers, a 3-way switch to choose neck or bridge pickup, or blend the two, and volume and tone controls for each pickup. I claim no expertise regarding guitar electronics, so I have no idea as to the difference between a "hot-rail" and some other sort of humbucker pickup.

The Twin Tone has a solid, fairly heavy body of Basswood and a bolt-on Maple neck with 23 frets set into a rosewood fingerboard with nicely-inlaid MOP block markers. There are also fret-marking dots on the side of the neck. It comes in several colors, but I bought one in black. The finish is excellent, and I've found no flaws.

As for body style, it's not quite a Les Paul, though it's about that small, and it lacks the "horns" of a Strat. I wanted a guitar that didn't look like everyone else's Gibson, Epiphone or Fender, and the Twin Tone fills that bill nicely without being overly large. It came with a Tune-O-Matic bridge, which I like, and Kluson-style tuners of indeterminate make, which I'm less enthused about, though their look is certainly authentic to the early 1960s period of the original. A Bigsby tremolo is optional for $129, but I bought mine without it, and settled for the custom chrome tail.

The "shallow-C" profile of the neck is thin, and the frets substantial. I've found it easy to play for the most part. From the standpoint of long-term comfort, I prefer the rounded triangle cross-section of my Ovation, but the "shallow-C" works just fine, and it's smooth finish makes for easy runs up and down the Rosewood fretboard.

The guitar itself doesn't come with any accessories of which I'm aware. I bought mine with the Eastwood hard case, however, and inside the case was a nice, flexible 8 or 9-foot practice cable for plugging in, which I didn't expect.

I'm not a professional, but mostly play blues, country and alternative, in that order. For what I usually play, this guitar has gorgeous tone in abundance. It can be smooth and jazzy or thick and crunchy, and it can be tweaked to have that warm, slightly fuzzy tone I've come to associate with Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, and some of my other musical heroes from the early 1960s blues scene. My practice amp is the smallest Fender they make, the Frontman 15G, and my "regular" amp, because I play a couple of acoustic-electrics, too, is a Fishman Loudbox Performer. The Twin Tone sounds great through both of them, though it doesn't have the edge or bite it might exhibit if I were playing through a Marshall.

Along those lines, I suppose the Twin Tone could be greatly overdriven if metal is your thing, but it's not mine, so I've not tried it that way.

Action was smooth, balanced, and just a little bit high when I took the Twin Tone out of the case for the first time. Pickups seemed fine, and the adjustments allowed by the Tune-O-Matic bridge were properly done.

I've found only two things to complain about.

One is that the "Airline" logo on the headstock isn't fully seated flush with the headstock's finish. I wrote to Mike Robinson at Eastwood about this, and was told that instructions to the factory in China are to countersink the holes for mounting the Airline logo, so that it fits flush, but that the factory generally fails to do this. Mike regards this as one of the problems of overseas manufacture. Frankly, this is a minor complaint. The logo isn't going to fall off, it's just slightly tilted because the pegs on the bottom haven't been inserted as far as the design calls for.

The other flaw is a little more serious. The neck on my Twin Tone is just slightly misaligned. The distance between the low E string and the edge of the neck is about 1/8" all along the length of the neck, but the distance between the high E string and the edge of the neck varies from 1/8" at the nut to a bit more than 1/4" at the body end of the fretboard. The neck is tilted ever-so-slightly to the left when facing the front of the guitar. It's not noticeable visually, and in general it doesn't hamper the guitar's playability, but on occasion I've found it bothersome.

Otherwise, the Twin Tone is gorgeous. The paint job is superb, the chrome on the hard tail and the pickups is flawless, the frets are nicely finished, without rough edges, and other parts fit the way they're supposed to.

I've only had the guitar for a few weeks, so I really have no idea about its reliability. Based on other Harmony Central reviews of Eastwood products, I expect it to last as long as I do. Initial impressions support that idea. It's a fairly heavy guitar, and seems quite solidly put together. I'm not quite convinced by the tuners, but quality components seem to be the norm everywhere else. The Tune-O-Matic bridge is plenty tough, knobs, switches and strap buttons solidly attached, and the finish is plain gorgeous. I've seen no reason to believe I couldn't depend on it. Maybe years of professional experience would teach me otherwise, but as a non-professional, I'd certainly take it with me to play somewhere without a backup instrument.

Mike Robinson at Eastwood is straightforward and helpful. E-mails get answered, and usually within 24 hours. Amazing for this day and age! The warranty is for 3 years, but I don't expect to need it. I went to some trouble and expense to get a different pick guard installed on my particular Twin Tone, and I didn't want that effort and expense to be wasted, so nit-picking over the neck alignment didn't seem worthwhile, tough Mike said I could send the guitar back to him if it was an issue. If I did that, however, I'd lose the pick guard arrangement I like, and the neck issue doesn't really affect playability.

