NGD (Emerald X20) and a word of thanks...

[raysachs]

Hi folks,

I'm not a longtime part of the AGF community - I'm not even a long time lurker. But I've come here and done searches over the past year or so to gather information on particular guitars, strings, etc. Humidity and acoustic guitars has become one of the banes of my existence over the last couple of years since I started playing a lot again in retirement and got a couple of pretty nice guitars that needed to be cared for.

Sometime in literally the past few weeks to a month, just looking around here, I became aware of CF guitars for the first time - I was looking at something else, saw the post about "have you sold your wood guitars yet", said "HUH?" and dove in from there. I had no idea. The whole idea of a carbon fiber guitar for which humidity was a non-issue immediately sparked my interest. I thought this could really be a great solution to my "problem" (the MOST first world of any problem yet known to man or beast!). But IF and only if I really liked the sound and playing experience.

So I started reading everything I could find here and elsewhere, watching as many Youtube demos as I could find. And decided to give one a shot to see if I'd like it. The Emerald X20 seemed like the best fit for me and the price was somewhat less painful than some of the other models I had some interest in. But as long as I didn't get my head turned by their gorgeous wood veneers, I figured I could handle it. So I went on Emerald's website, saw two bone stock, off the rack X20s for sale, one black, one red, and ordered the red one. Got it last Thursday. And, yeah, I returned one very new wood Yamaha and am selling another very nice Martin. I'm keeping my wood electrics, but they're different animals and humidity is really only and issue with them around the margins.

It sounds as good as, but different than, my Martin 000-15M. I slightly prefer the feel of satin-finished wood, but like the feel of CF as much as poly finished wood. If I A-B them I very slightly prefer the Martin, but only just. All things being equal, I might have kept that and returned the Emerald, but no things are equal. The X20 just fits my life and twice annual relocations waaaaay better than the Martin ever will.

So the X20 will be my primary acoustic. I'll probably buy a really cheap parlor at some point to keep it company - I had a Jim Dandy before and may again. Humidity or lack thereof can't hurt the Jim Dandy - I've tried! And if it did, I could afford to buy another from time to time. I'm more of an electric player than acoustic, so I don't want or need a house full of acoustics - one nice one is all I've ever owned or wanted.

So anyway, a word of thanks to all of you folks on this forum and particularly in the Carbon Fiber sub-forum. I've learned a TON from you folks. I doubt I'll hang out a lot going forward - I don't need and can't afford the GAS. But if I have questions, I may pop back in from time to time. In terms of pics, I know you've all seen Emerald's glamour shots of red X20s, so I'll include a couple of it in my man-cave, with way more light on it than it usually gets. So you can see the weave. In normal light, as you folks are aware, it basically looks black or, at best, a dark purple. It takes a lot to make the CF weave visible. That's pretty evident in the shot of me holding it. And one quick one of the Emerald mug with my morning coffee in it.

-Ray

untitled-1 by Ray, on Flickr

untitled-4 by Ray, on Flickr

unnamed-2 by Ray, on Flickr

unnamed by Ray, on Flickr

[jdinco]

Great story and greater guitar ! Congrats on that one. It's kind of a secret we aren't supposed to talk about here, but the red ones DO sound better.

[Acousticado]

Congrats on your new X20. I own a black vertical weave version. Great guitars!

Btw, you must live in an area of VERY low humidity...that wood guitar also hanging on the door has really suffered.

[Kerbie]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Btw, you must live in an area of VERY low humidity...that wood guitar also hanging on the door has really suffered.

I think that one just came out of the dryer.

Congratulations, Ray, on the 20! That's a beauty.

[Earl49]

Ray, you might want to hang around more, but be aware that the Carbon Fiber room is pretty gas-inducing. Although I've had a Rainsong or two since 2001, I never even knew about Emeralds until joining in here. That has cost me a pretty penny (custom X20-12, X20, X7 Woody). I will recoup some of those funds as my wood guitars sell off, however.

Originally Posted by jdinco

....It's kind of a secret we aren't supposed to talk about here, but the red ones DO sound better.

