Considering to buy a Carbon Fibre

CoryJamaul · #1 06-29-2015, 08:26 PM

Hello,

I've been considering buying a carbon guitar. I play fingerstyle and I'm really impressed by how they sound and the limited maintenance required to keep them sounding good (neck adjustments, as I often explore alternate tunings). However, as far as what to look into buying, I'm a little clueless. I'd say I could spare $500 - $1500 if its really worth it. I'm guessing a concert series?

Thank you,
~Cory

ac · #2 06-30-2015, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryJamaul

Hello,

I've been considering buying a carbon guitar. I play fingerstyle and I'm really impressed by how they sound and the limited maintenance required to keep them sounding good (neck adjustments, as I often explore alternate tunings). However, as far as what to look into buying, I'm a little clueless. I'd say I could spare $500 - $1500 if its really worth it. I'm guessing a concert series?

Thank you,
~Cory

If you are buying new, your price range will not leave you too many choices.

Rainsong has their very lowest price model starting at about $1500 and everything else is higher.

I think Blackbird's models are all above $1500.

CA now has only the Cargo with no electronics less than $1500--and that has an unusually short scale length some prefer--some don't.

Emerald has several choices, with and without electronics for less than $1500.

Journey is also less than $1500 with electronics.

For used guitars, they come around regularly on this forum and occasionally on the old MacNichol forum, and there's always eBay. You have a greater chance at the higher priced guitars still within your price range.

Good luck.

Whaleblue · #3 06-30-2015, 04:40 AM

I'm not quite sure how the prices translate to US dollars, but I suspect an Emerald X20 is both within your budget and would serve you intended purposes well. You can customise the neck to suit your preferences, but if the 25.5" scale and 1.75" nut are to taste anyway it'll keep the price down.

I have one on order, and it is the first guitar I've ever bought without playing first. However, Alistair is brilliant at answering the numerous questions I've had, both over the phone and via email, and the online reviews and videos make me hopeful I'll be getting a keeper.

Good luck in you search, whatever you end up with.

guitararmy · #4 06-30-2015, 06:13 AM

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=381431

If you are considering a dread, here's one in the AGF classifieds. No affiliation, but I have a CA dread as well and like it.

Rampant · #5 06-30-2015, 12:08 PM

Carbon fiber will keep getting cheaper, as it's less labor intensive to manufacture and the machines will keep getting better and less expensive while fine hardwoods will keep getting rarer.

Not to mention you can achieve much higher levels of consistency with CF.

CoryJamaul · #6 06-30-2015, 12:37 PM

Thank you everyone for all the advice! I'm going to browse ebay and other stores for all your mentioned brands. I will wait a bit, if that dread isn't bought in the next couple of weeks, I might look into that. Otherwise if I could get a discounted Rainsong concert series I will do that. If not, I might look into an emerald X20.

Thanks Again,

~Cory

gfa · #7 06-30-2015, 12:50 PM

Cory - Note that the CO series are more expensive than standard series Rainsongs, and the Hybrid series are less expensive. I bought a Hybrid not for the price, but because I like the sound better than the standard series. I've not heard the CO series. Good luck!

RustyZombie · #8 06-30-2015, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rampant

Carbon fiber will keep getting cheaper, as it's less labor intensive to manufacture and the machines will keep getting better and less expensive while fine hardwoods will keep getting rarer.

Not to mention you can achieve much higher levels of consistency with CF.

Agreed. The main reason that carbon fiber isn't cheaper right now is because they don't have the economies of scale that wood guitars currently enjoy.

SpruceTop · #9 06-30-2015, 06:01 PM

A groovy thing about Carbon Fiber guitars is that during a performance, a player can retune them to all manner of alternate tunings from an initial concert pitch/standard tuning and the guitar's setup remains playable! The only performance concern would be the floppiness of the strings when tuning to very low tunings for a song like Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" in CGCFCE tuning (before installing capo for comfortable singing pitch).