Have enjoyed my carbon fiber experience, but...

[DHart]

After some months with my Rainsong CH-OM-1100NS and Emerald X7 Artisan, I've concluded that my favorite tones still come from guitars that are 000/OM size or larger... and are made of wood. I do admit to being a bit picky when it comes to sound quality of chords and single notes, as I play all over the fret board, with a lot of open string chords played arpeggiated, do a lot of single note soloing as well, and tone quality is really a biggie for me. Upper registers on the smaller bodied, shorter scale guitars just lack the quality of tone that I prefer.

Smaller bodies (smaller than 000/OM size) don't give me the rich fullness of tone and body that I get from the 000/OM size. They can serve a purpose, of course, due to their compact size. But the tonal compromise is there to rear it's head, as well. I've found that the carbon fiber guitars just don't quite get that rich quality of sound that my ears appreciate from fine wood guitars - and that is a quality that I don't really want to live without - humidity requirements notwithstanding.

Of my

Martin OM28-V
Eastman E10-00M
Rainsong CH-OM1100NS
Emerald X7 Artisan

my OM28-V clearly and easily stands head and shoulders above the others, with the Rainsong coming in #2 to my ears. The 00 Eastman has great, brilliant tone and charm, but doesn't quite have that 000/OM "body" that I prefer.

That said, I'm not letting go of my CF guitars, nor of the Eastman. "Horses for courses" as they say. They each serve a purpose!

The CF guitars definitely serve a specific purpose and they do that very well.

The Rainsong CH-OM really does sound very good: big, rich, and brilliant! I am impressed with the tone and output of this guitar.

And the Emerald X7 gives me the very compact form factor that I wanted, though it is hampered in sound output and quality by its small size.

The beauty of the CF guitars is: I can leave them both out, unattended, in the desert 18-20% RH without any worries. And I really do appreciate that very much. That is WHY I bought them to begin with! And I feel that is THE greatest benefit offered by CF guitars, though Rainsong really has done an outstanding job of making CF guitars that play and sound great, also.

I could live with just the Rainsong CH-OM1100NS if I had to. It sounds that good. But it still isn't quite in the ball park of my OM28-V.

So, CF guitars have not been able to win my exclusive interest. And that's ok, as I didn't really expect that they would.

My next guitar.... is looking to be a Martin 000-15M! I played one the other day that just knocked my socks off! . Looks like I'll have another wood acoustic guitar to have to keep close tabs on in my dry climate.

[kramster]

Hey... did someone steal D Hart’s ID to toy with our emotions??

[Frettingflyer]

DHart, I am there with you so far. I still like my Taylor 812ce 12 fret Wildwood best for tone, but I play more on the CF due to travel and the ability to leave them out.
Not ready to give up wood, but if I could have just one, the 812 would be it except I travel every week, so, maybe the Rainsong wins out...thank god my wife won’t let me sell any guitars, great problem to have

[Doubleneck]

I agree, but seems that wood guitars have an easier time winning your heart. Must be an organic thing? But not selling my carbons. Lol

[jdinco]

My favorite guitar that I own is my SCGC D-12, so I understand, but I sold the OM28 because I prefered the X20. Also a fan of the 000-15M, but isn't it a 1 11/16 nut width? Have you tried the 15SM ? And, my Cargo still gets the most play.

[Acousticado]

I have to agree as well. My Taylor 814c has the best tone among the guitars I own, yet because of small size and comfort, my Cargo gets the most play. Though I don’t expect the Cargo to go anywhere any time soon, I’m now working on adjusting to my evolving interests...might be Composite, might be wood, or both. I’m excited to experience where the coming months lead.

[Captain Jim]

When I saw the title to this thread, I thought there might be a couple CF guitars looking for a new home.

I still do the wood vs carbon fiber comparisons every now and then. To keep it fair, I try to compare similar sizes...

Between my X20 and the 814, the X20 comes out on top for me.

Between the RainSong Shorty and the 522ce 12-fret, the Taylor is my choice; these two are very different in tone.

Between the X7 and the GSmini, it's the X7; not even close.

I try different strings from time to time. Plugged in and pure acoustic. In the end, each of them sounds like... a guitar. Differences to be sure, but each of mine gives me a satisfying sound.

As an aside, while getting the bass about 10 days ago, I had some time to kill while the sales guy went to look for one in a box... I went into the acoustic room... played 3 Martins... nope. We all have our preferences.

I guess I've found that playing guitar hasn't been a quest for "the one." Most of my life, I've had one acoustic and one electric, and that has served me well. It's fun to enjoy the variety.

