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  #61  
Old 09-14-2007, 11:55 AM
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Originally Posted by bnjp View Post
From their website, it says "Our necks are so strong and stiff that they never need adjusting, no matter what. You can play without buzzing – anytime, anywhere. They are also smooth and lightning fast as a result of our precision set-up."

But I'd like to know the answer to the question "if neck relief does change, is that considered a defect?" as well.

Yes. We have had guitars out there for many years with no problems. If the neck should bow, which we have never seen, then that guitar would be replaced.

Ellis
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  #62  
Old 09-14-2007, 12:36 PM
Rascalcurve Rascalcurve is offline
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Lord have mercy! I've got GAS now!

Are there any sound clips out? I'd love to hear the GX performer.
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  #63  
Old 09-15-2007, 01:04 PM
dfrivers dfrivers is offline
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There was a nice clip of the GX Performer on the Acoustic Guitar magazine website, if it hasn't already been removed. It was from a very positive article about the guitar in the September issue.

http://www.acousticguitar.com/

You'll need to enter the word "equinox" to access the clip. {Moderators: if this is a violation, please feel free to remove it}

The guitar sounded very nice, especially when run through the on-board electronics.

Dave
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  #64  
Old 09-15-2007, 03:57 PM
Doubleneck Doubleneck is offline
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Would love to hear an A - B comparison between the X and the GX electronically. I have the X and the thinner size is so comfortable to play. I would doubt that electronically the deeper bowl would mean that much.
Steve
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  #65  
Old 09-16-2007, 06:58 AM
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Originally Posted by EllisS View Post
Yes. We have had guitars out there for many years with no problems. If the neck should bow, which we have never seen, then that guitar would be replaced.

Ellis
"Many" is a relative term, I think I saw that your company was founded in 1999. I remain concerned that adjustments that are possible on traditionally constructed instruments ( truss rod adjustments, neck resets ) aren't possible on the CA guitars. I've often wondered what sort of accelerated aging testing has been done to predict dimensional stability for longer periods than what is available from actual product history.

I'm saying this as a potential customer, not as a skeptic or purist. I would love to have a guitar that would endure Christmas Caroling in Michigan without concerns ( among other things ).It's possible that I would purchase such an instrument in time for this holiday's musical season.

P.S. I'm aware that Rainsong makes a version with a truss rod but frankly, to my ears, they don't sound nearly as good as your guitars.
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  #66  
Old 09-16-2007, 07:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by astrummer View Post
"Many" is a relative term, I think I saw that your company was founded in 1999. I remain concerned that adjustments that are possible on traditionally constructed instruments ( truss rod adjustments, neck resets ) aren't possible on the CA guitars. I've often wondered what sort of accelerated aging testing has been done to predict dimensional stability for longer periods than what is available from actual product history.

I'm saying this as a potential customer, not as a skeptic or purist. I would love to have a guitar that would endure Christmas Caroling in Michigan without concerns ( among other things ).It's possible that I would purchase such an instrument in time for this holiday's musical season.

P.S. I'm aware that Rainsong makes a version with a truss rod but frankly, to my ears, they don't sound nearly as good as your guitars.
Thanks for the compliment. With regards to your concerns about neck issues, let me address it another way.

First, why do wooden guitars need adjustments? They need adjustments because the wood changes shape over time. Wood can be bent and re-fromed - that is why you can have curved sides from a flat piece of wood. Under stress, wood can slowly change shape, particularly if there is moisture available.

Contrast this to carbon fiber/epoxy, from which our guitars are made. The Boeing 787 is 60 percent carbon fiber/epoxy, and the Airbus A380 is 50 percent carbon fiber/epoxy - you can't build commercial passenger aircraft that are going to be flown several times a day for 30 + years in all kinds of weather conditions out of materials that are going to gradually change shape under stress.

Also, our necks and bodies are a one piece unit - there is no secondary neck joint that could be poorly fitted resulting in change over time.

I can understand your concern - it is quite a paradigm shift to think about a guitar that is great the day you buy it and will always stay that way. But that is why we are here. Thanks for the questions.

