CF Extravaganza ~ an afternoon with Kramster - Page 4

kramster · #46 08-06-2017, 06:36 PM

Yes... The RainSongs ...

DHart · #47 08-06-2017, 10:32 PM

RS Parlor
RS OM
RS WS

They all sound good and play well. OM wants to follow me home.

kramster · #48 08-06-2017, 11:52 PM

WW is really a WS. Musta stuttered.

DHart · #49 08-07-2017, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramster

WW is really a WS. Musta stuttered.

Yep. Corrected.

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #50 08-07-2017, 10:11 AM

What a fun thread, DH. Sounds like a fruitful visit, and knowing Mark I'm guessing it was a lot of fun as well. As to your findings, I'm not surprised you're favoring the CH-OM.

FYI, I had a small hand in the development of that model, which is more commonly known as the Shorty. About six years ago Ashvin, the owner of Rainsong and I decided to build a small run of custom guitars for LA Guitar Sales, and after some back and forth we ended up going with a hybrid OM with a unidirectional Concert Series top. (first time this was done) I advertised the guitar, which we called LA1-LE as the warmest sounding Rainsong to date, and it was. We built 15 guitars, one I kept, and the rest sold in a few months. By this time I was harassing Ashvin pretty good about building a smaller, more travel friendly guitar, a project that would start with the new NS, short scale 12-fret neck. While working on the Parlor, the new neck was put on our custom OM, and the Shorty was born. The guitar was an instant hit, and I'm petty sure it's still a best seller for Rainsong, it certainly is for us, and with the new CH price point, that is not likely to change. Were I limited to one CF guitar, or even just one guitar, the Shorty could very well be my choice.

Here's my LA1-LE in front of my DR3100.

steelvibe · #51 08-07-2017, 11:08 AM

It looks like the same Shorty construction but..it is 14 frets?

That's a very cool guitar Ted!

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #52 08-07-2017, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steelvibe

It looks like the same Shorty construction but..it is 14 frets?

That's a very cool guitar Ted!

The LA1-LE was a 14-fret guitar, Rainsong didn't have the NS neck yet. Our next custom, the LA2-LE did have the new NS 12-Fret neck, and it was built on the WS body. Other than esthetics, the LA2-LE was the same guitar as the new CH-WS1000NS. Here's a photo of one that was up for sale on Reverb.

steelvibe · #53 08-07-2017, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

The LA1-LE was a 14-fret guitar, Rainsong didn't have the NS neck yet. Our next custom, the LA2-LE did have the new NS 12-Fret neck, and it was built on the WS body.

That's a cool guitar too but it really the look of that 14 fretter!

DHart · #54 08-07-2017, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

What a fun thread, DH. Sounds like a fruitful visit, and knowing Mark I'm guessing it was a lot of fun as well. As to your findings, I'm not surprised you're favoring the CH-OM.

FYI, I had a small hand in the development of that model, which is more commonly known as the Shorty. About six years ago Ashvin, the owner of Rainsong and I decided to build a small run of custom guitars for LA Guitar Sales, and after some back and forth we ended up going with a hybrid OM with a unidirectional Concert Series top. (first time this was done) I advertised the guitar, which we called LA1-LE as the warmest sounding Rainsong to date, and it was. We built 15 guitars, one I kept, and the rest sold in a few months. By this time I was harassing Ashvin pretty good about building a smaller, more travel friendly guitar, a project that would start with the new NS, short scale 12-fret neck. While working on the Parlor, the new neck was put on our custom OM, and the Shorty was born. The guitar was an instant hit, and I'm petty sure it's still a best seller for Rainsong, it certainly is for us, and with the new CH price point, that is not likely to change. Were I limited to one CF guitar, or even just one guitar, the Shorty could very well be my choice.

Here's my LA1-LE in front of my DR3100.

Ted... great to hear the history and your involvement with it! Thank you.

So, given my appreciation for the CH-OM, but possible preference for seeing the carbon fiber weave on the top, the H-OM1000N2 is another contender on my radar.

Would you speak to the tonal differences between these two models? Are they likely to sound nearly identical?

It appears that the tops are of different materials, though the body size is identical, with the CH-OM being a 12-fret with shorter scale length and the H-OM being a 14-fret with a longer scale length.

Does the lower tension of the CH-OM design make the guitar a little easier to play, but the sound slightly less powerful than the higher tension design of the H-OM?

I take it that the Shorty is simply the earlier name for what is now called the CH-OM?

Lastly, what pickup is in the H-OM1000N2? Rainsong simply calls it a "Premium" pickup.

