Carbon Fibre Guitars - What’s The Deal?

[psr-740]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Hi BT ! Welcome to this cosy little corner of the forum.

Good folks here , very easy going, but there are some do’s and don’ts....

We don’t discuss temperature, humidification, torrefaction, ToneRite, or neck resets,

Nor loose frets, bindings, braces or bridges , or lemon oil vs. Dr. Duck’s AxWax.

We have also banished buckle rash.

Unless there’s some beginner here who went straight to composite, we ALL own plenty of wooden guitars , so do know a thing or two.

C’mon in , hang out, get yerself good n GASSED up !

Very nice post. You made me smile :-)

[jdinco]

BT, you have some very nice guitars listed in your signature, the only thing missing is a good CF guitar ! I hope you can find some to try, I think you'll be surprised.

[BT55]

Very interesting responses to the topic. I learned that CF guitars are a good answer to guitar players in areas where humidity is a problem.

One responder related that there were blind tests with wood and CF guitars and they were not discernible from each other. Were the participants the general public or guitar players? I can blindly identify any of my acoustics due to the tonewoods as I’m sure you can so I question those studies findings.

You would be correct to say that I’ve never experienced a CF guitar. I’ll admit that I have a prejudice against them as Formula 1 cars and guitars being built from the same material???

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by BT55

Very interesting responses to the topic. I learned that CF guitars are a good answer to guitar players in areas where humidity is a problem.

One responder related that there were blind tests with wood and CF guitars and they were not discernible from each other. Were the participants the general public or guitar players? I can blindly identify any of my acoustics due to the tonewoods as I’m sure you can so I question those studies findings.

You would be correct to say that I’ve never experienced a CF guitar. I’ll admit that I have a prejudice against them as Formula 1 cars and guitars being built from the same material???

Yep that is correct, I said it. While I could go Google up the results, so could you. You now have all the information you would need.

The best advice that you've been given on here so far is to try one out you might be surprised! As many here have discovered, these guitars practically sell themselves.

[MattV]

Here's a science experiment testing the acoustic properties of composite materials in comparison the woods: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...teD93hZAIuBkk7

Bottom line: composites like carbon fiber are viable. They transmit sound waves twice as fast as wood, sustain longer, and very durable.

[Earl49]

Wood is nature's composite -- cellulose fibers in a natural resin matrix. Man-made composites like carbon fiber and ekoa do the same thing using carbon fiber or linen fibers in a polyester matrix. The engineering properties (such as strength, stiffness, and internal damping) are different for man-made materials than wood, and are much more consistent as a material. But those properties also vary across wood species too, and across individual pieces of wood. I've heard builders say that two identical guitars made from adjacent flitches of the same log will even sound noticeably different.

There is more discussion in a NGD post in the main room here: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=499272

I just stopped into in my LGS here in Boise on the way home from a meeting, and they had six CF guitars on the wall, all Composite Acoustics brand (one dread, one Ox and one Gx, plus three Cargos in various colors / finishes).

I've owned a Voyage Air guitar, and it was fine. Realistically the folded neck heel sticks out beyond the given carry-on "box" so you are still vulnerable if the airlines gets picky. I now own four CF guitars, and the wood ones are going away, even though I like wood. Come for the durability, stay for the tone.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by BT55

Very interesting responses to the topic. I learned that CF guitars are a good answer to guitar players in areas where humidity is a problem.

One responder related that there were blind tests with wood and CF guitars and they were not discernible from each other. Were the participants the general public or guitar players? I can blindly identify any of my acoustics due to the tonewoods as I’m sure you can so I question those studies findings.

You would be correct to say that I’ve never experienced a CF guitar. I’ll admit that I have a prejudice against them as Formula 1 cars and guitars being built from the same material???

Yeah, you see a lot of wood Formula 1 cars, too, huh?

