#61
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#62
|
|||
|
|||
Excellent in both your ultimate result and on a fine instrument! You have the right idea for strings too.
__________________
Don't chase tone. Make tone. |
#63
|
||||
|
||||
Glad it worked out for you.
+1 on the Monels. It's interesting (to me) that on my mahogany guitar, the Monels sounded great right from the get go. I did not need a 'break in' period to enjoy them. However, on my CF they needed about a week. I'm glad I waited them out because they sound fantastic on my H-OM.
__________________
Strummin' to a different chord |
#64
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks! My faith has been restored.
__________________
Barry |
#65
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
__________________
Barry |
#66
|
|||
|
|||
Noodlefingers, I've got a super new Rainsong CH-OM, very latest model, from Ted, with the shark at the 12th fret, and under the right light angle the top looks identical to the photo that you posted, i.e. pitted. Under a different light, it just looks a glossy black. I have also seen some older tops in the past at Huber Breese, a dealer that is close to my house, and they looked different, they had a distinctive vertical wave, no pitting. I guess that Rainsong may have changed something in their way to build the top. Actually, I am not bothered at all by the "pitting", the guitar sounds superb. What bothers me a bit, instead, is the fact that when it is under strings tension, the top creates a couple of ripples/bumps on the two sides of the soundhle, i.e. the surface around the sound hole is not flat but a little bumpy. With no strings tension, the top becomes perfectly flat again. I wonder if the author of this post has the same issue ?
|
#67
|
|||
|
|||
Hi Gerardo,
I don't know what causes that variation. It may well be that RainSong has been changing their weave for some reason, or they may have made a change in their layering, or it just might be some variation in how flat the fabric sits during molding. There's basically none on mine, but it's a few years old. jonfields45 would be the one to ask... he knows far more about the carbon fiber manufacturing process than I do. He's also the resident expert (I believe) on that slight top deformation caused by string tension. There seems to be some variation on that--some people find it far more noticeable than others. It's an artifact of the lack of bracing on the top. The good news is that it won't get any bigger, and it poses no danger whatsoever to the guitar. I have to strain to see it on mine. As long as you're happy with the guitar, then there's nothing to worry about. |
#68
|
|||
|
|||
I think I replied earlier in this thread that if you look carefully at a RainSong unidirectional top you will see the familiar 3x3 twill pattern of the layer just beneath the visible layer. The Concert tops must have (at least some) lateral fiber in the outer CF layer(s) for structural integrity. The visible uni layer must also have something to hold it together before it is cured or it would be completely unworkable. What you are seeing is some variation in how the cross fibers impact the final cure of the main unidirectional fibers. We all should keep in mind that these cloths are not primarily made for cosmetic applications and in general if cosmetics are your primary concern, then only a 1x1 twill is a good choice (CA top for example). 1x1 twill is the weakest CF option as the CF fibers have the shortest straight run length in the plane of the surface, BUT it holds its pattern the best during handling and around curves (the neck of a RainSong).
So for my eye the uni RainSong guitars I've owned have benefited from the variation caused by the uni top cross fiber. To me it looks more organic. But in another thread my eye for beauty has not been holding up well :~).
__________________
jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields |
#69
|
|||
|
|||
What I do not understand is why there is a degree of variation among different Rainsong guitars with the same uni-directional top, as far as ripple/bumps appearing around the soundhole under tension?
Isn't the carbon fiber material supposed to be super rigid, and for sure more rigid than wood ? And, if we accept the idea that the uni-directional tops of Rainsong are SO thin that they CAN get a shape modification under strings tension, my question is : why this modification is not always the same ? Why some tops do not show any modification at all, and other tops shows ripple/bumps ? It does not make a lot of sense to me.... just to give you an example: my CH-OM has two ripples on the two sides of the sound hole under strings tension. The three CH guitars that I inspected a few days ago at Huber and Breeze, a Rainsong dealer ( a CH-PA, a CH-WS and a CH-OM) did not... how do you explain this if the strings gauge is the same and if the top design (uni-directional) is the same, and if the thickness of the tops is the same ? Maybe Rainsong should find a way to reach better consistency ? Otherwise to get a Rainsong with a flat top or one with ripples is a matter of luck ? Last edited by gerardo1000; 12-08-2018 at 06:55 PM. |
#70
|
|||
|
|||
The Shorty that I had was an SG-FLE (the "forum" model), and as such had the abalone trim around the soundhole. I don't recall seeing any deflection in the top (guitar sold earlier this year so I can't check it now) - maybe because of the different rosette/soundhole treatment?
|
#71
|
|||
|
|||
The Ablam sound hole rosette will stiffen the sound hole a bit. All materials and designs are subject to a normal/Gaussian/standard/bell distribution. The goal of a musical instrument manufacturer would be to have good yield without making the product so stiff/strong that it was no longer a good musical instrument. CF, wood, or whatever material you choose to use will have some variation. If you are designing for sound, then some lack of planarity (at least for a flat top guitar) will be an issue. If you are designing for planarity, then some lack of sound will be your problem. Regardless of your goal, you will get some that sound better or worse, and some will be more or less planar.
Now that I've got two uni top RainSong Parlors I can say that the one with the Ablam sound hole decoration is more planar.
__________________
jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields Last edited by jonfields45; 12-08-2018 at 11:44 PM. |
#72
|
|||
|
|||
So here is my funny story of my prejudices judging a product with the wrong eyes instead of the right ears. When RainSong first introduced the uni Concert tops I thought: wow what a bad idea that is going to fall apart. Then I noticed in just the right reflected light the 3x3 twill (directly?) underneath the uni and thought -- OK now I'll give it a pass for the eye test and see how they sound...
Kind of silly even thinking they would sell a product that could not stand up. It would be the end of them. And they've been around a long time! Though the picture of the particular guitar that started this thread would not be acceptable to me either, kind of like most Adi top wood guitars.
__________________
jf45ir Free DIY Acoustic Guitar IR Generator .wav file, 30 seconds, pickup left, mic right, open position strumming best...send to direct email below I'll send you 100/0, 75/25, 50/50 & 0/100 IR/Bypass IRs IR Demo, read the description too: https://youtu.be/SELEE4yugjE My duo's website and my email... [email protected] Jon Fields |
#73
|
|||
|
|||
Great to hear the good news.
Do you have pictures of your newer CH-PA? Quote:
__________________
Albi Past: 2015 --- Maton S60 2016 --- Mini Maton EM6 ft. AP5 Original 2017 --- Cole Clark CCAN2EC-SR ft. 3-way pickup 2017 --- Cole Clark CCLL1RM Current: 2017 --- Anuenue M200 2018 --- Emerald X20 Opus ft. satin neck + LR Baggs Element |
#74
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
No real closeup photos on this one - just a full front and back (which I needed for my insurance company). Even though it still shows the weave at certain angles under fairly bright (stage) lights, the top of this one is much more regular. Someone came up to me after our last performance and told me how cool she thought the guitar looks (her words were "it sparkles"... sigh...).
__________________
Barry |