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Old 08-19-2014, 08:04 AM
HAPPYDAN HAPPYDAN is offline
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Default Tried a Rainsong

Okay, I'm the guy who "hangs on". I only play wooden guitars, I sing and play John Denver songs, I drive a 96 Toyota pickup, etc. So - browsing thru Guitar Center, there's a Rainsong on the wall. Plastic guitars. Mickey Mouse (sans crank). Never touched one. Thought I never would. Well, after strumming a couple of Martins and Taylors, I thought "What the Heck? Try it." The tonal quality was on par with the others, the intonation was spot on, and the fingering action was smooth and light. Don't remember which model it was, but as rare tone woods are becoming more scarce (like Dino oil), this is no doubt the way of guitars in the future. I was impressed. Will I trade my Taylor for one? No, but adding a carbon fiber offering to the stable is a real possibility. Message to other Woodies out there: Go check one out. I think you'll be amazed! Now if I can just get over new cars that drive themselves better than I do - Nah!!!
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:16 AM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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I don't think they are a replacement for Martins, Taylors, etc...it's in addition too. Their resistance to humidity and temps makes it all a plus, but I don't think many of us would own one if they didn't sound good! Try a Shorty if you get a chance...but I would stay away from a Prius.
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:20 AM
footbeat footbeat is offline
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I tried one too. I agree with you assessment. The one thing that bothered me is that the neck felt boingy to me. I'm not saying it wasn't solid, but it would vibrate in a way that wooden necks don't.
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:54 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Yeah, I get this. I am a Taylor fan (currently have 4) - I added a RainSong Shorty last year, thinking it would be a good travel guitar for our wandering ways that take us from on the water (living on our boat) to months at a time in the desert. Yes, the Shorty handles all that, but it sounds great, too!

I used to think I was a "wood guitar" guy, but the Shorty showed me that I am a guitar guy. The different carbon fiber guitars all have their unique voice... if one plays a single CF guitar, they haven't "heard them all," just like playing one wood guitar doesn't show you how all the others sound.

When I play out with the Shorty, there is always someone who comes up and says, "I didn't know one of those guitars could sound like that."

"You mean: sound like a guitar?"

Captain Jim
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Old 08-19-2014, 11:26 AM
FlyFast FlyFast is offline
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I've always been a wooden guitar snob... until last week. I travelled to a well know guitar store to try out and hopefully buy a Gibson I had been eyeing for years. I played it but it just didn't feel right for me, so I passed. Since I had travelled to get there I decided to play as many guitars as I could. There were a lot of nice guitars, including a wall of Rainsongs. Like you I thought "what the heck" and tried several. The last one was their P12T Parlor and I immediately loved it. I could have bought it on the spot but didn't because it wasn't wood. After I got home, that guitar was stuck in my mind and I regretted not buying it. So now a week later, I called them up and it will arrive here tomorrow. I haven't been this excited about getting a new guitar in a long time!
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Old 08-19-2014, 03:22 PM
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Mbroady Mbroady is offline
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Hey Happydan:

I to was surprised by the sound of a rainsong. So much so that I did eventually take one home. I love it but I do find it can vary in sound depending on ones technique. Press slightly to hard and it throws the tunning off, more so then any good wood guitar I have played. Also, depending on how you attack it could sound brittle. I had several friends play mine and depending on the way they strum and were they strum it sounded either full and rich or thin and week. The more advanced players were able to adapt. The same is true with wood guitars but I seemed to me to be more extreme with the graphite guitar.

For this reason it can help one fine tune their playing technique.
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Old 08-20-2014, 01:59 PM
HAPPYDAN HAPPYDAN is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mbroady View Post
Hey Happydan:

I to was surprised by the sound of a rainsong. So much so that I did eventually take one home. I love it but I do find it can vary in sound depending on ones technique. Press slightly to hard and it throws the tunning off, more so then any good wood guitar I have played. Also, depending on how you attack it could sound brittle. I had several friends play mine and depending on the way they strum and were they strum it sounded either full and rich or thin and week. The more advanced players were able to adapt. The same is true with wood guitars but I seemed to me to be more extreme with the graphite guitar.

For this reason it can help one fine tune their playing technique.
Thanks for the input, I'll consider that if/when I decide to buy. I have an Epiphone ES-339 that does that, and I hate it. So much so, it sits in the case, waiting for an opportunity to unload it. Considering trading it in on a carbon fiber guitar, but I haven't decided which just yet. BTW, my uncle the jazz player (now deceased) liked hi action and hi frets. He said it made it easier to bend notes, vibrato, and do muted slides. I guess to each his own. Or maybe he just made excuses for that old, beat-up archtop he played!
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Old 08-20-2014, 04:41 PM
kramster kramster is offline
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Some good reading here! Maybe someday I'll try another wood guitar!
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Old 08-20-2014, 08:07 PM
nopicknick nopicknick is offline
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I too was hesitate to buy a CF guitar for fear I would miss an all wood guitar after the new wore off. Well the opposite happened....I ended up with two CF guitars and couldn't be happier. I still enjoy seeing those who buy wooden guitars and share their excitement. For me though I am completely satisfied with my two Rainsong instruments.
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