x7 vs x7
 

Brother in law came to visit today.

The new x7 is just enough larger than the old to make it more comfortable to play. I think with the larger body, I'd actually like a touch more scale length though.

https://i.imgur.com/ckCfMY5.jpg?1

I've had both too, the shorter scale length is part of the charm of the X7 to me. Both are good, but I much prefer the newer one. Nice looking veneer !!

OK, you two - knock it off! :wink:

So, what inquiring minds really want to know: how do they compare in sound and tone, both to the player and in front of the guitar?

Honestly hard to tell, I have mine (Black) strung with EJ-16s, and I think my BIL has his strung with 80/20s. So I am hearing the string difference more than the guitar difference.

I think mine is louder, but his is deeper sounding. His is very comfortable to play sitting down, though my arm is almost off the bevel.

Both are significantly quieter than my Chimaera for some reason. ;)

I’ve had both too. The newer one is more comfortable for me too. I would kind of be all wrapped around the older one to get comfortable playing something so small - the new one sits me up straighter and I can play it comfortably for as long as I want. This is far from a universal opinion though - I’ve heard from a number of folks who find the older one more comfortable. I too love the neck and scale length, which is identical between them. In terms of sound, I don’t think there’s that much difference for the listener, but I find a huge difference for the player. That new soundhole directs sooo much more sound up at the players ear. For me, the new one is a total win but, again, far from a universal opinion...

-Ray

That beautiful veneer aside, the new gen X7 looks more in line with the current Emerald line-up. When I got the X20 after a year or so with the X7, I was blown away by the sound coming out of that up-turned soundhole on the X20. I think the new X10 is pretty close in body size to the new X7 (although the shape is different), and I still find the X7 more comfortable for my physique... although each Emerald I own is more comfortable than any of my wood guitars.

We are out and about for a couple months in our motorhome... I chose the X7 to come along with us this trip. Such a great compact guitar!

I have owned both styles although not at the same time. I remember the original X7 being very small and almost toy-like but not in a bad way. The quality was still there and there was a surprising amount of decent tone but it was a very small guitar. Used strictly as a travel guitar, something you could take anywhere and fit almost anywhere, it was great.

The X7 2.0 is a far superior instrument. It's more like a parlor guitar than a travel guitar although with its short scale it can still fit in many places. But the body is significantly larger and has much better tone. It's more like a 'real' guitar. I actually ordered mine with a slightly longer scale at 24.6" which matched my X20.

Methos sums it up perfectly I think....

We happen to have two woody examples of the X7 version 1 (bubinga, koa). My petite wife is just as happy that she went for it when she did, as the updated version 2 is a bit bigger - which she does not prefer. To be fair, we've spent very little time with the newer version. But she was immediately "sold" after trying V1 at Kramster's house in February 2018. Three weeks later, her bubinga X7 arrived from Donegal. Later she bought Wicked Wahine's koa X7, the one she was really after but was missed originally.

I'm curious if Emerald would make a version one X-7 as a custom. ??

I think I might prefer the smaller (thinner) version.

If not, they come up from time to time on the classifieds.

Appreciate the comparisons, thanks. Been considering both the older and newer X7. Haven’t pulled the trigger yet (have too many guitars that aren’t getting played) but this info helps when the time is right for me.

From your experience, was the new X7 more resonant/louder than the old x7?

For the player, the new one is a LOT louder, not sure that equates to resonance, but probably a bit. But the offset soundhole directs a lot of sound right up at the players ear, so the new one really seems much louder when you're playing. To a listener out front of the guitar, or on a recording, the new one is louder, but not by a lot. So, for your audience, not a huge difference, and probably none if you're plugged in. But if you're your own audience a lot of the time, it makes a really big difference.