Ellis
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  #67  
Old 10-07-2007, 07:31 PM
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P.S. I'm aware that Rainsong makes a version with a truss rod but frankly, to my ears, they don't sound nearly as good as your guitars.
P.P.S. I visited Elderly, with my wife last week ( on our way to a vacation destination ) and she was also impressed with the sound of the GX series ( She was initially around a corner and didn't realize I was playing a composite guitar when she first appreciated the sound ). She also listened to the Rainsong Advanced ( which had an initial visual advantage with her because it was bright red ) and still strongly preferred the GX. She noted the price difference and thought that the tone difference would well be worth the price difference. Given that there is now spousal agreement as to the value and quality of this model, this has risen to the lead for my possible next 6 string purchase ( but I'll probably have to get rid of a guitar first if that is going to happen)

On the other hand perhaps I should be considering a 12 string...There was mention, earlier in this thread of the possibility of a 12 string CA in the future--My wife noted that when I play out unplugged its always a 12 string.......If such a 12 string is under consideration would that more likely be the dreadnought body style or the GX type body style? My current 2nd 12 string is on the verge of needing a neck reset ( and isn't a guitar that's worth having that level of repair ) I have been thinking of a LKSM-12 as a replacement/upgrade but if there were a GX 12 string that sounds as good as the GX 6 string...........Hmmm......
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  #68  
Old 10-08-2007, 11:10 AM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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Ellis,

I am a long time CA guitars owner and fan. I have had, in the past six years:
a CA Legacy (with wood fretboard) two CA Bluegrass Performer, a CA X Performer, and recently, just for a few days, a GX Performer.
Let me tell you the story about this latest guitar.
I bought it brand new from Artisan Guitars, and when I received it, I was very disappointed at how bad the neck was. It had a huge neck relief and a visible hump when the neck meets the body.
I had many other CA guitars in the past and their neck have always been straight and perfect, so I called Cal Stevenson at your customer service department and asked if he could replace the guitar. I also asked him if it was possible for me to keep the guitar until the new replacement was ready, in order not to be days or weeks without a guitar. Cal said yes and promised that a replacement was going to be ready in one week. After a week, he sent me a very short e-mail telling me hat the replacement guitar was not ready, with no explanation and no further information about when the replacement was going to be ready.
Now, listen to this: the day after, I received another e-mail, this time from the owner of Artisan Guitars, who told me that he had spoken with Cal Stevenson, and Mr.Stevenson complained with him that I did not trust CA enough and I did not want to send the guitar before receiving the new one. According to the owner of Artisan Guitars, this is the reason why Cal Stevenson decided not to send me a replacement. I was totally confused and disappointed by the double-faced attitude of your customer service representative, who allowed me to keep the guitar until the replacement was ready, while he complained instead about this with Artisan Guitars.
Finally, I asked the owner of Artisan Guitars to get the guitar back, which he kindly did even if I had kept it for a week and not just for 48 hours. I had to refund the store for their shipping and I had to pay for my shipping, but I was refunded for the guitar. So I lost just 70 dollars and... my faith on CA.
I don't think that I will buy another CA guitar in the future. I have spent more than 10,000 dollars in your guitars in the past six years, and I would have expected to be treated more fairly.
Thank you for your attention,

Gerardo Pavone

Last edited by gerardo1000; 10-08-2007 at 02:31 PM.
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  #69  
Old 10-08-2007, 11:21 AM
DamianL DamianL is offline
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ouch...........
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  #70  
Old 10-08-2007, 01:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gerardo1000 View Post
Ellis,

I am a long time CA guitars owner and fan. I have had, in the past six years:
a CA Legacy (with wood fretboard) two CA Bluegrass Performer, a CA X Performer, and recently, just for a few days, a GX Performer.
Let me tell you the story about this latest guitar.
I bought it brand new from Artisan Guitars, and when I received it, I was flabbergasted at how bad was the neck. It was like a rollercoaster, with a huge neck relief and a visible hump when the neck meets the body.
I had many other CA guitars in the past and their neck have always been perfect, so I called Cal Stevenson at your customer service department and asked if he could replace the guitar. I also asked him if it was possible for me to keep the guitar until the new replacement was ready, in order not to be days or weeks without a guitar. Cal said yes and promised that a replacement was going to be ready in one week. After a week, he sent me a very short e-mail telling me hat the replacement guitar was not ready, with no explanation and no further information about when the replacement was going to be ready.
Now, listen to this: the day after, I received another e-mail, this time from the owner of Artisan Guitars, who told me that he had spoken with Cal Stevenson, and Mr.Stevenson complained with him that I did not trust CA enough and I did not want to send the guitar before receiving the new one. According to the owner of Artisan Guitars, this is the reason why Cal Stevenson decided not to send me a replacement. I was totally confused and disappointed by the double-faced attitude of your customer service representative, who allowed me to keep the guitar until the replacement was ready, while he complained instead about this with Artisan Guitars.
Finally, I asked the owner of Artisan Guitars to get the guitar back, which he kindly did even if I had kept it for a week and not just for 48 hours. I had to refund the store for their shipping and I had to pay for my shipping, but I was refunded for the guitar. So I lost just 70 dollars and... my faith on CA.
I don't think that I will buy another CA guitar in the future. I have spent more than 10,000 dollars in your guitars in the past six years, and I would have expected to be treated more fairly.
Thank you for your attention,

Gerardo Pavone
So you had a guitar that was unplayable, but you wanted to keep it for a week so you could play it? And you didn't want to be without a guitar even though you've bought five of their guitars in the past six years???
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  #71  
Old 10-08-2007, 01:43 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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At the time I got that GX, that was the only guitar in the house. Never said that the guitar was unplayable, but for a couple of thousand dollars, you want to have a guitar with a straight neck.

