Your assertion that Eastwood Airlines are real Airlines because Mike, who I believe to be a good guy, bought the name raises an interesting question: since major manufacturers like Gibson and Fender have undergone repeated changes of ownership, key personnel, manufacturing facilities, and specs, who really has the right to claim the name, the owner of such, or rather the entity that builds the best or more authentic version of a particular model? Beats the heck out of me. I do not know, I was not there, but I have read in the guitar geek press that Res-O-Glass turned out to be much more expensive to manufacture than anticipated and, as such, did not do so well for Valco, and also that the National Map guitars and such were pretty pricey in their day. But will it be worth the investment, especially if you’re a gigging musician? Perhaps… perhaps not. If you ever come across a Res-O-Glass guitar, by all means have a go – you might even love it. There’s a reason why most guitars by most brands are made of wood, after all.īut we’ll leave the final answer to you – after all, in everything in life, and certainly when it comes to guitars, your own taste is what matters, and it’ll change from player to player. Let’s face it, a tone-chambered mahogany body beats plastic any day.
#Airline guitar bighorn professional
So, the big question, then: are the new Airline guitars by Eastwood better than the originals? We would say so – just as many professional musicians playing one, worldwide also would. But now… are they really worth the price tag they go for today, after the Jack White hype? Mmmm… If you got one dirty cheap in the 90’s, that would’ve been definitely 100% worth it, even if no one wanted to buy one anymore, today. The vintage Airline Res-O-Glass guitars are undoubtedly cool, and any guitarist will get extra kudos for owning one. The new Airlines sound great, rich, and are more comfortable and familiar to play than vintage ones.
Despite the fact other musicians over the years have opted for vintage Airline Guitars (PJ Harvey, Calexico, Black Keys, Brian Jonestown Massacre) it was Jack White who most certainly brought the brand (especially the now-iconic JB-Hutto guitar shape) to the attention of a wider audience.Īirline 59 2P – the current version of the classic Airline model, by Eastwoodīut, of course, there are other, less obvious but very important changes – or, as should we call them, upgrades: the tone-chambered mahogany body, Airline vintage voiced Single coils (Humbucker-sized), tune-o-matic bridge and bolt-on maple neck. Hutto, whose red Airline must’ve been one of the inspirations for Jack White playing one, decades later:Īh yes… Jack White. One of the first performers to be closely linked to the instrument was bluesman J. However, this characteristic made those guitars quite unique, and eventually a few professional players started to appreciate the qualities of the Res-O-Glass tone as “a thing”. Most Airlines were made of Res-O-Glass simply because it made them cheaper and quicker to be put together – with no particular regard for quality or tone. They were never intended to be great-quality instruments – but cheap alternatives for beginners who couldn’t afford bigger brands such as Fender, Gibson or Gretsch. The original Airline guitars were cheap, plastic (or rather, “Res-O-Glass”) models made between 1958-1968 and sold by Montgomery Ward via shops and catalogues. But, how do the new ones, made by Eastwood Guitars, compare to the originals? Res-O-Glass vs. Airline guitars have come a long way since their late-Fifties early days.