Martin Surprise

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Good to hear the Rainsong guitars are quality these days. I tried them many years ago when they were first introduced and they were pretty mediocre.

I agree with other posters that carbon fiber and other non-wood materials are likely the future of guitar making.

RainSong is one of the CF pioneers. They've matured into a producer of really wonderful guitars. And their new, lower cost lineup of CH models really kicks things up a notch and at a nice moderate price.

If I lived where temperature or humidity changes posed no impact on my acoustic guitars, I probably would not have bought a carbon fiber guitar.

But living where I do (with relative humidity of 20% right now!) I learned very quickly (the hard way) how devastating such dry conditions can be to a wood acoustic guitar. While my wife and I really enjoy the comfort of the warm and dry climate where we live, my acoustic guitars just can't tolerate it without a lot of help.

I have to give a lot of time consuming care to maintaining humidity for my wood acoustic guitars. It gets a little old, but I have a good system in place. I have a small, walk-in closet off of my music room. In that closet I keep a small humidifier that is on a timer. The timer runs the humidifier for about 10 minutes at a time, about 10 times a day. I maintain about 40% RH inside the closet. In the closet are about 15 guitars (mostly electrics) out of their cases and on stands. While the electrics are (mostly) impervious to the dry conditions, my wood acoustics (one a relatively valuable Martin OM28-V) are totally dependent on my humidification program.

It really is a blessing to find that carbon fiber guitars can play and sound wonderful AND require no time nor effort with regard to temp and/or humidity conditions. I love that about them! Who da thunk? . I leave my RainSong out and about on a stand, in the house, 24/7. And I can walk outside with the guitar whenever the mood strikes without so much as a thought about how the guitar might tolerate the change in temperature or humidity. Temperature and humidity conditions have absolutely no effect on the tuning, nor on the health & stability, of this great guitar.

For someone who lives where environmental conditions can be very difficult for wood acoustic guitars, carbon fiber guitars are a huge blessing. But what's really amazing and surprising is the discovery of how good they sound! I would not have expected that, had I not experienced it first hand.

[dmckean44]

Originally Posted by ohYew812

I love the idea of alternate tone woods.

Walnut, sycamore, oak, cherry... bring them on!

I wonder why hickory isn't used? We have some large hickory trees here in WV, certainly big enough to make dreads.
And it has a really nice looking brown center.

Does anyone make an acoustic guitar out of hickory?

I've seen it used as neck and fingerboard wood for banjos. I've seen it used for top and fingerboard wood on dulcimers too. I've never seen it used as back and side wood for guitar though.

[DHart]

Rosewood (widely acknowledged as 'supreme') is known for very rich overtones.

Mahogany is known for solid fundamentals, and less emphasis on overtones.

Over time, I'm finding the very rich overtones from rosewood to sometimes sound more complicated, tonally, than I actually really appreciate. Isn't that odd?

Tonewoods which yield moderated overtones and a bit more emphasis on fundamentals are fine by me.

[rmyAddison]

Every Martin I own has different tone woods, admittedly the "usual suspects" but I am open to less commonly used woods in a well built guitar that sounds great.

Honestly I was not impressed with Cherry but that was a one off and more an entry level guitar. I'm sure Martin can make some fine guitars with more sustainable woods, time will tell............

[buddyhu]

I will have to find an America 1 to try.

I heard someone playing one of the cherry Martins at Schoenberg's a couple of years ago...thought it sounded pretty good, but had just bought a guitar, and didn't let myself linger there, let alone pick it up and try it.

I own a Webber jumbo with walnut back and sides...it is another guitar that testifies to the potential of "alternative" woods.

I have played a few Rainsongs, and while they sounded better than I had anticipated, I didn't find myself drawn to them, despite there many selling points. Maybe I should try them again. While the local climate isn't a problem in terms of dryness, sometimes the changing humidity can present some serious challenges to staying in tune.

[mercy]

What it cant replicate is beauty, theres always a price for beauty.