CF Guitars

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by EverettWilliams

Thank you all for the input. This will provide me with a good starting point for seeking out things to play. Sounds like there are a lot of good options. I'm sure once I get to play a few, I'll have a better sense of what works for me.

Getting to play a CF other than Rainsongs may prove difficult. Most here have read many AGF threads, listened to videos, then took a leap of faith. By all reports, the majority have been quite satisfied with their choices, enough to take multiple leaps of faith.

[AZLiberty]

Why is it that 90% of the folks on this forum can't seem to put their location in their profile?

For the OP, if we knew where you lived, we might be able to give you input on where you might test drive a few models. Hint, hint...

Now that I got that out of the way.

Rainsong makes two Parlors, the P12 and P14. Both are essentially the same size as a Larrivee Parlor or Martin size 0 guitar. Of the two, I like the P12 better. The P14 is brighter, and along with the 0 size body ends up being somewhat too bright for my taste.

The next size up from Rainsong is the OM or Shorty, which is a 000/OM size, and it sounds like you want something a bit smaller.

Emerald makes the X7, which is also about the size of an 0 bodied guitar. Somewhat mellower than the Rainsong. It's a non-traditional shape though, so if you wanted a hard case I don't know if anyone makes one.

The Journey is brighter sounding than the P14, and was not to my taste.

I have never played a Cargo, or Blackbird, so can't comment.

The construction quality on all of these is top notch, but like wooden guitars from different builders they will sound different.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

Why is it that 90% of the folks on this forum can't seem to put their location in their profile?

Agreed. At least a vague idea would be useful. For example, there is a dealer here in Boise that stocks a couple dozen CA guitars at any given time. The Sam Ash store in Glendale (Phoenix) had two Rainsong parlors - and others - when I was there the week after Thanksgiving. Elderly in Lansing, MI usually has some RS in stock. And of course, Ted at LA Guitars has lots of Blackbird and Rainsong inventory, basically everything but Emerald.

We're trying to help.........

[TheChicagoTodd]

Interesting that Chicago Music Exchange, arguably one of the largest shops in Chicago has zero alternative material acoustics. On the other hand, The Music Gallery in Highland Park has Journey, CA, Rainsong, and Blackbird.

Todd in Chicago

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[mot]

I have a Blackbird Lucky 13 and an Emerald X20. The X20 is the bigger sounding guitar of the two, and it is bigger though it actually feels a little smaller in some ways. The Emeralds (X20 and X7) are hard to get hands on before you buy them. The Emerald double neck would be the one to watch from Alistair. I don't have one and have never touched one, but I suspect it's probably going to be the benchmark of what a great double neck should be. The other would be the 12 string X20.

I got the Emerald initially (without ever touching a CF guitar) hoping it would be a decent beater because my child was murder on instruments, computers etc... at the time and anything left out for more than a few moments was likely toast. I wanted something that was tougher than he was and had a chat with Alistair who suggested I try his recently modded X20.

I am not completely satisfied with the tone of the X20, but I haven't yet found anything better (wood or otherwise) that I have played from Ibanez and Santa Cruz to Taylor and H&D even. I played the stock of CA and RS that were available in the nearby stores and almost settled on a RS with the fish, but I didn't want the electronics on it and decided to wait and order one that was exactly what I wanted. But then I was in San Francisco and toyed with Blackbird's line up as I was also thinking I was interested in the Rider. The upshot of all that research (about a year total after getting the X20 of time spent going through stores and reading forums) is that I ended up ordering a Lucky 13 without any electronics.

I would probably grab the X20 first if the house was on fire, but I really really like the Lucky 13 and spend a lot of time finger picking melodies and blue grass type junk on it. It's so much fun to play. The Lucky 13 gets some looks and questions when I play it but most muggles (non-players?) don't even notice that the guitar is CF. The X20 however is harder to take out because I spend more time explaining that it is a guitar than I do actually playing it.

Hope this helps.

BTW, another solution to what to do is just get a cheap-ish Ibanez or some other inexpensive decent guitar. I have a PF-10 that I got in the early 90s that still plays great after 20 years of dragging it all over the world and leaving it in places that I probably shouldn't have left it. It still looks great and sounds great though it has some obvious travel wear. I leave it out in my office these days, and I like the X20 and Lucky 13 better. Still it's the only wood acoustic guitar I have left that I have not put in storage or sold.