Emerald X7 question

waterboy · #1 02-21-2019, 09:25 AM

Greetings,
I have a question about the last generation X7 vs the current one - would a very mediocre guitarist notice an appreciable difference?
To put a little more flesh on the question, I have returned to guitar after about 30 years, was never particularly accomplished even then and have various hand problems that will limit progress. Currently play a Chinese Breedlove, which is fine, but I live in the northeast and keeping it in the case means that the rise time to play gets to limit opportunity to play. The choice would be between a new and used. Clearly "management approval" for used is easier ......

kramster · #2 02-21-2019, 09:34 AM

I like the newest one more... but if you get a good deal on the older one and it gets you playing sooner than do that... play it a while and then sell and get newer one if you stick with it.

raysachs · #3 02-21-2019, 11:12 AM

They play pretty much identically - the necks are basically the same shape/profile. They both sound fairly similar to someone sitting in front of the guitar, although not identical. I'd say that the older one sounds like a really excellent parlor guitar and the new one maybe more like a 000 or something. They also feel a bit different because the older one is really tiny in every dimension and the new one is a bit bigger in terms of both breadth and depth, but you feel it most in the depth - it's the better part of an inch deeper. Both of them are very small guitars, but the old one looks and feels smaller, notably.

The biggest difference is the sound as perceived by the player. The earlier one has a front-facing soundhole that projects the sound forward, like just about every traditional guitar ever. The new one has the same offset type soundhole that Emerald has on all of it's newer models, which opens to both the front and the top, so it projects up at the players head just as much as it does out front to the listener. I have an older one but upgraded to the newer one because I don't play amplified often at all and I don't play for anyone else very often anymore either, so how the guitar sounds TO ME is really kind of the whole ballgame. And from where my ears live above and slightly behind the guitar, the new one sounds considerably bigger, louder, fuller, etc. If you play amplified, this difference is much less important, maybe meaningless.

If you play them back to back, it's a big notable difference. If you just start playing the older one, you adapt to it pretty quickly and it's a great sounding guitar. If I had wanted to keep the X7 as a secondary companion to a primary X20 or X30, I'd have never looked beyond the older one. I fell in love with the older X7 to such a degree though, that I started thinking of the X7 as a primary guitar, and for that I had to try the new one. And I love the new one even more for than the old one and will probably end up selling the X20 as well as the older X7. My older X7 is listed in the classifieds - my X20 isn't yet but probably will be soon.

They're both great guitars, you can progress at the same rate on either, some great players make some great music with the older one. But the newer one has a very different sound at the player's ear if you're playing without amplification, so that's really the factor you need to consider.

-Ray

steelvibe · #4 02-21-2019, 11:52 AM

I was hoping Kramster and Ray would chime in. I saw the amber version uno for sale in the classifieds but think should I ever get around to buying my first Emerald it will be the 2.0

Thanks for the info guys!

Methos1979 · #5 02-21-2019, 12:42 PM

I have owned both. For me, X7 2.0 is superior in every way. Don't get me wrong, X7 1.0 is a great little travel guitar and in a pinch can carry the night on stage. As a travel guitar, a couch guitar, something you take hiking or camping, it's spot on awesome. But X7 2.0 is all of that and way more close to being a 'real' guitar. Would someone playing only a short time notice or even care? Hard to say. Only you can know. If you're looking at the one in the classifieds that would be a great place to start. You could quite easily grab that one and basically dip your toe in the water and then flip it for what you paid if you decide you want to go 2.0.

wickedwahine · #6 02-21-2019, 04:14 PM

I have had both, and enjoyed both - but they are more different than I anticipated. For me, I'm only about 5'4" and have short arms, the older style was much more comfortable. This one is a bit more to get used to - though I've only had it a few days so I'm sure I'll adapt.

I agree re: the soundhole placement, it does seem to give the newer model a bit more oomph in the sound department, but you can't go wrong with either.

I sold my 1.0 version only because I have no need for two of them and I wanted some custom artwork, otherwise, I was extremely happy with it. I'd say if you find a great used one - in the color, veneer, etc. you like, grab it. You can always flip it if you decide to get version 2.0.

waterboy · #7 02-21-2019, 09:03 PM

Thanks for the info everyone. Very helpful.
Just need to make up my mind which way I want to go and seek "approval to spend" from my more judicious half

Oh, Decisions, Decisions....!

jdinco · #8 02-21-2019, 09:41 PM

Methos reply is spot on...I'm finally able to spend a bit more time on my new 2.0 X7. It is a fantastic guitar, I had owned a 1.0 X7. I can easily see the 2.0 being an only guitar, not so on the 1.0 The Retro strings are still breaking in a little bit, but are sounding really good on this guitar.