I have been eyeing an airline guitar for some time now and was looking at the MAP for a few years. I never took the plunge for reasons unknown.



Any way a few weeks ago a stumbled across this reissue of the H78 (how i missed this being released i dont know). Being a massive black keys and Dan Auerbach fan i just had to have this guitar. As this is the guitar Dan uses during live shows for there "early music section" this was the tone i have been chasing for a while. I am pleased to say this guitar can deliver that tone by the bucket load especially with the right pedals in front of a cranked valve amp.



The guitar was well set up from straight from the box and i didn't need to touch a thing on it although i wanted to as i like having a play with these things. The finish on the frets is brilliant at this price point and has no fret buzz or high frets from what i can make out which is in stark contrast to an electromatic gretsch i have which seems to buzz all over the place.



Although this has a center block installed (unlike its namesake) it does not seem to affect the vintage tones you can obtain from this guitar and if anything i prefer it for the sustain and warm tone it adds.



I was a little hesitant to order an airline because it is not a make which you see everywhere all the time in the guitar world. I read a few reviews to see how the quality of manufacture was and they were all positive so i took the plunge and i am so glad i did. The build quality is fantastic and the finish and set up on point. The included hard case was another bonus and is top notch again in the quality department. The gold foil pickups are just magic and the tonal options endless with each one having its own switch as well as a tone a volume. I find the neck blended with a little bridge pickup sounds fantastic and it sounds every part a vintage axe.



Needless to say Carl at Eastwood UK looked after me and answered all my questions (i had a few to say the least). He even done me a nice deal on an airline strap which is also fantastic.



If you are not sure whether you should buy this guitar my advise is you most defiantly should.

Having only owned it for 3 days I haven't had time to try it properly as yet, as I've been too busy. However, I plugged it in briefly when it arrived. Apart from looking ultra- cool, it also sounds great and is not too heavy on the knees - unlike my 1950s Fender lap steel which weighs a ton. The tone variations seem pretty wide and I'm very pleased with it so far. The guys at Eastwood UK were also a pleasure to deal with - very helpful indeed. PS Nice fitted case too !

I just picked up a used 2010 black Tuxedo. It's a real mojo machine! I love a good guitar with its own characteristic tone. And this sure got it. Definitly worth the money.



In short: A really cool guitar with great playability !

I just picked up a used 2010 black Tuxedo. It's a real mojo machine! I love a good guitar with its own characteristic tone. And this sure got it. Definitly worth the money.



In short: A really cool guitar with great playability !

I just picked up a used 2010 black Tuxedo. It's a real mojo machine! I love a good guitar with its own characteristic tone. And this sure got it. Definitly worth the money.



In short: A really cool guitar with great playability !

I just picked up a used 2010 black Tuxedo. It's a real mojo machine! I love a good guitar with its own characteristic tone. And this sure got it. Definitly worth the money.



In short: A really cool guitar with great playability !

Awesome retro style and tone! So glad I picked this up. Mike & Co. were extremely helpful and went above and beyond to get this axe in my hands in just a couple of days. I was bummed that they were out of the deluxe case, but lo and behold, I opened up the box, and there was that beautiful "tweed" tolex and AIRLINE logo! You can't go wrong with these guys!!!

Awesome retro style and tone! So glad I picked this up. Mike & Co. were extremely helpful and went above and beyond to get this axe in my hands in just a couple of days. I was bummed that they were out of the deluxe case, but lo and behold, I opened up the box, and there was that beautiful "tweed" tolex and AIRLINE logo! You can't go wrong with these guys!!!

I'll preface this review by saying that this guitar is imperfect, as are all guitars, in some way. Some of my comments to follow will be enthusiastic almost to the point of hyperbole. Please bear in mind, however, that I'm not claiming that this or any instrument is without flaw.



Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me tell you about how much I love this guitar.



I LOVE THIS GUITAR. I don't know what I was expecting when I ordered it--I took a leap of faith and bought one without ever having played or heard one in person before--but the Airline Map has completely exceeded my expectations. It has become my very favorite guitar incredibly quickly, but I didn't want to write a review until I'd put it through its paces. In my case, that means I needed to play it in three crucial settings: practicing, a live gig, and in a recording environment. I don't like to opine before I've taken a guitar through these situations, as they're the main ones in which a musician will find him or herself, and only once you've done so can you really begin to know an instrument's capabilities and weaknesses.