I've been playing for decades, suffered through years of lessons that didn't take, and don't quite "get" guitar theory, but I enjoy doodling around with it and playing rudimentary blues nonetheless. I have an 80s Fender Squier, an Ovation and an Ibanez acoustic-electric in addition to the Twin Tone, so I don't lack for instruments to play. If the Twin Tone were lost or stolen I'd be very distressed, and I'd try to replace it. I love the look and the sound of this guitar, though I wish it were not quite so heavy. My favorite appearance feature (negotiated with the dealer from whom I bought it) is the white-pinstriped black pick guard on the guitar's black body, with the white Airline logo on the black headstock. It really looks sharp. Sound-wise, it's the first humbucker-equipped instrument I've had in years, and I'm enjoying getting reacquainted with that sound. It's also easy to play, with a slightly shorter scale than my Squier.

Basically, I mentally compare it to my Squier, and to the Epiphone Les Paul that was my first electric guitar. The Twin Tone holds up nicely in those comparisons. All three were/are black, and they all sound good in their own way.

I bought the Airline Twin Tone based on the fantastic reputation of Eastwood Guitars and it's cool vintage vibe! I had the optional Bigsby tail piece installed which was $129 extra, glad I did, it looks killer on the gloss black finish. I wasn't too sure what to expect, I wanted a new guitar to play live so I could retire my EB MM EVH to the studio. I didn't want a typical guitar either, I wanted to have something that stood out from the crowd and boy does this thing stand out.

First impression was "WOW that is one cool guitar", I even called my wife in to see it and she said the same thing. The stylized single cut away is very nice and comfortable. The Dual Hot-Rail humbuckers sounded great right out of the box. The controls, separate volume and tone for each pickup and a 3 way toggle felt very solid and smooth with an even and continuous sweep.

The overall feel was what you would expect from a guitar costing considerably more. It is a steel at this price. The weight was nicely distributed, even with the Bigsby it was very well balanced. I didn't have to set it up at all, it was exactly the way I like it.

I play mostly rock to heavy rock. Just after I got the TT I put a set of my favorite strings on and tried it out in my studio, it tracked nicely and played great. There is a wide variety of tones available from the TT, you just have to experiment with the controls to find the right mixture of pickups and tone to zero in on the sound your after. It's sounds great in many positions.

Next I tried it with my small live setup, mostly boutique pedals and a Fender 75, a 1x12 point to point wired tube amp from 1980. The TT sounds beefy and tough, the pickups are really responsive and the overall sound could easily translate into a heavy rock without a problem.

Now onto the bigger rig... This one is a custom built head with 4-EL84's powering 2 Mesa 2x12 Rectifier cabs stacked running at 16 ohms. Going through the same pedal board as above, the TT smoked!!! Within seconds I had the sound I love, big chunky with a deep rich tone!!!

Also tried some drop D heavy riffing, and some heavy slide (wood slide) the TT handle that extremely well.

Originally when I bought the TT I thought I would have to swap out the pickups to get a thick sound but after my tests I don't think I need to.

I also tired the TT without effects in all three setups I mentioned and it pushes very
nicely on it's own, it cleans up nice too, All around great sound, way better than I expected.

The only thing I might do is switch the position of 2 volume controls, I tend to use my bridge pick up more so I like to have that volume control closest to my hand for volume swells and quick volume changes. This is just a personal preference and probably something I could get used to.

As I mentioned above all I did was put my favorite set of strings on it and the action was great, very comfortable and felt like I've had the guitar for years.

The black finish is beautiful, no flaws in the finish that I have seen and they did a great job installing the Bigsby.

The neck is seated very nicely and has good contact with the body.

From what I have experienced with the TT so far I would think this guitar would have no problem providing many years of enjoyment. It is a solid, well built instrument, I would play it live without a back up for sure.

I am going to give this a nine only because time is the test, but I don't foresee any issues.

I ordered from axeandyoushallreceive.com an excellent boutique guitar, amp and effects store. Scott is a great guy to deal with and extremely knowledgeable about everything he sells.

The guitar showed up in a couple of days and I have been enjoying it ever since.

One thing I noticed... from what I understand this guitar is usually ordered online and shipped which can be a frightening thought. The packaging was excellent, it actually came in two boxes a rectangular outside box and a wedge shaped box on the inside with paper supporting that box, and the inside of the wedge shaped box had form fitting foam supporting the guitar which was cover with a protective bag. When I started to take it out I couldn't believe the packing!

I have been playing for well over 30 years as a pro and as a semi-retired pro.

My main guitar for the past 13 years has been a Ernie Ball MM EVH, which in my opinion is one of the best over the counter guitars ever offered, I'm sure other EVH owners would concur. I also use a custom '62 reissue Strat with hotrails and some funky switching. A Godin Mulitac, Gibson Melody Maker, Fender P. I mentioned my amps in the other section.

In the past I've owned at least a half dozen Les Paul's, countless Strats and whole bunch of other gear, I've played with a lot of great gear. I don't excite to easily when it comes to guitars unless there is something very special about it.

I am not saying the TT is as good as the EVH, however it is a very cool, likable and affordable guitar, it is easy to settled into and feels comfortable right off the bat. It is exactly what I was looking for as a live replacement for the EVH.
And you can't beat the vibe this thing has!!!

If the Twin Tone were lost I would buy another, in fact I'm thinking of buying another one anyway!

