[tbeltrans]

Of the CF guitars I have played (a few Rainsong models such as the Parlor series and a few larger models, an early Emerald X7, several other original CA Guitars models), the original Cargo is by far my favorite. From what I have read here, more and newer models and makers are arriving in the market. I have not had access to these, so maybe I would find a new favorite when exposed to these newer offerings.

By the way, all three of my Cargos are identical. They are pre-Peavey and have the wine color RT finish. I also much prefer the RT finish over anything else. I preferred the wine color because it seemed more subdued than some of the other choices at the time (around 2007). Unfortunately for me, the exposed carbon fiber that I have seen on various CA Guitars models, gives me a headache. It does something to my eyes, so I really couldn't live with that finish. I really liked the OX, except that the ones I saw all had that finish.

I find it interesting that all the things some other people used to complain about regarding the Cargo in the old McNichol forum, are things that I really like - the very short scale of the Cargo, the wide fretboard, the small size. To me, the solution to holding the Cargo is to use a strap. Regarding the short scale, I treat the Cargo as a 12 fret instrument with some extra reach. The wide fretboard is great for me for fingerstyle. The Cargo is still one of the most comfortable guitars I have ever played. It is a real asset also to be able to leave them laying around my condo instead of worrying about humidity (or lack thereof).

Edit: Regarding the RT finish, the main complaint people seemed to have is that if you had a pickup in the Cargo, then you would get the noise from your fingers and/or hand rubbing against the top. I play in a classical style technique, so my fingers only touch the strings and I get no rub noise even with the installed K & K pickups, which seemed to be the worst offenders for this type of noise.

Tony