Playing favorites

[tbeltrans]

A number of us in the CF sub-forum own more than one CF guitar, and even more than one brand. Do you have favorites you tend to gravitate to more often?

To start, my favorites are (in no particular order):

- McPherson Touring
- Emerald X20-7 (thanks again, David!!)

I keep them both out all the time and can go either way at any time, so I consider them equal favorites.

My other CF guitars are:

- original CA Guitars Cargo
- McPherson Sable

I like these too, and have no plans to sell, but the favorites are my "goto" CF guitars.

Tony

[Earl49]

Tony, my favorites are Rainsong WS-1000, Emerald X20, and Blackbird Lucky 13. The X20-12 gets some time in the mix too, but twelve strings are always a 10-15% niche for me. Which one gets the most play varies by month and by mood. Lately the X20 is taking back seat and is currently reserved for alternate tunings. The Lucky 13 is a very comfy smaller size and short scale. The Rainsong is LOUD for jam sessions. I have thought about replacing Lucky 13 with a Blackbird Savoy, but not very seriously. The gloss blue Cargo has not been out of the closet for a *long* time and really should move on. My wife likes both of her X7 woody's (V2) better. One of the X7's could probably go too, as she prefers the koa over the bubinga veneer. But you cannot get the older and petite Version 2 of the X7 any longer. (Neither are actively on the market).

I'm all in on carbon fiber and only two wood guitars remain now. An all-koa Taylor 424 LTD and an Alvarez ABT610 baritone. The baritone is such a small percentage niche guitar for me -- yet still desirable -- that a CF baritone cannot be justified (Alvarez replaced a Taylor 416 LTD). I love Hawaiian music and koa wood, so I will keep the Taylor as long as I can still play.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Tony, my favorites are Rainsong WS-1000, Emerald X20, and Blackbird Lucky 13. The X20-12 gets some time in the mix too, but twelve strings are always a 10-15% niche for me. Which one gets the most play varies by month and by mood. Lately the X20 is taking back seat and is currently reserved for alternate tunings. The Lucky 13 is a very comfy smaller size and short scale. The Rainsong is LOUD for jam sessions. I have thought about replacing Lucky 13 with a Blackbird Savoy, but not very seriously. The gloss blue Cargo has not been out of the closet for a *long* time and really should move on. My wife likes both of her X7 woody's (V2) better. One of the X7's could probably go too, as she prefers the koa over the bubinga veneer. But you cannot get the older and petite Version 2 of the X7 any longer. (Neither are actively on the market).

I'm all in on carbon fiber and only two wood guitars remain now. An all-koa Taylor 424 LTD and an Alvarez ABT610 baritone. The baritone is such a small percentage niche guitar for me -- yet still desirable -- that a CF baritone cannot be justified (Alvarez replaced a Taylor 416 LTD). I love Hawaiian music and koa wood, so I will keep the Taylor as long as I can still play.

Thanks Earl. I would say that Emerald has made GREAT strides since the very early models I had the opportunity to try that a local friend owned at the time. That was back when CA Guitars was still in business making the original Cargos and the larger models.

I don't have any experience with Blackbird, but found I couldn't get along with the necks on the Rainsongs I have had the opportunity to try.

I will probably never be all in with carbon fiber guitars simply because there are some fine wood guitars I am not willing to let go of.

Tony

[PassingThru]

So far, I just have one so my X7 is my favorite. Notice I said "for now".

[SpruceTop]

I currently have two carbon guitars, a 2022 RainSong BI-DR1000N2, a 2019 Emerald X20, and a carbon/wood hybrid guitar, a 2020 Adamas 2087GT-8 Reverse Blue Burst. I gravitate toward the RainSong BI-DR1000N2 and Adamas 2087GT-8 as their necks are more comfortable for me, especially the Adamas's, than the Emerald X20 neck.

[jdinco]

I've owned all the major players I think, now I just have the Sable, even if I had others, the Sable would still get all the CF play time, if just suits me play wise and tone wise.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

...back when CA Guitars was still in business making the original Cargos and the larger models....

I was at the 2010 NAMM show and was quite interested in their OX or GX models (thin 000 or thicker GA sized bodies respectively). But our friend Ted bought their entire booth inventory in the middle of the show, so there were no "show specials" to be had to carry home, as hoped. There was no local stocking dealer at the time. Composite Acoustics went under just a few months later. (Peavey later resurrected them, but since has let the brand wither again). I was familiar with the Cargo from a nice music camp experience, but it was my petite wife who ended up buying one in 2013. Apologies for the thread drift.