Let's get the bad news out of the way (and I don't think there is much to complain about here). I have two main issues with the Map at this point, and both are probably things I'll learn to work with as time goes on, so they're unlikely to be dealbreakers for anyone else. First, I've never owned a guitar with a Bigsby-style vibrato system before. While I didn't mind the strings that Eastwood had on the guitar to begin with, they weren't my preferred .11 size. Changing them turned out to be quite a challenge, though now that I know how to do it, I imagine it will get easier the second time around. But make no mistake, performing this operation in a pinch at a gig if a string broke would be no small task. My second issue is that I have yet to find a straight-up, totally pristine clean tone from the Map that I really love. This thing loves dirt in all forms--dial in even the tiniest little bit of grit, and the guitar seems to really come to life--but it sounds a little odd without any drive in the signal. Again, this could simply be a matter of living with the guitar for awhile and allowing my ears and taste to adjust to what the Map is. Because it is NOT a standard-sounding electric guitar, and that is without question what I love most about it. So I'll probably come around and I may not even consider it an issue in the future.



Now, the good news--and there's a LOT to talk about here. It's been remarked on in many reviews of the Airline Map how "alive" this guitar sounds when played acoustically. This is due to the chambered body and I cannot stress enough how accurate an observation this is. Aside from how breath-taking the instrument looked upon opening the case, the very next thing I noticed about it was how this guitar seems to have that lively quality that has, until now in my experience, belonged exclusively to hollow and semi-hollowbodied instruments. For reference, I have a Fender Coronado II which I absolutely adore, but I can barely use it live because the second I turn up to gig volume, it's "Welcome to Feedback City, Population: Me." But the Map doesn't have this issue. In fact, while it's far easier to generate feedback with the Map, it's much more musical and controllable, and the guitar is otherwise very quiet when you're not asking it to make any noise.



The hardware is excellent, high-quality stuff that seems tough enough to last a long time. I haven't had any reason to look inside the guitar yet, but based on the sound, I assume the electronics are well-assembled. The tuning can drift a little if you employ the Bigsby, but keep in mind that it's a vibrato system that was designed to facilitate a little wobble, not to accommodate 80s hair metal dive bombs and you'll be fine. Just stretch your strings really well when you put on a new set, and be sure to check your tuning between songs, and everything will be fine.



In addition to the aforementioned great looks of this guitar (and we'll circle back to that momentarily), the tactile experience of holding and playing this guitar is a sheer joy. The body is incredibly comfortable and the neck is well-balanced, which is a quality I personally prize; I hate being at a gig, taking my hand off the fretboard for an instant to adjust my mic stand, and having the headstock dive for the floor. Not a problem with the Airline Map. The neck itself is thin and plays exceptionally well. I don't have the biggest hands, but I can reach all the frets incredibly easily. The finish is glossy but hasn't slowed me down at all--no friction from sweating on a hot stage after 3 hours.



Finally, let's get superficial for a moment. The Map is, quite simply, a goddamned good-looking guitar. I mean, let's call it like it is: it's hot. Super hot. Dead sexy. There's no way around it. You strap it on, and nobody will be looking at you, they'll be looking at your guitar. You'll be like, "My eyes are UP HERE" but it won't matter. Play this thing at a gig, and the janitor will have to mop the dancefloor between sets to remove the sweat and drool. (Full disclosure: I bought the limited edition Sky Blue model. Your mileage may vary with different finish colors... but I doubt it.)



To summarize, if you're even thinking about acquiring a Map, you should probably just do it. I know, I'm a bad influence. But whatever, you'll thank me later. And you'll thank Eastwood, too. Now that I've gotten my hands on the Map, I'm thinking of selling off my other guitars and buying one of the '59 Newports in black. What a dynamic duo that would make...

This is my first Eastwood/Airline Guitar and I should mention that I have about thirty guitars in the collect years. I don't mention this to boast, I mention it to let the reader know there is an experienced collector who appreciates the quality of this instrument.



The first thing I liked was the overall build quality. This is a world class instrument period. The Airline Map I received plays like a cream puff, sweet buttery perfection. There are zero bad for et spots. The fret crowning done at the factory is top notch and very professional in feel.