JasonA · #55 08-07-2017, 01:18 PM

The Shorty was my favorite of the Rainsongs I've owned. I did find the edge of the body seemed to dig into me more than my wood guitars though (maybe the binding on the wood guitars is more rounded?). So what I'd really like is a Shorty with a bit of a bevel...

kramster · #56 08-07-2017, 01:40 PM

Ted @ LA Guitar Sales · #57 08-07-2017, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

Ted... great to hear the history and your involvement with it! Thank you.

So, given my appreciation for the CH-OM, but possible preference for seeing the carbon fiber weave on the top, the H-OM1000N2 is another contender on my radar.

Would you speak to the tonal differences between these two models? Are they likely to sound nearly identical?

It appears that the tops are of different materials, though the body size is identical, with the CH-OM being a 12-fret with shorter scale length and the H-OM being a 14-fret with a longer scale length.

Does the lower tension of the CH-OM design make the guitar a little easier to play, but the sound slightly less powerful than the higher tension design of the H-OM?

I take it that the Shorty is simply the earlier name for what is now called the CH-OM?

Lastly, what pickup is in the H-OM1000N2? Rainsong simply calls it a "Premium" pickup.

Hi DH,

The H series are all hybrid, (glass/carbon) including the soundboard, and they are also available in a 12 fret short scale version so you can have a "Shorty" hybrid. Tonally you will notice some added mid range, and some loss of harmonics, so a more fundamental tone. The only electronics you can have with the H-Om is the Fishman Prefix Plus T, but you can order one without a pickup and add whatever you like later.

The Shorty was the first 12-Fret from Rainsong, it was based on their OM, and available in gloss finish with, and without electronics. Later it was offered in a satin version, but still only in the OM body size. Some pain in the rear dealer kept asking for the new NS 12-fret short scale neck to be offered on all models, and today you can have the NS neck on any model, regardless of body, material combination, or finish. I own a 12-fret Dreadnought with Black Ice top, and one my favorite local clients just picked up a CO-OM1100NS, which is an all carbon Concert Series guitar with unidirectional top and full Abalone inlays. A "Deluxe Shorty" if you will.

Given that all you have to do is replace N2 with NS on any model and you have a "shorty" version of that guitar, there was no reason to keep the Shorty in the lineup, so that model is being discontinued.

Rip VanWinkle · #58 08-07-2017, 03:54 PM

Aw shucks, I bet you say that about all your locals. I wanted to share the reason I got it with the "sharks" will make some of you chuckle. I thought I might get some blow back from my wonderful wife about this purchase....so knowing she was a big fan of "Shark Tank"...I lamely thought she might find that amusing. Well....as usual she, was very gracious about the whole thing. It's my designated travel guitar and it's already been to Calistoga and Phoenix by car and New Zealand via air. It's really fun to play and sounds fantastic. Oh I almost forgot...I really don't like the look of barn door electronics...so Ted got me one without. Perfect!

DHart · #59 08-07-2017, 03:59 PM

Dumb Question of the Day:

What do people mean when they say "barn door" electronics? Does that just refer to the plastic plate control housing usually cut into the top side of the upper bout?

DHart · #60 08-07-2017, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

Hi DH,

The H series are all hybrid, (glass/carbon) including the soundboard, and they are also available in a 12 fret short scale version so you can have a "Shorty" hybrid. Tonally you will notice some added mid range, and some loss of harmonics, so a more fundamental tone. The only electronics you can have with the H-Om is the Fishman Prefix Plus T, but you can order one without a pickup and add whatever you like later.

The Shorty was the first 12-Fret from Rainsong, it was based on their OM, and available in gloss finish with, and without electronics. Later it was offered in a satin version, but still only in the OM body size. Some pain in the rear dealer kept asking for the new NS 12-fret short scale neck to be offered on all models, and today you can have the NS neck on any model, regardless of body, material combination, or finish. I own a 12-fret Dreadnought with Black Ice top, and one my favorite local clients just picked up a CO-OM1100NS, which is an all carbon Concert Series guitar with unidirectional top and full Abalone inlays. A "Deluxe Shorty" if you will.

Given that all you have to do is replace N2 with NS on any model and you have a "shorty" version of that guitar, there was no reason to keep the Shorty in the lineup, so that model is being discontinued.

Thanks for the scoop! A few more questions, if I may ask...

Do any pictures exist of the CO-OM1100NS? Would love to see that!

Is the Fishman Prefix Plus T generally considered the best of the available electronics choices?

What about LR Baggs and the K&K systems?

And, what is the lead time for an H-OM1000NS ?