Did you buy your Rainsong for the tone?

[Corvette]

I understand the reasons for buying a CF guitar, but I was curious if any of you bought your CF guitar because you preferred the tone over a conventional wooded guitar?

[Kindness]

In the following order, I purchased my Shorty based on:

1. Sound
2. 12 fret short scale
3. Durability for travel on planes

It took me a LONG time to finally buy an CF guitar. The Shorty just sounds incredible.

[dkoloff]

Originally Posted by itself

In the following order, I purchased my Shorty based on:

1. Sound
2. 12 fret short scale
3. Durability for travel on planes

It took me a LONG time to finally buy an CF guitar. The Shorty just sounds incredible.

Similar reasons but it is was not a referendum on carbon sound over wood.....just a good sounding guitar that has some unique qualities.

[AndyFrank]

Originally Posted by Corvette

I understand the reasons for buying a CF guitar, but I was curious if any of you bought your CF guitar because you preferred the tone over a conventional wooded guitar?

I just noticed the title said Rainsong whereas the post just says CF. I bought my first CF, a CA GX not for the tone but for it's durability, bought my second CF guitar my Cargo for it's portabilty, bought my last CF guitar a Rainsong Parlor for it's tone and look at it durability and portability as a bonus, it's that good.

[seamusknives]

It seemed like my nylon stringed Taylor changed almost daily with the fluctuating humididity where I live. That changed the shape of the top, it's sound and it's playing characteristics. That being said, I really like that guitar but also wanted the sound of a steel stringed guitar, too. I'd always imagined taking a guitar camping with me to the BWCAW in Minnesota and carbon fiber construction made that possible.
Back to the tone question, the RainSong Dread I bought sounds great with it's own unique chiming sound. I also found that it beat it's competition with degree of finish and I preferred it's N2 neck shape.

[jgillard]

For me, I had never heard my Rainsong shorty in person. Just in clips. But, I bought it because I thought I would like the tone first, dimensions/specs & looks second. The humidity and ruggedness issue was a distant third for me.

I love the way this guitar sounds & plays. It has a fantastic tone for me.

[RP]

Like many Rainsong/CF buyers, I hadn't heard one of these before buying it. However, it had some nice features so I took the plunge on the first one. Not having to worry about fluctuating humidity in a home heated by wood, a very comfortable neck, and a very pleasant tone have made me really appreciate the brand....

[jonfields45]

When I bought my first CFRP guitar, a CA Legacy, I still owned a Martin D-45V and D-41. I found myself playing the Legacy more and more, probably because I could leave it out and take it everywhere with no concerns, and the Martins less and less. After a while I think I got so familiar with the Legacy's tone, that the Martins did not appeal to me in any special way other than looks and hassle. I sold the Martins thinking the Legacy was close enough to the D-41 and a D-41 sounds good enough (for any reasonable player :~).

I then went on a serial CFRP guitar purchase exploration overlapping consecutive guitars. Not including two Cargos, an X7, and an X7-OS; I went Legacy, OX gloss, GX raw, H-DR1100N2, H-DR1100N2+S-OM1000N2, to S-OM1000N2+CO-DR1100N2, to CO-DR1100N2. There was something to like about all of them, but I've settled on the CO-DR because it has an extra brightness I like for fingerstyle and the loudness to project in a jam session with too many guitars. The H-DR sounded more like a wood dreadnought, is maybe not quite as loud, and is my second choice of the bunch. From a pure tone standpoint, I prefer a Martin D-18A, but given no plan to spend that kind of money on a guitar now that I'm retired, the CO-DR is close enough.

The travel guitars all had their pluses and minuses. None of them (including some LXs, Taylor Babies, and a GS Mini) were good enough sounding (or small enough for the GS Mini) to really work for me. I ended up with a Traveler MK II to have something that clearly does not sound that great, but will always fit on a plane. I plan to buy a Zoom A3 for the Traveler when one comes available.

Jon

[JohnnyDes]

I bought my Rainsong S-OM for its durability with a tone that I liked. I don't prefer it over my wood guitars, but it definitely gets the job done. I think some of the newer Rainsongs, like the parlor, have a tone that rivals that of some very good wood guitars.

JD

[Corvette]

Thanks for all the responses.

