Carbon fiber as main guitar for fingerstyle

pcppps · #1 07-13-2016, 05:13 AM

Hi. I am new to this idea of carbon fiber instrument. As I am living in a humid area and tired of worrying about the wood, I would like to replace my taylor gs8 with a cf full size guitar. I mainly play fingerstyle .

Which models would u recommend?

I am eyeing on the KM by McPherson and raisong.

Thanks!

new2guitar_eh · #2 07-13-2016, 05:22 AM

You'll get various views but the reality is you can't go wrong. I have an Emerald X10 and play mainly fingerstyle (poorly, but that's another story) and love it. Have tried Rainsong, Blackbird and CA and all sound very good. I simply prefer the Emerald look and ergonomics.

SpruceTop · #3 07-13-2016, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcppps

Hi. I am new to this idea of carbon fiber instrument. As I am living in a humid area and tired of worrying about the wood, I would like to replace my taylor gs8 with a cf full size guitar. I mainly play fingerstyle .

Which models would u recommend?

I am eyeing on the KM by McPherson and raisong.

Thanks!

A RainSong WS1000N2 Classic is a wonderful all-around instrument. The WS1000N2 also comes in other variations: CO-WS1000N2 and BI-WS1000N2. There are also 12-fret variations of this body size.

http://www.rainsong.com/

Earl49 · #4 07-13-2016, 05:43 AM

The WS-1000 would be fine for your purpose. I play about 75% fingerstyle and just love my WS-1000. It is a bit more comfortable to hold than my koa GS, and feels more like a Taylor GA (I have several of those).

Eventually I may thin down to only CF guitars - they are that good. It is so nice to not worry about humidity in either direction. Because I am not forced to keep the guitar in a case with a damp sponge, the strings stay fresher longer. With wood guitars, I'm always opening up a case to dull and corroded strings, but the CF ones live out handy on wall hangers all year.

pcppps · #5 07-13-2016, 07:40 AM

Thx!

I prefer a warmer tone. And rainsong says co ws 1000n2 has the warmest. How will u compare it with Kevin michaels sable? As sable is the only full size for km.

Earl49 · #6 07-13-2016, 08:39 AM

The Rainsong CO or concert series has unidirectional tops instead of woven fabric, which reportedly gives a warmer & woodier tone. My take is that they are different, not necessarily better. I don't have nearly as much experience with CO's, but others will chime in here soon enough.

Most of us have no direct experience with the Kevin Michael, since they have only been on the market for a short time (new this year) and dealers are few and far between.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #7 07-13-2016, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcppps

Hi. I am new to this idea of carbon fiber instrument. As I am living in a humid area and tired of worrying about the wood, I would like to replace my taylor gs8 with a cf full size guitar. I mainly play fingerstyle .

Which models would u recommend?

I am eyeing on the KM by McPherson and raisong.

Thanks!

Hi pcpps,

Instead of giving you my opinion, let me tell you a story.

Some years back, a good friend who leads a Celtic band, Anita Mansfield, decided she wanted a more durable acoustic than her Martin dreadnought, both for their global tours, and for writing and recording at home, so she took my advice and came down to the store to try some carbon fiber guitars. At the time we had every CF brand available, so she was definitely in the right place.

After trying Emerald, CA, Blackbird, and Rainsong, she decided the Rainsong WS was the most versatile. Indeed the Rainsong WS is responsive, so outstanding for fingerstyle, and has plenty of headroom for those hard hitting Celtic tunes. This was a combo Emerald and CA did not offer. She did like the Blackbird Super OM, but given all the different options with Rainsong, she decided to focus in on that brand.

After several hours, she decided to go with the CO-WS1000N2. She liked that the unidirectional top added responsiveness without giving up headroom, and also appreciated the additional warmth, without getting muddy. The grand auditorium size is just about perfect for most musicians of course, plenty of volume, yet "couch friendly" for playing at home. And while she loved the electronics, you can get one without electronics and install what ever you like without needing any mods to the guitar. In fact, any luthier who can install electronics in a wood guitar will feel right at home with a Rainsong.