This guitar is a hidden gem, if you get the opportunity, try one!

This is Eastwood's take of the Supro "Dual Tone". It is a kinda Les Paul body style. Tune-O-matic bridge, i think if memory serves me correctly, 21 frets. Nicely finished. Mine is white. Looks pretty close to the original. I had a Dual Tone but it was stolen in Nashville. This certainly plays better, but sounds a little different...more on that later. Pickups appear to be humbuckers, but they might be humbucker sized single coils like on the original supros. I really dig the looks of this guitar.

This guitar would make an excellent Blues guitar. Very crunchy sounding and perfectly unpolished = great for mississippi electric blues. Stock, this guitar has a KILLER slide sound. The pickups are not that bright, but crunch up pretty well. I played this guitar through a 70's vibrolux and a Hiwatt DR50. Sounded pretty great for blues and classic rock. This could nail the Missippi All-Stars / White Stripes sound. I will rate this an 8 because it is a one trick pony, but a pony with one very good trick!

Came well set up from the factory. After i tested it out, I change the pickups. There were nothing wrong with the pickups, i just needed something better suited for country, which i am currently playing right now. The neck was straight as an arrow and the action was true. No buzzing or flat spots. I actually had to raise the strings a bit for my liking. It is a heavy guitar. There were no major issues with this guitar. I think these guitars are made in japan or something. I dont take issue with guitars made by a CNC machine that makes accurate cuts and carves.

Well made guitar. I think it should last. Tuners may be the weak point, but as of now it is holding a tune well. Only time will tell. Everything else checks out. Nice frets. The electronics seemed to be rather high quality for an import. I am taking three of these guitars with me on the road. I never play live with out a backup (and another for open "g" tuning)

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent. Easy to get in touch with everyone and they are very proud of their products...and they should be.

I came across eastwood guitars because of the fact they reissued the Dual Tone. I was taken back at what an improvement their version is, most notably the adjustable truss rod. Remember, the original Supros were budget guitars to begin with, budget guitars made with 1950-60's technology. These are a vast improvment. Great guitar for the money, much better value than an Epiphone or vanilla mexican made fender. This guitar is plenty good enough to be used by a professional musician. Heck, Im using one over a closet full of Teles and SG's. Could it be better? Sure, it could have a better paint job, fancy in-lays, 3-ply pickguard, kluson tuners, but then it wouldnt be $500. This is all you need to tear it up, its a fantastic guitar and a Super reissue!

This is my first review ever - so here it goes. The design of the body is almost identical to the vintage Dual Tones made by Supro. Kinda a cool les paul rip-off, but in my opinion, better to look at and more comfortable to play. It is heavy, yet not as heavy as a les paul. Tune-O-Matic bridge. It appears to be made in China, but i am not certain so dont hold me to it. I had an original Dual Tone which was a beast of a guitar. It got stolen. The supros are not worth the premium you have to pay just for buying a vintage guitar, so I replaced it with this. It plays just as well - if not better than a warped neck supro. On a pure looks rating, this is a 10.

I am predominately a pedal steel player, yet from time to time I take lead duties in country / americana band. I am playing professionally. I started playing Tele's but eventually switched to SG's. I will now be playing this guitar with my SG's, probably as my main guitar. I really miss my old supro. Unplugged this guitar sounded fantastic. I believe that if a guitar sounds great unplugged it has the capabilities to sound really fantastic through an amp. However, I immediately changed out the pickups before i even pluged it into an amplifier and replaced the pots and pickup selector switch. Not that there was anything wrong with the stock sound or electronics, i just know what i like and need. This guitar really does the trick for what i want it to do. I would assume it sounds absolutely fine stock, but I am assuming it would probably be a better blues or rock guitar than a country chicken-picker. Lets put it this way, i didnt throw out the pickups or electronics, and they were certainly every bit as good, if not better then what epiphone is currently using in their guitars.

The guitar action set up came pretty close to perfect from the factory. They did a great job. I however play slide from time to time, so i like my action a little higher. This guitar plays every bit as good as the vintage supro. However there are some slight quality control issues which keeps the Airline from hitting a "10 rating" in this department. Paint is fine - as with most made in China guitars, the paint looks good but it is thick, possibly negatively effecting tone. Also, there are some gaps where the neck fits into the body socket. Big deal - you are not paying $1,000 for this guitar. I have seen plenty of American made telecasters with bad neck to body fit. Anyway, i tweaked it and got it to where it plays great. I have no major gripes with this guitar and i really enjoy playing it.

This guitar will withstand plenty of live playing and much abuse. I would never play any show with out a back up, it is down righ risky. Strings break and all guitars take a fall. It will be going all the way from Lousiana to Los Angeles rather soon, and i have no reason to think that it will not be dependable or that it is not worthy of the job. I have a lot of choices of guitars to use and Im using a $500 Airline Twin Tone. That is probably enough said.

Great, excellent, superb. Everyone is nice, they answer emails. I dont have any warranty issues and I doubt i will need any warranty work done. Good product, excellent value.

I really like this guitar. If it was lost or stole i would buy another one. I might buy another anyway.