NGD: RainSong Nashville Shorty N-OM1000NSX vs CH-OM1000NS - Shorty Shootout!

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Okay, one last (likely) update, this time post-gig. Actually, post-gigs.

We played an assisted living facility a couple weeks back. Full setup with the guitar going through the StompMix X6 into a single Bose S1. Overkill for sure but needed the extra mic inputs. The place was small and the residents seated so close that the volume needed to be turned WAY down low. In reality, this gig can be done completely acoustic with no amplification. Regardless, the guitar sounded great and performed well, as expected.

The second gig was a private party, outside in some hot and humid weather. We opted for just one mic and guitar straight into the Bose S1. Again, sounded great and performed well although getting enough volume from the guitar on the fingerstyle songs was hard. I think that for this guitar I'm going to definitely need to make sure I pre-amp the signal through something when using just the S1. Using a second S1 would work well for this providing more power and spread.

I'm seriously considering picking up an EAE D6-58 120w system which is their current flagship amp with battery power and wood cabinet. The extra power plus the built-in mixer (basically the X6) plus the extra inputs would make for a great one-and-done system that would work almost anywhere. And then I could use the single or dual S1 Pro(s) as needed if yet more fill was desired.

I should also say that we finally did get out and do some busking. I used the Nashville and it performed very well. Overall I'm really digging this guitar and while it isn't quite as good live as the Cole Clark Angel 2, it's still the best sounding guitar amplified after that one and it's also the most comfortable guitar to play in my current stable due to its small(ish) size and short scale. Add to that the benefit of carbon fiber and you've got yourself an extremely capable guitar for just about anything you can throw at it.

Anyway, to any that have read this far, once again (and still) I highly recommend this guitar!

Yet another update: It's now October and another month and a half since my last update. As alluded to in the bolded post above, I did in fact pick up an EAE D6-58 amplifier. Since that time I've been playing the heck out of it with only the RainSong Nashville OM Shorty. The Cole Clark has taken a back seat. I have really bonded with the Nashville. The size and feel is just perfect for me and the tones I'm getting out of it and the excellent D6-58 are fantastic.

I've really gotten a great feel for how to get the most out of the LR Baggs Anthem StagePro's onboard controls for the various types of tones needed for different types of songs. After dialing in the best tone on the amp with everything set flat on the Nashville, I then tweak as needed. I tend to leave most everything on the StagePro flat and the gain at midway for strumming. For fingerstyle pieces I tend to bump the gain and dial out much of the mic.

Moving the slider toward the UST really accentuates the trebles which for delicate fingerstyle playing (with no nails) sounds great. I also tend to bump the trebles up and then the bass either gets dialed back or sometimes up depending on the position of the amp. On the floor angled up (my preferred place for the D6-58) the amp's bass is accentuated so I tend to dial it back a bit. On a pole I sometimes dial it up. It oftentimes depends on the song itself.

One very interesting thing I've recently discovered is the use of the notch as a tone 'sweetener'. I've found that dialing up the notch to nearly 3/4 clockwise removes some of the mids. I have found with this guitar that I have to dial up the mids quite a bit on the amp for the best tone which is in stark contrast to almost every guitar I've owned previously where I needed to dial back the mids. But in doing so, the mids tend to be a little harsh, especially from the D6-58 which has a dedicated mid-range speaker.

I found quite by accident (since I was experiencing no feedback issues) that dialing up the notch and thus attenuating some of those higher mid-range frequencies gives me yet even better tone. Anyway, I thought I'd share my latest finds for anyone still following or those finding this post in a future search. I continue to be impressed with the RainSong Nashville OM with the Baggs Anthem StagePro and highly recommend it to anyone considering going the carbon fiber route.

Of the many CF guitars I've owned, it's easily my favorite, especially from an amplified tone perspective. While the Cole Clark would still likely get the call when going into an unknown amp/PA situation like an open mic, I think anywhere I used my own equipment I would almost surely choose the RainSong.