Wow does this sound nice - McPherson
 

Hard to know what they did to record this but it does sound so nice.

https://youtu.be/1f2f27vhYDs

I played a Touring last month, and it did sound good. Not as full and rich as the tone in that video, but some reverb and good production sure make a difference. It lets you know how good it can be... when recorded properly. This may be heresy, but I like the tone of the Touring over the Sable.

Sounds a little punchier than my Sable, I like the warm mellow tone I'm getting with the old Elixirs I have on there now. The Touring I had was OK, but not a Sable. Just a difference in tastes I'm thinking. The Touring wasn't as laid back as the Sable is, so understandable.

It all comes down to personal preference. I played a Touring back to back with my Sable several months ago and didn’t like it at all. Love the Sable. Can’t explain it in any detail, we just like what we like.

-Ray

The body sizes behave much like any other guitar. In general, a more cavernous/ fuller sound from bigger bodies, and quicker/ drier sound from smaller bodied guitars.

It's why we should all own 12 guitars. Physics. :)

I like it. Next time someone asks how come you own so many guitars I'll just say "Physics"

Attachment 89149
Not all women are like that ! Most of us are lucky I think.

Put me in the +1 on touring over the Sable. It is like a clown car. small but continually surprised about the tones that come out of this guitar. Warm but punchy! At least to my ears. In full size guitars … hard to beat the sound of the Rainsong Jumbo. They both pass my strum test. If I open string strum and I get goose bumps… it’s for me.

Perfect reasoning

It sounds terrific. But I can't get over the offset soundhole thingy. . . . , that's just me. (Plus me most favored pickup includes a soundhole mag ;) ;) ;) )

Yeah, I used to feel that way. And then, my ears, mind, and heart were opened to the advantages of an offset soundhole. It is now my preference. But, I don't use an 8-track tape player in my car these days, either. ;)

Kidding aside, the first carbon fiber guitar I bought had a traditional body shape and a center soundhole... it looked like what I thought "a proper" acoustic guitar should look like. Then, a couple years later, having been "enlighted" to what CF brings to the guitar experience, I bought my first Emerald (with an offset soundhole and forward-thinking ergonomics)... and it was even better! Give it a try, give it some time... you may come around. And there are plenty of pickups that don't have to block part of that old fashioned soundhole that sound great.

Emerald and McPherson are both great guitar makers. And they both moved on from that offset soundhole thingy years ago.

I have a friend with a nice Emerald. Part of my problem is I'm picky about neck profiles, and scale lengths, and fingerboard radius. And the CF community doesn't provide options other than what the one or two molds they've decided on. I tried my friend's Emerald and knew in 10 seconds it wasn't going to work for me neck-wise. It's an arthritis thing as much as anything.

A couple years ago I bought a nice Eastman slope dread (for $800). I decided I had trouble with the neck. So, I took it to a luthier friend and spent $700 to have him make a new neck for it to my specs.

I love that thing now. :D :D :D

(But there are times I wish it were temperature and humidity proof.)

For the record, Emerald does have different neck profiles/widths/scales you can order, so trying one doesn't give you an idea on all the options available. My X20 is a different profile and nut width from my X10. The McPherson Touring I tried last month had a thinner profile than any of my Emeralds. I thought it was very comfortable. Spending $800 on your Eastman, then another $700 for the neck would get you more than half way to a McPherson Touring or an Emerald X7 (depending on options)... and they laugh at temperature and humidity. Really - they laugh out loud. We're in the Phoenix area currently, where the humidity has been as low as 7% since we've been here - the X7 traveling with us said, "That's all you got?!!"... and was still in tune. After traveling 1450 miles from the humid Gulf Coast to the desert... checked the tuning, all good.

Will they move the soundhole over? ;) ;) ;)

Just kidding.

(And round off that jagged sword of a headstock.)

Yes they are very nice guitars. My friend loves his. He's got a humbucker and piezo on it and combines them both. It works very well for him.

Sounds like your friend has an X10. If so, it has a 1 11/16" nut width and a more "electric" neck profile than the other models (except the Virtuo, which is based on the thin body X10). If you want to do more than just blend the humbucking PU and the piezos, you can use a stereo 1/4" Y-cable and run each pickup to a different amp. How's that for pickup options? ;)

And just to further your CF education: there is a reason for the shape of that Emerald headstock (just like all the bevels and rolled edges on their different models) - the string run from the nut to the tuning peg is nearly straight on each string... not so on those "old fashioned" squared off headstocks, where the strings run off at different angles. Just more of that forward design. Of course, some of us use that functional headstock to "nudge" (not stab) players who think a square slab headstock makes sense into the 21st Century. 'Cause we're helpful that way. :) Just kidding - most of us think players should get to pick whatever guitar they want, even if it is old school (read: dated because most guitar builders keep copying 200 year old designs). I can't remember the last time I felt the desire to nudge anyone with my guitars. Kidding again... I have felt the desire, but rarely acted on it.