Just ordered Emerald Chimaera

[richardpavelec]

after two years of thinking, i finally paid for an Emerald Chimaera.

I choose 6+6 option, all textured black.

Selling my black Guild f50 to pay for the upgrade.

[Doubleneck]

Cool how do you intent to use the other 6? Alternative tunings?

[AZLiberty]

Considered one of these very hard a few months back. I wanted a 12-string and the price of the Chimaera is only about $100 more than an X-20-12 once you add a hard case.

6 + 6 seems a bit redundant though...?

[richardpavelec]

Greetings again. Sorry to answer late.

Still in production but almost done.

Yes, each neck has my two most used turnings. I play in both dadgad and open g (ever since getting writing blocks with standard). Before, I switched back and forth between a Guild F50 and a Gibson J200 (to cover both tunings). But, two guitars frustrated me because each one sounded different through my heavily effected rack. And, I hated unplugging and replugging, failing straps during guitar exchange, tangles with cables and remembering to mute my amps during exchange (to avoid blowing speakers...ha ha). I needed a weapon to perform both bags of tricks while I am all strapped in! Did not want 12 string even though I started on those. I see them as restricting, too shimmery and high maintainence for tuning. 6 strings are a staple for me, just with dual tuning.

I intend to post pics and all. All black Tolex finish, no pretty weave showing but all the resonance.

[ewalling]

That's really good thinking. I play in DADGAD, open G, and open D, as well as standard and dropped D. To have two necks of the same guitar with different tunings is a cool idea.

I've also been tempted by the Chimaera. I currently have an Amicus and an X7, and they're both great. I'd probably go for the 12/6 combination on the Chimaera. How much was yours, if you don't mind my asking?

[Acousticado]

Congrats Richard. I own a 6/12 Chimaera in amber weave top/headstock and gloss (non-weave) black b&s. I quite like it.

In case it helps anyone, here's a link to the Chimaera price list:
http://www.emeraldguitars.com/acoustic/chimaera/

[Doubleneck]

very interesting use of a doubleneck. I wish I should be so talented to use it that way. You will be very happy with it I am sure.

[richardpavelec]

Paid pretty much stock price, $2450 I think. I am not complaining, that price is cheap compared to owning two Gibson j200 or Guild f50s. The textured Tolex finish, Stealth tuners and no inlays kept the price from creeping. Wanted a finish that would not smudge or show dust much and always loved the backs of Ovations. Even the back of neck has the texture.

[richardpavelec]

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

very interesting use of a doubleneck. I wish I should be so talented to use it that way. You will be very happy with it I am sure.

Not sure if I have talent or just lazy to write more licks in one tuning (ha ha). But seriously, what I found about alternate tunings is, you run out of steam (ideas) faster cause open low note roots are always ringing in Drop D, etc, etc. it always makes you sound Irish or country western (ha ha)! So, when I get tired of one flavor, switch over to the other.

If I was a better player in general, I would take take the time to get to know one neck tuning better, like all those jazz cats.

I suppose I have my bag of tricks like us all. At least I do not play Dolly Parton style, with her bar-finger technique (ha ha)!

[sam.spoons]

Tunings are great for expanding your tonal pallet and giving inspiration but are inevitably less versatile than standard tuning (but there's nowt wrong with that). The percussive fingerstyle guys take that to the Nth degree with some of the weirdest tunings you could imagine. I do it another way and use partial capos, drop 'd' (capo's 1-5 at II for a drop d effect but in E) and more often a 'DADGAD' 3 string capo (capo's 3/4/5 at II for EBEABE which is DADGAD two semitones up). Both allow standard bar chords to be played above the capo and single string riffs have the same fingerings. Not better than alt tunings but usefully different IMHO.

OTOH I mostly play in standard tuning and I'm currently striving towards become one of those 'jazz cats' you mention (a Gypsy flavoured one mostly in my case).

[J.R. Rogers]

Can't wait to see this one. I'm interested in the configuration. It seems you could get really creative with two 6's and compatible tunings under your hand at the same time. I'd like to spend a day with one of these. I really enjoy listening to harp guitar but have never had the chance to try it myself.

JR

[philjs]

Originally Posted by sam.spoons

Tunings are great for expanding your tonal pallet and giving inspiration but are inevitably less versatile than standard tuning (but there's nowt wrong with that).

To quote Sherman T. Potter, "Bull-pucky!" Try telling Laurence Juber or Pierre Bensusan that DADGAD is "inevitably less versatile than standard tuning." Go on...I dare you. Statements like the above are some of the worst perpetuation of 'urban guitar legend mythos' and smack of sophistry...not to mention being plain wrong!

Phil

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Congrats Richard. I own a 6/12 Chimaera in amber weave top/headstock and gloss (non-weave) black b&s. I quite like it.

In case it helps anyone, here's a link to the Chimaera price list:
http://www.emeraldguitars.com/acoustic/chimaera/

Thanks for the price list link!

[sam.spoons]

Originally Posted by philjs

To quote Sherman T. Potter, "Bull-pucky!" Try telling Laurence Juber or Pierre Bensusan that DADGAD is "inevitably less versatile than standard tuning." Go on...I dare you. Statements like the above are some of the worst perpetuation of 'urban guitar legend mythos' and smack of sophistry...not to mention being plain wrong!

Phil

I disgree, I didn't suggest DADGAD was any less useful or sophisticated or in any way inferior to standard tuning just that it is less versatile, and I stand by that statement backed up by 400 years of history.

For the record I make extensive use of DADGAD in my rep and also, less frequently, use other alt. tunings.

[richardpavelec]

Originally Posted by J.R. Rogers

Can't wait to see this one. I'm interested in the configuration. It seems you could get really creative with two 6's and compatible tunings under your hand at the same time. I'd like to spend a day with one of these. I really enjoy listening to harp guitar but have never had the chance to try it myself.

JR

Yeah, once I started with a second tuning and wrote a few arrangements there, I started feeling almost discouraged from causal jamming, knowing that just when I was warming up, I had to stop, retune or change guitars (for my second half of songs).

Now, problem solved. I can pull licks out my butt for ever, without stage silence and crickets, waiting for my sorry *** to get it together.