Rainsong is Closing Their Doors

[brainfertilizer]

Just yesterday, I was going to warn Caulfield a little, tell him that for some reason, it is REALLY hard to stay in business as a CF guitar maker.
That the only one I'd seen last and thrive is Emerald.
I didn't want to discourage him, but I wanted him to plan for survival, somehow.

But then my first thought was: I don't know anything about McPherson guitars, really, so I can't speak to their thriving or not.
And then I thought of Rainsong, that was still going after nearly 25 years years...but in my internal dialogue, I started thinking counter-arguments, that while Rainsong was still in business, they were clearly struggling.
I thought about how they started with all the inlays and pure carbon fiber, and then so many of their later "innovations" were cost-cutting: getting rid of the hula girl, the shark inlays, moving to Washington, mixing in glass fiber, non-CF weave backs.

I guess I was sensing something, because then here's this news.

I was living in Hawaii when they showed up in Hawaii and made their big splash. I immediately wanted one, and just as quickly abandoned hope when I saw the prices.

I never expected that a little over 10 years later, I was able to afford one...and then 15 years after they came out, I managed to discover an incredibly cheap JZ-1000 Stornsong...my lifelong, dream, impossible guitar!

It...wasn't what I imagined. It was kind of noisy just fretting...the word I think of is "clacky", so I sold it.

Sometimes I miss having it from a rarity/collections standpoint, but the Composite Acoustics Blade was a much better electric CF guitar.

Sometimes I wish I could find a 1st Generation Rainsong acoustic with the Hula Girl and shark inlays, just because those are so classic.

But I guess I'm an Emerald guy now.

Sorry to hear you are gone, Rainsong. Thanks for the memories, and for being a trailblazer.

[bryaharrell]

I always loved Rainsong over Emerald. Mainly because I could use a mag sound hole pickup in my Rainsong for some cool jazz tones. Try that with an Emerald. This is so sad.

[dgaemc2]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Yeah, I was sorry to see this. My first carbon fiber guitar was a RainSong... although I have to admit that my next 4 have been Emeralds. It seems to me that RainSong made a couple half-hearted efforts at something new over the past couple years - it would be hard to compete with the innovation and design that Emerald has exhibited over the last decade.

There have been some offshore CF makers (Enya, Lava Me, Klos) that are producing guitars for well under half of what the established quality makers (Emerald, McPherson, RainSong) are getting; that has to have hurt the sales of a traditional style maker like RainSong.

With the fire at Blackbird, Peavey letting CA languish and wither away, and now RainSong closing up shop, it shows what a tough market CF can be. That leaves Emerald and McPherson at the top, Journey as a mid-tier, and the others competing for the budget market.

I don't see that I would have been in the market for another RainSong, but it is sad to see any business make that decision to close up. It may have been time for the principals at RainSong to retire. When my wife and I decided to retire almost 18 years ago, the business we owned was a profitable, going concern. We considered just closing the doors and selling off equipment, as we were both ready to be done. The commercial real estate broker than we enlisted to sell the commercial property asked what were were going to do with the business.

"Just close it up and sell the equipment." He asked to see our operating statements, and said: "I can sell this for you," and suggested a price that he thought would be right.

"Well, that sounds attractive, if you think you can find a buyer." He did. We stayed on for 90 days to train the new owner and staff. We were the principals in that business and thought without us there, there is no business. Perhaps that is what Dave at RainSong is thinking? For a small business that has a hands-on owner, it can be hard to consider that someone else may have the passion and work ethic (and the funds) to carry on with it.

Likely, anyone who could afford to buy it AND has the skill to produce a product like RainSong is already operating a successful business.

A tip of the hat to RainSong... one of what I consider to be "the Big 3" of quality CF guitars. I'm sorry to see you go.

+1

Yeah, my first CF guitar was a RainSong BI-WS1000N2 and while it was a nice guitar, I never bonded with the N2 neck shape so let it go.

I have since discovered Emerald CF Guitars, and I am a huge fan of several!!

But it's never a good day seeing any company go out of business, and I consider RainSong to be one of the pioneer companies offering CF guitars.

[SpruceTop]

I've bought about a dozen high-end RainSongs over the last 16 years and enjoyed them all. My current and only RainSong is a 2021 RainSong BI-DR1000N2 which I will keep and treasure especially now that the brand is sadly sunsetting. Thanks, RainSong, for many years of great guitars!

[Sarah1F]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

There’s still time - give them a call

If I buy another guitar, I will need to come out of retirement and get a job, as well as move to a larger house. I have guitars, ukuleles and guitar equipment. My husband and I both play- him electric, acoustic, keyboard, and drums. I also sew and have at least 5 machines. This is the short list. Haha! We are suffocating as it is.

[Chriscom]

Well I didn't see this one coming. Stunned really.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Chriscom

Well I didn't see this one coming. Stunned really.