After doing a whole lot of research on-line, it seems that the vast majority of CF owners buy them not based on their tone, but because they want a guitar that they can play on their boat, next to a campfire, leave in their trunk all day, or keep in their motor home all year long.

Simply put, it seems that if Rainsong or CA etc. made a conventional wooden guitar that sounded exactly like a Rainsong or CA, not many people would buy them.

Please, that's not an insult to CF guitars or those who buy them, it's simply an observation reached after reading the primary reason people buy CF guitars.

Thanks again.

[jgillard]

The "problem" with this thinking is that these CF guitars have changed a lot over time in their tone. (newer designs give a different tone then older ones) so make sure you are looking at the date on what you are reading.

I've had many wooden guitars (most recently a nice Martin OM-21 special) which I sold before getting my rainsong. I prefer my rainsong greatly over my previous Martin.

You really need to try one to know what we are talking about. It's really hard to "talk about" tone.

[Corvette]

Originally Posted by jgillard

The "problem" with this thinking is that these CF guitars have changed a lot over time in their tone. (newer designs give a different tone then older ones) so make sure you are looking at the date on what you are reading.

I've had many wooden guitars (most recently a nice Martin OM-21 special) which I sold before getting my rainsong. I prefer my rainsong greatly over my previous Martin.

You really need to try one to know what we are talking about. It's really hard to "talk about" tone.

I was actually considering a new RS CO-WS1000N2.
I called a half dozen Rainsong dealers this week.
I asked each salesman the primary reason customers gave for buying a CF guitar.
Without exception, every one of them answered: "Durability along with the humidity factor".
None of them told me that a customer bought one because he / she preferred the tone over a conventional guitar.

Again, the fact that a CF guitar is more durable and humidity proof is a GOOD thing and certainly a strong incentive to buy a CF guitar.
Especially for those who travel and sometimes leave their guitar in a 120 degree car.
But for those who keep their guitars nice and cozy in their homes at a constant 45% humidity all year long, tone trumps durability.

Again, just my opinion folks.

[frankhond]

The dealers know what the buyers want to hear.

[Doubleneck]

"None of them told me that a customer bought one because he / she preferred the tone over a conventional guitar. "


Sorry your not making total sense, I love carbon guitars and the way they sound but I would never go into a store and tell them I prefer the sound of a carbon guitar? I think they are equally pleasing. Equally pleasing and one is indestructable? That doesnt seem like a coin flip. So the desiding factor becomes what wood is not: permanent.

[mchalebk]

Originally Posted by Corvette

After doing a whole lot of research on-line, it seems that the vast majority of CF owners buy them not based on their tone, but because they want a guitar that they can play on their boat, next to a campfire, leave in their trunk all day, or keep in their motor home all year long.

Simply put, it seems that if Rainsong or CA etc. made a conventional wooden guitar that sounded exactly like a Rainsong or CA, not many people would buy them.

First off, you titled this thread “Did you buy your Rainsong for the tone?” You did not title it “Did you buy your CF guitar for the tone?” Big difference. With the title you gave the thread, you excluded CA, Emerald and Blackbird owners from the conversation (though some chimed in anyway).

I think you’re drawing a questionable conclusion. While the quality of the tone might not be the primary factor in buying a CF guitar, it is certainly a key consideration for most players. However, considering how many great sounding wood guitars there are out there, it would be difficult for CF to compete on sound alone. There are many CF guitars out there that sound really good. But do they sound better than comparably priced wood guitars? Generally speaking, the answer is no. Do they sound plenty good enough and have better durability and lower maintenance than wood guitars? Absolutely.

Don’t read too much into my statement that, generally speaking, CF guitars do not sound better than comparably priced wood guitars. It is important to understand that carbon fiber is fairly expensive and the starting price point for full-size CF guitars is over $1000 (yes, you can get a Cargo or small Emeralds for under $1000, but all other models are well over). Just think how many outstanding wood guitars you can buy for $1000 or less.

Do I think my CF guitars sound better than a good Martin D-15? No. Why don’t I own a D-15? Because I can get a CF guitar that sounds plenty good enough and doesn’t have the problems that a wood guitar has. Is sound the primary consideration? No. Is the sound a key consideration? Absolutely.

So, in general, we are not buying CF guitars because they sound better than wood guitars. We are, however, buying them because we like the way that they sound and they don’t have the problems of wood guitars.