Issue with neck on RainSong guitar

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by seannx

While I really enjoy my RainSong 12 fret OM, there’s an issue with the neck. It looked a little off, but wasn’t a problem until I needed to play notes of a new song on the frets closest to the sound hole.

What’s going on is that the fret board starts bending downward after the extension joins the body, which makes it increasingly more difficult to press the strings down, and get a clear note

I’m back in Tucson for the "delayed due to Covid" 2021 gem show, and took it to Rainbow Guitars where I bought it, when I went to last year’s show.

It’s one of my favorite music stores, and has been closed for a year, but they do curbside pickup and were very helpful. After careful analysis and trying all of the standard setup procedures, they determined that it was a net set issue. They called RainSong, explained the situation, got a warranty return authorization, and are sending it back to RainSong on my behalf. I really appreciate their very considerate and conscientious customer service, as well as RainSong's response.

I’m curious if anyone else has had a similar problem with a RainSong guitar. The photo below shows what’s going on. I placed the edge of a sheet of white paper touching the frets on the left side of the fretboard to make a strait edge, and it shows how the right side curves downward towards the sound hole.

You'll also likely notice that the top goes slightly concave as it goes toward the bridge. I've had this concaveness of the top and the accompanying downward slope of the fingerboard on every one of the dozen high-end Classic and CO RainSong's I've owned. It's most pronounced on the CO Unidirectional top models. The concaveness of RainSong tops is my only beef with the company's guitars. Compare RainSong tops to Emerald's beautifully crafted slightly convex radius tops.

[JimCA]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

You'll also likely notice that the top goes slightly concave as it goes toward the bridge. I've had this concaveness of the top and the accompanying downward slope of the fingerboard on every one of the dozen high-end Classic and CO RainSong's I've owned. It's most pronounced on the CO Unidirectional top models. The concaveness of RainSong tops is my only beef with the company's guitars. Compare RainSong tops to Emerald's beautifully crafted slightly convex radius tops.

My V-OM top is completely flat. I marvel at the beauty of this spruce / CF combo top.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by JimCA

My V-OM top is completely flat. I marvel at the beauty of this spruce / CF combo top.

I'm Happy For You! Maybe Rainsong has figured out how to lessen the top concaveness (slight dishing) in its build process? About 6-months ago, a new RainSong CO-WS1000 came into my favorite local shop and I checked it out and the top concaveness was noticeably less than my 2011 model but it was still present. For what it's worth, I think I'm the only RainSong owner who has publicly admitted to seeing RainSong top concaveness.