I thought that Rainsong's cutting off their dealer network was a clear sign of the beginning of the end. Yes, Emerald appears to do customer direct sales quite successfully, but Rainsong's attempt to do the same just seemed like an act of desperation...

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by brainfertilizer

Just yesterday, I was going to warn Caulfield a little, tell him that for some reason, it is REALLY hard to stay in business as a CF guitar maker.

That is true for any maker or any new business really. Carbon fiber has one strike against it at the start since most players are reluctant to buck tradition. It isn't wood, therefore it is suspect. Emerald is going strong now but it has taken Alistair over 20 years to get there himself.

Originally Posted by dgaemc2

....my first CF guitar was a RainSong BI-WS1000N2 and while it was a nice guitar, I never bonded with the N2 neck shape so let it go.

The N2 neck was a barrier for many and a boon for some, but overall it was probably a negative, IMHO. In part it was a response to the lack of a truss rod, but my early Rainsongs have never needed relief adjustment, and both WS-1000's are from 2001.

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Likely, anyone who could afford to buy it AND has the skill to produce a product like RainSong is already operating a successful business. I'm sorry to see you go.

And this!

[martingitdave]

I don’t want this to be seen as dancing on the grave. I want all the folks there to land on their feet. My thought regarding sales of these instruments is that they have a strong appeal to the working musician. Dependability and good electronics were a mainstay. However their tone did not approximate wood based on the samples I played. And the wood looking ones didn’t approximate either wood or carbon fiber. They were muted.

I don’t think there are enough working musicians to support RainSong. The market seems to be moved by home players who want tone in spades.

McPherson seems to be pulling it off. Emerald is a custom manufacturer as much as anything.

Once Rainsong dropped their dealers they had little way to entice the customers except price. There were none around to demo as they tweaked their recipe.

[zeeway]

Well, that is sad news. My Rainsong shorty is my main guitar for gigs. I really appreciate how it sounds, the easy playability, and the barn door pickup.

I hope all the folks there land on their feet (esp. Dave). As someone else said, maybe some white knight will step in.

[Gryf]

Sad to see any guitar maker go out of business, but I don't care at all about anybody's carbon fiber guitar. Im sure they're fine, but I'm equaly sure I'd never buy one.

[OnTheFidele]

If no one buys Rainsong, I hope they at least don't let all of the knowledge and techniques just disappear. Would be a shame if all of that precious information goes to waste.

I'd be most interested in the materials knowledge they've accumulated over the years, as well as the techniques they've refined. Over time, their intellectual capital might prove to be more valuable than their molds and tools.

If they open source their IP, it might enable the next generation of carbon fiber guitar builders to dramatically shorten their initial R&D time.

[jricc]

Very sad to hear this...I'm a bit shocked
I love my Rainsong CH-OM, it's my main gigger.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Gryf

Sad to see any guitar maker go out of business, but I don't care at all about anybody's carbon fiber guitar. Im sure they're fine, but I'm equaly sure I'd never buy one.

I used those same words about 15 - 18 years ago when a friend told me "You should try one of these Composite Acoustics carbon fiber guitars - they are amazing." Pretty sure I scoffed. Yes, an actual scoff. I had a wood acoustic and used an Ovation for playing out - that was as close as I was going to get to anything not wood. That Ovation survived traveling with us by boat and RV. Not a particularly comfortable guitar, but I liked the tone, especially plugged in.

When Taylor first came out with the GSmini, I bought one to use as my boat guitar. After a couple years, the big changes in humidity affected that guitar. I decided to try a carbon fiber guitar. Turned out the RainSong Shorty was pretty close to the Taylor Grand Concert body size and feel (except for the thick N2 neck on the Shorty). First time I played out with it, I was hooked... I liked the piano-like clarity of the tone and the guitar was so stable in ever-changing climates that I could go through a whole evening without having to retune.

While I did eventually sell the RainSong in favor of several Emeralds, my carbon fiber guitars outnumber what I have left for wood acoustics. The Emeralds are more comfortable, more stable, and play and sound great. If I had to get down to one guitar, it would be carbon fiber over wood in a heartbeat.

Acoustic guitar players tend to be traditional... if it isn't a Martin (or something that looks like a Martin) it ain't right... even that young upstart Taylor (my choice for wood guitars) is too "new-fangled" for some traditionalists. I like my guitars to be... guitars. I don't want necks that warp or tops that crack. As I age, comfort becomes more important... and a smart carbon fiber maker can "design in" the comfort (something that I think RainSong didn't utilize as well as they could have).

While you can say you would never have a carbon fiber guitar, something brought you to this forum. Go ahead... try one... we won't tell your wood guitar player friends about your curiosity.

[marshbog]

Haven't posted in a while, but I'm surprised, and sad to see them go! I've played a RainSong OM for the past 10 years, and had my eye on one of those Vintage models with the spruce top. Maybe need to pick one up before they're gone...