The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Carbon Fiber

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 06-28-2015, 01:23 PM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rochester, New York
Posts: 12,337
Default RainSong CO-WS1005NST

Yesterday, I played a used RainSong CO-WS1005NST (SN 13896) in absolutely MINT condition--it looked like it hadn't been played! It was for sale at my local Guitar Center for $1739, recently dropped from $1999. With its 12-fret neck and round upper-bout soundhole, this guitar sounded absolutely full, deep and warm but retained the typical Rainsong WS crystalline shimmer. The sunburst finish, something I hadn't thought I'd like on a carbon guitar, was gorgeous! I auditioned the guitar at 4 p.m., and when checking the web site at 7 p.m. it said the guitar was no longer available! I went to GC today to verify that it was, alas, sold! At any rate, if when buying another RainSong, I'm serously considering getting a CO-WS1005NST.

http://www.rainsong.com/concert/cowsnst6.html

__________________
Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom
Martin D-18/UltraTonic
Adamas I 2087GT-8
Ovation Custom Legend LX
Guild F-212XL STD
Huss & Dalton TD-R
Taylor 717e
Taylor 618e
Taylor 614ce
Larrivee D-50M/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Sunburst
Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom
RainSong BI-DR1000N2
Emerald X20
Yamaha FGX5
Republic Duolian/Schatten NR-2
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-28-2015, 06:10 PM
Guest 928
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

What a beautiful guitar! Sorry you missed it. I've found that strings make an amazing difference on CF guitars. They seem particularly sensitive and the shimmer can be tamed with strings. At least, that is the impression I get in listening to the string discussions on the carbon fiber guitar forum. I can tell you that on my RS parlor nylon string, the tonal qualities are as good as those found on traditional, classical nylon string guitars.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-29-2015, 07:22 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rochester, New York
Posts: 12,337
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
What a beautiful guitar! Sorry you missed it. I've found that strings make an amazing difference on CF guitars. They seem particularly sensitive and the shimmer can be tamed with strings. At least, that is the impression I get in listening to the string discussions on the carbon fiber guitar forum. I can tell you that on my RS parlor nylon string, the tonal qualities are as good as those found on traditional, classical nylon string guitars.
I actually like the crystalline upper-frequency shimmer of RainSong carbon guitars as it adds another dimension to the tone that is subdued or non-existent in wooden guitars.
__________________
Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom
Martin D-18/UltraTonic
Adamas I 2087GT-8
Ovation Custom Legend LX
Guild F-212XL STD
Huss & Dalton TD-R
Taylor 717e
Taylor 618e
Taylor 614ce
Larrivee D-50M/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Sunburst
Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom
RainSong BI-DR1000N2
Emerald X20
Yamaha FGX5
Republic Duolian/Schatten NR-2

Last edited by SpruceTop; 06-29-2015 at 05:38 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-29-2015, 04:57 PM
frances50 frances50 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Sandy Run, South Carolina
Posts: 1,146
Default

Our GC here in Columbia (SC) doesn't carry Rainsong in the store. I had to order mine on line. Everyone in the store drooled over it when it came in. I think they would sell in Columbia IF GC carried them. So different from anything else I own.
__________________
Frances
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-29-2015, 07:31 PM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: my father's attic
Posts: 5,783
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by frances50 View Post
I think they would sell in Columbia IF GC carried them. So different from anything else I own.
I think that would be true of any location RainSongs could be potentially sold. For now I think I will enjoy having a great instrument that is still considered a rare sighting and that wows people when they discover my Shorty.

I really don't buy the argument that cf costs are what primarily hold buyers back (based upon my belief that many proud instrument owners have spent in excess of the price point on the average cf for top brand guitars of a wooden variety). I think it is mainly accessibility that is keeping most buyers from considering. I was saving up for a higher end Breedlove when I first played a RainSong. Carbon fiber won my wallet and could easily do it again.
__________________
Don't chase tone. Make tone.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-30-2015, 07:27 AM
Flying Orca Flying Orca is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Winnipeg MB
Posts: 742
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
I think that would be true of any location RainSongs could be potentially sold.
You'd think so, but our local dealer stopped carrying them due to slow sales. I had to contact the Canadian distributor and ended up ordering my CO-WS1005NS from two provinces away.

It's rapidly become my favourite guitar, and I own an old D28 and a very nice Morgan CM among others.
__________________
merry irreverent freerange omnivorous intellect
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-30-2015, 07:38 AM
frances50 frances50 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Sandy Run, South Carolina
Posts: 1,146
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
I think that would be true of any location RainSongs could be potentially sold. For now I think I will enjoy having a great instrument that is still considered a rare sighting and that wows people when they discover my Shorty.

