Your dream veneer?!

[GuitarDoc]

We're probably all "Emeraldists" to some extent. Some more infatuated than others. We've poured over the emerald web site and Facebook pics. Seen the videos.

So what is your dream veneer and why? (Present owners include what factor steered you toward your present choice and what you would want next or would have done differently ).

[Acousticado]

GD, until recently, although I had appreciated the look of the wood veneers that Emerald had been using, I was of the view that I didn't want my CF guitar "pretending" to be a wood guitar in any way. In fact, I really like the look of exposed carbon weave in all CF brands, Emerald being my favorite. My Chimaera has had the amber weave on the top/headstock, but solid gloss black on the b&s because I quite like the look and transition between the two, as well as being reminiscent of a CA GXi tobacco burst top/solid gloss black b&s I had owned and loved the look of.

Now, one veneer in particular posted on an X20 a few months ago changed that for me.....the cocobolo/sapwoods we've all seen. I was totally smitten, so I now have a new 6/12 Chimaera with that veneer on order. Unlike most it seems, although I very much like the look of exposed CF, personally I'm not particularly a fan of the wood top/exposed CF b&s look (whether black or amber). So, my new coco Chimaera will have solid gloss black b&s.

[Captain Jim]

I think the cocobolo veneers were a game-changer; they were for me. It was a posted image of an X20 coco that got me off my butt to make that first contact with Emerald. Two Emeralds later, I still don't have a cocobolo veneer... but, I truly enjoy seeing all the gorgeous options (and absolutely hooked on my louro preto veneer).

Lest we miss the point, these guitars also sound and play great - the veneers are eye candy... but the sheer beauty makes me pick up that guitar more often. Win/Win.

For full disclosure, my first carbon fiber guitar, a RainSong Shorty, "freed" me from thinking about wood... tone woods, humidifying, babying - all that "wood stuff." And now, thanks to these Emerald veneers, we can have the beauty of exotic woods, with none of the fuss, and all the great sound.

[Kerbie]

Funny... what attracted me to Emerald was that I could order a custom nut width. The cool veneers were just icing on the cake!

My first CF was a Cargo Raw and I was fine with the black or charcoal gray look. I liked the Rainsong too. With Emerald, the black was OK, but the amber also appealed to me a lot. I ended up ordering the Woody Maple, so I hope I'll like that as much as the amber. I should know in a couple weeks... I'll report back...

[Matt_Adamas]

Spalted maple all the way. I've been wanting a nice spalted maple guitar for a while, don't care if it's acoustic or electric but I want one.

Matt;

Don't be denied, rust never sleeps.

[ceciltguitar]

Cocobolo!!

[Matt_Adamas]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Matt;

Don't be denied, rust never sleeps.

Well I need to have my X-7 quilted woody arrive first before I get another one

Matt;

Why? If you wait, you'll just have another long wait later on.

[new2guitar_eh]

Like many others, the cocobolo with sapwood down the middle simply knocked my socks off

[Methos1979]

My first X20 was an Artisan model in cobalt blue color. I bought it solely to check out the carbon fiber rage and was pleasantly surprised with just how good it sounded. But there were a number of things that I didn't like about it - the long scale, the neck shape, the barn door pickup and quite frankly the color was not my favorite. So I sold it off.

Then I saw the amber colored ones and really liked that color but again with all the down sides I just let it go as I was too busy buying/selling/trading wood guitars. A funny thing happened on the wood guitar side: I went from not really liking sunburst on acoustics to liking certain burst finishes. I now love and prefer a really dark burst finish, hence the Santa Cruz 1929 00 all-hog burst guitar in my sig.

Then I saw the cocobolo X20 with the amber back and sides and like many I was blown away. Then another. Then another. Finally I emailed Sean to see if they could make me a custom X20 woody with amber back and sides and cocobolo veneer top BUT also make me a custom neck that is basically a clone of my Santa Cruz in scale, nut and ss widths and most importantly, neck carve. "Yes, that is no problem." was the answer. Oh, really? Okay, here's my money!

I selected an awesome veneer that has what I want: Very dark, lots of figuring, sapwood center with some geometry. Should be an incredible guitar. Can't wait! I was presented with several veneers to choose from and only one other one was really cool but the cocobolo won me over as I like really dark.

I've been interested in the conversations with a few others that are considering darker colors on the back and sides. Someone threw out root beer. That might be cool but right now I'm still really digging the amber.

Quilted Maple for me.
I like a lighter coloured top on a guitar and also I'm just mesmerised by the figuring in that timber!

[Puerto Player]

I just sent then an email for a custom build from whatever the heck that wood was at the 6:20 second mark on the video. Short scale, 1 11/16, neck narrower at the body, X20 artisan. That was wood.

[Doubleneck]

Here was one of my dream veneers, can you guess it? Got close to give you a chance.

[Doubleneck]

Olive wood on the interior of my 2013 Lincoln MDX, bought it used just a little while ago, nice dream at the time, nicest car I ever had.