Must admit
 

Starting to feel the Emeralds, especially some of the veneer ones...When I first saw them I thought they were a bit wacky looking but they have grown on me for sure...

Feeling the ziricote or cocobolo with amber back and sides ;)

Sounding pretty amazing in the vids as well

As amazing as they appear, the ergonomics are even more extraordinary. One doesn't hold it while playing as much as embrace it...

This is how I started a few months ago...lol

Yeah, that's how it starts. You buy a traditional feeling/looking carbon fiber guitar and discover that... it sounds like... a guitar. I have to admit that I wasn't immediately drawn into the look of the Emeralds; I got to see a few, years ago when Michael from McNichols Guitar Shop in the Salt Lake City area had a couple Emeralds. He was doing a set-up on my RainSong, and put a bone saddle on it. I didn't pick one (Emerald) up seriously at the time.

When I bought that first X7 (previous generation), I was blown away by the sound and feel of it (still the most comfortable acoustic guitar I've played). Once you are aware of what all those curves and bevels add to the playing experience, the look makes sense; and other, more traditional, guitars look... old fashioned.

The workmanship and finish is outstanding. The many photos here and on Emerald's site show that off. You can hear clips of it on SoundCloud and videos, but the only way you can experience what the ergonomics of these guitars bring to the experience is to hold and play one.

Guitar players - especially acoustic guitar players - tend to be traditional in nature. There are certain woods and certain body sizes and shapes that come to mind. Then, Alistair and Emerald come along and mess with our sense of tradition! But, it has to be more than just "the look"... the guitar has to sound great, too. If you find you like the sound of your RainSong, you have already shown that you are open to getting "outside the traditional box."

Yeah, you are probably ready. ;) Look at those sensuous lines. Go ahead - imagine how that will feel as you hold it, and it rumbles against your belly.

What? Enablers? Us? We just want you to see, feel, and experience what many of us here in Carbon Fiber Land already know. In the words of the philosopher Jimi Hendrix: "Are you experienced?"

:evilgrin:

Yeah it really sneaks up on ya :D

It does! At the end of the day it will be hard to beat an Emerald guitar based on comfort alone, which is of course an important factor. I really grew fond of the offset soundhole as well, it makes for an interesting playing experience. Looks like you're done for, might as well go ahead and order one now :guitar:

Yep, those futuristic designs have grown on me too.

Around 2010, when my curiousity first began to hit me regarding carbon fiber, I was looking at more traditional design. Emeralds looked weird. I never hated the look but it was a little much for me eye. It was probably David Wilcox or Erik Mongrain that made me think.....whoah, look at that cool guitar. When RainSong released the Shorty that was it, my gateway drug. But just like every guitar I've had that I've moved on, there was always something that didn't check off all my boxes- things i learn about myself as I go on the Journey.

There isn't a brand out there that has more of my interest than Emerald, and with all the incredible manufacturers out there, wood or otherwise, that is saying something.

If I did it I would be done for. 2 brand new guitars this year is probably all the Minister of Finance would approve the release of funds for ;)

She'd probably have a bird...lol

LL56 coming this summer. I'll probably have to wait until at least Jan 1 2021 to stay under her radar ;-0

I am starting to have the same...issue, shall I say...with Emerald. In my case I am thinking about the ability to customize nut width for a slightly wider-than-stock version.

I remember the first time I saw an X20 (pre-woody) and thinking 'Eww'. But then the design started to grow on me. Finally I bought a used X20 in cobalt blue. It was different and neat but I didn't like the long scale or the neck shape and the color in person was a little disappointing.

Then I saw a cocobolo woody with amber back and sides glamour shot. Whoa! Gorgeous!! But still, that scale and neck carve. Then I started to hear that Emerald would do customs. Before I knew it I had ordered a custom X20 in cocobolo with amber back and sides, short scale and custom neck carve.

That was the first of many custom Emeralds that would come into my life. Great guitars, quality craftsmanship, great looking, great sounding and bullet proof from the environment.

One word of caution though: The darker wood veneers that you see in the glamour shots (as well as the colors) will look MUCH darker in person under normal ambient light. I remember being disappointed when I saw my cocobolo custom for the first time. Those glamour shots from Emerald are professionally photographed with photography lights and so the wood veneers pop much more than in person.

I've owned both cocobolo and ziricote guitars with beautiful wood grains with sapwood centers and unless viewed in flash photography or direct sunlight or stage lights the tops were very dark. Something to consider when visualizing how a woody veneer would look in person. The Royal ebony is a lighter color and popped very well in any light.

I understand what gets said about the veneers and colors in ambient room light vs much brighter stage lighting or sunlight. (For full disclosure, we owned a photography studio for several decades, so the difference didn't surprise me.) I like the changing look of the louro preto veneer on my X20 - from subtle to striking.

The red tint on my X10 looks jewel-like, light dependent. I noticed the same thing with Earl's green X20 the other day: almost iridescent, depending on the amount and direction of light.

Take a typical spruce top wood guitar and put it under stage lighting... and it just looks like light wood... if you can even see the wood grain in it under that bright light.

Our eyes can "see" a wider range of contrast than a typical photographic media (transparency, negative (remember those?), photo paper, printed image)... whoever is doing Emerald's photos is doing a great job of bringing out all the detail. You can be darn sure that most of us look better in a "softer" light than under a spotlight. ;)

Just give one of your guitars to an uncle like I did and keep complaining about how much you miss that guitar. Eventually she will get sick of listening to you and tell you to get another one. Instead of buying that guitar you sneakily buy an Emerald. There problem solved!

I bet that incoming LL56 will sound amazing. Those guitars are never in any stores to try.

Nice strategy ;-0

I’ll have to keep that in my back pocket lol

As for the LL56...yup, there was no playing that before buying. As you said, very hard to find given their rarity. The tap tuning based high standards they made to, however, gives me some assurance that I will not get a dud. I have heard one in person a few times as well. Absolute monster tone.

Okay, I need to stop watching these Emerald shipping videos or I’m gonna be in the dog house before I know it. ;)

They really do have a compelling product. That’s the bottom line.

Emerald guitars do seem interesting to me. I have enjoyed reading about them here and seeing the pictures and videos of them. However, I seem to be stuck in the "try before you buy" mode.

Rainsong gets a its share of attention here too. While I think they are very nice instruments, I can't stand the neck on them, so I would rather enjoy them from a distance. That is personal requirement, rather than a reflection on Rainsong's quality. I have also had the opportunity to play some of the higher end wood guitars that get a lot of discussion around these forums, and a surprising number of them have not been suitable for me. Because of that, I am reluctant to order online, sight unseen.

As a result, I still have my original CA Guitars Cargos and a couple of McPhersons (Touring and Sable) because I was able to buy them locally.

Someday, I will probably see an Emerald and can then decide whether I should add one to my collection. I have no doubt that they are a quality guitar like the products of other CF manufacturers I have had the opportunity to see, but it is the playability/feel of the instrument that I need to determine for my own needs. I do like Emerald's concept of the wood veneer top, bringing some of that look to the CF world.

Tony