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  #61  
Old 11-30-2018, 12:27 PM
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raysachs raysachs is offline
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Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
Think in terms of extremes, Ray. Pick a fixed scale length (say 24.6") and slide that neck/bridge/nut geometry down to the end block. The neck might then join the body at the 7th fret, but it would still be a 24.6" scale. Or slide the entire neck upward and have the neck join the body at the 24th fret. That puts the bridge in different places on the top, which changes the tone. But the neck itself remains the same. Hope this helps.

Longer scale gives a bit more string tension, therefore more punch and volume. Short scale tends to be easier to play, and quieter - all other things being equal.

I love the 24.6" scale length on my X20-12, and I'm vaguely pondering another custom X20 with that scale. Or possibly an X30 short-scale. Time to go lay down for a while.....
I understand the differences in sound and playability with longer and shorter scales. But the 12th fret is always at the halfway point in the scale, no? So if you want to lengthen the scale, it seems to me the scale needs to increase on either side of that 12th fret by an equal amount, no? I get that there's no religion to where the neck meets the body, but if the designer wants to keep the join at the 12th fret, I would have thought you'd have to both move both the bridge and the nut farther from that 12th fret joint by an equal amount. And I assume if you lengthen the scale, you're also spacing the frets farther apart (which is clear when you play two instruments with notably different scale lengths). So, again, IF the joint is gonna stay at the 12th fret, I'd think you'd have to elongate on both side of that joint.

But this may just be my lack of education trying to apply what little I do know to a subject where I clearly DON'T know a whole lot more than I DO. So I can easily accept that I'm botching my analysis of it somewhere...

-Ray
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  #62  
Old 11-30-2018, 01:13 PM
JimCA JimCA is offline
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Originally Posted by raysachs View Post
I understand the differences in sound and playability with longer and shorter scales. But the 12th fret is always at the halfway point in the scale, no? So if you want to lengthen the scale, it seems to me the scale needs to increase on either side of that 12th fret by an equal amount, no? I get that there's no religion to where the neck meets the body, but if the designer wants to keep the join at the 12th fret, I would have thought you'd have to both move both the bridge and the nut farther from that 12th fret joint by an equal amount. And I assume if you lengthen the scale, you're also spacing the frets farther apart (which is clear when you play two instruments with notably different scale lengths). So, again, IF the joint is gonna stay at the 12th fret, I'd think you'd have to elongate on both side of that joint.

But this may just be my lack of education trying to apply what little I do know to a subject where I clearly DON'T know a whole lot more than I DO. So I can easily accept that I'm botching my analysis of it somewhere...

-Ray
Your analysis is spot-on Ray. Perhaps to fit in the X7 gig bag Alistair moved the bridge a little more than half and made it slightly less than a 12 fretter.
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  #63  
Old 11-30-2018, 02:14 PM
Jim K Jim K is offline
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Your analysis is spot-on Ray. Perhaps to fit in the X7 gig bag Alistair moved the bridge a little more than half and made it slightly less than a 12 fretter.
JimCA's comment is effectively what I was attempting to state in an earlier posting, . . . i.e. that my X7 may be "slightly less than a 12 fretter", . . . but that with the movement being about 1/3 of an inch, . . . the X7 would visually appear and feel like a 12 fretter, even if the neck connection was about 1/3 inch off from being exactly at the 12th fret.

I did not mean to create any confusion, . . . but only wanted to share that the 24.6 inch scale of my custom X7 (yes, I did measure from the nut to the bridge), looks great, feels great and sounds great !! Another fine instrument produced by Emerald !!
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  #64  
Old 11-30-2018, 02:18 PM
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Your analysis is spot-on Ray. Perhaps to fit in the X7 gig bag Alistair moved the bridge a little more than half and made it slightly less than a 12 fretter.
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Originally Posted by Jim K View Post
JimCA's comment is effectively what I was attempting to state in an earlier posting, . . . i.e. that my X7 may be "slightly less than a 12 fretter", . . . but that with the movement being about 1/3 of an inch, . . . the X7 would visually appear and feel like a 12 fretter, even if the neck connection was about 1/3 inch off from being exactly at the 12th fret.

I did not mean to create any confusion, . . . but only wanted to share that the 24.6 inch scale of my custom X7 (yes, I did measure from the nut to the bridge), looks great, feels great and sounds great !! Another fine instrument produced by Emerald !!
Ahhh. Now I'm clear. Or maybe I was clear, but not confident in my clarity. In any case, thanks guys!

-Ray
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  #65  
Old 11-30-2018, 03:14 PM
Jim K Jim K is offline
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And Ray, . . . your new X7 woody is beyond fantastic to see, and I'm sure also sounds great.

I debated between putting the extra $$ into the custom scale length or the woody veneer, . . . and this time the scale length won, . . . but it was a heated debate !
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  #66  
Old 11-30-2018, 05:28 PM
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And Ray, . . . your new X7 woody is beyond fantastic to see, and I'm sure also sounds great.

