Another Emerald incoming...
 

After Emerald announced their Select Series for 2017, I have watched with great interest to see what would be next. When I checked e-mail this morning, the February Select Series offerings were in my in-box.

Now, I will admit I have been giving some consideration to ordering an X20... but I guess I am an immediate gratification kinda guy. When I bought my X7, it was a cocobolo veneer that pushed me off the fence. The 4 month wait would be tough on me, even though Sean said they'd ship it wherever our travels take us. I ordered an X7 Opus that they had in stock, and had it in my hands (Ireland to south Texas) in 4 days! Yes, I know that every air shipper and delivery truck had to align just right for that to happen. That may be the time to beat. ;)

From the moment I opened the box on the X7, I was hooked. It wasn't my first carbon fiber, but my first Emerald. They made the buying experience an absolute delight. And, the X7 has become the guitar I pick up the most. It is SO comfortable. Yeah, I've said this before.

Back to this morning's e-mail - I opened it and saw that they had two X20s as part of this month's Select Series... and one of them was already sold! When my wife got up, I said, "Check this out..."

She said, "You've been thinking about an X20 - is that what you'd order if you were going for a custom?"

I had to admit that I looked up louro preto to see what kind of wood it is. Unlike a wood guitar, this is all about the looks, and I do like how that cocobolo looks. I've been following the discussion about CITES and rosewood and cocobolo. No issue with louro preto. The first one that sold had more sapwood, this one has a smaller bit of sapwood and a couple birdseye figures. And, the back and sides are black CF weave gloss (I do like the crystal ice finish on the back and sides of my X7) - I think that sets off the wood veneer nicely. Well, in the photos.

The Blonde said, "Get what you want - you can wait if you have to." SO much of what would be my "ideal" on this one. I clicked "Buy It"... in a nano-second, it said my credit card was denied... ??? My wife called the credit card company, and they assured her it was nothing they did.

I sent an e-mail to Sean at Emerald, and even though it was now after hours in Ireland, he got right on it. I held my breath for a few moments, until the PayPal request came through... SOLD! To me. Whew!

I joked with Sean that doing this all on a Friday, after hours, AN Post probably won't be able to beat their previous record, even though we are now near a big city and not on an island. ;)

A preview...

http://emeraldguitars.com/wp-content...v=06b152301bbe

http://emeraldguitars.com/?v=06b152301bbe

The X7 was a delightful surprise when I opened the box. I have never played an X20, and have come to appreciate a smaller guitar. Reading several reviews here on the X20, including the description of "a bigger guitar that doesn't feel big" was a big help in this decision. As was the immediate gratification factor.

Kudos to Alistair, Sean, and the staff at Emerald for the Select Series concept... very welcome for those of us who are afflicted with "CWS" (Can't Wait Syndrome). Yeah, now the delivery wait. :evilgrin:

Captain Jim

Congrats, Cap! Nice snag! I also received the select series email this morning and had a look. Pretty sweet! I would've expected amber CF b&s, but the blackish/grey appears quite nice. With yours, to me, the two small knots and sapwood create a "face" image to me. Neat! Enjoy the anticipation!

I admit I am curious if the wood veneers deliver any distinct tone nuances compared to straight CF tops, including among the various woods used.

Wow! That's impressive... I like it.

Great fast decision making, a quality found in captains ( and in their good ladies of course ! ) :up:

Jim, what a gorgeous guitar! Very decisive approach too...I'd sail with you anyday. :up:

Enjoy the wait, the anticipation is half the fun... :)

Thanks for the kind words, folks. Yep, decision making has been part of my skill-set... you know, "the captain is always right" thing. ;) For full disclosure, my wife has been crew on some commercial trips - the only time I can tell her what to do with reasonable impunity. On our own boat, we have a captain... and an admiral.

That pretty Blonde is very encouraging about guitar-related stuff. We make financial decisions together. There have been times when she has said, "Go for it," that I have said no. The guitar room at home was her idea... as was her "listening chair" in there. :)

She knows I have been contemplating an X20 for a while. I may be selling a couple wood guitars when we get home - I am out of wall space.

Funny, but I say the same thing. "Of course I am Captain of the ship. Now just let me go clear this with the Admiral". ;)

Although retired from flying now, I'm also used to making pilot-in-command decisions in the aircraft. My wife is also a licensed private pilot and instrument-rated. It is always important to designate one person as PIC. The sky is no place for debates....

Congrats, that's a beautiful instrument. I looked it over upon seeing the February Select series and came close to hitting the button as well. My hesitancy is rooted in frequent visits to the Emerald website to stare at the X20 woodies in either green or blue curly maple. I'm generally not an over-thinker but in this case I'm savoring the decision a bit.

Enjoy the new guitar!

Alistair and his crew have a special gift for producing instruments with a lavish look and superior sound.
That Emerald X20 with the Louro Preto veneer top you chose looks stunning.
I'm sure you'll enjoy how well your X20 feels and sounds, certainly different than your X7 but the X7 it also very special.

When my X20 arrived, I thought my X7 would sit idly by while I relished in the uniqueness of my new X20.
As it turns out, they both get about the same amount of play time.
The X20 sounds big, rich and clear and certainly is the best sounding guitar I have ever owned.
Because of the X20s body contours and rounded edges, it is more comfortable to hold than similar sized wood acoustic I own.
The X7 is still my favorite couch guitar and even though it has a smaller body size than my wood parlor and wood folk size acoustic guitars,
the X7 sounds fuller and clearer.
My X20 and X7 get allot of playing time.
The only guitars that don't get any playing time are my wood acoustics.

Enjoy your beautiful Emerald X20

Congrats Jim! My finger was hovering over the buy it button too....problem is I would have to part with a Martin OM 28 to make room for an X20. I guess I'm just not there yet. Looking forward to your review....your X7 review was right on.

I hope that's the way this plays out. The X7 is such a good fit for me. Size wise, the measurements show that the X20 should be pretty close in size to the Shorty and 522 that are the "fraternal twins" (one wood, one CF) that I enjoy. I'm counting on that Emerald touch to make it even more comfortable. :)

I've hinted to Sean that maybe Emerald needs to offer a guitar that's a little bigger than the X7 and a little smaller than the X20, with a scale length around 24.75", but if they did it would mean another Emerald in my inventory.:D

I like the size of the X20 I have, but a short scale with narrower string spacing and the neck narrower at the body is what I'm having built.

Congrats Captain!

And a tip of the hat to the Admiral! 😆

When I opened the February Select series email I was Flabbergasted!

What a gorgeous veneer and great options all ready to go at a click of a button.! That email has now cranked up the anticipation level of my X20-12 woody that I'm just past my 3 month wait on. I can't wait to see your NGD post as usual.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

Congrats to the other Select Series X20 owner. I just got Select Series Jan/17 back from my tech and love playing it. It's enjoyable to look at as well.

http://www.rahnlawton.com/webpics/X2...ry%20-%205.jpg