The tone from this guitar is perfection! I had a huge smile on my face playing this guitar. I played some bluesy rock, blues and some jazz too. Of course the rockabilly and beach music sounded great as well.



Overall this guitar to me is a bargain and I say this from experience. I own Gibsons, Fenders, etc. This guitar is as good as anything else out there that is deemed "professional quality". I will be looking at other models because these are worth the purchase.

I'll preface this review by saying that this guitar is imperfect, as are all guitars, in some way. Some of my comments to follow will be enthusiastic almost to the point of hyperbole. Please bear in mind, however, that I'm not claiming that this or any instrument is without flaw.



Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me tell you about how much I love this guitar.



I LOVE THIS GUITAR. I don't know what I was expecting when I ordered it--I took a leap of faith and bought one without ever having played or heard one in person before--but the Airline Map has completely exceeded my expectations. It has become my very favorite guitar incredibly quickly, but I didn't want to write a review until I'd put it through its paces. In my case, that means I needed to play it in three crucial settings: practicing, a live gig, and in a recording environment. I don't like to opine before I've taken a guitar through these situations, as they're the main ones in which a musician will find him or herself, and only once you've done so can you really begin to know an instrument's capabilities and weaknesses.



Let's get the bad news out of the way (and I don't think there is much to complain about here). I have two main issues with the Map at this point, and both are probably things I'll learn to work with as time goes on, so they're unlikely to be dealbreakers for anyone else. First, I've never owned a guitar with a Bigsby-style vibrato system before. While I didn't mind the strings that Eastwood had on the guitar to begin with, they weren't my preferred .11 size. Changing them turned out to be quite a challenge, though now that I know how to do it, I imagine it will get easier the second time around. But make no mistake, performing this operation in a pinch at a gig if a string broke would be no small task. My second issue is that I have yet to find a straight-up, totally pristine clean tone from the Map that I really love. This thing loves dirt in all forms--dial in even the tiniest little bit of grit, and the guitar seems to really come to life--but it sounds a little odd without any drive in the signal. Again, this could simply be a matter of living with the guitar for awhile and allowing my ears and taste to adjust to what the Map is. Because it is NOT a standard-sounding electric guitar, and that is without question what I love most about it. So I'll probably come around and I may not even consider it an issue in the future.



Now, the good news--and there's a LOT to talk about here. It's been remarked on in many reviews of the Airline Map how "alive" this guitar sounds when played acoustically. This is due to the chambered body and I cannot stress enough how accurate an observation this is. Aside from how breath-taking the instrument looked upon opening the case, the very next thing I noticed about it was how this guitar seems to have that lively quality that has, until now in my experience, belonged exclusively to hollow and semi-hollowbodied instruments. For reference, I have a Fender Coronado II which I absolutely adore, but I can barely use it live because the second I turn up to gig volume, it's "Welcome to Feedback City, Population: Me." But the Map doesn't have this issue. In fact, while it's far easier to generate feedback with the Map, it's much more musical and controllable, and the guitar is otherwise very quiet when you're not asking it to make any noise.



The hardware is excellent, high-quality stuff that seems tough enough to last a long time. I haven't had any reason to look inside the guitar yet, but based on the sound, I assume the electronics are well-assembled. The tuning can drift a little if you employ the Bigsby, but keep in mind that it's a vibrato system that was designed to facilitate a little wobble, not to accommodate 80s hair metal dive bombs and you'll be fine. Just stretch your strings really well when you put on a new set, and be sure to check your tuning between songs, and everything will be fine.



In addition to the aforementioned great looks of this guitar (and we'll circle back to that momentarily), the tactile experience of holding and playing this guitar is a sheer joy. The body is incredibly comfortable and the neck is well-balanced, which is a quality I personally prize; I hate being at a gig, taking my hand off the fretboard for an instant to adjust my mic stand, and having the headstock dive for the floor. Not a problem with the Airline Map. The neck itself is thin and plays exceptionally well. I don't have the biggest hands, but I can reach all the frets incredibly easily. The finish is glossy but hasn't slowed me down at all--no friction from sweating on a hot stage after 3 hours.