I debated between putting the extra $$ into the custom scale length or the woody veneer, . . . and this time the scale length won, . . . but it was a heated debate !
Yeah, I'm really liking it. I had doubts based on a few folks' reaction to the new X7 relative to the old X7, but they're not playing out for me at all. The old X7 was a really great little parlor, the new one is a really nice little all-around guitar, at home doing anything I do with a guitar.

In terms of the veneer, I debated between putting the extra $$ into the veneer..... or NOT putting the extra $$ into the veneer. It's not the kind of thing I tend to spend on, but Emerald has been blowing my mind with their veneers lately and I figured if this guitar worked out as I hoped, I'd have it a looooong time. Which I think I will. And the veneer, while not necessary, is just a really nice thing to have to make the guitar just that little bit more special...
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  #67  
Old 11-30-2018, 06:46 PM
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Ray;

I'm with you. The veneers add an incredible aesthetic to an already beautiful canvass.
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  #68  
Old 12-02-2018, 11:32 AM
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Four day update:

I'm glad I didn't buy this guitar first. I might not have bought an X20. I'm glad I have the X20 - I really like the contrast and the volume and it just rings out a little differently. But this new gen X7 leaves nothing to be desired.

I guess it worked out the way it should have. I bought the old X7 sure it would be a fine number 2 to the X20 and didn't want to get the new X7 because I thought it would be too much LIKE the X20. There was nothing in my experience to suggest that a short scale could be my #1. I was right about all of that EXCEPT the X7 being the #2 - it move into #1 and then I figured I had to check out the new one and see if it would be a better #1, if that was the slot the short scale was gonna occupy. And it is on every level.

I LOVE the old X7 and if it had stayed in it's place as a #2, it would have stood the test of time. But it wouldn't be held back, forced it's way to #1, and as a #1 goes, this new X7 is on another level. So I'm glad I splurged for the Coco veneer because I'm gonna have this guitar a LOOOOONG time!

I'm gonna make a concerted effort to sell the old X7 when I get back from North Carolina in March. If anyone is interested right now, drop me a line. I'm here until Friday the 14th and can ship it before then, but I don't want to list it and then have it be unavailable for three months if it doesn't sell right away. The going rate on these seems to be $1000 + shipping and this one is mint...

-Ray
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  #69  
Old 12-08-2018, 02:46 PM
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So I have this beautiful new guitar. But given the natural light levels in my house, and particularly in the room where I keep and mostly play my guitars, I couldn't see it! This piece of freaking artwork that nobody, me included, could SEE!

So I jumped on Amazon and bought a couple of gooseneck, clamp on, LED desk lights for college students, about $14-$15 each and set them up on either side of where the guitar hangs. And VIOLA! I can see, I can see. So, now when I'm hanging out in my man cave, these lights are on and I can glance over from my desk and catch a glimpse of this beauty. That's when I'm not playing it - then I don't care what it looks like, just how it plays...

untitled-1-2 by Ray, on Flickr

-Ray
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  #70  
Old 12-08-2018, 03:02 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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Originally Posted by raysachs View Post
Yeah, I'm really liking it. I had doubts based on a few folks' reaction to the new X7 relative to the old X7, but they're not playing out for me at all. The old X7 was a really great little parlor, the new one is a really nice little all-around guitar, at home doing anything I do with a guitar.

.
I still think they made a mistake by not calling the new version an X9, then bringing back the X7 with the neck and soundhole modification to tie it in aesthetically with the rest of the line.

The new and old X7 are significantly different size instruments.
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  #71  
Old 12-08-2018, 03:18 PM
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I still think they made a mistake by not calling the new version an X9, then bringing back the X7 with the neck and soundhole modification to tie it in aesthetically with the rest of the line.

The new and old X7 are significantly different size instruments.
I don't think they feel all that different size wise. You can sort of feel the difference in width and depth, but it's not a lot - it took me no time at all to forget about it completely. For me, it's a bit of an advantage because I don't hunch over as much when I play it seated on a stool - which I mostly do.

I think the biggest difference is the length of the body, but that's primarily just because they extended the soundhole down the neck to meet the neck at the 12th fret instead of the 14rth. That makes a difference visually, but no difference at all in how it handles, feels, or plays. The overall length of the guitar, from endpin to tip of headstock, is basically identical, or within a quarter inch or so. To me, the biggest difference is the sound from the perspective of the player, which is mostly just about the offset soundhole. I've been playing this one pretty much exactly as I played the older model except for being less hunched when on a stool. I don't feel any noticeable difference sitting back on a couch playing it, which some others have mentioned.

I really do see them as largely the same guitar, but with this one a bit of improvement for me, mostly in terms of sound to the player.

-Ray

Last edited by raysachs; 12-09-2018 at 02:13 AM.
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  #72  
Old 12-08-2018, 03:42 PM
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Wow that's really nice!!
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  #73  
Old 12-08-2018, 03:46 PM
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Good lighting. Magnificent guitar!
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  #74  
Old 12-08-2018, 04:17 PM
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Beautiful guitar and an interesting review on the old vs new. Much appreciated!
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  #75  
Old 12-08-2018, 04:40 PM
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Ray, that is beautiful! I love Cocobolo! Do you happen to know what they used over the top of the Cocobolo, amber tint or something else?
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