Gigbag/strings for Emerald X20

[sumokids]

Hi folks,

I just picked up a used X20 Artisan from, of all places, Artisan Guitars. Hard to imagine buying a cooler guitar from a cooler shop. Thumbs up all around. And Alistair is a genius.

That being said, for you X20 owners, what strings have worked well for you? Also, the Hiscox case it came in is great, but I'd like to supplement it with a gigbag for easy travel. Any recommendations?

Thanks!

-SK

[Claytone]

Congrats Sumo!!! Glad to have another X-20 enthusist in the forum...I think that if I needed a gigbag for my baby...then I would get one of the Emerald bags from Alistair...They just look so Cool!

[dkoloff]

The Emerald is a good recommendation as well as the reunion blues....as for strings Elixir Nano's in light/medium...enjoy the x20, it is a terrific guitar.

[sumokids]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Absolutely loving the X20. The Emerald gig bags do look pretty cool -- I'll get in touch with Alistair and see if he'll ship one to me. Thanks for the string tip also, I'll try that the next time I change them up.

[MacNichol]

I have a spare gig bag from when I was an Emerald dealer (my store recently closed), so if Alistair doesn't have any in stock, please let me know.

[new2guitar_eh]

Originally Posted by MacNichol

I have a spare gig bag from when I was an Emerald dealer (my store recently closed), so if Alistair doesn't have any in stock, please let me know.

Hey Michael,

Is the gig bag for the X20 specifically, or more generic so it would also fit other Emeralds (X10)?

SK;

Congratulations on having a great guitar! Enjoy.....

[sumokids]

Thanks EvanB! Michael, I sent you a PM about the gig bag. Thanks!

-SK

[Uncle Pauhana]

Here's something from a year ago that I posted elsewhere about my favorite X20 strings:

I've been curious about the new Ernie Ball Aluminum Bronze strings every since I saw the announcement from the last NAAM show. Ernie Ball claims "more projection and clarity than traditional bronze strings, while also providing improved corrosion resistance", as well as "more pronounced lows coupled with crisp brilliant highs".

How well do they live up to these claims? I put a set on my Emerald X20-OS to check it out (Medium gauge - .013, .017, .026, .034, .046, .056). The first impression, of course, is the appearance of the strings. The color is kind of a dull yellow, somewhere between the color of phosphor bronze and 80/20. (Will this be a hint about how they sound? Stay tuned to find out.)

It's difficult to assess the projection claim, since I haven't had a chance to hear it played by someone else. But they certainly seem to be at least as loud to me when I'm playing as my standard strings, D'Addario phosphor bronze mediums (EJ17). (Edit: yes, they are loud and project well.)

My first impressions of the timbre were quite positive. Playing chords with a lot of open notes produces a full, balanced sound, with plenty of lows, plenty of definition, and topped off with a nice brushy, whispery sheen on the high-end. (I'll be really curious to find out if anybody has any idea what the heck I'm talking about here.) Interestingly, playing single notes or jazz chords or barre chords seems to produce a more rounded sound, still with plenty of highs, but without that shimmer on the high end.

How about finger style and the different Hawaiian slack key tunings I often use? The rounded sound that I experienced with the single notes seems to carry over to finger style, but throw in a chord with some open strings, and you start to get some of that shimmer back.

One thing that really surprised me about these strings is how much sustain the open low E string has. It seems even more pronounced when I tune down. Down around C or B-flat it's actually a bit ridiculous, to the point where I have to change my technique to compensate. We're talking low note on a good piano with the sustain pedal down... get out your stopwatch.

I've been playing these strings for a bit over two weeks now, and like most strings, a little bit of the initial brightness has calmed down. But overall, they sound very much like they did when I first put them on. It's too soon to tell, but I am optimistic that they will last for a good long time. This is a real bonus for me, because I have lost my affection for coated strings over the years. (Edit: they last a freaky long time. The last time I changed strings it was just because it had been months and I figured it must be time. But I think they still had more months of life in them)

So, are these strings in between phosphor bronze and 8020? In some ways, I'd say they are. They're definitely not as bright overall as 8020, but they do have that high-end sheen on the open chords, especially at first.

Do they live up to the manufacturer's claims? I won't say no... for me, the sound captures a lot of what I like about phosphor bronze but with a bit "more". More what? Definition? Frequency range? Sustain? It's a little hard to say… but it's a sound that I like, and I'm ordering more… I think these are a keeper. (Edit: a year later, I'm still loving these strings. No desire to return to my old standby, D'addario phosphor bronze.)

Uncle;

I've been wondering if the cell phone app for decibel levels could be used to get us passed our intuitive assessments of projection?? I don't have a cell phone, but my friends do and one of these days I'm going to compare two different nylon string guitars to see if my ears are guessing right.

[Uncle Pauhana]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Uncle;

I've been wondering if the cell phone app for decibel levels could be used to get us passed our intuitive assessments of projection?? I don't have a cell phone, but my friends do and one of these days I'm going to compare two different nylon string guitars to see if my ears are guessing right.

Using a level meter phone app should give an idea of the relative projection of two guitars, provided that the room, position of the guitar, playing style and force, etc. are identical.

[ac]

Some guitars project certain strings slightly better than others, depending on the particular acoustics/resonance of the guitar.

Maybe strumming for comparison would be better than picking? You'd have a sort of "average" decibel reading for each guitar, I suppose.

AC;

I had not even thought of using a meter app to determine balance--I think that's a nifty idea.

This weekend when I play down at the park I think I'll bring two competing nylon string guitars and a steel string Cargo for some meter testing. This could be very interesting.

I suspect that tonal quality will always be a subjective matter, but projection is testable. Even so I'd guess that, while testable, projection level may also be a matter of personal preference. I'm guessing here...

[sumokids]

Uncle P -- thanks for detailed post, I appreciate it. I'll put those strings on my list to try.

[volman]

I just got in an X20 from Paramount Guitars on Friday. I wasn't satisfied with the tone and actually started to think I should've got a Blackbird Lucky 13 that I was looking at instead...but I couldn't help but feel like the strings were playing a big part. Swapped them out for some Elixir 80/20 light gauge strings yesterday, tuned it down 1/2 step (my preferred standard), strummed an E chord and about fell over from the tone. Absolutely amazing and a huge difference for me from the strings that came on it. I will probably still try a few other types of strings down the road to see how they change the sound, but I'm extremely happy right now. I didn't get much done this weekend because I kept picking up the X20 and playing the time away. Great guitar.