Taken the plunge on an X20!

[RP]

That's a beauty, Gary. Congrats...

[Captain Jim]

Congrats, Gary! Beautiful guitar!

[KevinH]

Looks even better than in the shipping video!

[VJP5]

Originally Posted by Gary C

I needn't have had any concerns about my choice of veneer. It looks absolutely stunning in the flesh, with all the lovely contrasts of dark and light I was hoping for.

Good Lord that is beautiful!! Enjoy

[steelvibe]

Congrats! My goodness that is a wonderful top, even in darker indoor lighting. My favorite veeners I think are koa, tamo ash, claro walnut- not that others aren't beautiful. Where else can one get to show off those woods than on Emerald instruments? I'm jealous!

[Gary C]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Congrats! My goodness that is a wonderful top, even in darker indoor lighting. My favorite veeners I think are koa, tamo ash, claro walnut- not that others aren't beautiful. Where else can one get to show off those woods than on Emerald instruments? I'm jealous!

Thanks so much - and to all who have commented thus far.

When you're spending this much on an instrument - and when a good chunk of that is on the top, and when you have SO much choice - it's so important that you're happy with your final decision.

I think I mentioned above that I went through every veneer option before choosing this particular one in this particular position, but when I first saw it under the bright lights of the shipping video, it looked completely different to the way I'd imagined it (even after downloading the 3D Builder image and running it through PhotoShop). To be honest, I thought I'd made the wrong choice. But in natural light it's a completely different story. And the wonderful thing is that the story changes with the light. This guitar never looks the same as the sun transits from dawn to dusk!

As others have said in their reviews, with more traditionally built guitars the really interesting/stunning looking woods tend to be at the back of the guitar, with the tonewoods on top (spruce/cedar, etc) looking comparatively plain. When you're playing, no one can see them! Not so with an Emerald.

Aesthetics are such a subjective thing, but that's just one of the many things about these guitars that I love.

As for other aspects, such as sound, playability, etc., I'm not going to make any comments until I've had at least three or four days of bonding.

[gwandsh]

Wow, what a looker! Very close to the finish Alex showed in his X20 vs Taylor Vs Martin review.
As a chronologic peer, I am also trying out my first x20, although I found it locally. It does not have the koa bling for sure. Congrats.
Will be interested to see how you assess playability, sound, etc as you spend time with it.

[Gary C]

I'm glad you spotted that! I fell in love with the koa finish on Alex's X20 the instant a saw it. I know that each veneer is different, but I spent a (ridiculously) long time looking for something with similar characteristics, and talked this through with Davy at Emerald before making my final choice. I couldn't be happier with the end result.

I don't know if Alex is a member here (I'll have a search later), but I intend to thank him for what has to be one of the best reviews of the X20 - ever. In fact, one of the best reviews of a guitar, ever.

Alex's review, along with this forum, was massively influential in my decision to take the plunge and make my first unseen, unplayed acoustic guitar purchase in 50 years. (More on this later.)

As for other aspects, such as playability, workmanship/quality, etc., I'm going away for a bit, so I'll file a full report in a few weeks or so. And besides, I like to get to know a guitar properly over weeks rather than days before putting pen to paper. I'd also like to send feedback to the Emerald team first.

Originally Posted by gwandsh

Wow, what a looker! Very close to the finish Alex showed in his X20 vs Taylor Vs Martin review.
As a chronologic peer, I am also trying out my first x20, although I found it locally. It does not have the koa bling for sure. Congrats.
Will be interested to see how you assess playability, sound, etc as you spend time with it.

[redi]

Originally Posted by Gary C

decision to take the plunge and make my first unseen, unplayed acoustic guitar purchase in 50 years.

I think you'll find the fundamental playability and build quality on any Emerald to be absolutely and positively outstanding, regardless of the chosen visual bling.