Eastman’s archtop range covers everything from relatively affordable laminated hollowbodies to fully carved jazz guitars. The useful way to choose between them is not by model number alone, but by body size, construction, pickup layout and how traditional you want the guitar to feel.

Quick answer: which Eastman archtop suits you?

• AR372CE — a traditional-feeling 16-inch laminated hollowbody with twin humbuckers and a 24.75-inch scale.
• AR372CE-P90 — the same broad idea, but with Dogear P-90s for a more open, rawer pickup character.
• AR403CED — a shallower 16-inch laminated archtop with a 25-inch scale and twin humbuckers.
• AR503CE — a useful step into solid-top construction, with a single neck humbucker and laminated maple back and sides.
• AR580CE — similar territory to the AR503CE, but with upgraded trim, gold hardware and a Seymour Duncan Jazz neck pickup.
• AR603CED-15 — the compact all-solid option, with a 15-inch body and twin Seth Lover humbuckers.
• AR605CED — the larger 16-inch all-solid twin-humbucker choice.
• AR805CE — a 16-inch fully carved spruce-and-maple jazz archtop with a single Lollar neck humbucker.
• AR810CE — the larger 17-inch fully carved option for players who want a more traditional big-box feel.

1. Laminated, solid-top or fully carved?

The biggest dividing line in the range is construction. The AR372CE, AR372CE-P90 and AR403CED use laminated maple construction. They are the natural starting point if you want an Eastman hollowbody without immediately moving into the price and sensitivity of a carved instrument.

The AR503CE and AR580CE move to a solid spruce top while retaining laminated maple back and sides. That puts them neatly between the laminated models and Eastman’s all-solid or fully carved guitars.

The AR603CED-15 and AR605CED use all-solid spruce-and-mahogany construction, while the AR805CE and AR810CE move into fully carved spruce-and-maple territory.

2. Body size matters more than the badge

If you find large jazz boxes physically awkward, the 15-inch AR603CED-15 is the obvious place to look. It gives you all-solid construction and two humbuckers without the bulk of a traditional 16- or 17-inch archtop.

Most of the range sits around the familiar 16-inch format. The AR403CED and AR503CE are comparatively shallow, while the AR605CED and AR805CE are deeper 16-inch instruments. The AR810CE stretches to 17 inches and is the natural choice if you specifically want the feel and presence of a bigger traditional jazz guitar.

3. One pickup, two humbuckers or P-90s?

Pickup layout changes the character of the guitar just as much as body construction. The AR372CE, AR403CED, AR603CED-15 and AR605CED use two humbuckers, making them the most conventional choices for players who want both neck and bridge sounds.

The AR372CE-P90 keeps the familiar hollowbody format but swaps to Dogear P-90s. If your choice is really between those two pickup families, our AR372CE vs AR372CE-P90 comparison is the quickest route.

The AR503CE, AR580CE, AR805CE and AR810CE are more traditional single-neck-pickup instruments. If your playing lives mostly on the neck pickup anyway, that simpler layout may make more sense than paying for controls and hardware you rarely use.

4. The useful comparison ladder

Rather than comparing every model with every other model, work through the range in steps:

• AR372CE vs AR372CE-P90 — humbuckers versus P-90s.
• AR503CE vs AR603CED-15 — larger single-pickup solid-top versus compact all-solid twin-humbucker.
• AR603CED-15 vs AR605CED — 15-inch versus 16-inch all-solid twin-humbucker models.
• AR605CED vs AR805CE — same broad 16-inch size, but very different construction and pickup philosophy.
• AR805CE vs AR810CE — 16-inch versus 17-inch fully carved jazz archtops.

5. Which one would we start with?

For a first Eastman archtop, the AR403CED and AR503CE are particularly easy places to begin. The AR403CED keeps the cost and construction relatively straightforward while giving you two pickups and a shallower body. The AR503CE costs more, but the solid spruce top and single Seth Lover neck pickup move it closer to the traditional jazz-guitar brief.

If compact size is the priority, go straight to the AR603CED-15. If fully carved construction is the priority, start with the AR805CE and decide whether you really need the larger 17-inch body of the AR810CE.

Still undecided? Browse the full Eastman archtop range or ask owners in the Archtops & Jazz forum.