We’ve got a full-on monster chubby for Eastwood’s reissues of forgotten classics. There we’ve said it: we feel better. While the original axes that its reissues are based on can be expensive (and hard to find), Eastwood’s guitars are affordable and generally better built than the originals.

According to Eastwood, the 1950s Stratotone H44 guitar is “one of the coolest blues/slide guitars ever made. We’ve kept 99 percent of this baby true to the original, but we’ve improved the pickups and upgraded to an adjustable neck.” But was it worth all that effort?

The H44’s neck is so chubby it could give flab-Nazi Gillian McKeith sleepless nights. You’d think its considerable girth would make it tough to play, but fat necks can feel surprisingly comfortable. The H44 sweetens the deal with a low action.

Verdict

This guitar is a blast to play. Thanks to the solid ash body and twin mini humbuckers this sweet little Airline sounds as fat as it feels. We spent most of our time playing slide on the H44 (it absolutely rules for slide!) but it’ll handle anything you throw at it: trashy blues, punk, you name it.

4 Stars

Pros: It’s pretty, awesome playability.
Cons: Too quirky for some?