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Old 02-28-2014, 02:33 AM
Simon Fay Simon Fay is offline
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Default Just Received an Emerald X7-OS

I will be following up with a more thorough review but I thought I'd post some initial impressions with my first carbon fiber guitar. I am actually selling it as I realized I made a mistake in thinking that a small body guitar would satisfy my wants/needs -- I am only looking to own just one instrument. Visit the classifieds for details on the sale.

My initial impressions of the X7-OS were very positive on a number of fronts. The overall construction is very good -- obviously, not flawless but you don't find that unless you are spending quite a bit of money. The finish work is very good and the work with the carbon fiber weave looks very clean and professional. The fretwork is also quite good as well. In short, I feel the fit & finish is noteworthy for the price range of the guitar. Tonally, the instrument has really nice string separation. I have played a number of parlor sized instruments including a Larrivee parlor and they all tended to be quite muddy. Not so with the Emerald. I suspected good articulation is a quality of carbon fiber from what I've heard and that was what lead me to thinking a carbon fiber parlor would be a good fit for me.

The guitar handles fingerstyle quite well and also has a nice warmth, especially in the mid range. The bass is not really weak but just limited and that is to be expected for a small body guitar. The guitar does tend to struggle with any degree of heavy strumming. With a light touch and the right technique, I found that I could get a nice strumming sound but if you push it then you start getting that hollow, thin sound that indicates the instrument is being over-driven.

Overall, I was incredibly pleased with the instrument and feel it is an ideal travel guitar and a fun couch guitar but probably not versatile enough to be someone's main guitar -- but then, I don't think that is necessarily the goal with these small bodied instruments either.

If there is anyone in the area (I live just south of Daytona Beach, FL), feel free to drop me a line and check out the guitar.

Best Regards,
Simon
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Last edited by Simon Fay; 02-28-2014 at 02:39 AM.
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Old 02-28-2014, 05:04 AM
jgillard jgillard is offline
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Nice review Simon! I also own an X7-OS artisan (But with a green finish and electronics) I think your review is pretty much spot on. One thing I would note, is that the guitar does come from the factory with light gauge strings. Having a 24" scale length, I think the guitar works great with mediums. It will never be a "strummer", but most small body guitars do not excel in that area any-ways! It's still quite serviceable especially compared to other guitars around the same size. (it's basically a size 0 from a dimensions perspective)

I use a neckup with mine, and it's such a comfy little guitar. I think the tone of it really grows on you and I find I always keep reaching for it.

Quote:
I was incredibly pleased with the instrument and feel it is an ideal travel guitar and a fun couch guitar but probably not versatile enough to be someone's main guitar
mmm.. I think it could. Especially if you are using the instrument amplified! Actually, the more I play it. The more I just want to keep playing it. But, I play a lot more fingerstyle than strumming, so that could affect my thoughts on it!

Oh. One other thing I forgot to mention. The strings you use have a massive effect on the tone of the instrument. (more so than a wooden guitar I would say) You can shape the tone of the guitar a lot using different strings. Right now, I'm using elixir PB mediums. They work really well for me, but I like a clear, lively, sort of tone. Others may prefer something else especially with strumming. Just a thought!
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Last edited by jgillard; 02-28-2014 at 06:06 AM.
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Old 02-28-2014, 07:38 AM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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thanks for the review. i have often checked in just to see if you had gotten this guitar yet. too bad it didn't work out as you had hoped.
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Old 02-28-2014, 01:15 PM
Simon Fay Simon Fay is offline
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Hi jgillard,
Good suggestion on changing the strings -- but I know that I am simply pushing the instrument past its boundaries. This isn't the fault of the guitar but rather a poor decision on my part. I do enough strumming (think Dave Matthews type chord progressions) that it just really struggles to make many of these phrasings sound good. The midrange and trebles simply overwhelm on many of these chords. This effect is significantly lessened if you play the guitar very gently and slowly but that isn't what I'm after.

