Can CF rival Wood? NGD, and for me, it can!

[martingitdave]

I'll stick with my old Wilson persimmon woods and balatta balls thank you very much. No carbon fiber gizmos for me. The 4-wood is a dandy. It goes at least 160 yards. :-)

[Mr Fingers]

Thanks for these posts -- including the golf references -- as it is super-interesting to hear the positive CF comments. I have had no opportunity, ever, to try a really performance-built CF instrument, and have been baffled by the absence of such guitar from the marketplace. As I get more and more bummed out by deforestation, I'm more and more interested in CF. Is the material usable through relatively non-toxic, environmental processes? I'd love to have a humidity-resistant guitar, and a good sounding one in CF, but only if it's a fairly benign build process.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Mr Fingers

Thanks for these posts -- including the golf references -- as it is super-interesting to hear the positive CF comments. I have had no opportunity, ever, to try a really performance-built CF instrument, and have been baffled by the absence of such guitar from the marketplace. As I get more and more bummed out by deforestation, I'm more and more interested in CF. Is the material usable through relatively non-toxic, environmental processes? I'd love to have a humidity-resistant guitar, and a good sounding one in CF, but only if it's a fairly benign build process.

The nice thing is, the composite builders are fairly small operations and very approachable. In fact, some are fairly frequent member posters mostly in the AGF CF subforum. They would likely be happy to discuss any concerns you might have. Maybe frequent the CF subforum to know more about them, ranging from more traditional to avant-garde designs.

[mercy]

Since this is an opinion forum Ill say that I would have one if I lived there or something like that but today the RH is 45% outside. Now we do get down to 10% sometimes outside but I dont play outside.
I love wood and the experience of touching and looking at it rivals the sound and playing of it so CF is something Id avoid if at all possible. Black plastic looking and feeling as well as sounding to my ear.
I do understand there is a place for them though.

[mot]

Originally Posted by mercy

Black plastic looking and feeling as well as sounding to my ear.

I wouldn't call this black plastic looking. The Emerald X20s actually sound pretty good too.

[martingitdave]

DHart,

That's the prettiest carbon fiber guitar I've seen in a long time. The photography is very good too. Well done. I hope it sounds half as good as it looks.

[ac]

Originally Posted by mercy

Since this is an opinion forum Ill say that I would have one if I lived there or something like that but today the RH is 45% outside. Now we do get down to 10% sometimes outside but I dont play outside.
I love wood and the experience of touching and looking at it rivals the sound and playing of it so CF is something Id avoid if at all possible. Black plastic looking and feeling as well as sounding to my ear.
I do understand there is a place for them though.

You do realize that in the dark, your wood guitar and the carbon fiber guitars will feel exactly the same. Wood guitars have the same "plastic" coating as carbon fiber guitars.

When you pick up your wood guitar, you see wood, but your hands are touching nothing but plastic except for the fretboard. Your fingers are on a hard, glossy surface either way.

And my carbon fiber fretboards feel the same as my ebony fretboards. Both polished to a satin smooth texture.

So it's really a matter for the eyes. With the Emerald veneers, you can have the best of both worlds. Don't have one with the veneer but wish I did.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by mot

I wouldn't call this black plastic looking. The Emerald X20s actually sound pretty good too.

That's a beauty! Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that the Royal Ebony wood veneer?

[jdinco]

I'll spare you the details, but I was once a hard core "woodie" CF guitars were OK, but not my cup of tea, mainly due to the tone, now I still have my SCGC D-12 and 3 CF guitars. Things change, and if you haven't tried some of the newer offerings out there from RS, CA, Blackbird or Emerald (if you know someone that has one) you are missing something. The sound of my X20 is second to only a few in my opinion, and they are way way more expensive. You still may not like them, but that's OK. Step out of your box.

