Rainsong advice based on my other guitars

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by Freedbaby

I live in Houston and unfortunately there are no Rainsong dealers to go try one out so I gotta collect as much data as possible before pulling the trigger.

I am mostly a strummer/flat picker though I have been getting into and learning some finger style which I have enjoyed....never gonna be a lead guitarist with a bunch of licks in my tool belt-that I know.

I mostly play Gibson Hummingbirds, I have two...I also play my Martin D15M a lot. I keep an Epiphone DR100 at the bay...that's probably my most played guitar. If I play a gig, it's usually the Hummingbird Pro.

I play mostly Texas Country, classic rock and campfire high standards.

I intend to take this guitar with me in the truck and not worry if its July and I have to run another errand and leave it in the truck, take to the beach, take on vacation, take to friends houses ETC.


I have sorta settled on the WS1000N2, Marine Burst with the Element electronics. My hesitation comes from talking to Ted at LA guitar sales...he told me to look also at the Dreadnought....which is what he mostly plays (he told me he almost exclusively plays finger style which I know is a big difference from a strummer/flat picker) Anyhow, I just don't want to make a $2500 or $2000 mistake or have regrets.

BTW-Ted was fantastic to talk to...really enjoyed it. I believe I will be buying it from him. If you read this, thank you for your time Ted.

Any advice from you carbon fiber vets?

I love mine. RainSong makes a fantastic instrument. No doubt. I would purchase it again. I’ve never read of any setup problems with RainSongs but I have read of many such problems with Emeralds right from the factory. Then others don’t complain of such issues.

[Earl49]

To be fair Dbone, Emerald had an anomalous period last year where there were some setup issues. My personal belief (no inside information) is that it had to do with expanding quickly to meet booming demand. Maybe the person suddenly placed in charge of the final setups was still climbing the learning curve? Not apologizing, just stating what I have come to believe from direct experience.

At this point I have owned two new Rainsong's (and a third used one briefly, bought for a friend) and now five Emeralds. The 2001 built WS-1000 has never been changed. My Emerald X30 built in November 2019 came to me with an excessively low and buzzy setup that I fixed myself using shims, and then replaced that using a new saddle blank that Alistair gladly sent me. The others -- with build dates between 2016 and 2019 -- were all just fine as they came out of the box. I have not touched them in terms of setup, even the truss rods. The same way I have not touched any of my Taylor setups over the years, except for a couple of minor truss rod tweaks.

[mikealpine]

I'm very partial to the H series, so to further muddy the waters, if you're comfortable with a dread and don't want a cutaway, I'd find an H dread. They no longer make these, but there are a few out in the wild, and perhaps you can even find a used one. The H series is among the warmer models. I have an H-OM that I love. I played others and find them to be a bit more trebly than I'd like, not quite as full and rich as my H-OM. I think you'd have to settle for basic black in the H series, but I would trade the color for the warmth. Good luck with whatever you buy!

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by Freedbaby

I mostly play Gibson Hummingbirds, I have two...
I also play my Martin D15M a lot.
I keep an Epiphone DR100 at the bay...that's probably my most played guitar. If I play a gig, it's usually the Hummingbird Pro.

Sounds like you are a Dreadnought kind of guy based on the above.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Freedbaby

I live in Houston and unfortunately there are no Rainsong dealers to go try one out so I gotta collect as much data as possible before pulling the trigger.

I am mostly a strummer/flat picker though I have been getting into and learning some finger style which I have enjoyed....never gonna be a lead guitarist with a bunch of licks in my tool belt-that I know.

I mostly play Gibson Hummingbirds, I have two...I also play my Martin D15M a lot. I keep an Epiphone DR100 at the bay...that's probably my most played guitar. If I play a gig, it's usually the Hummingbird Pro.

I play mostly Texas Country, classic rock and campfire high standards.

I intend to take this guitar with me in the truck and not worry if its July and I have to run another errand and leave it in the truck, take to the beach, take on vacation, take to friends houses ETC.


I have sorta settled on the WS1000N2, Marine Burst with the Element electronics. My hesitation comes from talking to Ted at LA guitar sales...he told me to look also at the Dreadnought....which is what he mostly plays (he told me he almost exclusively plays finger style which I know is a big difference from a strummer/flat picker) Anyhow, I just don't want to make a $2500 or $2000 mistake or have regrets.

BTW-Ted was fantastic to talk to...really enjoyed it. I believe I will be buying it from him. If you read this, thank you for your time Ted.

Any advice from you carbon fiber vets?

I like the Classic RainSong WS1000N2 or N1 because to me it's the pure sound of carbon guitars: crystalline shimmer with clarity and projection of tone. I've had three DR1000 models and overall I've preferred the tone of the four WS1000 models I've owned over the years. I also prefer my carbon guitars with no veneers or opaque paint jobs that mask the 3D depth and beauty of the carbon-fiber weave.