I really don't buy the argument that cf costs are what primarily hold buyers back (based upon my belief that many proud instrument owners have spent in excess of the price point on the average cf for top brand guitars of a wooden variety). I think it is mainly accessibility that is keeping most buyers from considering. I was saving up for a higher end Breedlove when I first played a RainSong. Carbon fiber won my wallet and could easily do it again.
Agreed. It is kinda cool when someone asks "what kind of guitar is that?"
__________________
Frances
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-30-2015, 08:00 AM
perttime perttime is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Finland
Posts: 2,101
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
I really don't buy the argument that cf costs are what primarily hold buyers back .... I think it is mainly accessibility that is keeping most buyers from considering. ...
And then there's guitar players being traditionalists. People hear with their eyes and are convinced that it takes the rarest kinds of spruce and some pretty rosewood to build a proper guitar.
__________________
Breedlove,
Landola,
a couple of electrics,
and a guitar-shaped-object
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-30-2015, 08:11 AM
steelvibe steelvibe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: my father's attic
Posts: 5,783
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by perttime View Post
And then there's guitar players being traditionalists. People hear with their eyes and are convinced that it takes the rarest kinds of spruce and some pretty rosewood to build a proper guitar.
I completely agree here, but i do think more CF guitars could be sold if they were more accessible. Even in my own experience I wish that I had several models of every manufacturer of CF in the same room when making my purchase- kind of like a Guitar Center of CF guitars. Tell me that wouldn't FUN!

I would add that this would almost certainly affect your buying decision too. I was down to a Lucky 13 or Shorty and the Shorty won merely because I couldn't even get my hands on the L13. Even though I completely love my Shorty, I can't help but feel that I have slight case of FOMO (Fear of missing out).
__________________
Don't chase tone. Make tone.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-30-2015, 09:05 AM
Guest 928
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Sean;

That's what it used to be like at MacNichol in Salt Lake; a field trip into the land of CF guitars. I think Ted's is about the closest to that now. I would think that a franchise of some sort that sold nothing but CF instruments, placed in major cities, would do well. But I could be wrong, and I have to admit I sort of like having a guitar that is unique.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 06-30-2015, 09:07 AM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 10,982
Default

There WAS a place where you could do that - McNichol in Salt Lake city. But he closed his retail store last April. (Still open for mail order though and has a great reputation). I had always intended to make a road trip to SLC and sit in a room with multiple CF guitars. Guess I dawdled too long.

I met Joe from Blackbird recently, and he pointed out that they have a good return policy. Order direct and try it for 14 days (IIRC) and return it if it doesn't work for you. You'd only be out the shipping costs. He said that they get back less than 1% of the guitars tested this way, so people like them. I'm considering a Lucky 13 myself. But I'm not in any hurry since I already have a Rainsong WS-1000.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 06-30-2015, 09:40 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rochester, New York
Posts: 12,337
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by steelvibe View Post
I think that would be true of any location RainSongs could be potentially sold. For now I think I will enjoy having a great instrument that is still considered a rare sighting and that wows people when they discover my Shorty.

I really don't buy the argument that cf costs are what primarily hold buyers back (based upon my belief that many proud instrument owners have spent in excess of the price point on the average cf for top brand guitars of a wooden variety). I think it is mainly accessibility that is keeping most buyers from considering. I was saving up for a higher end Breedlove when I first played a RainSong. Carbon fiber won my wallet and could easily do it again.
I agree on your point about accessibility of carbon guitars keeping them largely out of the public eye and potential sales! Price-wise, RainSong models have had very little in the way of price increases during the 9 years I've been buying this brand. Given some of the hefty price increases in quality wooden guitars during the same time frame, I truly feel RainSong and other brands of carbon guitars are becoming more competitive with wooden guitars in the fine-guitar field.
__________________
Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom
Martin D-18/UltraTonic
Adamas I 2087GT-8
Ovation Custom Legend LX
Guild F-212XL STD
Huss & Dalton TD-R
Taylor 717e
Taylor 618e
Taylor 614ce
Larrivee D-50M/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi
Larrivee D-40R Sunburst
Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom
RainSong BI-DR1000N2
Emerald X20
Yamaha FGX5
Republic Duolian/Schatten NR-2
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 07-07-2015, 08:41 AM
buzzardwhiskey buzzardwhiskey is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,450
Default

For both tone and comfort (I like 12-frets), this is my favorite model in the Rainsong line-up. Not sure where I stand in the looks department...
__________________
Website: http://www.buzzardwhiskey.com
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Carbon Fiber

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=