Your thoughts on carbon fiber?

[hatamoto]

I have an OM Rainsong. I love it. It sounds great. Bright, punchy, and clear tones.

[FormerFoodie]

I have both wood and carbon fiber guitars. The CF guitars don't stand a chance in the tone department against my boutiques. But that's not why I bought them. I'd argue that the boutique guitars don't stand a chance against the CF in terms of maintenance and durability. I have the CF guitars for peace of mind when I travel to places that may not be kind to a wood, organic instrument. In the high desert where the humidity is crazy low, I love not worrying about my CF guitars.

In regards to tone, I've cycled through a bunch of CF guitars, and feel they've come a long way. Tone wise, the best sounding one I've played (and now own) is an Al Petteway Special Edition Rain Song. It is the most organic sounding of the carbon fiber guitars I've played (still not wood, but great for its purpose). Plus, if it's good enough for Al, it's more than good enough for me.

[jklotz]

This has been very interesting. Thanks to the mods that allowed this post to stay here and not go to the CF section. It would have gone differently there. I appreciate everybody's honest opinions.

I should have said this in my first post, but I have already put down a deposit for an Emerald X-20. I've never played a CF guitar. Crazy, huh? But I didn't mention it because I thought it might bias some of the opinions. I'm ordering one for the obvious environmental factors, but also because of the way it sits on your leg seated. I cross my legs when playing, right over left, to put the guitar into the position I'm most comfortable playing, leaning back against my rib cage. Problem is my leg falls asleep after a while, and I play for at least several hours a day. Having a guitar that is angled back and to the right with your feet flat on the floor seems like a really cool idea. That may seem silly to some of you, but I wanted to give it a shot.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

When I started playing in 1962, the only non-wood guitars worth mentioning were the now collectors'-item National/Airline Res-o-Glas electrics and the stillborn Maccaferri styrene-plastic guitars, the latter produced circa 1953 and still available at the time as NOS in off-the-beaten-path toy stores...

I own/have owned wooden acoustic and electric guitars from most of the major American manufacturers - Martin, Gibson, Guild, Taylor, Gretsch, Fender, Rickenbacker, Epiphone (both New York and Kalamazoo), Harmony - as well as the big-name Pac-Rim players (Yamaha, Takamine, Ibanez), along with a few others (Bay State, Avalon, Godin, Garrison)...

I used Ovations as my go-to stage acoustics for over 25 years - still drag out my '82 Custom Balladeer for occasional open-mic/coffeehouse work...

Bought a matched pair of "his-&-hers" Rainsong 17" jumbos - JM1000 6-string (mine) and JM3000 12-string (my wife's) - in 2004...

As long as I regularly change the battery for the barndoor electronics, they're virtually maintenance-free - once a set of new strings settles in I can go (literally) weeks without tuning (even the 12-string), never have to give a second thought about temperature/humidity/impact damage (within reason, of course), extremely lightweight on the strap...

I like to think of the Rainsong jumbo tone as the sound Bob T. was hearing in his head when he designed the -15/-55 Series, but couldn't quite achieve with wood construction - and with a set of Martin Monels there's a bit of Guild low-end thump added to the mix...

I still love my wood guitars - my Martin D-15S gets the nod for unplugged or unmiked solo work, Godin 5th Avenue acoustic archtop's my couch guitar and jam buddy, nothing beats the Avalon for fingerstyle (or Irish pub/rebel songs - this one's actually painfully loud when strummed ), and that ca. 1875 Bay State "peanut" is an Adi/Braz gut-string sweetie with more volume/tone than anything that small is supposed to have - but when the lights come up and it's time for the show to go on it's the Rainsongs all the way, and if they ever produce a true acoustic archtop like the Martin Lewis instruments of about a decade ago they've got my money...

The Emerald Kestrel Archtop...all CF with or without a woody veneer of your choice, this one in coco...

[guitarxan]

I recently acquired a McPherson Sable. I have also played several other CC guitars from Composite Acoustics, Rain Song and the McPherson Touring. I liked them all except the Touring guitar. It sounded like, well, a toy guitar.

