|
|
#1
10-08-2018, 12:57 PM
|
||||
|
||||
NUGD - X7
Two months ago I'd never heard of carbon fiber guitars. A month ago I bought an Emerald X20 and fell pretty much instantly in love with it. I've generally had a primary acoustic and a parlor sized acoustic and getting the X20 and selling the Martin 000 I had before the X20 left me with a dilemma about how to handle the "parlor" part of the equation.
I've had both really REALLY cheap laminated parlor models and semi-nice solid wood parlors and the problem is the really cheap laminate parlors sound about like you'd expect and the semi-nice solid wood parlors need basically as much humidity management as the Martin did, which wasn't gonna happen. I kind of figured I'd just play a really cheap parlor until I saved enough to get an X7 in a year or so. But the more I read about the new X7s and the previous generation X7s, the more I thought I'd rather have "last year's girl" than the new one. The consensus seems to be that the new one is a fuller, richer sounding guitar but that's it's also a less comfortable instrument to play as a parlor guitar than the earlier version. The new one is significantly wider, deeper, and more expensive and it seems like it might be a good alternative to an X20 but that the older one would be a better compliment to the X20 for my purposes. They're not making any more of the older X7s and they don't seem to show up used very often, so when Dhart (who I've sort of known on various photography and guitar forums for several years now) offered to sell me his year(ish) old X7 for a price I could afford now, I thought about it for a while and decided to go for it. He said it was in mint condition and I knew it would be. I picked it up from UPS first thing this morning and have played it a few hours already. It's perfect for my needs. I love the form factor. It's perfect for sitting on the couch or in a more relaxed chair and fine sitting on my guitar stool as well. Playing it back to back with the X20 it's clearly a much quieter and less dynamic sounding guitar, but as is usually the case with parlor guitars, it'll never sound great in comparison to a full size guitar, but once you just play it on it's own for a while and stop comparing it to non-comparable instruments, it comes into it's own, sounds like IT'S supposed to sound, and starts revealing it's charms. That's very much the case with this one - it sounds great for a tiny guitar. A couple of things worth noting. The neck is actually a bit chunkier than the neck on the X20. I like the X20 neck just fine, but I like this slightly fatter neck on the X7 even more. The headstock on this X7 is unimaginably tiny. And there's no room in the soundhole for any sort of tuner - I guess there would be if I took the electronics out, which I may do someday because I really only need one acoustic with a pickup. So far, my best option for a tuner is the little D'Addario clip-on stuck to the little bit of exposed headstock near the D-string tuner. It's not elegant but it's secure and visible! and isn't in the way when I hang the guitar in a wall-hanger.  0 by Ray, on FlickrYou've seen this guitar before, posing in the Arizona desert, but here are a couple of the Emerald "glamour" shots and one of the two siblings together (with just enough light and photographic trickery to sort of show their colors). As with the red X20, this amber X7 is nearly black to the naked eye from across the room...  untitled-7-2 by Ray, on Flickr untitled-13-2 by Ray, on Flickr untitled-2-2-Edit by Ray, on Flickr-Ray Last edited by raysachs; 10-08-2018 at 02:20 PM. 
|
|
#2
10-08-2018, 01:14 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Nice! Good looking family you have started there! At this rate of purchase ... by the end of the year..WOW!
__________________
YUP.... Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3, CA: Early OX and Cargo McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc
|
|
#3
10-08-2018, 01:30 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
You're a bit of an inspiration, but I don't aspire to a collection like yours. Just a little bit of variety...
|
|
#4
10-08-2018, 01:54 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Congrats! We have an X7 and an X20, and I agree with your description of tone - X7 is lovely on its own, but the X20 is just.... more. Louder and richer. A nice alternative, but not a replacement.
So you now have amber and red. You are obviously missing a green X30 to complete the coveted "traffic light" series. 
|
|
#5
10-08-2018, 02:20 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
 As loud and resonant as the X20 is, I don't really want for anything bigger sounding. Or bigger feeling - when I play a dread these days they feel HUGE. The X20 has enough softened edges and shapes to get around that feeling of a big guitar, but the X30 is just plain big! And somehow, the red and amber look enough like colors you see on wood guitars that they don't feel too alien. I'm sure I'd be fine with black too, but I don't really see a blue or green guitar in my future...
|
|
#6
10-08-2018, 02:57 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Seems like there should be a ukulele in there somewhere--there's always room for a uke and it adds flavor to the mix. None of us will ever catch up with nehew K, but that's no reason to run out of gas. The uke/harp is particularly unique.
|
|
#8
10-08-2018, 03:51 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
But nice try!
|
|
#9
10-08-2018, 03:52 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
No cord or chord cutting...well maybe a G Flat 9th Double suspended sharp 13th ... but that's it!
__________________
YUP.... Emerald: X-20, Center hole X-10 (Maple) and X-7 (redwood), Spalted Chen Chen X 10 level 3, CA: Early OX and Cargo McPherson: Early Kevin Michael Proto Some wood things by Epi, Harmony, Takamine, Good Time, PRS, Slick, Gypsy Music, keyboards, wind controllers.. etc
|
|
#10
10-08-2018, 04:01 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
|
|
#11
10-08-2018, 04:59 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Congrats on the X10/X7 duo! I have to agree with you: the two really compliment each other.
I struggle with "which one to take" when we're traveling in our motorhome. They both get plenty of playing time when we're home. Your two look very nice together.
|
|
#12
10-08-2018, 05:45 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
They seem to be getting along well. The X20 shot a sideways glance at the X7 when I first put them together. No problems since, though. May be a different story when we take off for the winter and leave one of them behind. Now that humidity and temperature aren't issues, I'm gonna be stress free about that. But the one that get's left behind? Who knows....
|
|
#13
10-08-2018, 06:00 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Oh Ray! Don't let your limitations limit you. Have a drink, sit down with a uke/harp, pick and strum and you will find yourself totally entranced--you will make music like you've never heard. You will amaze yourself. Rust never sleeps, don't be denied.
|
|
#14
10-08-2018, 06:38 PM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
I know the angst of which to take. There is certainly room in our motorhome for the X20, but the X7 is just so comfortable and easy. On the bright side: you have two great, but sonically and size-wise, different guitars. Congrats, again!
|
|
#15
10-09-2018, 05:09 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Keeping the rust at bay and not feeling at all denied! Two of my favorite Neil songs - how did you know? Both sound about as good on an Emerald as on a Martin! -Ray Last edited by raysachs; 10-09-2018 at 05:18 AM.
|