Finally, let's get superficial for a moment. The Map is, quite simply, a goddamned good-looking guitar. I mean, let's call it like it is: it's hot. Super hot. Dead sexy. There's no way around it. You strap it on, and nobody will be looking at you, they'll be looking at your guitar. You'll be like, "My eyes are UP HERE" but it won't matter. Play this thing at a gig, and the janitor will have to mop the dancefloor between sets to remove the sweat and drool. (Full disclosure: I bought the limited edition Sky Blue model. Your mileage may vary with different finish colors... but I doubt it.)



To summarize, if you're even thinking about acquiring a Map, you should probably just do it. I know, I'm a bad influence. But whatever, you'll thank me later. And you'll thank Eastwood, too. Now that I've gotten my hands on the Map, I'm thinking of selling off my other guitars and buying one of the '59 Newports in black. What a dynamic duo that would make...

This is my first Eastwood/Airline Guitar and I should mention that I have about thirty guitars in the collect years. I don't mention this to boast, I mention it to let the reader know there is an experienced collector who appreciates the quality of this instrument.



The first thing I liked was the overall build quality. This is a world class instrument period. The Airline Map I received plays like a cream puff, sweet buttery perfection. There are zero bad for et spots. The fret crowning done at the factory is top notch and very professional in feel.



The tone from this guitar is perfection! I had a huge smile on my face playing this guitar. I played some bluesy rock, blues and some jazz too. Of course the rockabilly and beach music sounded great as well.



Overall this guitar to me is a bargain and I say this from experience. I own Gibsons, Fenders, etc. This guitar is as good as anything else out there that is deemed "professional quality". I will be looking at other models because these are worth the purchase.

This is my first Eastwood/Airline Guitar and I should mention that I have about thirty guitars in the collect years. I don't mention this to boast, I mention it to let the reader know there is an experienced collector who appreciates the quality of this instrument.



The first thing I liked was the overall build quality. This is a world class instrument period. The Airline Map I received plays like a cream puff, sweet buttery perfection. There are zero bad for et spots. The fret crowning done at the factory is top notch and very professional in feel.



The tone from this guitar is perfection! I had a huge smile on my face playing this guitar. I played some bluesy rock, blues and some jazz too. Of course the rockabilly and beach music sounded great as well.



Overall this guitar to me is a bargain and I say this from experience. I own Gibsons, Fenders, etc. This guitar is as good as anything else out there that is deemed "professional quality". I will be looking at other models because these are worth the purchase.

Another well made guitar from Eastwood/Airline. I received the guitar, tuned it to Open D, plugged it into my Fender Super Champ X2, and blasted off from there! I'm sure to get a lot of enjoyment out of this axe. It's a very comfortable guitar. The action was set just right. I believe that from here on out, I'll never own anything but an Eastwood or Airline guitar. They're fantastic!

I own many other guitars and my Tuxedo is my favorite by far, I am thinking of getting by a black one as a backup and play these exclusively.

Service was brilliant and the staff were very friendly

I own many other guitars and my Tuxedo is my favorite by far, I am thinking of getting by a black one as a backup and play these exclusively.

Cannot fault this guitar, except the for initial setup ; the intonation wasn't quite accurate when I received it. But that is corrected now and it sounds exactly like I hoped it would! It is a sound that inspires one to escape from your comfort zone to try new styles and tunings.



First thing I noticed is how comfortable it is. The body is perfectly balanced and sits very comfortably in your lap. The neck is extremely playable and the fret finish is also very nice.



Plugging it into the dirty channel of my Peavey Classic 50 with pre- and post gain set to 6, it immediately delivered that raunchy tone it is renowned for, even at very low levels. For me, the neck pickup is where this guitar really shines; warm and gritty, but always well-defined.

Great player right out of the box. Love the pickups, even without the traditional 5 way switch there is a lot of tonal variety. I play mine thru a Fender Blues Deluxe and really I would feel comfortable playing just about any style. The only downsides is that it's a little heavy for me (I'm old and I'm a runt) and when playing it sitting down my forearm will inadvertently bush against the knobs and whoa where'd my tone go?

Great player right out of the box. Love the pickups, even without the traditional 5 way switch there is a lot of tonal variety. I play mine thru a Fender Blues Deluxe and really I would feel comfortable playing just about any style. The only downsides is that it's a little heavy for me (I'm old and I'm a runt) and when playing it sitting down my forearm will inadvertently bush against the knobs and whoa where'd my tone go?