#1
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Interesting Rainsong observation
Went to the Atlanta GC yesterday to see if they had any good use stuff. Noted in the acoustic room that at least half the guitars were now locked. And a sales dude seldom in sight. And he didn't have a key. What good is that?
Not much interesting to see. A locked up Bourgeois mini jumbo. And a locked up Collings D 1. I found a used Rainsong AWS unlocked. Pretty clean except for a gothy skull decal right in the middle of the top. I thought Rainsongs were supposed to be impervious to age related guitar issues like environmental distortion. Although the guitar was clean cosmetically, the neck was badly bowed and the top was so badly distorted by string pull that it was badly in need of a Bridge Doctor. Classic big dip in front of the bridge and big jump in back. Kind of like when you build a guitar and forget to brace it. Is this the long term future of a Rainsong, or is this guitar an Anatoly? It's probably about 10 years old from my research on the model. |
#2
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That sounds very odd...might have gone to h**l and back and stayed there a wee too long on a hotter than normal time of year... just guess in'.
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YUP.... Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3, CA: Early OX and Cargo McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc |
#3
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#4
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The distortion was so so severe that that it needed a Bridge Doctor. The guitar sounded kind of dead as well. The guitar didn't show signs of obvious abuse.
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#5
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Extreme thermal abuse could account for that, and would not be obvious to the casual observer. Carbon fiber guitars are durable in terms of temperature and fully impervious to humidity, but they are NOT indestructible.
A guitar exposed to prolonged extreme temperature could develop distortions like you described. My WS-1000 from 2001 still looks brand new, as did the 2002 era WS-1000 that visited with us this morning. The only thing I've noticed over the years is the nut and saddle turning from creamy white to a golden brown hue. I don't know if they are Tusq or bone -- probably Tusq. |
#6
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The price was $999, which I thought was decent. I would had to remove the decal. But I the top was toast without a bridge Doctor, the only reasonable repair. I wonder if the lackluster tone was caused by some heat damage to the top?
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#7
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If it were me, I would not take the chance for anything over about $400. Then you might risk a bridge doctor. That might mostly cure the sinking top, but may not restore the tone. Carbon fiber is remarkably stable, but is also remarkably difficult to repair if there are problems. Rainsong uses two layers of CF in the construction of their tops. I would do a LOT of tapping of the top to see if there is any buzzing, a sure sign of de-lamination between layers.
For ~$1500 you can get a brand new C-H series in WS or OM size from Ted with a pickup. Or ~$1350 without a pickup. https://www.laguitarsales.com/index....ectronics.html https://www.laguitarsales.com/index....o-element.html |
#8
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I’m surprised to hear that it’s in this condition, I’m with Earl, I wouldn’t touch it with a barge-pole.
And I‘ve actually got a barge-pole, so that’s not the problem. |
#9
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Plenty of owners of 20+ year old RainSongs reporting no problems. The A-WS was a lower cost product and maybe a different material set that could be impacted by heat. It is possible for a RainSong top to delaminate if you remove the bolts under the bridge, which might explain what you saw. A little distortion of the top is normal for their unbraced design. At that price there is little reason not to spend a bit more for a new Concert Hybrid.
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#10
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I think I have seen that sticker on a window of a truck "Got Barge-Pole?"
__________________
YUP.... Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3, CA: Early OX and Cargo McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc |
#11
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I have no intention of purchasing this guitar. I would have to get a CF guitar at a ridiculously great price to get one. I've never bought a CF bike either. Steel is real. Just like wood.
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#12
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Carbon is a vital constituent of both steel and wood. No carbon, no steel and no wood!
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#13
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The A-series (was it Advanced series? I forget) was a lower-cost model, and they weren't made to the same standards as the current Rainsong lineup. You can always tell the A-series apart from the "regular" Rainsongs due to the mold indentation on the back. It looks like this is the one you're describing: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Rai...4GC-adType^PLA
You can clearly see the indentation, about 1" inset from the outside edge all the way around. The regular Rainsongs do not have this indentation. |
#14
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That's the one!
I was once on a group bike ride. Our pack was racing down a hill at about 45mph when several bikes crashed. A CF bike shattered into about 7 pieces. |
#15
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