Trying To Bond - How Long Do You Give a New One?

Dadgad4 · #1 02-12-2019, 02:22 PM

Got a beautiful Emerald Woody X20 here on the forum last month. But I'm just not bonding with it and I don't know why not. How long do you give it?

brencat · #2 02-12-2019, 02:26 PM

I pretty much know within 48 hours if a guitar is a keeper. But it typically takes living with and playing the guitar for 6 months to really assess its strengths and capabilities, and in my case whether or not I can deal with the playability and neck profile (I'm SUPER picky).

Groberts · #3 02-12-2019, 02:40 PM

I usually have a good idea within a couple weeks. I play at home and gig. So I have to evaluate at at least one or two shows before forming a final decision. But if it sucks at the first show ....I'm done.

But for home, I give it a good week and play it until its warm. Maybe its just in my head, but I feel like a guitar warms up and wakes up as I play it. Even a good solid 20 minutes. But maybe I'm just personally dialing-into the guitar and warming up myself.

Either way, if something about a guitar is bothering me ...it will probably always bother me. I have some that are right-as-rain as they say. Sometimes, an instrument might be great, but not "great-for-ME."

BT55 · #4 02-12-2019, 03:50 PM

Is this your first Emerald or first CF guitar? I own two and they are different than wood guitars. I have an X20 and it’s my favorite CF. When it comes to tone my wood guitars win every time over the CF’s. The playability between my wood and CF guitars is equal. CF guitars are not for everyone.

Paddy1951 · #5 02-12-2019, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dadgad4

Got a beautiful Emerald Woody X20 here on the forum last month. But I'm just not bonding with it and I don't know why not. How long do you give it?

OK, the guitar is carbon fiber. So it isn't going to change in any way. How it sounds today is how it will always sound, strings being a bit of a variable.

What drew you to it originally?
How is it not meeting your expectations?

Give it 90 days, at least. It may grow on you.

Goat Mick · #6 02-12-2019, 03:58 PM

I usually know very quickly if I'm going to bond with it or not. If I like the feel and playability but not loving the tone, I might run it through a couple different sets of strings before making the final decision. My Ibanez AVC6 is one of those guitars that felt great but the tone was just lacking somewhere until I moved up to Medium gauge PB strings and then it just came to life and became a keeper. I've also tried a few USA Martin dreadnaughts and never bonded with them, but when I played my 000-17e in the store the connection was instant. It could be that Carbon Fiber guitars just aren't organic enough for you, but given the cost and durability of these guitars, I'd make every effort to bond with it before moving on. Good luck!

bufflehead · #7 02-12-2019, 04:03 PM

With my Custom D it took about six months of trial and error to discover the right strings, but once I had them the bonding was instantaneous.

Your mileage may vary with a carbon fibre guitar.

Tony Burns · #8 02-12-2019, 04:09 PM

I know the first time i play them - strings can make it a little bit better -but not much .

Yrksman · #9 02-12-2019, 04:18 PM

I’d give it a few weeks at least. Leave it out and don’t pick it up until the mood takes you. Stop thinking and analysing if you can (I’m an expert at thinking too much!) and just play it.

joelhunn · #10 02-12-2019, 04:22 PM

I bought a x7 last year and when I first played it, I felt much the same. Now is has a real place in my guitars. The neck felt odd and the tone sounded a bit strange but not so much any more. It stays out in the den and I reach for it while watching the tv. It goes with me everywhere and I don’t worry too much about it. Not sure I’m ready for X20 to replace my wood guitars but I would love to try one.

6L6 · #11 02-12-2019, 04:26 PM

No more than a week.

DesertTwang · #12 02-12-2019, 04:29 PM

For me, it's love at first strum or it's not going to happen.

ii Cybershot ii · #13 02-12-2019, 04:35 PM

Some I know within 1 minute of playing.

Others, like my DN3, really took me a good several months.

It's neck is little wider than most Taylor necks, and it is a dreadnought which is less comfy than smaller guitars.

It wasn't until I recorded it and listened back that I said "wow" this is a killer guitar. I played it for years as my main acoustic, and it's the last guitar I would ever sell.

Tnfiddler · #14 02-12-2019, 04:49 PM

I loved my 2008 Taylor Fall Limited Koa GS UNPLUGGED! Probably the best-sounding Taylor I've ever owned, in that aspect. However, I hated the tone of it plugged in and that's the primary reason I bought it. It was super bright the minute it was plugged in to anything. I tried different strings, different picks, cables, turning the treble all the way down, called Taylor and tried their suggestions and nothing would take the brightness out of the unplugged tone, so after seven months, it had to go.

buddyhu · #15 02-12-2019, 04:55 PM

Some guitars, it is love at first strum. Others, there is appreciation, but not a deep bond for a while. Sometimes, I don't really know until I get a set-up and try some different strings. And some guitars, there is enough to keep you interested and hold onto it, but the real bond takes months or even years to develop. But, most of the time, I won't wait longer than a month and a set up.