The Sable? A really nice guitar with punch, a decent low end and I must have gotten one of the good pickups because mine sounds great plugged in. It is easy to play and the workmanship is flawless. It has this really funky smell to it.... not bad, just,well different than that wonderful wood smell. It hangs on the wall and is now my favorite practice guitar. Would I ever replace my wooden guitars with it? Hell no! But now I have a great guitar to gig outside with, take sailing, take to the beach and take camping.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by jklotz

This has been very interesting. Thanks to the mods that allowed this post to stay here and not go to the CF section. It would have gone differently there. I appreciate everybody's honest opinions.

I should have said this in my first post, but I have already put down a deposit for an Emerald X-20. I've never played a CF guitar. Crazy, huh? But I didn't mention it because I thought it might bias some of the opinions. I'm ordering one for the obvious environmental factors, but also because of the way it sits on your leg seated. I cross my legs when playing, right over left, to put the guitar into the position I'm most comfortable playing, leaning back against my rib cage. Problem is my leg falls asleep after a while, and I play for at least several hours a day. Having a guitar that is angled back and to the right with your feet flat on the floor seems like a really cool idea. That may seem silly to some of you, but I wanted to give it a shot.

My first acoustic was an Ovation CC057. I paid less than $400 new but I mention it in my response here because it was 1/2 composite. I've never been afraid of acoustic guitars which would be considered nonconventional. I mostly bought that guitar for plugged in play anyway and they do have a good reputation for that.

I play mostly fingerstyle with very little nail and flesh, sometimes using a thumb pick. This helps me tame the clarity/ trebles that are knows attributes to the CF sound. CF guitars also sound really good plugged in although I'm unsure why. Maybe it's the thinner tops and material conducive to responsiveness (sometimes without bracing) that makes this true, but that is all speculation. But I know what I hear and buy guitars that I know will please me. And while I've had some very nice mid-level all wooden acoustics, the worry free nature of CF just cannot be beat. It also should not be understated how light and comfortable some of these guitars are. My Journey OF660 is the most comfortable guitar I've ever owned. It's like the difference from driving a 1972 Chevelle or 2021 Corvette- both killer cars but in very different ways.

I'm guessing you are going to love the X20 as it is a very popular guitar and Emerald's flagship model, much like what a D28 or D18 is to Martin. If you find you don't bond with it you will have zero issues selling it on the used market. X20s typically are gone in days if not hours on both Reverb and this forum (ask me how I know )

[Goodallboy]

As a former “a guitar must be made of wood” believer and after owning many fine guitars and playing many hundreds of other fine guitars, I can now say the carbon fiber Emerald brand has succeeded in replicating all that is great about those instruments.

Needing/wanting a travel guitar my wife urged me not to get a wooden beater that I wouldn’t enjoy, so I happened upon a slightly used Emerald X30, for sale. When I played the first chord I was STUNNED. It was big, bold, and balanced. It sounds like a top tier Dred, yet far more balanced. Additionally even though it’s a jumbo, the body bevel and design make it feel more like you’re playing a smaller guitar.

I never expected to be making these comments, so I understand any hesitation to believe them. And to be specific, the only other carbon fiber guitar I’ve ever played reinforced my opinion that they’re imitation guitars. This post is specific to the Emerald X30, so if you haven’t played one, save your disbelief until you do. Or if you don’t want to have your beliefs changed, don’t ever play one.

[Jim in TC]

Originally Posted by jklotz

This has been very interesting. Thanks to the mods that allowed this post to stay here and not go to the CF section. It would have gone differently there. I appreciate everybody's honest opinions.

I should have said this in my first post, but I have already put down a deposit for an Emerald X-20. I've never played a CF guitar. Crazy, huh? But I didn't mention it because I thought it might bias some of the opinions. I'm ordering one for the obvious environmental factors, but also because of the way it sits on your leg seated. I cross my legs when playing, right over left, to put the guitar into the position I'm most comfortable playing, leaning back against my rib cage. Problem is my leg falls asleep after a while, and I play for at least several hours a day. Having a guitar that is angled back and to the right with your feet flat on the floor seems like a really cool idea. That may seem silly to some of you, but I wanted to give it a shot.

I think you will be pleased. When I found that I liked a small, short scale guitar (GS Mini was my "gateway") I tried a CA Cargo side-by-side and the Cargo beat it out hands down, and can hang on the wall or go travelling without concern. The Emerald X7 that came a couple months ago is a significant step up from the Cargo. I would not have predicted liking any of these guitars before I started looking (and trying out) more closely.

