Interesting conversation. Somebody in this thread indicated this was an argument. However, it seems to me to be merely a discussion with differeing views and tastes in guitars represented. If we all shared the same view and taste, there really would be little need for discussion. the main thing is respect for one another's views. Such discussion about the Cargo or carbon fiber guitars in general is not "beating a dead horse" any more than discussion of any other maker's instruments whether the company still exists or not.
I have played the Emerald X5 and the X10. I did not care for the sound of either, though I do think they are well built guitars and can certainly see the appeal for other players. For me, there was something just missing from the guitar. I realize that some would claim that it did not have the right strings or that my technique was not right for the guitar or whatever. But I never had that problem with other instruments, so there is definitely something different with these guitars. Other instruments I have played might have sounded better with different strings or technique, but they all sounded "right" to my ears to begin with.
For me the Cargo is the "perfect" guitar. It has a sound that I personally really like acoustically and I also much prefer the shorter scale length with the 1 3/4" nut width. Other people who have heard me play the guitar unamplified have said they liked it too and were surprised at the sound that could come from such a small instrument. It is shame that CA Guitars did not survive, and I am sure that there are many reasons for it, some of which have been discussed in these forums, but also with these things, we on the outside will probably never know the whole story.
Anyway, I have three RT wine-colored Cargos, all without whatever quality issues some have experienced. All three have the K & K pickups installed by Marty at The Podium. It took some experimentation to get a sound out of them that I liked, but in the end it was worth the effort. The Cargo seems particularly challenging in that area, with its strong midrange component.
Opinions will vary from person to person on these issues, so I want to make it clear that I am merely stating my own preferences in guitars. I think the Emerald guitars that I played were decent instruments, but just not for me. For others, there have been many comments in this and the MacNichol forum that the scale length of the Cargo was too cramped. Again, for some people this will be true, but not for me. We are all different in our tastes, playing styles/technique, and overall needs in a guitar. I feel very fortunate that the Cargo matched my needs/wants so well. It can take a lifetime of buying/selling/trading to find that "right" instrument. To me, it has less to do with price, the name on the headstock, and that sort of thing than it does with how workable it is for a given player.
There was a lot of excitement and discussion about the CA Guitars and especially the Cargo when it was on the market and the company was active and productive. It stands to reason that there will continue to be discussion and speculation about both in the future. Whether the Cargo increases or decreases in value over time is of little importance to me personally because I intend to just continue to use my Cargos as they were intended. I do hope that CA Guitars' products see the ligt of day with Peavey and that they continue to generate the interest they did in the past. If anything, the excitement generated by CA Guitars certainly seemed to raise overall awareness of the merits of carbon fiber instruments among players in general, and that is a good thing in my opinion. Rainsong, Blackbird, Emerald, are all making very nice instruments that would cater to a variety of players' needs. I hope that trend continues.
Tony
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