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  #16  
Old 05-15-2019, 09:06 PM
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dogdog49 dogdog49 is offline
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One more possibility - has anyone tried a Rainsong 1005 series guitar with the offset soundhole? If so any tone comparisons with their other models?
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  #17  
Old 05-16-2019, 02:22 PM
JerryM JerryM is offline
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I just recently purchased a RS Dreadnought in tobacco burst and short scale and I can tell you without reservation it is one of the finest guitars I have owned. Just in the last two weeks got to work with it in our duet and everyone is totally impressed with the tone and it is beautiful to look at. Not one person has yet to notice it's anything other than wood.
This is my fifth RS guitar had Shorty's, Parlor, APSE, APLE and now this dread, It is loud, clear, sustains forever when you grab a note up the neck, has no dead spots and intonation is spot on. Personally I don't like a full 25.5 scale the 24,9 to me is perfect and helps with my hand on long sessions. I use SCGC LT strings on all my guitars and imo the tone and longevity is outstanding.
I have also used the GHS PB on the dread and they work very well to. But the SCGC strings remain my favorite.
My RS has no barn door and K&K installed from the factory. Other than plugging in to see if it worked I never use it. Just got for the "in case" scenario. The playabiiity of this guitar is Outstanding!! I have it set up at 5/64 on top at 12 with no rattles, buzz etc. and it is a great neck profile. Not a Taylor neck it has some heft but I can pay it for a 3 hour gig with No hand pain.
My only other guitar is a Collings Om Short Scale deep body that is on the level of pure magic in every respect, but I don't use it except for a controlled environment and rarely travel with it in the RV so the Rainsong is perfect!
I might add that the service from RS in Wa. from my experience has been exemplary as well and the fit and finish on this guitar is second to none!
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  #18  
Old 05-17-2019, 11:11 AM
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Yes Jerry, I've found that the dreadnought size and shape seems to work particularly well with carbon fiber in general, and all things being equal tends to impart a more "woodlike" tonal balance. Trouble is it's a size and shape that doesn't work for me anatomically.

I just visited a shop here in Connecticut that had a wide variety of Rainsongs available to audition and the results were interesting. My favorite, and probably my pick among all of the CF guitars I've ever played, was a CO-WS1005 12 fret concert model with the offset soundhole. Very warm and the most like my high-end wooden guitars I've yet heard. Perhaps it's the offset soundhole affecting the tonal balance that reaches the player's ears that accounts for it, but it sounded great. My number 2 was the Al Petteway which oddly enough sounded warmer than the CH-OM1000ns which is the same body size and has the same concert top but with hybrid back and sides (the Petteway is all carbon fiber). Both the original and the Black Ice models didn't come close to either for me and quickly fell out of the competition. Unfortunately he didn't have any 14 fret, all Hybrid H or S models to compare. I would have bought the CO-1005 right then and there but I do prefer 14 frets so I'm holding off, but it's hard to imagine a better sounding CF guitar than that CO-1005. I wish they offered it with a K&K or an Anthem like they do with the CH models. By the way, has anyone compared those two pickups in their CF guitar?
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  #19  
Old 05-17-2019, 01:12 PM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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I've installed K&K Minis in a CO-DR and CH-WS. In both cases I felt the results were excellent given reasonable expectations from K&K's in other guitars.

The typical K&K removal method with a razor blade will not work for CF weave. It might be possible with acetone to get one out gently. Given the guitar will outlast the pickup (or at least the owner's interest in any particular pickup), I've been using an HFN passive lately (mine is installed with the supplied adhesive tape). I've got a second HFN on order for my other parlor. With EQ (bass boost and treble cut) I think it is a big step up from a K&K towards sounding like a true acoustic guitar. Without EQ it is too brittle sounding (win to the K&K for plug and play). It is less output than a K&K but works OK direct to my Hi-Z mixer inputs and guitar amp (the tone controls on the amp or mixer are all that is needed for EQ).

I'll put a plug in for Ted at Blue Star Music. He is a great source for pickups and actually supports the product if you need help.
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  #20  
Old 05-17-2019, 08:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45 View Post
I've installed K&K Minis in a CO-DR and CH-WS. In both cases I felt the results were excellent given reasonable expectations from K&K's in other guitars.

