Emerald X20 short scale

[Spectre2020]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Spectre;

If you took a hit from the south, you could start a tunnel now and probably be ready for when the guitar ships. That's one way of avoiding certain boundaries.

Now that's an idea! Build times are probably super long now too.

[GuitarLuva]

I got bent over for $487.23 on my X30 which really sucked. My X20 slipped through unscathed. The randomness of customs? My X20 came without a pickup but I got one in my X30. Someone posted here before that the difference might have been the pickup but I'm honestly not sure. All I can say is cross your fingers!

[Melt in the Sun]

Originally Posted by Spectre2020

Methos, I didn't see any option for neck shape on the Emerald site. Do you just describe what you are looking for, and then they build it and you kind of hope for the best?

I'm most familiar with Taylor necks, and I believe that they're best described as a shallow "C". Any idea if the stock neck is similar in feel to the Taylor neck?

I'd say Emerald's necks are a shallow D shape and Taylors are a very soft V. Coming from a Taylor I did NOT like Emerald's neck shape, so ponied up for a custom profile modeled after the Taylor. Some people around here say they feel the same. I cannot understand that!

[Spectre2020]

Originally Posted by Melt in the Sun

I'd say Emerald's necks are a shallow D shape and Taylors are a very soft V. Coming from a Taylor I did NOT like Emerald's neck shape, so ponied up for a custom profile modeled after the Taylor. Some people around here say they feel the same. I cannot understand that!

Thanks for your reply. So do you just tell Emerald that you are trying to emulate the Taylor neck shape, and they create a neck of a similar profile to Taylor's?

This is potentially becoming a pricey proposition with short scale a $550 option, custom neck $700, veneer $650, pinless bridge $200, and Anthem pickup at $150.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Spectre2020

...This is potentially becoming a pricey proposition with short scale a $550 option, custom neck $700, veneer $650, pinless bridge $200, and Anthem pickup at $150.

I think that's the thing that one has to careful of with ordering an Emerald (or I suppose any custom order) since the cost of those little niceties can creep up quickly on a guitar that's not inexpensive to begin with. Like any custom order, in the end you can't really be sure if your "dream guitar" feels, plays and sounds better on paper than in your hands...

[Spectre2020]

Originally Posted by RP

I think that's the thing that one has to careful of with ordering an Emerald (or I suppose any custom order) since the cost of those little niceties can creep up quickly on a guitar that's not inexpensive to begin with. Like any custom order, in the end you can't really be sure if your "dream guitar" feels, plays and sounds better on paper than in your hands...

Agreed. Maybe someone here wants to upgrade and has a short-scale X20 that they want to free up...........?

[GuitarLuva]

I agree with Melt's assessment of the stock neck. It's nothing like a Taylor neck. I don't know what they call it but you could call it a 'D' or shallow 'C'. It's very similar in profile to my Godin Metropolis. If you can get your hands on one of them to try it would give you a good idea of what to expect from the stock Emerald neck. I would also avoid the pinless bridge. I haven't tried one myself but there have been several people who opted for it and wished they didn't in the end. You could always use the appropriate size washers to have your own pinless bridge.

[trion12]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Not to try to talk you out of or into anything, but have you had a look at the X7? It's stock with a 24" scale - it's a ridiculously easy to guitar to play. ...

Maybe worth a look, anyway - an off the shelf X7 would be a LOT less money than a customized X20...

-Ray

I did what Ray suggests.

I also have had problems with my left hand and have had to stop playing full scale (25.4") Martins which now sit mostly idle at my place.

I bought a stock X7 and while it doesn't sound as good as the Martins it sounds pretty **** good and is very easy to play. It is now my main guitar both at home and for gigs.

Aaron

[Spectre2020]

Originally Posted by trion12

I did what Ray suggests.

I also have had problems with my left hand and have had to stop playing full scale (25.4") Martins which now sit mostly idle at my place.

I bought a stock X7 and while it doesn't sound as good as the Martins it sounds pretty **** good and is very easy to play. It is now my main guitar both at home and for gigs.

Aaron

Hi Trion

I've got Talor GS Mini with a 23 1/2 inch scale which is a dream to play cleanly in the lower positions. However, as Ray has mentioned in an earlier post, I find the really short scale fretboard to be quite crowded nearer the upper bout of the instrument and when using a capo up a few frets. Tension's not and issue, but getting my fat fingers crunched together can make it tough to keep within the correct frets.

The pricing on these things makes a purchase decision, (particularly when you throw in the customization costs) to be an arduous one. Not being able to physically hold the guitar makes it doubly challenging.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Spectre2020

The pricing on these things makes a purchase decision, (particularly when you throw in the customization costs) to be an arduous one. Not being able to physically hold the guitar makes it doubly challenging.