As a fingerstyle guitar, the clarity and warmth are very pleasing and overall, the guitar is quite balanced for that playing style. I have really enjoyed the guitar when playing James Taylor type melodies or something like "Field's of Gold" or John Mayer's "Why Georgia". It is perfectly suited for that kind of music. I just know that I'm going to want to dig in and strum the heck out of my guitar on occasions and would love to have a bit more capacity in that regard.

Again, I was expect too much from the guitar but was kind of hoping that it would work. I really love the indestructible nature of the guitar and wish I could go for one of the large bodied carbon fiber guitars but I was really stretching my budget with this thing in the first place. Now I am hoping to find a beat up old Taylor with a broken top that I could replace -- that would be the ideal situation. I really don't want a guitar that I have to baby and this was one of the main reasons I am really attracted to CF guitars.
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Old 02-28-2014, 01:49 PM
jgillard jgillard is offline
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Hi Simon:

I understand where you are coming from. If I could only have one guitar, I would probably choose my rainsong SGA-FLE. (Though I doubt I would be able to part with my x7-os) It excels in fingerstyle and strumming. It has a full tone due to the larger body size. It's very comfortable to play. (similar size to a taylor GC) Unfortunately, they are a bit more $$., and not quite as portable as the smaller bodied x7-os.

If you have a chance, I would audition one of these. Then you would know what you are saving your pennies for!
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Last edited by jgillard; 03-01-2014 at 07:56 AM.
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Old 02-28-2014, 02:11 PM
perttime perttime is offline
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From what I've heard in video samples, the X7-OS sounds best when played with a gentle touch. The best sounding strumming I've heard from it seems to be accomplished by flicking the fingernails on the strings. Dig in with a pick, and it gets pretty harsh (for the lack of a better word).

Some videos show it used more like for jazz accompaniment, sometimes plugged in, and it sounds pretty big there.
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Old 02-28-2014, 02:41 PM
Ted @ LA Guitar Sales Ted @ LA Guitar Sales is offline
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Interesting that you would choose a travel guitar as an only guitar. Can I ask what made you choose the X7 in the first place?
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Old 02-28-2014, 06:10 PM
dorable dorable is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Fay View Post
probably not versatile enough to be someone's main guitar --
I volunteer to test that theory!
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Old 02-28-2014, 06:21 PM
Simon Fay Simon Fay is offline
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Hi Ted,
I was looking for a small body guitar (OM or smaller) that would be easy to travel with. The Emerald guitars are a good fit for my budget but I do strongly dislike the textured finish that comes standard on the guitars -- the complete gloss is quite nice looking tho'. I considered the X20 but with the gloss it was over my budget. I really like the idea of a portable and very rugged instrument -- so I thought the X7-OS might be a good fit. It really is almost okay for me but I know that in the long run that I'm going to want a bit more out of the guitar. However, I definitely pushed my guitar budget in purchasing this guitar -- but if it had worked for me then it would have been worth it due to the comfort and portability of the guitar.
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Old 03-05-2014, 09:21 AM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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out of curiousity, why don't you build yourself a guitar? you could probably give yourself a pretty good deal.

but seriously, it could be rather simple and austere.
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Old 03-05-2014, 03:03 PM
Simon Fay Simon Fay is offline
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Good question, MC1. Even by simplifying the build (no purfling, no cutaway, plain appearance), it still takes a long time to build a guitar and much of what I do is with hand tools. In the scheme of things, a simple appearance might knock $750 off my base price. I could further save "money" by building a lesser quality instrument (not as much attention to detail, etc.); however, that would be really hard for me as I'm a perfectionist and if I'm spending so much time on the build anyway, you might as well spend an extra 20 hours and do it "right". One of the only things I outsource is my finish work and that alone costs $750 including shipping to and from my finish guy. In other words, I am close to mid-level Taylor pricing just on materials, finish work, and shop expenses alone. In the end, even a lesser instrument (compared to my build standards) would still cost me quite a bit of money.

