My approach has been slow and rocky in some ways as I was slow to adapt to the CF guitars. My first was a Blackbird L13 which I really liked and after playing it for a few months sold it, got gass for a different shape and sound. But in retrospect I probably should have kept it and just gotten another.
Ted at LA Sales is a great person to work with and I was able to try the APSE and really loved the tone of that guitar and the tuners where really great. My only reservation was the finish I prefer the gloss for handling all the time, seems easier to keep clean, but that's just my personal preferance. The guitar was super to play.
Then I got a used Shorty SG and still have it, I used it for the first time on a gig and was simply amazed at the sound out of this box with the electronics!! I have in the past been opposed to barn doors and avoided guitars with them, but now I am sold on it for sure. I was going for the straight acoustic but now I absolutely love this Fishman setup. It mixes in perfectly and the people I play with noticed immediately, they said in the past my acoustic wood guitars into a mic were hard to hear, this one was clear and mellow. I'm sold!
Also had a experience this past summer with low humidity at Festivals, one was under 5% in the high desert here in Or. and a few others in the 80% range. I was always casing and uncasing my Martin and using Humipacks worrying about it, the temp in the RV can fluctuate quite a bit. I start every day with about a 2 hour practice session when we are traveling, and some mornings it's cold, some hot, some wet some dry just all over the place as locations change. So when the weather and humidity in the RV was bad I would miss my practice time, just keep it cased. Pain in the a*%!
Now, I couldn't get that APSE out of my mind that Ted sent me, and I went on a quest to find a APLE that has the gloss finish and the mic mix setup. I wrote to Dave at Rainsong and he sent me the name of three dealers that he thought might have one still in stock. Ted's had sold long ago or he would have been my first call,,but I found one and it's being shipped this coming week. So I am happy I managed to get one, they only made 75 as I understand and only two left out there now on the new market.
I am down to one wood guitar now and I never thought I would say this but I don't see many more in my future purchases. There is only one guitar that is wood I would like to get, but when I do it will only be used indoors and for jobs that are climate controlled. My CF will be with me this coming summer traveling to Festivals and looking forward to not missing any more play time or outdoor jams! and as a bonus no more worries about cracking or seperating wood!
I am a convert for sure, and now I find the tone to be wonderful, rarely take my wood out to practice, it's been 19% here in the house this week as we had a rare snowstorm and heat running. My Rainsong sits on it's stand in my music room and never changes or complains a bit.......Love It! Jerry