Have you considered taking advantage of Emerald’s return policy? You could purchase a stock X7, and try it for 10 days - all you’d be out is the cost of return shipping if you decided to send it back.

Or, do the same with a stock X20, and capo it at the first fret - that will give you a 24” scale equivalent.

Then, you have the chance to see if the guitar itself appeals to you, and either keep it, or order one to your specifications.

There’s also the possibility that there’s an owner in your part of the world who might be willing to meet up with you and take a look that way - obviously it might be a while before that’s feasible even if there is someone relatively local.

Finally, as others will attest, Kevin and Chloe at Emerald are extremely helpful. They will gladly help you sort through the options and the pricing, with no obligation on your part.

[Jim K]

Hello Spectre,

I have both a custom X20 and a custom X7.

The X20 has a 24.75" scale. The X7 has a 24.6" scale.

My current understanding is that Emerald's default standard short scale is the 24.6".

I custom ordered the X20 at 24.75 prior to learning of the Emerald standard at 24.6". Had I known that, I would have been very happy with the X20 at 24.6"

There is no noticeable difference in playing feel between the scale length of my X20 at 24.75, and my X7 at 24.6.

As others have commented, you might consider the X7 with 24.0" scale, and saving the neck customization charge.

Note the standard X20 neck is a bit deeper than the X7 neck depth. However, I still consider the X20 neck depth to be well within standard and very comfortable to play.

Regards,

Jim K

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by eatswodo

Have you considered taking advantage of Emerald’s return policy? You could purchase a stock X7, and try it for 10 days - all you’d be out is the cost of return shipping if you decided to send it back.

Or, do the same with a stock X20, and capo it at the first fret - that will give you a 24” scale equivalent. Then, you have the chance to see if the guitar itself appeals to you, and either keep it, or order one to your specifications.

I did exactly this, putting a capo on the first fret for a week before ordering my custom 24.6" short scale X20, currently somewhere in the build queue.

I have returned a guitar to Emerald - a Chimaera double neck 12/6 string bought from stock. It was a superb instrument with an over-the-top cool factor, but I just didn't bond with it - for my style and my body (old injuries). They are very good about returns, and you would just be out ~$155 for their $55 outbound shipping and the ~$95 it costs to mail it back to them. I liked the Chimaera 12 string neck so much that I quickly ordered a custom X20-12. (Emerald is the only game in town for new carbon fiber twelve strings). Now Emerald #6 -- that custom X20 six string to match my twelve -- is being built for me. At the moment we have X7 bubinga, X7 koa, stock X30, custom X20-12, and my stock X20. At some point that herd will thin a bit - no real need to have duplicates. X20 is a perfect fit for me, and the short scale will make my left hand happy.

A laundry list of custom options quickly adds up, but you get exactly what you want. Emerald is essentially the only builder in the CF world offering options. Most composite makers are captive to their existing molds and cannot do much in the way of custom work. For example, Rainsong recently started offering their Vintage series which has a veneer of spruce bonded with the top. The price of that model rates up there with an Emerald with several custom upgrades. No CF guitar is ever cheap. The carbon fiber material is more expensive than premium tone wood components, and rather tricky to work with. I understand that there are actually more hours of hand labor than in a wood guitar.

[MCP850]

[QUOTE=Earl49;6371258]I did exactly this, putting a capo on the first fret for a week before ordering my custom 24.6" short scale X20, currently somewhere in the build queue.
Hey Earl, is your 24.6" x20 a 12 fret? Is it a heeless body neck joint?

Thanks MCP

[Spectre2020]

Eatswodo, Jim and Earl

Thanks so much for your responses! I had not thought about buying a stock item, capoing at #1 and returning the instrument once I've determined whether the feel is right. A really great idea. Now that you've mentioned it as a possibility, I suspect that it's likely pretty common for people to do this before ordering a custom instrument. In fact, it might actually be beneficial for them to have guitars designated for that specific purpose - in order to encourage people to try the guitar out. It could definitely result in more long term sales (although I'm sure that it would be a bit of a pain to administer)

Eatswodo, did you feel an appreciable difference in tension between playing the stock X20 at the full-scale length, and then capo'd at the first fret and re-tuned?

[RP]

Originally Posted by Spectre2020

...I had not thought about buying a stock item, capoing at #1 and returning the instrument once I've determined whether the feel is right. A really great idea. Now that you've mentioned it as a possibility, I suspect that it's likely pretty common for people to do this before ordering a custom instrument...

I could be wrong but I suspect that return shipping might be more than the $55 that Emerald charges for "forward shipping."