Rainsong WS1000N1 Reissue Full Review

AeroUSA · #1 12-28-2022, 11:12 PM

This is an excellent guitar!

barnes · #2 12-30-2022, 10:27 PM

Thanks for the review!

How did you find it compared to the newer “vintage” series?

Methos1979 · #3 01-01-2023, 11:58 AM

Great review, as always. While I haven't tried an N1 neck I doubt I'd like it much since I really don't like the thin Taylor or Martin MLO necks at all and prefer a neck with a little bit of beef to them. I agree that I do like seeing the carbon fiber weave, especially the unidirectional lay of the top. I think it really works especially with that wide and very colorful rosette ring.

While I do own two RainSong's that have the Black Ice and Nashville (burst wood veneer) tops, I actually prefer the top on your guitar. If I ever decide to go down to just one RS guitar, I could easily see me going to a WS model (best of both) with the unidirectional weave but I would need a short scale AND N2 neck which if course is called the NS neck.

That would probably be a perfect compromise for me. I'm looking forward to the Anthem conversion video. Question about the N1 neck: Is the fretboard radius 'flat' like on the N2/NS necks? I believe they are 20" radius which is pretty flat.

SpruceTop · #4 01-01-2023, 01:20 PM

Thanks, Aaron! The RainSong WS1000N1 is my favorite model. It's got depth and fullness of tone along with great playability. The N1 neck can be a slight problem for players with fretting-hand issues as from my experience with three of these, the thinner, front-to-back N1 neck offers less leverage for some barre-chord fretting. Other than that, this guitar has my favorite carbon-fiber tone of all carbon guitars I've ever owned and played.

Regarding the Element UST pickup: carbon fiber offers a much more efficient transmission of vibration than wood. This is what contributes to both the Element and Fishman Matrix versions of this model guitar over the years as picking up not only string vibration but top and body vibrations as well. So, in essence, although the Element and Matrix are UST pickups, they pick up vibrations from the entire guitar. I like to think of this duality of the Element and Matrix when in a carbon guitar as a combination UST/SBT pickup.