[RP]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

I'm very partial to the H series, so to further muddy the waters, if you're comfortable with a dread and don't want a cutaway, I'd find an H dread. They no longer make these, but there are a few out in the wild, and perhaps you can even find a used one. The H series is among the warmer models...I think you'd have to settle for basic black in the H series, but I would trade the color for the warmth. Good luck with whatever you buy!

I think a Rainsong H-DR1100N2 is a great suggestion. They sold for $1599 and although most were black, I previously owned one that had a tobacco burst, really more of a copper burst...

Jon;

I see in the picture that you are using both acoustic and electric instruments: how does the Katana Mini do with the acoustic?

[mot]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Jon;

I see in the picture that you are using both acoustic and electric instruments: how does the Katana Mini do with the acoustic?

Once he sinks his teeth in you'd best just answer the questions. He won't be deterred.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Jon;

I see in the picture that you are using both acoustic and electric instruments: how does the Katana Mini do with the acoustic?

Actually, I originally bought the Katana to use with my RainSong Parlors with their HFNs to give them just a little push to compete with larger acoustic guitars. It works very well with the HFN passive direct to the Katana Mini.

BTW, I'm going electric. Here is my V-DR:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22414537993...84.m1555.l2649

Jon;
Thank you. I think you've priced the RS at a very reasonable point.

Tom;
I don't bite, I just use my marvelous powers of persuasion; use a little Aristotle here, a little Plato there. But you're right about one thing--I hate deterrence--it really slows things down.

[mikealpine]

Originally Posted by RP

I think a Rainsong H-DR1100N2 is a great suggestion. They sold for $1599 and although most were black, I previously owned one that had a tobacco burst, really more of a copper burst...

Thanks RP! Here’s one for sale in the color you mention. Slightly more dollars. Very pretty!

https://www.guitarhangar.com/product...acco-sunburst/

[RP]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Thanks RP! Here’s one for sale in the color you mention. Slightly more dollars. Very pretty!

https://www.guitarhangar.com/product...acco-sunburst/

That's got built-in electronics as designated by 1000, and the price I quoted is for without electronics as designated by 1100 so the price is not bad at all....

[hatamoto]

Originally Posted by Freedbaby

I live in Houston and unfortunately there are no Rainsong dealers to go try one out so I gotta collect as much data as possible before pulling the trigger.

I am mostly a strummer/flat picker though I have been getting into and learning some finger style which I have enjoyed....never gonna be a lead guitarist with a bunch of licks in my tool belt-that I know.

I mostly play Gibson Hummingbirds, I have two...I also play my Martin D15M a lot. I keep an Epiphone DR100 at the bay...that's probably my most played guitar. If I play a gig, it's usually the Hummingbird Pro.

I play mostly Texas Country, classic rock and campfire high standards.

I intend to take this guitar with me in the truck and not worry if its July and I have to run another errand and leave it in the truck, take to the beach, take on vacation, take to friends houses ETC.


I have sorta settled on the WS1000N2, Marine Burst with the Element electronics. My hesitation comes from talking to Ted at LA guitar sales...he told me to look also at the Dreadnought....which is what he mostly plays (he told me he almost exclusively plays finger style which I know is a big difference from a strummer/flat picker) Anyhow, I just don't want to make a $2500 or $2000 mistake or have regrets.

BTW-Ted was fantastic to talk to...really enjoyed it. I believe I will be buying it from him. If you read this, thank you for your time Ted.

Any advice from you carbon fiber vets?

While I don't own any dreadnoughts, I have a Lowden F32C which is very loud and a Rainsong CO-OM1100. The Rainsong is just a tad bit more silent but can cut through. I would describe its sound as crystalline almost glass like tone with nice bit of midrange and some bass. For the size, it's very loud. I would imagine the WS would almost sound like a dreadnought. I've tried other carbon fiber brands before but the Rainsong sounded best to me.

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with the WS. I mainly play fingerstyle, or lead but I strum once in a while and have no complaints with my concert. These guitars are indestructible.

[mot]

Originally Posted by hatamoto

I've tried other carbon fiber brands before but the Rainsong sounded best to me.

Have you tried an Emerald X20? I was torn between Rainsong and Emerald and went with the Emerald. Either one is a great choice, but the contours and bevels of the Emerald are what made it the guitar of choice for me.

[Earl49]

I happen to own Emerald, Rainsong, Blackbird, and Composite Acoustics carbon fiber guitars - and a few wood one still. Within each brand you have to then consider the specific model. "Best sound" is a purely subjective thing. Comparing a small CA Cargo to a Rainsong JM-1000 would yield very different perspectives and conclusions.