Here's Anita making good use of her Rainsong on The Queen Marry during their St Patrick's Day event a few years ago.

SpruceTop · #8 07-13-2016, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcppps

Thx!

I prefer a warmer tone. And rainsong says co ws 1000n2 has the warmest. How will u compare it with Kevin michaels sable? As sable is the only full size for km.

Over the years, I've had a Concert Series CO-WS1000N2 and a CO-DR1000N2, along with close to a dozen Classic Series RainSongs in total. I've come to appreciate the tone of the RainSong WS1000 and WS1000N2 Classic Series as I hear an extra dimension of crystalline shimmer to the tone while the complete tonal spectrum remains clear with a nice resonance. The tone of the CO Concert Series to me sounds maybe warmer but not as sparkling and lively as the Classic Series. The BI Black Ice Series sounds similar to the Classic Series. I'm not saying the tone of one series is better than the other, just different and it's really a matter of personal taste.

kdcee · #9 07-13-2016, 12:26 PM

For finger style it's very balanced and the neck is closer to a Taylor neck than the other brands. You won't go wrong with any of them though.

YOUNG LIN · #10 07-18-2016, 11:58 PM

As far as I'm concerned , and I'm gonna post a thread to ask why , carbon fiber guitar is unlike wooden guitars. They DONT have potential , and they won't " open up" , after a while of playing , not that quick but years , they will starting losing their sound as the carbon gets old and wipe out , you can imagine it this way , as a mental , it rusted. From start is might sounds good to due to their stiffness . But over times it will keep getting weaker and weaker , only if you plug it in, and keep twist the volume button . But finger style usually don't use ampifiers and , carbon fiber has a very very plastic sound , I don't know how to describe , is like a maple electric guitar with a little bit distortion

YOUNG LIN · #11 07-19-2016, 12:02 AM

Btw man . Ovation's elite plus contour shall be a good choice :-) but just a
For a remind though . They use solid spruce as top ...I always believe ovation is the best carbon fiber guitar .

Song · #12 07-19-2016, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YOUNG LIN

As far as I'm concerned , and I'm gonna post a thread to ask why , carbon fiber guitar is unlike wooden guitars. They DONT have potential , and they won't " open up" , after a while of playing , not that quick but years , they will starting losing their sound as the carbon gets old and wipe out , you can imagine it this way , as a mental , it rusted. From start is might sounds good to due to their stiffness . But over times it will keep getting weaker and weaker , only if you plug it in, and keep twist the volume button . But finger style usually don't use ampifiers and , carbon fiber has a very very plastic sound , I don't know how to describe , is like a maple electric guitar with a little bit distortion

Btw man . Ovation's elite plus contour shall be a good choice :-) but just a
For a remind though . They use solid spruce as top ...I always believe ovation is the best carbon fiber guitar

What the ?

mot · #13 07-19-2016, 08:33 AM

I use my Lucky 13 for finger style and my X20 for pick and finger style. The Lucky 13 is great for this.

itsLars · #14 08-01-2016, 09:42 AM

Hi,

a CA GX has been my main guitar for fingerstyle since 2008. I absolutely love it.
Very balanced, shiny sound.

Bye,
Lars

#15 08-01-2016, 12:24 PM

Young Lin;

I know what you mean when you talk about "opening up." A good friend of mine just had his Martin open up with a series of cracks on the face. Those wooden guitar also open nicely in terms of string spacing when the neck curls and expands the distance between the neck and the strings.

Wooden guitars are particularly good at opening up when faced with humid, cold, or hot environments.

I've had a number of CF guitars and never had the "opening up" experience. We should perhaps email the various makers and suggest that they need to make their guitars more open-friendly.

You might also want to lend some authority to your claims by stating how many CF guitars you have owned. I can vouch for the fact that I have yet to have any of my numerous CF guitars open up with age. I can see why you would be disappointed.