How good are Composite Acoustics guitars?? - Page 3

Bill Cory · #31 10-01-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRQPhil

All this talk about CA guitars got me interested as well. Not sure where they sell them in Florida. So I found this website that seems to have pretty good prices and offer free shipping and free returns. Might be worth it try one out. Anyone ever dealt with this company?

http://www.macnichol.com/mm5/merchan...tore_Code=MGAM

That's where I bought mine. Excellent company. Michael is a great guy to deal with.

Did I mention how much I like the Cargo? (And it sounds ever better with a Pearse Armrest on it.)

open-road-matt · #32 10-01-2008, 06:55 PM

I have had my X Performer (I think that is the 8S-CE but I just went to their website and it is now the Standard X) but I haven't gotten to play one of the new ones with the offset sound hole.

Has anyone gotten to compare any of the offset sound hole models with the X? I don't think I've heard a single bad thing about the offset sound hole models and I would love more info if folks have made comparisons.

Thanks!
Matt

mhs · #33 10-01-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjudgejr

I bought a Cargo about a month ago and really enjoy it. It's heads and tails above my Baby Martin. It sounds best with a pick and OK fingerstyle. It does not replace my Taylors (GS5 and K24) and does not sound anything close to them. I do enjoy it as a guitar I can leave in my car or on my boat and not worry about it. I'm not big on the "road tough" finish, I find it to be very noisy and feels a bit like sand paper. I was wondering if it could be sanded down and polished.

Hi tjudge,

I didn't care for the noise of the road-tough on my Cargo either, regardless of technique used to play it, so I took some fine paper (~600 working towards ~2000 grit) and polished off all the bumps that were anywhere near to the playing area where my right hand lives.

That alone made it completely quiet so that I don't sound like a percussion section each time I contact it. As a side-effect, it also polishes it, but I didn't have the interest or patience to do the entire guitar. I like playing guitar too much to spend time on these things.

From what I've heard described by people making satin finishes glossy, it takes a great deal of time & work and well, I'd just rather play.

Papol

topdown · #34 10-01-2008, 07:11 PM

I got my black 7i from Danny at Acoustic Pro and he was a pleasure to do business with.

http://www.acousticpromusician.com/inventory.htm

Click on the blue button to get current inventory and pricing. Looks like he's running some pretty nice specials.

MuzicMaKen · #35 10-01-2008, 07:17 PM

I absolutely love my 6LE-V....sounds way better than my D-35 I had (and why I got rid of it) .... IT sounds incredible....I bought mine sight unseen and worried it would sound bright and brittle like an ovation but to my amazement it sounds every bit as good as a wood guitar.....My plan is to sell my Gretsch I just bought and get a Cargo.....

flip33 · #36 10-01-2008, 11:57 PM

I am disappointed in regular frets that wear down in no time. You can see divets in less than a year.

Last year, I played a GX performer that was wonderful. It really sounded good and played well. The only thing that trumped it that day was a $xxxx Breedlove C25.

No fret wear? Wow, that would be nice with those SS frets on a CA.

Darn, the GX perfomer may be on my list again after this thread.

iDavid · #37 10-02-2008, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topdown

I got my black 7i from Danny at Acoustic Pro and he was a pleasure to do business with.

http://www.acousticpromusician.com/inventory.htm

Click on the blue button to get current inventory and pricing. Looks like he's running some pretty nice specials.

Great guy, great service and fantastic prices!

tjudgejr · #38 10-02-2008, 07:28 AM

Papol,

I think I'm going to sand mine down also, mine is the wine color. Is yours colored and if so, did you have any problems cutting through the colored layer? It won't be easy taking sandpaper to a brand new guitar!

Maybe I'll take it down to the local boat yard and have their fiberglass guys polish it out!

mhs · #39 10-02-2008, 08:03 AM

Hey - I like your idea about the fiberglass boat yard. How about taking it to a local surfboard shaper (I'm in Cal. so maybe that won't work for you).?

Mine is black/charcoal, like the one pictured in the forums much of the time. I didn't harm the finish at all. I think it looks better with the 'shine' on it. The bumps come off fairly quickly and I don't think it does any damage to the 'look' or color of the guitar. I'd take a picture but I'm out the door in a minute and there is little to really see. It just looks like a glossier charcoal Cargo.

tjudgejr · #40 10-02-2008, 08:20 AM

Lol, no I love the shape of the cargo it just sort of sits in your lap like a puppy dog. You barely have to hold on to it! I wouldn't trust those surfer dudes!

buzzardwhiskey · #41 10-02-2008, 10:59 AM

MacNichol's has achieved a preferred vendor status - which requires that he keep a CA inventory. BTW, he also sells Rainsong and Breedlove.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRQPhil

All this talk about CA guitars got me interested as well. Not sure where they sell them in Florida. So I found this website that seems to have pretty good prices and offer free shipping and free returns. Might be worth it try one out. Anyone ever dealt with this company?

http://www.macnichol.com/mm5/merchan...tore_Code=MGAM

Irreverent · #42 10-02-2008, 11:18 AM

I originally bought my CA Legacy purely so I could have a guitar that I could leave out all the time without worrying about humdity (especially in the winter, as I heat with a Buck stove). I just wanted something to practice with, and figured it would sound OK. I was blown away. If you didn't know it was carbon fiber by looking at it, you couldn't tell it wasn't a fine solid wood acoustic by listening to it. I have friend who played mine and just bought one. Do I think it sounds as good as a McPherson, or a Froggy Bottom? No. But for the money, it sounds incredible, and better than most traditional guitars that you could get in the same price range.

Good luck!

michaelw · #43 10-02-2008, 07:47 PM

i really like the 5L-E

another

for Danny at AcousticPro

CelticJam · #44 10-02-2008, 10:17 PM

I have a wine colored 5Le, i guess it's called a Legacy now. CA is a top notch company and did things for me to get this guitar which were above and beyond what any one might reasonably expect.

It is a great guitar, the only thing that I eventually did not like was the sound the RT finish made when I brushed my fingers against it. My 5Le is a rare factory second and maybe the finish was too rough and that's what deemed it a second, I couldn't find a blemish or problem anywhere on the guitar.

After reading some of the earlier posts about sanding down the finish, I just came up from the garage where I knocked the finish on the top down with some 0000 steel wool and rubbed it with some Meguir's Scratch-X. It took about 10 minutes. There is little to no change to the look but there is no scratchy sound at all anymore. Kind of a half-hearted "orsinizing". I'm wondering if I could eventually buff and shine the finish down to a nice shiny look.

I really enjoy the tone, volume and versatility of this guitar. I can play it the snow, rain, heat and don't have to worry about leaving it in the car on either a hot or cold day. It never goes out of tune, I can leave it out and not have to worry about the kids or the dog knocking it over. There are so many good things about this guitar and no negatives.

Acousticado · #45 10-03-2008, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CelticJam

...the only thing that I eventually did not like was the sound the RT finish made when I brushed my fingers against it...

I know what you mean by the scratchy sound as a result of the RT finish. I like the look of the finish, and actually I also like the fact that it forces me to adjust and play "cleaner" with better right hand technique. IMO, this is a good thing.