Composite Acoustics?

[Stuart]

I have been very impressed with the sound of carbon fiber guitars. I've played both Rainsong and CA. I think they sound great, although I think the Rainsongs sound more like a wooden guitar. I have a CA Cargo (travel guitar) and I'm ticked pink with it. Add bonuses include:

- I can leave it in the trunk of my car if I want to.
- It fits in the overhead of even the smallest commercial planes.
- No worries about humidity (or lack thereof)
- No worries about dings or dents
- No glue joints to break.
- No truss rod to adjust.
- No neck resets, ever.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by btdvox

But thats like saying People cant tell a difference from a Jumbo Sitka topped w/ EIR Body guitar and a OM Cedar top w/ a Mahogany body...

I think the vast majority of guitars places could NOT tell the difference . . in a blindfolded test.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by btdvox

But in that same sense my main point towards the CA guitars were just I dont see where they can justify the price of 2000+ is all.

You might want to check their prices again if you haven't recently. They now have quite a few models south of the price point you mention.

[Shadowraptor]

The CA Cargo looks really cool, but seems rather pricey for a traveller. Before I commit to one of these, are there any video or sound clips available on the internet that would allow me to hear and see one being played? I haven't seen one in any of our local music stores.

Tks.

[Shadowraptor]

Originally Posted by Wade Thurman

I respectfully submit that once upon a time, someone, somewhere said that the use of steel strings on a guitar was a gimmick... right up there with cutaways.

Being a newcomer to guitars (I'm 61 and started learning music about a year and a half ago), I am not familiar with the introduction of things like steel strings and cutaways - I just assumed they were always there.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Shadowraptor

The CA Cargo looks really cool, but seems rather pricey for a traveller. Before I commit to one of these, are there any video or sound clips available on the internet that would allow me to hear and see one being played? I haven't seen one in any of our local music stores.

Tks.

Here's a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWEYXbl3T3Q

I've played a number of travel sized guitars and this one blows them all away. As far as price goes, it's more expensive than most, but in the rhelm of travel-sized, carbon guitars, your options are:

The Cargo
The Blackbird Rider - Very cool. Probably sounds pretty good, but I haven't heard one. Much more $ than the Cargo.
Emerald X5 - I haven't heard one. First they were available. Then they weren't because they couldn't get necks and the company had given up on making them. Then they were available again, but the price went up considerably. God knows what the delivery time is . . . shipped from Ireland.

I guess the $million question is, what good is a travel guitar if you're afraid to travel with it? For a traveler that sounds like a quality full-sized guitar, fits in an overhead bin, and is virtually indestructable, the price ain't that bad.

[CharlesT]

The Rainsongs and CA guitars do sound surprisingly good. I've played only a couple of Rainsongs, but I thought they were really nice.

True story -
the first Rainsong guitar I ever saw or played was at Gruhn's in Nashville. They had several on display. When I asked about them, the sales guy there said in order to get folks to try them, he had been making them sit down with their eyes closed, and then handing them several different guitars blind and asking them to choose the one they favored.
He said he had sold several Rainsongs to some diehard traditionalist acoustic fans that way. They didn't want to like them, but they couldn't deny their own ears.
I think Jim Tozier has been playing a Rainsong some on gigs. I know he's using another handbuilt now, he had a Rainsong on his website for awhile.

[brahmz118]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Here's a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWEYXbl3T3Q

I've played a number of travel sized guitars and this one blows them all away. As far as price goes, it's more expensive than most, but in the rhelm of travel-sized, carbon guitars, your options are:

The Cargo
The Blackbird Rider - Very cool. Probably sounds pretty good, but I haven't heard one. Much more $ than the Cargo.
Emerald X5 - I haven't heard one. First they were available. Then they weren't because they couldn't get necks and the company had given up on making them. Then they were available again, but the price went up considerably. God knows what the delivery time is . . . shipped from Ireland.

I guess the $million question is, what good is a travel guitar if you're afraid to travel with it? For a traveler that sounds like a quality full-sized guitar, fits in an overhead bin, and is virtually indestructable, the price ain't that bad.

Unfortunately the Emerald factory closed its doors last year. I got an X5 just in time. I'm very intrigued by the Cargo, but I don't have any reason (or funds) to get another CF travel guitar at the moment.

I'm not sure why the X5s weren't more popular -- maybe it was the production issues. But there are two main differences that I can see between the X5 and the Cargo -- the X5's bridge is part of the body, so it won't ever pull off, even if you use super heavy strings tuned up. In fact the bridge, neck and body are all one piece -- no need to worry about the guitar coming apart due to any adhesives melting. Also, the X5 is full scale, 25.5", just with a much smaller body. So it actually takes up a bit less room than the Cargo. I've been able to carry it on 3 flights so far with no issues.

The Cargo may have the advantage in tone -- it's hard to tell from soundclips. Also, the nut width of the X5 is too narrow for my tastes, and the 1st string sometimes pulls of the fretboard.

The Blackbird Rider doesn't seem like it would be easy to hold without a strap, and it's kind of expensive.

I'm hoping to try a Cargo sometime soon, but it would have to be really exceptional to replace my X5.

[Stuart]

Why replace your X5? You got what you need. I good sounding guitar that you can take anywhere and use it as a tennis racquet if you want.

I was originally intent on getting an X5. When I inquired with the company, they said that they were having trouble getting necks from their supplier (Parker I think), and that sales were temporarily suspended. Then I got an email from them saying that they had decided to give up guitars altogether.

Then about 3 months later I got another email saying that they wer back in business and making X5s, but that the price had increased buy quite a bit. That's when I started looking at Cargos.

Like all travel size guitars, it's a little wierd to play without a strap. But I just love that guitar.

[gerardo1000]

As far as I understand from other members who had the luck to try the Cargo, the guitar has great low end but its trebles are not as good as the low end.
Don't know if this is true, but as far as my experience with other CA models (I had two CA dreadnoughts, a X and a GX) this seems to me to be the problem with CA guitars.
They are not balanced enough between basses and trebles.
I wonder if this is due to the attempt of CA to try to replicate as much as possible the sound of a "wood" guitar ? I mean: in order to be "warm" they increased the basses at the expenses of the high end. Rainsong guitars, which I have played and owned, are perhaps less "woody", but they are perfectly balanced, therefore - in my opinion- better for fingerstyle.

[PTL]

I had high expectations after reading all the reports here. Mine arrived last week and exceeded my already high expectations. I do not find the highs lacking.... I did sell off both my Rainsongs to move over to CA but both companies are great. I just found the CA people more innovative in terms of being willing to try lots of new stuff all the time to refine their guitars - so I went that direction to find what I wanted. The Cargo is just incredible. I also have the Offset GX (regular full sized Cargo design) - and yes, that one has a huge bass response, more like a jumbo, but with great overtones.

PTL

[ericcsong]

anyone have experience with both GX player and GX performer? is the performer that much better in tone?

[PTL]

My understaning is that the performer's bracing is a bit more 'scalloped' and thus, have a bit more 'warmth'. I've read at least one case where someone preferred the player's overtones.

PTL