[Earl49]

I get it. No single tool in the tool box can do everything. There is a place for both natural composites (wood) and man-made composites (carbon fiber or ekoa). Based on your description, I wonder if a Rainsong CH-WS might have been a better choice than the CH-OM. Just a little deeper body, close to 000 / OM profile, with a slightly bolder tone.

Here in Idaho I don't have nearly the humidity problems that I used to have in wintertime Alaska or that you have all year in AZ. While I am actively converting over to CF, there are still a couple of koa Taylors that will always be with me and will be the last wood guitars to go. Koa is a special wood, and I play a lot of Hawaiian music.

I use my brother-in-law's Ramirez for comparison with my CF nylon strung guitars. The Blackbird Rider comes closest to the classical sound, followed by the Rainsong Parlor, followed by the Emerald X10 & 20. None of the mentioned instruments match the Ramirez in tone or projection.

That comparison is based on the classical sound developed with 500 years of research and development. I am not surprised that CF produces a different sound than wood, but I am surprised that the CF makers are coming so close to the sound of wood. It seems that CF is tunable. Wooden instruments are also tunable depending on woods used, bracing, and so forth. But CF may be more malleable due to shaping, bracing, layering and so forth.

Not matching the classical sound has not been a problem for me. I like the variety of sound that we're getting from the various carbon fiber guitars. I also like the durability, the shaping options and the ergonomics.

The only wooden guitars in my collection are the ones I've made and one of the five made by my father-in -law. They are not particularly good guitars, but they have sentimental value. I hear a lot of sentiment on this thread coming from the owners of some really fine wooden guitars.

[Chipotle]

If you want the qualities of a larger guitar, CF guitars come in larger sizes too. My CA GX is very comparable to the Taylor GA size (about 20" body length, lower bout width of 16", max depth 4.75 give or take), and while it of course sounds different than, say, a 814ce, it's not by that much. CA also has a reputation for being a bit "woodier" sounding than other CF guitars, perhaps due to the fact that they use top bracing.

We all have our preferences--and there are places and uses for every instrument--but don't buy an apple expecting it to be anything like an orange. You want a "big guitar" sound, you need to buy a big guitar.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

If you want the qualities of a larger guitar, CF guitars come in larger sizes too. My CA GX is very comparable to the Taylor GA size (about 20" body length, lower bout width of 16", max depth 4.75 give or take), and while it of course sounds different than, say, a 814ce, it's not by that much. CA also has a reputation for being a bit "woodier" sounding than other CF guitars, perhaps due to the fact that they use top bracing.

We all have our preferences--and there are places and uses for every instrument--but don't buy an apple expecting it to be anything like an orange. You want a "big guitar" sound, you need to buy a big guitar.

By ‘big guitar’ I mean 000/OM size vs. 00, 0, Parlor, or Mini. The Rainsong CH-OM1100NS definitely has a big sound that I like! I’ve found that for myself, dreadnaughts are bulkier than I like to play. So, the sweet spot for me is the 000/OM size which definitely gives a big sound without having a bulky big body. It’s just right for me.

[MiG50]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Based on your description, I wonder if a Rainsong CH-WS might have been a better choice than the CH-OM. Just a little deeper body, close to 000 / OM profile, with a slightly bolder tone.

I had almost the exact same thought upon first read. The WS body is not much larger than the OM in silhouette, but is considerably deeper, producing a much warmer and fuller tone. I tend to prefer my OM Shorty for it's clarity, and my WS for it's warmth.

Had you played a WS before grabbing your OM?

[kramster]

Originally Posted by MiG50

Had you played a WS before grabbing your OM?

He did I tell ya...tried both

[DHart]

Originally Posted by MiG50

I had almost the exact same thought upon first read. The WS body is not much larger than the OM in silhouette, but is considerably deeper, producing a much warmer and fuller tone. I tend to prefer my OM Shorty for it's clarity, and my WS for it's warmth.

Had you played a WS before grabbing your OM?

MiG... yes, I played WS, OM, and Parlor and decided that the CH-OM-1100NS was the one for me. And I still feel that it was the right choice for me. It sounds great and the size is very comfortable - not too big, not too small. It’s got a big deep voice. I liked the WS, as well, but the body just felt a little too bulky for my preference.

Originally Posted by DHart

By ‘big guitar’ I mean 000/OM size vs. 00, 0, Parlor, or Mini. The Rainsong CH-OM1100NS definitely has a big sound that I like! I’ve found that for myself, dreadnaughts are bulkier than I like to play. So, the sweet spot for me is the 000/OM size which definitely gives a big sound without having a bulky big body. It’s just right for me.

I also find that the Martin 000’s and OM’s have big, rich voices. The D’s are bigger than I enjoy playing. But the 00’s, 0’s, Parlors, and Minis just don’t compare to the 000’s/OM’s. Sweet spot for me is 000/OM.