Waterloo WL 14X versus scissortail

[slimey]

Wondering if any of you have had the chance to compare these two guitars?
I'm looking for a fingerstyle blues and ragtime instrument. From videos it sounds as though the Scissortail has a little more thump and mid projection than the WL 14 X but so much can change in recording.
Anyone played both and give me an idea of their impressions?
Thanks!

[devellis]

Haven't played the Scissortail but I really like the WL-14 (with either type of bracing) for ragtime/blues stuff. The bass isn't rumbly or booming but it's strong and clear, with a nice snap to it. And the trebles are very crisp and articulate which I think is good for this type of note-laden music. None of this is to suggest that the Scissortail wouldn't be suitable, of course. I also have a WL-S-Deluxe, a 12-fret Waterloo interpretation of an Oscar Schmidt Stella. Although it has a warmer and somewhat more lush sound than the WL-14, I find that I like it to a surprising degree for rags/blues. Its chief limitation for me is the difficulty of playing beyond the 12th fret.

There are a lot of very nice small-bodied guitars that work well for this style of music. I think one main difference is where they fall on a continuum from rich/full/resonant/long-sustaining to clear/articulate/crisp. There are advantages at every point at the spectrum, although I personally find that guitars with too much sustain and fullness don't allow me to get the sound I'm after from rags/blues. Sometimes I like the crispest, clearest sound I can get with the best articulation of individual notes and that's pretty much the WL-14 (mine is ladder braced with the T-bar, features that emphasize the tonal qualities I just described). Other times, I like something a bit mellower, like the WL-S, or a Martin 00-18V, or maybe an all-mahogany small-body. Although there are exceptions, rosewood guitars often sound too "lush" to me for this type of music.

Not sure if any of that helps much, but there it is for what it's worth.

[Toby Walker]

I have both of those models and the differences are fairly striking. Either one would be perfect for Blues and Ragtime music, as they have that quick decay that really fit those styles.

The difference that I hear is that the Scissortail is much brighter than the WL-14, which I believe is due to the maple back and sides as opposed to the mahogany in the WL-14. I believe that the bracing patterns are identical.

[stephenT]

I can't help specifically but I have a WL-14 and a WL-12.

The maple WL-12 has greater projection,.. thump,.. hard to say w/ my guitars, the maple being the 12 fret.

Maybe if you're playing w/ fingerpicks the maple would be brighter but I wouldn't call the WL-12 a bright guitar (i play flesh and nail).

When I played both models a couple of months ago, I thought that the Scissortail had more clarity across the tonal spectrum, and greater note separation when strummed. I ended up buying a WL-12, which also has a maple body, bacause I found that the 12-fret construction tempered the brightness and gave it more midrange growl.

[AMW]

The WL-14 is a more balanced and well-rounded guitar overall. The Scissortail has a great, in your face tone. All depends how you play. When played very lightly, they are pretty similar. You really hear the differences when you dig in.

[slimey]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

[mkatz]

PM sent.

Mitch

[drewgrass]

my wl-14xtr will be with me the rest of my life. im thinking about a 12 fretter as a backup/second guitar for open tunings. but ive never bonded with a instrument like i have this. and ive had some insane guitars that cost 30x as much. run hybrid light medium strings with em. like pearse 12-56 blue grass or d'adario ej-19's your supposed to run lights but i talked to collings and they said they shouldn't be a problem. and it helps the low end.