Last edited by gerardo1000; 10-08-2007 at 01:52 PM.
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  #72  
Old 10-08-2007, 01:52 PM
JasonA JasonA is offline
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Interesting. If it's as bad as you say, it's odd that a dealer like Artisan would not have noticed the neck problem up front before shipping it out. That alone I think would warrant them paying the shipping for your return.

As for the rep, that does appear to be strange behavior and not what you would hope for.
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  #73  
Old 10-10-2007, 04:28 PM
jaxson50 jaxson50 is offline
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Default Two questions @ CA Guitars

Are there any plans to build a archtop?
Do you need a rep in Idaho, Montana, Utah?
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  #74  
Old 10-10-2007, 09:30 PM
NorCalPicker NorCalPicker is offline
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Hello, Ellis--

I had the opportunity to play a COT in Nashville in summer of 2005--what an awesome instrument! I recently bought the Collings that I have lusted over for years (12-fret slot head slope shoulder dread, mahogany / adirondack), and my lovely Mrs. won't buy off on another big-ticket toy for a while. But, it is already a foregone conclusion, that when I get the "green light" for that purchase, a CA, probably the Bluegrass, will find its way into my pickin' parlor. Keep up the great work, and, while you are at it, be thinking "mandolin"--one maker that I know of is already doing it; a good quality and affordable carbon fiber mando, preferably an "F" style, would take the market by storm...
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  #75  
Old 10-21-2007, 07:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gerardo1000 View Post
Ellis,

I am a long time CA guitars owner and fan. I have had, in the past six years:
a CA Legacy (with wood fretboard) two CA Bluegrass Performer, a CA X Performer, and recently, just for a few days, a GX Performer.
Let me tell you the story about this latest guitar.
I bought it brand new from Artisan Guitars, and when I received it, I was very disappointed at how bad the neck was. It had a huge neck relief and a visible hump when the neck meets the body.
I had many other CA guitars in the past and their neck have always been straight and perfect, so I called Cal Stevenson at your customer service department and asked if he could replace the guitar. I also asked him if it was possible for me to keep the guitar until the new replacement was ready, in order not to be days or weeks without a guitar. Cal said yes and promised that a replacement was going to be ready in one week. After a week, he sent me a very short e-mail telling me hat the replacement guitar was not ready, with no explanation and no further information about when the replacement was going to be ready.
Now, listen to this: the day after, I received another e-mail, this time from the owner of Artisan Guitars, who told me that he had spoken with Cal Stevenson, and Mr.Stevenson complained with him that I did not trust CA enough and I did not want to send the guitar before receiving the new one. According to the owner of Artisan Guitars, this is the reason why Cal Stevenson decided not to send me a replacement. I was totally confused and disappointed by the double-faced attitude of your customer service representative, who allowed me to keep the guitar until the replacement was ready, while he complained instead about this with Artisan Guitars.
Finally, I asked the owner of Artisan Guitars to get the guitar back, which he kindly did even if I had kept it for a week and not just for 48 hours. I had to refund the store for their shipping and I had to pay for my shipping, but I was refunded for the guitar. So I lost just 70 dollars and... my faith on CA.
I don't think that I will buy another CA guitar in the future. I have spent more than 10,000 dollars in your guitars in the past six years, and I would have expected to be treated more fairly.
Thank you for your attention,

Gerardo Pavone
Gerardo,

We are very sorry you were not happy with your experience with CA. However, it is our policy to receive a guitar back before we send a replacement - I think this is pretty standard and fair. I'm certain that if the guitar did have a problem, we replaced it for Artisan.

Now our goal is to never send a guitar out that has a problem - but we aren't perfect yet - we are a company of people, and we can make mistakes. However, we are also committed to excellent customer service when we do make a mistake, and to trying to eliminate the problem at the source so it doesn't happen again.

On the other hand, we can't help you if you aren't willing to work with us - if you had returned the instrument, and it had a problem, you would have an awsome CA you would be playing now. Our record for customer service is pretty good - unhappy customers don't come along often for us - unfortunately our best efforts aren't always enough.

I wish you well with whatever guitar you purchase, and I hope it sounds as good, plays as goods, and is as consistent and trouble free as a CA.

Ellis
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