Harrummph! Those of us with GREEN Emerald's (the only *proper* color for an Irish-built guitar) would respectfully disagree, JD. Although the root beer / amber color on my wife's X7 woody is pretty doggone nice too.

Less filling / tastes great.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Btw, you must live in an area of VERY low humidity...that wood guitar also hanging on the door has really suffered.

Oh yeah, that's the Martin I'm gonna be selling - any advice on what I should ask for it?

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Ray, you might want to hang around more, but be aware that the Carbon Fiber room is pretty gas-inducing. Although I've had a Rainsong or two since 2001, I never even knew about Emeralds until joining in here. That has cost me a pretty penny (custom X20-12, X20, X7 Woody). I will recoup some of those funds as my wood guitars sell off, however.



Harrummph! Those of us with GREEN Emerald's (the only *proper* color for an Irish-built guitar) would respectfully disagree, JD. Although the root beer / amber color on my wife's X7 woody is pretty doggone nice too.

Less filling / tastes great.

GAS inducement is on reason I really DON'T want to hang around here. I can fall victim to that stuff if I don't take affirmative steps to keep it from happening. After a lot of buying and selling over the past year plus, I finally have my electric gear right where I want it. I thought I was there with my acoustic stuff too until this carbon fiber thing grabbed hold of me. But I don't need or honestly even want another premium guitar. A little $150-200 guitar just to not have to worry about anywhere I might take it would be good to have, but I don't need an X7 to go along with my X20, or a Shorty or a whatever. But if I hung out here much, I might start to believe I did.

Who knows, I might even start to doubt my color choice and feel the need to find out if the cops will stop me as much playing a green Emerald as a Red one... That wouldn't do

[kramster]

Excellent!! You done really good with a fine instrument! So you heard, studied, thought and bought... a nice logical sequence of events I'd say!

[kramster]

Originally Posted by jdinco

Great story and greater guitar ! Congrats on that one. It's kind of a secret we aren't supposed to talk about here, but the red ones DO sound better.

So glad the back of my news are red...beautacious!

[kramster]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I finally have my electric gear right where I want it. I

What set up in the electric world do you have?? Just Inquirin'.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by kramster

What set up in the electric world do you have?? Just Inquirin'.

I have a strat, a Robert Cray hardtail. I've always been a strat guy, going back to my first one in about 1979 or 1980. But I'm not a tremolo guy and this Robert Cray is my favorite strat ever. I also have an Ibanez Scofield semi-hollow - I love Ibanez necks on their semi-hollows more than the Gibsons or Epiphones I've played. And I have a tele with dual P90s because I LOVE P90s. I have a couple of amps, one tube, one solid state, both small and good at low volume as well as reasonably loud. But I'm a man-cave player these days and rarely have occasion to turn 'em up. And, you know, assorted pedals and stuff. I'm not a good or versatile enough player to need more than one electric but I love the different flavors and am happy to have 'em...

Ray;

Congratulations on the acquisition of a fine guitar. While you may hold to the idea of not buying any other CF guitars, you might want to check out the various threads on strings. The CF guitars are more precise and reflect string variation more than wooden instruments (at least, that's my experience). Enjoy the heck out of the guitar--and Red does sound best. Those who disagree are just green with envy.

[Danz567]

Nice looking guitar Ray. We have similar stories in that I have a couple of wood acoustics that need constant care for humidity. I lurked around in here for a while reading all the different posts about carbon fiber. I finally ordered an X20 about a month ago. So now I'm a waiter instead of a lurker lol. Enjoy your new guitar.
Dan

[jdinco]

Originally Posted by raysachs

And I have a tele with dual P90s because I LOVE P90s.

Sounds like a real nice guitar, but that's not a Tele. I love P90's and tele's too. Oops, not supposed to talk about motorcycles, boats or P90's.....so how does the X20 sound? Is it an Artisian? Have you plugged it in yet?

[kramster]

Shoulda come on here whilst you was a waiting ...Unc Evy could have teased and tried to torture you a bit so to help the wait seem way harder ...I of course don't go for that type of activity being so darn mature and understanding, but it is part of the acquisition process as of late. But then I avoided it as well X3.