The typical K&K removal method with a razor blade will not work for CF weave. It might be possible with acetone to get one out gently. Given the guitar will outlast the pickup (or at least the owner's interest in any particular pickup), I've been using an HFN passive lately (mine is installed with the supplied adhesive tape). I've got a second HFN on order for my other parlor. With EQ (bass boost and treble cut) I think it is a big step up from a K&K towards sounding like a true acoustic guitar. Without EQ it is too brittle sounding (win to the K&K for plug and play). It is less output than a K&K but works OK direct to my Hi-Z mixer inputs and guitar amp (the tone controls on the amp or mixer are all that is needed for EQ).

I'll put a plug in for Ted at Blue Star Music. He is a great source for pickups and actually supports the product if you need help.
Thanks for this Jon. I have both K&K's and Schatten's in wooden guitars I own and I, too, think the Schatten resolves some of the muddiness of the K&K's and is more mic like. That's not to say the K&K isn't a great pickup, it is, and it's quite a bit warmer sounding than the Schatten. I thought I might actually prefer it in an already bright CF guitar to the Schatten. Are you saying that you've installed Schattens in CF guitars and prefer the sound to K&K's in that application? I'm not worried about removal problems so that's a non-factor.
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  #21  
Old 05-18-2019, 12:15 AM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdog49 View Post
I'm holding off, but it's hard to imagine a better sounding CF guitar than that CO-1005. I wish they offered it with a K&K or an Anthem like they do with the CH models.

Rainsong wants a stupid amount of money for installing a K&K. I had a local shop install one in my Shorty for considerably less.
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  #22  
Old 05-18-2019, 06:01 AM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZLiberty View Post
Rainsong wants a stupid amount of money for installing a K&K. I had a local shop install one in my Shorty for considerably less.
Ted at LA Guitar can order you one without the pickup (CO-WS1105NS???). The turn time on his custom orders is pretty fast. The sound hole is smaller and farther from the bridge which might make pickup installation a bit harder. A passive HFN is a very quick install after drilling the end pin for the jack. I use a Stew-Mac reamer for the end pin and I made a K&K like jig for placing the HFN inside the guitar.



I am finding the 12 fret neck combined with a cut-away to provide all the fret access I need and I don't miss the 14 fret neck. It feels to me that the 12 fret neck is a bit less chunky but I would not swear to that in a court of law. Luckily the outro to Hotel California in the original key requires nothing more than the very last 18th fret.
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  #23  
Old 05-18-2019, 02:12 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45 View Post

A passive HFN is a very quick install after drilling the end pin for the jack. I use a Stew-Mac reamer for the end pin and I made a K&K like jig for placing the HFN inside the guitar.
I ended up paying a local shop to do mine, mostly because I was super paranoid about getting super-glue anywhere near the finish of my pretty Rainsong.

Even with their install fee, a K&K cost less than half of Rainsong's upcharge.

I'm going to take my CH-PA over on Friday to have them install one in that as well.
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  #24  
Old 05-18-2019, 02:20 PM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dogdog49 View Post
Thanks for this Jon. I have both K&K's and Schatten's in wooden guitars I own and I, too, think the Schatten resolves some of the muddiness of the K&K's and is more mic like. That's not to say the K&K isn't a great pickup, it is, and it's quite a bit warmer sounding than the Schatten. I thought I might actually prefer it in an already bright CF guitar to the Schatten. Are you saying that you've installed Schattens in CF guitars and prefer the sound to K&K's in that application? I'm not worried about removal problems so that's a non-factor.
I think the HFN is a better pickup after minor EQ than a K&K with any amount of detailed EQ. You might conclude there is not much left for ToneDexter to do after bass boost and treble cut to taste on an HFN. I've only used the HFN in my CO-PA so far which I am sure is considered by many to be a bright sounding guitar. If I was not paranoid about cyanoacrylate glue and CF, I think I would still put a strong vote for the HFN over a K&K. But a K&K is a very good sounding pickup and a perfect driver for ToneDexter.
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