The other reason is that I really am satisfied with an entry level quality guitar (sub $1,000 price range). The indestructible nature and the small body of the Emerald definitely appeals to me - who knows, I may end up keeping the guitar as it really does sound very good for a parlor sized instrument. However, I know that I can achieve tonal gains with a slightly bigger body.
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Last edited by Simon Fay; 03-05-2014 at 03:09 PM.
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Old 03-05-2014, 03:32 PM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
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The Shorty is pricey but seems to be a pretty versatile instrument. I love the way this thing sounds strummed and fingerpicked. Pretty much just a great guitar all around (as jillard already knows) If you haven't seen Jarvis' review than watch this with headphones-

Of course if the Rainsong design doesn't appeal than this is a moot point



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Old 03-05-2014, 06:21 PM
Simon Fay Simon Fay is offline
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Hi Steelvibe,
No, I wouldn't have any problems with the Rainsongs at all - although, at that price point, more options open up as well and there are a number of really good instruments to consider. Unfortunately, the Raingsongs (even used) all seem to fall outside the price range I am considering.

If the Emerald doesn't move at the price I've set (which I think is incredibly fair) then I will just keep it. It's rugged, portable, and has a good sound for most of what I will play on it. If it sells, I will definitely keep my eye out for any larger carbon fiber instruments that might be used and at a good price. Although, I will likely just find an old Taylor Grand Concert as I am familiar with the brand and know they are well constructed.
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  #14  
Old 03-14-2014, 07:32 PM
Uncle Pauhana Uncle Pauhana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Fay View Post
The Emerald guitars are a good fit for my budget but I do strongly dislike the textured finish that comes standard on the guitars -- the complete gloss is quite nice looking tho'. I considered the X20 but with the gloss it was over my budget.
Hello Simon,

You may be interested to know that Emerald have recently changed the finish of their base (Opus Series) models. Although only the top is gloss, the back and sides are now matte translucent, instead of the black "pickup truck bed liner" finish of previous versions. This may bring that X20-OS a little closer to reality for you :-D

Here are the specs as posted on the Macnichol forum a while back (note that all now come standard with truss rod):

Opus (No Electronics)

– One piece carbon composite construction
– Exposed carbon top with back and sides finished in satin.
– Gotoh Tuners
– Custom branded Gig Bag
– Dual Action Truss Rod

Artisan

-One piece carbon composite construction
-Exposed carbon on top, back, sides, neck and headstock
-High gloss finish
-18:1 Gotoh 510 tuners
-Custom branded Gig Bag
-Double action truss rod
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Old 03-17-2014, 07:21 PM
dkoloff dkoloff is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Fay View Post
Hi jgillard,
Good suggestion on changing the strings -- but I know that I am simply pushing the instrument past its boundaries. This isn't the fault of the guitar but rather a poor decision on my part. I do enough strumming (think Dave Matthews type chord progressions) that it just really struggles to make many of these phrasings sound good. The midrange and trebles simply overwhelm on many of these chords. This effect is significantly lessened if you play the guitar very gently and slowly but that isn't what I'm after.

As a fingerstyle guitar, the clarity and warmth are very pleasing and overall, the guitar is quite balanced for that playing style. I have really enjoyed the guitar when playing James Taylor type melodies or something like "Field's of Gold" or John Mayer's "Why Georgia". It is perfectly suited for that kind of music. I just know that I'm going to want to dig in and strum the heck out of my guitar on occasions and would love to have a bit more capacity in that regard.

Again, I was expect too much from the guitar but was kind of hoping that it would work. I really love the indestructible nature of the guitar and wish I could go for one of the large bodied carbon fiber guitars but I was really stretching my budget with this thing in the first place. Now I am hoping to find a beat up old Taylor with a broken top that I could replace -- that would be the ideal situation. I really don't want a guitar that I have to baby and this was one of the main reasons I am really attracted to CF guitars.
See if you can find a used Composite Acoustics OX.....you might find the much fuller sound with still a very comfortable body might suit you well.
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