[Earl49]

My wife followed a path similar to Jim's. First a GS Mini because it fit her petite dimensions and hands better. The papa bear guitars are too big for her comfort. The Mini got put away (later sold) immediately once she experienced a Cargo - much richer sound. Then the Cargo got put away once she tried an Emerald X7. The X7 is now her primary guitar, and she loves the woody veneer.

[markd]

Owned a CA Crown of Thorns, a Blackbird Super OM, and a Mc Pherson Kevin Michael each for about 6 months to a year. I really wanted to like them, but there is a “tang” to the sound that I didn’t like. Haven’t tried an Emerald, but for 1/4 the cost I can easily find a laminated guitar to take camping.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by jklotz

…I'm a dyed in the wool wood guitar guy. I like the looks, the sound, the feel. CF seems a bit alien for a guitar to me.

Hi jkl-etc
I have friends who lived/worked in New Guinea for over a decade, and lived in the jungle. Wood guitars had about a 3 year lifespan. Carbon Fiber was the only guitar that could realistically hold up.

• If I were bussing, carbon fiber would seem to be the safest way to go.
• A carbon fiber guitar will keep working without an amp.
• Carbon fiber can be setup to play like my regular guitar.

It seems likeI'd have more peace of mind to know the instrument I have in my hands will work, be heard, and take the abuse of a sudden cloud burst, collision with out-of-control-kid on a skate board, somebody bumping into me etc.

[Skarsaune]

My thoughts?

I'm not interested in CF guitars, so I don't seek them out.
I've played one or two in shops over the years and was not impressed.
I keep a wood guitar out on a hanger next to my chair in the living room, and it hasn't exploded yet. I've played my wood guitars in cold and/or wet environments, none of them exploded either.

The wood used is part of the attraction and attachment to guitars for me. A piece of plastic? No thanks.

[Skarsaune]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi jkl-etc
I have friends who lived/worked in New Guinea for over a decade, and lived in the jungle. Wood guitars had about a 3 year lifespan. Carbon Fiber was the only guitar that could realistically hold up.

• If I were bussing, carbon fiber would seem to be the safest way to go.
• A carbon fiber guitar will keep working without an amp.
• Carbon fiber can be setup to play like my regular guitar.

It seems likeI'd have more peace of mind to know the instrument I have in my hands will work, be heard, and take the abuse of a sudden cloud burst, collision with out-of-control-kid on a skate board, somebody bumping into me etc.

Busking with a $250 Yamaha makes more sense to me than a $2500 CF guitar.

If something catastrophic happens - go get another one.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Skarsaune

My thoughts?

I'm not interested in CF guitars, so I don't seek them out.
I've played one or two in shops over the years and was not impressed.
I keep a wood guitar out on a hanger next to my chair in the living room, and it hasn't exploded yet. I've played my wood guitars in cold and/or wet environments, none of them exploded either.

The wood used is part of the attraction and attachment to guitars for me. A piece of plastic? No thanks.

Nah, Carbon fiber is very different from plastic in it's chemical composition and use in manufacturing.

CF is used in applications where both strength and rigidity are desired. I understand the "epoxy" factor, but if we speak truly of the material it is not plastic- but you sure can mold it like plastic!

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Skarsaune

My thoughts?

I'm not interested in CF guitars, so I don't seek them out.
I've played one or two in shops over the years and was not impressed.
I keep a wood guitar out on a hanger next to my chair in the living room, and it hasn't exploded yet. I've played my wood guitars in cold and/or wet environments, none of them exploded either.

The wood used is part of the attraction and attachment to guitars for me. A piece of plastic? No thanks.

I don’t know which brands/models you’ve tried or how long ago, but given the range, price points and advancements of what’s now available including those not in stores (unfortunately), you seem to be assuming that CF/composite guitars are merely plastic toys only useful for inclement situations. Not so. There are many that rival really good wood guitars. They have a place as another feel, aesthetic and flavor in the tonal palette.

Originally Posted by Skarsaune

Busking with a $250 Yamaha makes more sense to me than a $2500 CF guitar.

If something catastrophic happens - go get another one.

I would only use a $250 guitar for busking if it played well and allowed me to present my songs in a way I’d be proud of. I wouldn’t necessarily use a $2,500 CF guitar either, so I’m with you there. Not that I wouldn’t use a decent wood guitar, but I would also be happy to use any one of a number of less expensive CF guitars for such situations though.