Until you get to experience a carbon fiber guitar, comparisons with other carbon fiber items isn't valid. It is more than a modern man-made material, it is another option. You may or may not like the tone. Five or six years ago, I felt the same as you - I was a confirmed wood guitar guy... I like my rosewood... spruce... mahogany. I really didn't expect to like it so much. I currently have 3 carbon fiber guitars and a nice selection of wood guitars. I don't see that I will be adding any more wood guitars. Yes, I find the CF options that good.

I hope you get the opportunity to try a variety of carbon fiber guitars some time. With an open mind, of course. You may totally get "the deal."

[futboljim]

BT - had a VoyageAir, and enjoyed it.

Sold it when I got my Rainsong APLE, which is a tremendous upgrade imo. It sounds great, looks great, so much so that it sits on a stand on a corner shelf on my first floor.

Wanted something easier to travel with, bought a Journey, and wow! For me, it is also miles ahead in how it plays and sounds.

They all have a place, but I wouldn’t consider going back to the VA.

[Chipotle]

When I was guitar shopping last year, I took a Composite Acoustics GX with me to the local guitar shops to play them head to head with the Taylor (814) I was considering. Of course, they didn't sound exactly the same, but I made some sound clips and played them back for others--nobody was able to consistently say "Ha--that's obviously the CF guitar!" And in the months since I bought it, nobody that didn't already know has inquired about the guitar or the sound. It might as well be wood to the audience (other guitarists included).

Now, CA has a reputation for some of the "woodier" sounding CF guitars, perhaps due to the fact that they use soundboard bracing. But they've demonstration there's no need for a CF guitar to sound radically different from a wooden one. I just think that other manufacturers have deliberately embraced the differences as a selling point.

[love the guitar]

I originally bought mine (CA cargo) for busking in all kinds of weather but found
that it sounds incredible through my PA gear. I chose it to play a 3 1/2 hour
solo jazz gig the other night and loved the sound in the room. Maybe not for
everyone, but I love mine and would buy it again. When I get some extra cash, I'm seriously considering a second, but different carbon fiber guitar.

I accept the sound for what it is and happen to really like it. It's unlike any
wood guitar I played.

[billder99]

Originally Posted by BT55

...The reviews I’ve read all seem to say that in one way or another they are sonically challenged.

Seriously, that's crazy talk. I haven't seen ANY reviews that describe CF guitars as having poor tone... the opposite, they are very surprising when you play them.

Yes, they are fairly expensive but they take a lickin' and keep on tickin'... for anyone who lives in a tough environment or travels alot, don't even think about it, they need a CF guitar.

[MiG50]

Originally Posted by BT55

I’ll admit that I have a prejudice against them as Formula 1 cars and guitars being built from the same material???

My house is built out of wood, and it doesn't have ANY good acoustical properties.

[guitararmy]

I have two CF guitars, a CA Legacy dread and a Rainsong jumbo.
I am a bit disappointed by how much they sound like a traditional wood guitar--I would actually prefer they would be a bit bolder and "metallic" sounding like what people expect from a CF guitar without actually playing one.
If I was a professional musician I would prefer a CF guitar because of their sturdiness and stability.

[mot]

Originally Posted by BT55

One responder related that there were blind tests with wood and CF guitars and they were not discernible from each other. Were the participants the general public or guitar players? I can blindly identify any of my acoustics due to the tonewoods as I’m sure you can so I question those studies findings.

This has already been answered, but I agree that I can instantly tell which of my guitars is being played just like I can tell which of my children is yelling at me from across the playground. Now if someone asked me to ID their children when they are talking, I doubt I could do it. I know that I couldn't with other people's guitars.

[steelvibe]

There are lots of decent examples and I think all of the manufacturers are turning out great sounding instruments. We have to remember that the only way to get even an idea of what they might sound like or the differences between them is on YouTube. The rooms, the player, the recording gear, the compression of the audio that YouTube does to the recording- so many variables at play.

But I just found this example and I'm seriously contemplating making this my second CF. I don't think I will buy another wood guitar ever again, and if I did it wouldn't be because it sounded so much better than CF- it would be because wood guitars are so unique and beautiful. But this is award winning tone (unless I'm deaf). Seriously, listen to this!