Will CF guitars be an Alternative or a Replacement of Wood guitars?

[Cool555]

Hi Guys. I have a small humble “collection” of guitars. Recently I tried a white Lava Me (CF guitar that’s made in China) and loved the tone that this CF guitar produced.

Although it is only slightly over a month that I have owned my first CF guitar, I was wondering if this guitar would just be another guitar in my humble collection OR that I will sell my other guitars and only keep CF guitars?

My gut feeling for now is that this CF guitar would just be an alternative guitar that I have and that it will not replace the other guitars that I love.

What are your thoughts and feelings regarding the question in the title?

Btw, here are the Youtube video links to my CF guitar if you are interested.



https://youtu.be/vIlZFBW6VNE

https://youtu.be/AHU9YLsgZDg

[raysachs]

There’s a thread titled something like ‘have you sold your wood guitars yet’ in which CF owners talk about where they are on this question. It runs the gamut, with responses are all over the map with many people keeping both, some folks only using CF for travel, etc...

For me, CF is all about the lack of care they need AND I love the sound and feel of the ones I own, so for ME, CF replaced wood. I loved my wood guitars and I never would have considered switching except for the lack of humidity issues and maintenance. And once I played them and became convinced I loved good CF as much as good wood instruments, it became an either/or. Either I'm gonna keep my wood instruments and keep hassling with humidity. Or I'm gonna go all in on carbon fiber and not have to deal with it. Having both wouldn't do anything good for me. I only have two acoustics - they used to be wood, now they're carbon fiber. I was happy with them before and I'm happier with them now, only because it's the time of year when humidity becomes an issue and suddenly and blissfully it's not. And I love that. If I had both wood and carbon fiber, humidity would still be an issue.

But that's just me...

[121]

CF replaced wood for me too.
I wish I had made the transition sooner.

[Frettingflyer]

I’m in the keep both camp for now, although I have thinned my herd a little bit. I probably play over 1/2 my time on CF due to travel and kid functions(take it in the car, few worries) but I really enjoy the sounds of my wood guitars when I get home, each guitar picked for it’s unique sound profile.
I love them all, but if I had to pick just 1 I don’t know which way I would go. My favorite is still one of my wood instruments, but not having CF would limit my playing too much.
Whichever way you go, enjoy the journey.

[jdinco]

I'll keep some of both, I haven't found a CF that can match my 000-15sm yet. Not saying its better at all, just different. Likewise, I haven't found a wood guitar that can match my X20.

[Earl49]

I believe they will. Personally, I will have both for the foreseeable future, but CF gets 95% of my play time. So I am slowly selling off the wooden ones (except for one or two special koa guitars). Taking proper care of two wood guitars is easier than ten! And they are too nice to just be case queens.

In the future, I suspect we'll first see more alternate tone woods like maple, sycamore, walnut, and other species as the supplies of EIR, BRW, mahogany and other more exotic woods eventually dwindle and become unaffordable. There are plenty of North American alternatives that will work fine, but builders currently have trouble selling them. Acoustic guitar players are a pretty hidebound and traditional bunch - many/most have no interest in even trying a CF guitar - and change won't come quickly.

But at least we'll have ours and keep the CF builders in business as they perfect their instruments. All the builders seem to be getting better with each year.

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Earl49

I believe they will. Personally, I will have both for the foreseeable future, but CF gets 95% of my play time. So I am slowly selling off the wooden ones (except for one or two special koa guitars). Taking proper care of two wood guitars is easier than ten! And they are too nice to just be case queens.

In the future, I suspect we'll first see more alternate tone woods like maple, sycamore, walnut, and other species as the supplies of EIR, BRW, mahogany and other more exotic woods eventually dwindle and become unaffordable. There are plenty of North American alternatives that will work fine, but builders currently have trouble selling them. Acoustic guitar players are a pretty hidebound and traditional bunch - many/most have no interest in even trying a CF guitar - and change won't come quickly.

But at least we'll have ours and keep the CF builders in business as they perfect their instruments. All the builders seem to be getting better with each year.

Very good analysis! I agree with you. Nice to know you are a Koa wood lover!

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Acoustic guitar players are a pretty hidebound and traditional bunch - many/most have no interest in even trying a CF guitar - and change won't come quickly.

One advantage that Rainsong has over the other makers, their guitars are in traditional Martin shapes. (we can argue about whether the Windsong is traditional or not)

If I hand someone my Shorty, folks don't realize it is made of special materials until they feel the weight (or lack thereof) they just think it's a black guitar. So it's pretty easy to get folks to try it.

[Acousticado]

I’m in a good place right now with the wood and CF guitars I have. Each suits my wants.

My ‘02 Taylor 814c I bought new back then was my first quality acoustic, and it’ll never go anywhere. As a home-only player (the occasional gathering elsewhere), the 814c gets most use spring/summer/fall by my side in the living room at my primary home in Canada when humidity levels are appropriate. Beginning now through spring, it’ll be much more in its case with baggy/sponge humidifiers.

The same is true with my Taylor 150e-12 that rests beside me when I’m in the basement rec room.

Although I play my X20 and Cargo throughout the year, they replace the cased wood guitars on the stands in those two areas where I tend to play, so I play them mostly from now until spring.

I bought the Taylor 214ceDLX to keep at my SW Florida vacation home because I wanted a reasonable facsimile of my 814c while there during the winter where the place is climate controlled.

Like I said, I’m very satisfied with the guitars, their particular use and places I keep them.

GAS is in-check and will be for some time, me thinks.

[Captain Jim]

"GAS is in-check and will be for some time, me thinks."

Who here has used those same words? Whoa - that is a LOT of hands.

I like my wood guitars. In fact, I played my 814ce yesterday. And, then I played the X20 for a while. There are a gazillion or so wood guitars out there; odds are pretty good they are going to be around longer than I will. So, the longevity of carbon fiber is less of an issue for me.

I like my carbon fiber guitars (which all happen to be Emeralds) because they sound great. Super comfortable (both in the body shape and the neck feel). The fact that they don't need to be humidified or babied: a nice bonus. They are simply really nice guitars.

I'm not one to say, "My guitar can beat up your guitar." For some of us, carbon fiber will be a replacement or an alternative to wood. For some, it won't. To each his own. Seems to me that both materials will be around for years to come.

[BT55]

I agree with Captain Jim. I believe that there is a place for both. At home Wood is my preference but my CF’s are my go to guitars when I play in public as they are always amplified. Although I like the tonality of CF my preference is Wood for acoustic tone.

[GuitarLuva]

Carbon fiber guitars will always be an alternative for the general population. Wood guitars aren't going anywhere. Some people fully converted to carbon fiber though while most people have some of each. I personally have only 1 wooden acoustic guitar left a 2012 Gibson Songwriter deluxe custom edition. It's an awesome guitar and I can't see me ever parting with it. It hasn't seen much action since I got my Emerald X30 and certainly won't either during the winter months in the great white north. I love being able to leave the X30 on the stand all day or just take it with me somewhere without worrying about temperature and humidity. Carbon fiber benefits are certainly awesome.

[kramster]

Wood, CF, eKoa....life is good.

[Finger Stylish]

Options! Not handcuffs