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  #1  
Old 08-07-2019, 08:21 AM
acoustictone acoustictone is offline
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Default Carbon Fiber Is It For You?

Well if you want ease of maintenance and not having to worry about humidity and the related problems that goes alone with that, Zero finish problems, stays in perfect tune and can take it with you to gigs worry free than the answer is YES! I'm not saying carbon fiber is better than wood or wood is better than carbon fiber but it's just a different tool in the tool bag. With wood you have to be very diligent in the care of that guitar. So carbon fiber truly has it's place. What's your opinion?
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:37 AM
rmp rmp is offline
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For me, I still have to like how it looks to considering owning one.

I'd love to play something like an Emerald X7, to me.. Those are interesting looking guitars.

I don't care for the appearance however of guitars like Rain Song, but they do seem to have many happy owners.

Perhaps I'm a tree huger.... literally..
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:39 AM
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Acousticado Acousticado is offline
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I agree. “Different tool in the tool bag” is exactly why CF or other composites can have a place with any player.
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:46 AM
acoustictone acoustictone is offline
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Totally agree with the looks of a guitar any guitar carbon or not. Also, comfort is big on my list as well. I think carbon fiber is lighter that a standard wood guitar. Emerald also has body bevels making them a comfortable guitar to play. We agree!
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Old 08-07-2019, 08:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmp View Post
For me, I still have to like how it looks to considering owning one.

I'd love to play something like an Emerald X7, to me.. Those are interesting looking guitars.

I don't care for the appearance however of guitars like Rain Song, but they do seem to have many happy owners.

Perhaps I'm a tree huger.... literally..
I'm a carbon fiber convert. I have an X7 with a really nice wood veneer and I still sort of miss the aesthetic of a nice wooden instrument. But for me, it's just a slight missing it, not a make or break deal. They sound amazing, not exactly like wood, but every bit as good and to me "what an acoustic guitar should sound like". And I LOVE not having to even give a passing thought to humidity or temperature. I may buy another cheap wooden guitar just to have a longer scale length available, but only something cheap enough I wouldn't worry about replacing periodically so I'd never allow myself to think about caring for it. You know, like a $200-300 Yamaha or Alvarez, which sound and play much better than they have a right to. But they're still not a $1500 or up Martin.

-Ray
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Old 08-07-2019, 09:24 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Put me down as a big ol' YES. We are out and about in our motorhome right now; have the X7 with us. Indoors or out, no fuss. At home, it is relatively easy to control the humidity in the house (humid climate, adjustments on the dehumidifier), so not as much concern... and there, the CF guitars still get all the play time.

After a visit to a local guitar shop with a great Taylor inventory, I play to get a couple wood guitars out when we get home... and I think the CF guitars will still get all the attention.

I am a convert, but I don't try to convert any wood players... you like what you like. I don't understand why every guitar player in an extreme climate (like the desert) hasn't made the switch. I've said it before: I came for the ease of care, but stayed for the great tone.
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Old 08-07-2019, 11:59 AM
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I believe that tone is subjective and ephemeral. Some days, I will pick up my Martin OOO-15 and it sounds flat as a possum on the road, and other days it just sings. Conversely, every single time I pick up my Rainsong Shorty or Emerald X10 I know exactly what to expect (with some variation depending on the strings I'm using at the time). Interestingly, the only other acoustic I have with similar tonal consisitency is an old Takamine EG523SC 12-string. I think that is perhaps because the thing is incredibly heavy and overbuilt to compensate for the stress of 12 strings, it's relatively immobile regardless of the weather...
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Old 08-07-2019, 02:39 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Jim View Post
....I am a convert, but I don't try to convert any wood players... you like what you like. I don't understand why every guitar player in an extreme climate (like the desert) hasn't made the switch. I've said it before: I came for the ease of care, but stayed for the great tone.
Ditto!! I cannot believe that places like Arizona or Las Vegas are not hotbeds of CF sales. I first got into CF because of the ultra-dry winters in Alaska, and I'm in the process of converting over almost completely.
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Old 08-07-2019, 02:42 PM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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There was a time when I was hoping to get rid of all my wooden guitars and have just carbon fiber. While I certainly did get rid of several wood guitars I'm glad I didn't get rid of them all. I'm happy having both. Tonally they're not better or worse just different like a spruce top is different than a cedar top or a Taylor is different than a Martin. Variety is the spice of life. Can't beat the carbon fiber for taking around worry free though.
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Old 08-07-2019, 03:09 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Because of my love for Hawaiian music, I will always have one koa guitar and one koa ukulele. Otherwise, if all the other wooden instruments went away this week, I'd be OK. I'm tired of humidity and temperature worries. Living in Alaska for many years, we would fight to get the house up to 20% RH during the heating season. Summers were OK, but winters required re-wetting the sponges weekly in each instrument case.
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Old 08-07-2019, 05:15 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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Ditto!! I cannot believe that places like Arizona or Las Vegas are not hotbeds of CF sales. .
Remember that Mr. K lives here, so it kinda is.
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Old 08-07-2019, 06:07 PM
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Mr. K IS the hotbed of CF in Arizona--he owns it. I have Nevada covered. Between us we're spreading the word. From small acorns grow (fill in the blank)_________________
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Old 08-07-2019, 06:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
Mr. K IS the hotbed of CF in Arizona--he owns it. I have Nevada covered. Between us we're spreading the word. From small acorns grow (fill in the blank)_________________
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Old 08-07-2019, 06:29 PM
slopeshoulder slopeshoulder is offline
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Just got my hands on a used Cargo with a pickup. Loving this hot little number.
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Old 08-07-2019, 07:35 PM
acoustictone acoustictone is offline
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If I lived in the southwest carbon fiber would be my main guitar for sure. I ride a motorcycle as well and my friend told me who lives out there he hoses himself down than puts on his riding gear. He said it's so dry that you could faint from the heat and not even realize it
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