[superfluidity]

Originally Posted by mercy

Since this is an opinion forum

Yep and your opinion is welcome here, a good point to. To me it would be like me trading my Corvette in on a Prius, never going to happen. But those who own a Prius will defend them, as they should. Over the years I have come to enjoy the sound of Brazilian Rosewood under a great Spruce top, but I certainly won't push that combo on any other player. And, like you say, this is an opinion forum and the OP asked for our opinions.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by superfluidity

Yep and your opinion is welcome here, a good point to. To me it would be like me trading my Corvette in on a Prius, never going to happen. But those who own a Prius will defend them, as they should. Over the years I have come to enjoy the sound of Brazilian Rosewood under a great Spruce top, but I certainly won't push that combo on any other player. And, like you say, this is an opinions forum and the OP ask for our opinion.

I sure accept your opinion and understand what you're getting at, but your analogy is faulty. You may want to look into what some of the most expensive sports cars, boats, etc. are being made of...and it's not even the very best of woods. But if you want to stick to cars, I'll take your corvette (which actually has a lot of carbon fiber in it) and raise you a Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Lamborghini, or McLaren, all of which have a lot of CF in them. Some pretty fine tones coming out of those babies.

[superfluidity]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

I sure accept your opinion and understand what you're getting at, but your analogy is faulty. You may want to look into what some of the most expensive sports cars, boats, etc. are being made of...and it's not even the very best of woods. But if you want to stick to cars, I'll take your corvette (which actually has a lot of carbon fiber in it) and raise you a Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, BMW, Lamborghini, or McLaren, all of which have a lot of CF in them. Some pretty fine tones coming out of those babies.

Excellent point, I wasn't clear about my thinking though. In my analogy, I wasn't referring to the body material, I was thinking of the reason I have a Corvette, the sound of my Corsa exhaust behind the LS1 engine, to me one of the best sounds I have had (this is my third show car), that -vs- the quiet electric engine that is so very different. Thanks for letting me clarify my thought pattern. Be back later, I am going to go for a ride. :>)

[mot]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

That's a beauty! Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that the Royal Ebony wood veneer?

Yes it is.

PS My sources tell me that the McLaren F1 is the best car ever built and they come with a life time we'll fly out and fix it warranty. They are only available used these days but the warranty goes with the car. I don't know that I agree that it's the best, but I can't argue with an 11 year old car expert.

[tbeltrans]

This idea of CF sounding like wood or rivalling wood, used to come up in the original MacNichol carbon fiber guitar forums fairly regularly. My answer was (and still is) always the same.

If you are considering purchasing a carbon fiber guitar, buy it on its own merits. Forget about pretending it is, or sounds like, a wood guitar. It isn't and it doesn't. I owned three original CA Guitars Cargos then, and I still have them today. I like them for what they are, not what I want to imagine them to be. Do that, and there is no disappointment or disillusionment down the road.

Carbon fiber sounds different from wood, just as different woods sound different from each other. Why not just enjoy the various carbon fiber sounds that different manufacturers get from their designs? They all sound just fine on their own merits.

Tony

[Methos1979]

I have owned both wood and CF guitars. I like both. When all is said and done I will most likely have one really nice wood guitar and one really nice CF guitar. For me that would cover my needs, which are admittedly minimal since I am a 'one-trick-pony' player at best.

I have owned three CF guitars now: An Emerald X20 Artisan, a Rainsong Shorty APLE, and a Journey Overhead OF660. All three were great guitars in their own ways. The Emerald and the Rainsongs were sold off as each had something that I didn't quite like about them, mostly being scale, neck carve and on-board electronics - never tone. I still have the little OF660 because it's a great little travel guitar that breaks down and fits into a backpack.

I have an Emerald X20 Custom on order that is due in a few months. I took everything I love about the various wood guitars I've owned and am having them add that while removing the things I don't like about the stock X20. I'm excited to get this guitar. I will post a NGD here in the general so all can see and hear it. Great guitars for sure.

If I ever go down to just one guitar, it could very well be a CF.