12 Fret Carbon Fiber Guitars

[Markcarl]

I have been preoccupied lately with work and haven’t been on the forum for a while. I saw this thread and wanted to chime in.

Rainsong offers a lot of 12-fret models and there is no upcharge for selecting a 12-fret model. I have 3 12-fret Rainsongs - an Al Petteway Signature Edition, 25 Year Anniversary, and CH-OM1000NS. I also have a 14-fret Rainsong WS-1000 remission. These are all amazing guitars!

I own two 14-fret Emerald X20 guitars - one with plain carbon top and the other with a Koa veneer. Again, these are amazing guitars. I believe there is an upcharge to order a 12-fret Emerald and I’ve never played one.

I have a few observations between 12-fret and 14-fret guitars and between Rainsong and Emerald guitars. These are just my opinions so take it for what it’s worth:

To my ears:

12-fret guitars tend to sound warmer and more “woody” than 14-fret guitars. 14-fret guitars tend to be louder and have more presence than 12-fret guitars.

Rainsong guitars tend to project more / seem louder than Emerald guitars. I’m primarily a finger style player and I’ve noticed my Rainsong guitars project well even when I play with a light touch. Emerald guitars have a richer / deeper sound than Rainsong guitars. I tend to dig in a little more when I play my Emerald guitars to get more volume.

I don’t think you can go wrong choosing between Rainsong or Emerald. I am a lot more familiar with Rainsong because I’ve been playing them them longer. I’m learning to love my Emerald guitars as I become more familiar with them.

[gwandsh]

Similar to the OP, I have an X20 and want a shorter scale CF model. Kind of a lap guitar with chops. At this point I feel some angst, as the curved body shape of the X20 is super comfortable for me. It's just the neck sizing and scale I find awkward.

My plan is to replace a GS-mini, a Taylor GC, and the X20 with one CF guitar. In my guitar fantasy world, I'll find a CF model that has Taylor GCish dimensions, lap-friendly contours, and a similar shaped short scale neck. Since it's my fantasy, I'd add that any controls would be sound hole based, as I'm not a fan of "barn door" pickup controls. I also rarely play plugged in

For now, I keep a capo on fret 1 of my X20, and it works pretty well. I have thoughts of an X7, but would dearly love to try one before committing.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by gwandsh

Similar to the OP, I have an X20 and want a shorter scale CF model. Kind of a lap guitar with chops. At this point I feel some angst, as the curved body shape of the X20 is super comfortable for me. It's just the neck sizing and scale I find awkward.

My plan is to replace a GS-mini, a Taylor GC, and the X20 with one CF guitar. In my guitar fantasy world, I'll find a CF model that has Taylor GCish dimensions, lap-friendly contours, and a similar shaped short scale neck. Since it's my fantasy, I'd add that any controls would be sound hole based, as I'm not a fan of "barn door" pickup controls. I also rarely play plugged in

For now, I keep a capo on fret 1 of my X20, and it works pretty well. I have thoughts of an X7, but would dearly love to try one before committing.

Interesting idea. On my Emerald X20-7, I tune down a whole step and capo on the 2nd fret when I want to play at standard pitch. Without the capo, the sound is deeper and richer and the whole step down makes the guitar that much more finger friendly to play. I enjoy reading how other people get their guitars to work the way they want them to.

For me, the perfect CF guitar would have the same dimensions as my Huss and Dalton 00 - short 24.9" scale, small 00 body, 12 frets to the body with no cut-away, 1 7/8" nut and appropriate string spacing, and 2 5/16" spacing at the saddle. I don't hold out hope of ever seeing that, but just maybe someday...

Tony

[K20C]

I sold my x-20 to purchase the APSE. The Emerald was a very nice guitar but the Rainsong fit my needs better. I have several 12 fret short scale guitars. The APSE is most like my custom Taylor TF, a grand concert sized guitar.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by gwandsh

....At this point I feel some angst, as the curved body shape of the X20 is super comfortable for me. It's just the neck sizing and scale I find awkward....In my guitar fantasy world, I'll find a CF model that has Taylor GCish dimensions, lap-friendly contours, and a similar shaped short scale neck. For now, I keep a capo on fret 1 of my X20, and it works pretty well. I have thoughts of an X7, but would dearly love to try one before committing.

With stainless steel frets, capo 1 is a good option, without undue fret wear. I did not have a great experience buying a short scale X20, but did have success with a short scale X20-12. I see that you are in the Pacific Northwest. I have several CF guitars that you would be welcome to try if you pass through the Boise area. See also my comment to K20 below about the bevels.

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

For me, the perfect CF guitar would have the same dimensions as my Huss and Dalton 00 - short 24.9" scale, small 00 body, 12 frets to the body with no cut-away, 1 7/8" nut and appropriate string spacing, and 2 5/16" spacing at the saddle. I don't hold out hope of ever seeing that, but just maybe someday...

That would be the Blackbird Lucky 13, long out of production. Rainsong's APSE is the next best thing in terms of specs, followed by the Blackbird Savoy.

Originally Posted by K20C

I sold my x-20 to purchase the APSE. The Emerald was a very nice guitar but the Rainsong fit my needs better. I have several 12 fret short scale guitars. The APSE is most like my custom Taylor TF, a grand concert sized guitar.

I play my Rainsong WS's and my Lucky 13 more often than my Emerald X20 these days. The APSE has some appeal as smaller body with a shorter scale, but not enough to make another purchase. One thing I have noticed about the X20 is the bevel, while comfortable, makes it more difficult to flatpick accurately. Apparently the sharper corner anchors my forearm better and I can pick more cleanly. X20 is great for pure fingerstyle though. I'm a 75% bare nails fingerpicker but also play some licks and solos in a bluegrass setting. The volume is fine there, but not the playing accuracy. It took a long time to realize that.

[seannx]

I custom ordered a short scale (24.875”) X20. It’s easier to play than the standard model, but I enjoy my 12 fret RainSong much more. It has much more headroom then the Emerald. It’s currently on loan to my youngest son, and is a very versatile performance guitar (has the upgraded pickup.) He likes it a lot, but prefers miking one of his wood guitars.

[K20C]

I remember about a year ago where I stated that someday I could envisage selling my X-20. My post was immediately deleted and I was admonished for posting a sale solicitation outside the sales group.

[seannx]

Originally Posted by K20C

I remember about a year ago where I stated that someday I could envisage selling my X-20. My post was immediately deleted and I was admonished for posting a sale solicitation outside the sales group.

Didn't know that wasn't permitted. Have edited my post.