CEO 7 sound-alike

[wooster]

Hi

I recently tried a CEO 7 and the sound was just what I was looking for. I'm really wanting a fingerpicking guitar and only a bit of strumming. The CEO 7 sounded good to me for that. Unfortunately, I couldn't get on with the neck.


I'm not really able to try too many as dealers near me only have many models for order. I'm tempted by 00 17 or maybe 000 18 models. I tried an 00 18 and it felt pretty hard to play ( maybe setup?) and didn't sound as good as the CEO 7. I have a D28 and love the neck on that so thought the 000 18 might be similar. I'm also guessing the tone might be in the ball park.

Any ideas?

[ntotoro]

If you really like what you hear, there's always the option of ordering a "CEO-7" from the Custom Shop built to the same specs, but with a different neck carve. I can't speak for the difference in cost, though.

Nick

[llew]

I know Jon @ MFG was doing some CEO-7 custom shop offerings but not sure about the specs or neck profile. You could e-mail or call him to find out?

www.myfavoriteguitars.com

[wooster]

Custom is a bit rich for me I'm afraid. My budget won't allow. I'm stretched as it is.

The shop has told me I can have a two week return window for the CEO7 and I'm going to try it for a week and see if I can get used to the neck. I don't know if I should really try and "educate " myself into the neck or not. I love everything else about the guitar and I'm wondering if I can just get used to it. Is this wise? I don't know

I saw a comparison of the 000 18 and CEO on You Tube and both sounded pretty good. It might be worth looking at that one if I can find one available to try.

Also I'm in the UK

[ntotoro]

I can say that the Mod-V neck on my CEO-7 does feel a little more pronounced than the "same" carve on my 000-18GE, so if you don't like it, you may never really like it.

You'd be more likely to find a new or used 000-18 (same scale, different size bodies) with the neck carve you like if you really don't like the CEO-7's neck. The CEO-7 really does have its own sound, though.

Nick

[SoCalSurf]

If you are stretched as it is, I wouldn't hold on to the CEO-7 in hopes that you adjust to the neck over time. You paid a lot of money for a great guitar that isn't a good fit for you, so I would return it and use that money on something that fits you immediately. Best of luck.

[rokdog49]

You say the CEO 7 is the "sound you were looking for"
How many guitars have you tried?
Try some more. You might be surprised at what appeals to you.

[hairpuller]

I feel you! I had a CEO-7 for about a year and never got used to the neck. I loved the tone of that guitar, and have not heard another quite like it since. If I could afford a custom neck I think that may be my forever guitar.

Good luck and keep us posted...or at least me!
scott

[varmonter]

i am the of the opposite viewpoint . I found a vintage d28s
slope slothead 12 fret dred that i absolutely love
the sound of. The neck is wide the nut is almost
2 inches. i had to get a elliot capo custom built
to go down to the 5 fret on this. standard capos
did not work. but i loved the sound . Now i don't even
think about the neck. it took me about a month to get used to
it. i think it is all about muscle memory and you will
learn to like the neck. so if the sound fit go for it

[jpd]

Originally Posted by hairpuller

I feel you! I had a CEO-7 for about a year and never got used to the neck. I loved the tone of that guitar, and have not heard another quite like it since. If I could afford a custom neck I think that may be my forever guitar.

Good luck and keep us posted...or at least me!
scott

+1....same here. That acoustic is, for the price, one of the finest Martins ever made....now if it just came with a *C* shape neck.....

[ataylor]

Based on the several I’ve played, I think the CEO-7 sits somewhere between the 000-18 and the 00L-17 in terms of tone. I think your instinct to check out those guitars is right on. Who knows, you may find you prefer one of them to the CEO-7.

[leew3]

I'd vote that you give it a go. I didn't like the neck at first but adapted rather quickly. I have come to prefer it for fingerstyle blues in particular. I like having the backside of that neck for leverage on some bends. It's an adjustment, particularly compared to the modified low oval on my OM-28 or the relatively thinner neck on my Larrivee L03. However, I evidently like variety so would again say, give it a go for the sound and your adjustment to the neck will follow.

Is it the v-neck that bothers you? That's what I'm gleaming from the replies. A lot of Martins seem to have that kind of neck. There's always the Gibson Lg2 American Eagle, that's a pretty friendly neck. Doesn't sound like the Martin though, yet it has a nice tone. Have you thought about having a luthier shave the neck thinner? That might be possible and might not be too costly. Then again, now that I think of it, it might actually be expensive if they have to re-finish it, and of course they would have to.

I don't know about you, but when I've had a guitar with a neck that bothers my hand, it never gets better with time. I don't like necks too thin, mod-V necks are fine for me. Everyone's hand is different though. The tone might please you, but if you're fighting the neck ever day then the guitar will just get used less and less, or you'll sell it eventually at a loss, or you'll just be miserable. Or, just possibly, you'll adapt. Who knows? I don't. I wish you luck though, just do what your gut tells you to do, that's your best bet when logic fails.

[wooster]

Well, the guitar's been at my home with me all day and, weirdly perhaps, it doesn't feel as odd as it did when I noodled around in the shop

Its too early to say whether I will adjust but swapping between another guitar of mine and the CEO wasn't as wildly different as I thought. I'm warming to this neck a bit. I don't know how I'll feel tomorrow but I have a few days off work now to try it out.


Thanks for all your suggestions and help. Some good advice and suggestions.

I will probably check out a 000 18 anyway, but one of the issues I face is that where I live in the UK it isn't all that easy to find a store with several versions of the same model; in fact even larger shops only have one of each (if you're lucky) in fact, as often as not they will have to order a particular model in for you. This makes it hard to find a winner from a few.

Anyway, I'm waiting to see how I feel in the next few days

[dukebrot]

Congratulations, Wooster. I'll add that in my experience if you play any guitar (within reason) long enough, you will get used to its neck. I'm confident it will be the same thing for you and the CEO-7. Enjoy!