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Originally Posted by TheTwistinside
I appreciate the suggestion of customizing an Emerald, but I do prefer the design aesthetics of the other three brands. The Emerald look is unique and definitely interesting, but I'm not sure that it suits me.
Also, thanks for all the feedback! It's very interesting to hear everyone's impressions of these guitars. Rainsong and Emerald definitely get a lot of love online. If Emeralds sound anywhere near as good as Rainsongs do, then I can see why.
Well, I guess I could always force myself to adapt to a thicker neck profile. It's just that for the money, it's hard to rationalize why this should be necessary. It seems to boil down to the decision of having the desired neck profile, getting the tone and projection I crave, or spending considerably more and hoping that eKoa is the answer to my prayers. Haha.
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I understand your thoughts about the design of the Emeralds. I felt that way when I first saw them, too. Acoustic guitar players tend to be pretty traditional. It is why I first went with a RainSong, because the shape of the Shorty I bought (my first carbon fiber guitar) was SO close to that of a Taylor Grand Concert model. And what I discovered: I really like the carbon fiber sound. The N2 neck on that Shorty was chunkier than I prefer, but I played the heck out of that guitar for a several years before getting another carbon fiber guitar... and this time it was an Emerald.
After having my carbon fiber "awakening," it allowed me to be more open to new designs. I played other CF guitars, but nothing moved me enough to make another purchase. The Emerald X7 seemed to offer what I was looking for in terms of small size with a good sound. I ordered one, another "leap of faith." When it arrived (in just 4 days, from Ireland), I was blown away: it sounded better than I expected, but the ergonomics of it let me understand what that "modern design" is all about. The off-set soundhole adds to the player's experience, and all those curves and bevels will spoil you for traditional guitar shapes. My next two guitars were also Emeralds, each one different in size and scale, but all great sound and comfort.
Before playing one, I thought the Emerald designs were a stylistic choice of the builder... I now understand it is SO much more than that. Please know, I am not trying to change your mind, just relating my experience, since it sounds similar to yours. If not for buying that first RainSong (now sold), I doubt that I would have tried an Emerald. RainSong makes nice CF guitars in a more traditional style and shape.
I have had the opportunity to play a couple Savoys - nice guitars. While none of the CF guitars you are considering are inexpensive, the Savoy seems a bit overpriced to me. If you like a traditional guitar that is close to the GSmini in size, this would be another good option. The 24.5" scale was very comfortable to me, and I appreciate the soundport on the upper side.
The McPherson and Composite Acoustics have their fans, as well. The 3 specific guitars you mentioned are different body size from each other - the Rainsong H-WS1000N2 feels large (and deep) to me; the Ox is more mid-size, and the Savoy is small. There are a lot of good options in carbon fiber these days. The search is part of the journey... good luck with the decisions.