#1
|
|||
|
|||
What a difference a silhouette makes
Had a chance to really go from guitar to guitar today, haven't taken the time recently to really appreciate them all. And I was struck by exactly how different each guitar sounds and responds to different styles of play. If you were to move from smallest to largest, my Rainsong Parlor sounds very focused and present in the midrange, the OM sounds very balanced, the WS is big and bassy, and the Jumbo is just full-range.
It's also funny to discover what I was doing with an instrument the last time I had it in my hands. The Jumbo was in an open-C# tuning and the WS was in a modified open-D that take advantage of their extended low-end capabilities. And the parlor practically lives with a capo on the neck somewhere. The OM remains my favorite of the four, just too comfortable to play and too adaptable compared to the others. But I think the Jumbo is my new second favorite, not only because it's gorgeous to look at, but because it has surprised me every time I've picked it up. Comfortable despite it's size, warm and gentle when needed, big and bold when the inspiration hits. I wish I had more time to set down and concentrate on these things in the crazy times we're in. There are cobwebs in the back corners of my brain where guitar stuff should have been. |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
"You don't hold an Emerald, you hug one." |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
The models I own are across a few series. The OM is an original Shorty, the WS and Parlor are Concert Hybrid, and the Jumbo is a Nashville model. That said, the first three are very similar in construction, with the Concert top and hybrid back and sides. The Nashville is in a league of his own!
The WS is definitely a cannon. I can't say whether it would work for you or not, but it's a large-sounding guitar. I saw they also recently made a Nashville (sunburst spruce) WS that was VERY pretty. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
I've had a WS-1000 since 2001. It has been to many bluegrass jams and certainly holds its own volume-wise against dreadnoughts. I have never felt the need for anything else. In the living room, I sometimes have to hold back a bit. Yup, it's loud.
I also have an X30. While the front arm bevel (and the other contours) make it pretty comfortable, it is still a very thick guitar. And a cannon..... think a .357 Magnum versus .38 special. |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
The X30 is as comfortable as such a big guitar can be. I have (or had) other jumbo-sized guitars with 17" lower bouts, and the X30 beats them for comfort. My X30 has a powerful low end, but I have not noticed any major wolf tones. (Neither have I gone deliberately looking for trouble). These days with right shoulder issues my play is 100% seated and using a strap, with the guitar body centered on mine. The X30 is basically the only guitar that I *can* comfortably put on my right knee while playing.
I have considered putting heavy EJ-18 strings on it and tuning it down to C-c like a pseudo-baritone. That is where the strong bass and overall internal volume would really shine, and might even be below the wolf tones reported. Maybe I should do that.... inquiring minds want to know. I'm not surprised about the loudness. That is mostly determined by the body size and volume. The tone is definitely different between the various build compositions - weave, unidirectional, hybrid, etc. The classic weave is the most crystalline or piano-like, while the hybrid and unidirectional tops are routinely noted as being warmer and mellower - more wood-like. |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
https://www.laguitarsales.com/index....ws1000nsx.html |
#11
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I think you make a good point that some are going out of their way to over-emphasize the low end, which may make more out of the issue than might normally be perceived. That bass emphasis could be an artifact of recording though. There is no substitute for trying one yourself in person. |
#13
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |