For Sale Or Trade: 2017 Emerald X20 Custom Woody (cocobolo) with K&K - TRADED!

[Methos1979]

TRADED

I recently picked up my third(!) custom woody Emerald guitar and that is one too many for me. It was an extremely difficult decision to decide which one must go but the X20 is now on the block. This guitar has served me very well the year and a half I've owned it. The X20 is the Swiss Army Knife of the Emerald guitar line. Sort of like the 000-18 Martin - it just does everything very well. Of the three I own it's technically the best and most versatile but I'm in love with the new nylon X10 and love the X7 for it's small size and use as a travel guitar. So the X20 is the odd-man out.

This guitar is a highly customized X20 woody. Custom features are beautiful cocobolo woody top with a center sapwood stripe, amber color back and sides, K&K pickup system, short scale 24.6" and custom soft V neck carve based on a mold taken from a Santa Cruz I used to own. Nut width is 1 3/4", string spacing is 2 1/4". The short scale of the neck, perfect neck carve, arm bevel and other comfort contours Emerald is known for make this an extremely comfortable guitar to play.

The K&K system is bulletproof and the guitar amplifies very well. I have used this guitar for gigging and it's great. The cocobolo top is mesmerizing in strong light. The amber back and sides are also gorgeous. Whenever I play this guitar in public people constantly come and ask me about it. The guitar is in excellent condition and comes with an Emerald gig bag.

Emerald X20's with this level of customization are running close to $4,000 plus a six month or longer wait. Selling for $2,250 which includes shipping to anywhere in the CONUS.

I am mostly interested in selling but I will consider trades. I like Lowdens, nylons and birth-year ('61) guitars so if you have something of equal value or at least close, hit me up. You never know what I might like though so don't be afraid to hit me up with what you have. PM me with any questions or offers.

Here are some home photos I took and also the photos from Emerald:

[Wotevr1]

Hello...

I've been looking at these guitars for a while now and haven't as yet "pulled the trigger on one"

I see where you said you gigged on a regular basis with this guitar. It's hard to tell from the pictures the cosmetic condition.

ANY Cracks, Dents, Dings, Scuffs, Buckle Rash, Scratches etc. on it...? If so, where...?

Where are you located...?

I am in Durham, NC 27705 (Next to Raleigh, NC)

Thank you.
Neil Donnelly

[Wotevr1]

Hello...

A few things I forgot to ask in my last message...

Just watched your video on your Nylon X-10. Extremely well done...!

Have you done a video on the X-20...? If so, could you send me the link.

So; I assume the X-20 is purely an Acoustic...? (I know you mentioned the K&K Pickup but it's not installed inside the guitar.)

Is there an entry point to the guitar if I wanted to install a pickup...?

Thank you Sir.

Neil Donnelly
Durham, NC 27705

[Wotevr1]

Sir.....

Am I reading your price of $3250.00 correctly...?

The reason I ask, is because I just returned to the Emerald Guitar Website, (I've been there before), and viewed about every guitar they have sold and the Cocobolo X-20 Guitars, (SOLD), ranged from $2800.00 to $2995.00 Brand New...!

Is there something I am not seeing...?

Thank you.
Neil Donnelly
Durham, NC 27705

[Methos1979]

I have never done a formal demo and review video of the X20 (not that I recall, at least) but I have done a lot of video's demoing other gear with it and also some songs from our duo which should be on my YouTube page.

As for pricing, their 'spec' builds where they just add the color and wood veneer of their choice and everything else is stock, are generally lower price than full custom builds. For full customs, each added custom feature bumps the price a lot because of all the manual, time consuming work like a custom neck scale and shape.

For instance, I just got a price quote for basically an X7 version my X20 with a woody top, same custom neck scale, same custom neck carve and different pickup system than their regular (LR Baggs Element) and the price quote came back at $3,945 plus $55 shipping. And that's an X7 which has a base price several hundred dollars below the X20.

I would strongly encourage you to contact Emerald directly and get a price quote on exactly what you want them to build you. They are incredibly helpful and easy to deal with and you can pick out your exact features and woody veneer and they'll give you a price.

Once you finalize you just make a payment for half down and then they'll email you when it's ready is six months or so (which really is not at all long for a custom build) and you make your final payment and they ship. You'll end up with the guitar build exactly to you specifications.

The other way to do it is to check their inventory from time to time. They are always building 'spec' instruments (like their monthly 'select series' that have their basic features of scale and neck shape and those tend to come in a little less than a full custom. But the prices are rising fast. Each custom I've ordered has increased and they were only a year apart.

[Wotevr1]

Actually, I was interested in your X-20..........I have made three "out of Country" guitar purchases and all were nightmares...!!! That is why I was looking for one in the USA.

Two of the purchases I made were guitars that were Fender Guitars made in the USA and Customs got involved charging fees that they were not supposed to charge and it took me almost 6 months to get my money back and many hours on the phone...! (If a guitar is made in the USA, there are no Customs Fees....Even if the purchase is made from another Country.) It's called "Country of Origin".

I saw where you mentioned you had some shipping problems. Customs probably got involved. They usually hold them up at a warehouse until fees are paid. (Did you impose any extra fees upon delivery on any of your Emeralds or were they all purchased second hand from the USA...?)

Anyway.....Please re-read my messages and answer the question so I can be better informed on purchasing your X-20 Emerald. (By the way.....How wide is it, front to back...?

Thank you Sir.

Neil Donnelly
Durham, NC 27705

[Methos1979]

I can understand your trepidation about ordering from abroad having run into issues before. Emerald has been excellent. Two of the three guitars I bought directly from them arrived within 6 days of them shipping. This one did take a few extra weeks after getting 'lost' in the customs black hole but that likely happened because it shipped just before Christmas.

The guitar is in excellent condition with no marks that I can find. These guitars hold up very well including the frets which are stainless steel. I play only fingerstyle, no picks, no nails so no strumming wear you see on some guitars. No belt buckle rash.

The guitar does have a K&K installed in it already. I had it installed by Emerald at their factory during manufacture. You can access that area through the sound hole if you wanted to change something out but it works great.

I'm in the Seacoast, NH area, so just north of Boston, MA about an hour or so. I have purchased three of the five Emerald I've owned direct from Emerald in Ireland and there were no customs fees. The other two I bought from AGF people here that were in the USA.

I'm not sure of the actual depth measurement front to back although it is standard so you could likely find that information on the Emerald site or even somewhere around here. I'm at work right now so can't measure. I can measure tomorrow. I'm off all day tomorrow so if you're available I can FaceTime or Duo (Android version of FaceTime) video chat with you and show you the guitar, play it acoustically, plugged in, etc.

If I missed any of your questions let me know.

[Methos1979]

Posting some videos I've made over the last year where I was using the X20. First up is a long demo of the Bose S1 system. I'm talking mostly about the Bose S1 but you can hear the X20 amplified in a couple areas. First up jump ahead to about the 5:40 mark where I switch over to the X20 and dial in a good tone on the S1 through the PARA DI and mixer then play and sing a song. Then jump ahead to the 13:00 mark I bypass the PARA and mixer and use the little K&K pickup straight into the S1, make some tweaks and play and sing a little. All fingerstyle, no picks.



Here's a couple clips where I'm playing the X20 acoustically with my wife and I singing, again all fingerstyle with no nails, no picks. The guitar would be much louder played with a pick of course:





I can do custom request video's if anyone wants to see something specific like how the guitar sounds strummed with a pick or something like that that is not represented in the videos above.

[Methos1979]

Sunny Saturday morning bump to the top. Some interesting trade offers but nothing to make me pull the trigger yet. Keep them coming or make an offer. This guitar does it all. The beauty of wood, the stability of carbon fiber. The best of both worlds!

[Methos1979]

Sunday morning bump for you Sunday morning shoppers. Probably going to throw up on Reverb tomorrow, widen the pool.

After I throw up on Reverb I'll probably throw the X20 up on Reverb! (Proofread, dummy!)

[Stevien]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Sunday morning bump for you Sunday morning shoppers. Probably going to throw up on Reverb tomorrow, widen the pool.

..... You really dislike Reverb that much? (sorry, couldn't resist)
Steve

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Stevien

..... You really dislike Reverb that much? (sorry, couldn't resist)
Steve

HA! Good one!! Didn't realize I'd made that mistake. I guess I should fix. Reverb doesn't make me feel that way. Ebay now on the other hand...!

[Methos1979]

Not on Reverb yet. A couple close calls in the trade department. Would still love to trade for a Lowden. Or a Froggy! But keep the trade ideas coming. Something will pop.

[Methos1979]

Guitar now on Reverb. Priced dropped here. Still entertaining trade offers.

[Methos1979]

Bump up to the top on a Thursday morning.