Which Rainsong(s) Guitars Do You Own?

Kindness · #1 09-07-2018, 04:38 PM

I wanted to start a thread to hear about your Rainsong guitar(s) and what you love about them!

I love love 12 fret Guitars, and was fortunate enough to have a little voice in the design (abalone) on the Rainsong Shorty FLE. This guitar still blows me away. Once I had John Cotter, my guitar tech here in Phoenix, do a set up, the guitar unleashed it's true beauty.

I use the Elixir Nanowebs and have been super pleased. I have to say I am interested to hear from any CH-PA owners. Looks like a beauty!

Happy Playing!

Earl49 · #2 09-07-2018, 05:08 PM

I have a WS-1000 built in Hawaii in early 2001, and a PMJ-1000 (CF weave top, laminated wood body) that now lives in Tucson with a friend. I have played a number of other Rainsong models since, but none spoke to me enough to make me pull the trigger over the old Classic. I tried a Smoky when those first came out, but the coated black strings they came strung with were just awful.

I get they were trying for a "black-out" look, but that would be an instant change before purchasing - for me.

BTW, the Sam Ash store in Glendale often has a RS or three in stock. Last time I was in there in February of this year, they had one green and one black Parlor, but I don't recall if either was the CH version or not.

My current inventory includes the WS-1000, plus a Blackbird Lucky 13, a CA Cargo, and three Emeralds (X20-12, X20, X7 Woody). I first became interested in CF when living in Alaska, where the wintertime humidity in a heated house is a lot like Arizona - under 20%. But I grew to also love the stability, tone, and playability.

RP · #3 09-07-2018, 05:32 PM

I have a CH-OM1100NS....

mikealpine · #4 09-07-2018, 05:40 PM

I’ve got an H-OM, very comfortable, sounds great. I wanted a bigger sound, bought a Black Ice WS, love that too.

kramster · #5 09-07-2018, 06:16 PM

I have played Kindness's RainSong and it is set up perfect... hers is the best I ever played ... I really like my CH OM and CH WS

kramster · #6 09-07-2018, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl49

BTW, the Sam Ash store in Glendale often has a RS or three in stock.

I see RainSongs there sometimes too... When CA went outa business I nabbed 3 of the 4 Cargos they had. I told them the company went outa business and to give me a deal on 3 so they wouldn't be stuck with them....It worked... plus they knew me and see how much I buy there...well used to.

rob2966 · #7 09-07-2018, 06:34 PM

I have a CH-PA (no electronics) that I love. Great full sound. Had it for almost a year, my first CF instrument. A few action shots...

Later
Rob

AZLiberty · #8 09-07-2018, 06:54 PM

I have three:

My first is one of the Shorty FLE "Forum Inspired" guitars from Ted. I think Ted said there were 32 made. Mine is one of the very few ordered with the RTF finish instead of Gloss.

The sharks do get people's attention. It's my main guitar for playing out. The RTF finish is a lot noisier than I expected. I had expected something more like Larrivee's satin finish.

My second is a WS3000. N1 neck, no truss rod. Took months of trolling the classifieds to find it. Wonderfull 12-string. Love the Windsong body size. More Sharks.

Only wish it had a truss rod to tweak in the relief a bit better.

The third is a CH-PA I bought for road trips and the occasional trip by air. I really dig the blacked out look of the CH series. Still has the factory stings on her which I really ought to do something about, she's a wee touch bright with the factory 80/20s and I will swap in some EXP-16s when I get around to it. The new satin finish on the back/sides is light-years ahead of the old rougher and noisier satin finish on my Shorty.

bsman · #9 09-07-2018, 07:32 PM

I have a dead-stock Shorty SG I bought used off Reverb almost exactly four months ago, and every time I pick it up I am surprised anew at the feather-light weight, the comfortable neck and the full, rich tone I get from it. I do have to shamefacedly admit I have yet to change strings on it - it is currently strung with Elixer nanowebs and I am mulling over what to try next.

TjthePhD · #10 09-07-2018, 07:54 PM

I have a Concert Series dreadnought (CO-DR1100N2) that I bought several years ago, after a winter in my first house in North Dakota. I learned that it is impossible to keep the old place properly humidified during our long, dry winters (after 9 years in an apartment which was easy to humidify).

I had played one years ago (late 1990s) at Chuck Levin's near Washington, DC, one of the original series with the thin neck. It played nice but was rather bright for my tastes, and I wasn't a fan of the neck. I checked them out online after the aforementioned winter (2015), and was hopeful that the new Concert Series would have tamed the brightness and that the new neck would be more to my tastes, and sight unplayed I ordered one online.

The new one played just as great and it felt much better with the more substantial neck, but it was the tone that sold me. It never sees the inside of a case, is always in tune, and is my keeper, even after trying an X20 Opus for a while (don't get me wrong, the X20 was excellent, it just didn't suit me as well as the Rainsong).

I keep only one acoustic and one electric, and this one is not going anywhere.

jonfields45 · #11 09-07-2018, 08:06 PM

I've had a Studio OM, a Hybrid OM, a Concert DR and a Hybrid DR. My current CH-PA and CH-WS are my favorites of the bunch. Maybe it's understandable as Martin 12-fret Dreadnoughts are my favorite Martins (though I need the fret access of at least a 14).

I've also previously owned a CA Cargo, Dreadnought, GX and OX. All were pre-Peavey and the GX shipped just before they went out of business.

The CH series RainSongs seem to have the tone I am looking for while retaining excellent projection. The Hybrid DR is also one of the better ones to my ear. I liked the CA guitars for tone but thought they were lacking volume and the non-dreadnought models would slip out of my lap as I played. I sold my Hybrid DR and bought the CH-WS because I felt I wanted a deep loud guitar that had the same neck as my CH-PA which had become my main instrument at home and gigs (mostly for the physical ease of the smaller body).

Steve DeRosa · #12 09-07-2018, 08:35 PM

A "his-&-hers" matched set of JM1000/JM3000 6- and 12-string jumbos I bought in 2005, the latter of which has become my wife's preferred performance instrument...

NoodleFingers · #13 09-07-2018, 11:05 PM

I have a Concert OM with a 12-fret neck, so I think it is almost identical to your Shorty FLE, save a few glass fibers in the back and sides.

Love it.

guitararmy · #14 09-08-2018, 05:46 AM

I had one of the early WS models, but mistakenly traded it away. Currently only have one, a made in Hawaii Jumbo.

Kindness · #15 09-08-2018, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramster

I have played Kindness's RainSong and it is set up perfect... hers is the best I ever played ... I really like my CH OM and CH WS

Kramster, get over to John Cotter and have him set your guitars up. Mine plays and sounds amazing because John has been doing it thirty years and has a special touch!