I missed out recently on a good CL deal locally on a Sable. I was one day late, and it had sold to someone out of state. Both me (buyer) and the seller were bummed.

[KevinH]

I have two - an X-20 and a Journey OF660. The X-20 is my favorite for playing around the house and the Journey is the fav of the two for travel.

[StevieMar]

I have two, an Emerald X7 and a CA OX. Like them both but favor the X7, very comfortable to play.

[BlueStarfish]

I’ve got both a McPherson Sable and an Emerald X20. Love ‘em both!

I tend to go through swings of a few weeks at a time when, for whatever reason, I will prefer one of the two over the other and play it 90% of the time. Then, for reasons unknown, will pick up the other one and think to myself “hey, this one sounds better today” and go with that one for a few weeks. Why does this happen? Can’t say. But it’s good to have choices.

I also still have a couple of wood guitars. Two Seagull dreads, one spruce and mahogany, the other all-mahogany. Both are very nice but seem to stay in their cases, as the Sable and X20 get 99.5% of the play time. Neither one is all that expensive, so I’m not itching to sell them, it’s nice to know I’ve got them if for some reason I really need to pull out a wood dreadnaught. But I honestly haven’t played them much lately.

I took the Sable to a smallish outdoor jam session today. Mostly old-time tunes and playing style. Mostly instrumentals, only a few songs, if you can picture that type of situation. I was the only player with a guitar. 3 fiddles, 2 mandolins, an open-back banjo played claw hammer style, and a dulcimer. One of the mandolin players switched to accordion on a few songs. No bass. The Sable did great as the only instrument of the rhythm section, as well as leading a few fiddle tunes. Couple of the other players complimented the Sable on looks and tone. I’ve had similar responses with the X20 at local jam sessions. Saying it again, love ‘em both!

[Methos1979]

Interesting question. I've owned many CF guitars including 4 RainSongs, 5 Emeralds and two Journeys. Still own 2 RainSongs - a Black Ice Dread custom short scale and a Nashville OM Shorty. The Black Ice gets played more for gigs while the Nashville gets played more at home. But right now both are backseat to the IRIS DF for both gig and home play mostly because she's the new kid on the block. The BI now rides in the trunk as the gig back up. The Nashville hangs on the living room wall for easy access for casual play.

[Captain Jim]

One of my Facebook Memories today was from 7 years ago - I had my new Emerald X7 for 12 days and was working on it to lower the action...



It is the previous generation X7 and is the smallest acoustic guitar I've owned. Still one of my favorites. Seems like it has been around for much longer than 7 years. It is also the guitar that changed how I consider acoustic guitars, thanks to the delightful ergonomics. The other acoustic guitar that is at the top of my favorites list is the X20. Between those two guitars, I'd say that they get about 75% of my playing time. A distant third would be my Taylor T5.

[Doubleneck]

Owned probably 6 carbon guitars over the years, only ones left are the Emerald Doubleneck and the Rainsong BI JM 1000. Only one I play is the JM1000. Convinced that there is none better. Still have my handbuilt woods guitars awesome as well.

[zeeway]

My collection includes an Emerald X20, a Rainsong WS shorty, and an Enya X4 Pro (part CF and part “composite”).

The Emerald is my hands down favorite to play acoustically. It is comfortable with great tone. While I have not gigged with this guitar in the last couple of years, I now have installed a Krivo humbucker pickup, so that may be changing.

The Rainsong has become my main gigging guitar. Fairly comfortable guitar with a good pickup. Every once in a while the short neck feels weird to me, but overall it is pretty good. The battery requirement still makes me a bit leary. And it may be my imagination, but I think the tones goes downhill a bit as the battery gets weaker.

The Enya is interesting with its on-board effects, and it sounds lush and rich (take that, you ad guys). But the sucker is heavy, especially compared to the other two. So it mostly sits in the rack, unplayed. Maybe I should sell this one.

Almost forgot, I also have an Enya travel guitar, which may have some CF in the fretboard, not sure. But that one rarely gets played unless we are on a trip.

[tbeltrans]

My two Emeralds are currently at St. Paul Guitar repair where Michelle and Ron can do their magic set ups. I expect to get them back later this week. So I am currently playing my Sable and Eastman FV-880 archtop, both of which were recently set up by Michelle and Ron and play beautifully.

For reasons I can't really explain, I never like the necks on Rainsong guitars. Any that I encountered were beautiful instruments and they sounded great, so it is with sadness that I had to put them back on the rack. I feel the same way about Eastman acoustic guitars, but really like their archtops.

Tony