Emerald X7 with or without veneer

[StevieMar]

I sold a couple guitars last week, and I am pondering an Emerald X7 to make up for the loss. I’m leaning toward red carbon, or red carbon with padauk veneer. For those of you who have gone this route, what did you decide, and are you happy with your choice? Or do you maybe wish you’d taken the opposite path? I know in the end it’s my choice, just curious how others fared. Thanks.

[jdinco]

I went with the red tint on my X20 with the ice back and sides. I'm very pleased with the subdued color. But we all know though that the Emerald veneers are stunning, if you got the money and plan on keeping the X7 for a long time, it would be cool to personalize it ! There would be no other like it. Good luck with you choice...

[steelvibe]

The woody tops are nice but I'm not sure if they are $600 upcharge nice. jdinaz makes a great point though, it isn't just aesthetics but personalization.

If you are really drawn to the woody tops, you could order one plain jane CF just to see if you like it, flip and buy a woody top of you did. They don't come up often and usually sell in a day or two-whether here or on Reverb. Emerald also has a fair return policy on the plain jane model if you send it back within a week (I think) and pay for return shipping.

[bsman]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

The woody tops are nice but I'm not sure if they are $600 upcharge nice. jdinaz makes a great point though, it isn't just aesthetics but personalization....

I guess that beats my usual method of personalization that involves dings, scratches, scuffs and marks!

[dmcginnis]

I picked up a used X7 with Pao Ferro veneer about a year ago...and love it. The wood veneer is stunning - and makes it quite the attention grabber at camps and gigs. My black Amicus is stunning for it's sound, but not visually stunning like the X7. It is, however, elegant.

[RP]

Nobody in the guitar biz does wood veneer tops as well as Emerald. That said, the "plain Jane" carbon fiber weaves are also very, very nice. Assuming it's your first Emerald and you've never played an X7, it's hard to know if you two will bond. I'd suggest saving the veneer uncharge and going with the red weave. Don't worry, it too will be a stunning guitar....

[Simon@Caulfield]

I've always prefered the look and sound of the carbon top.
My first choice was always red carbon! The veneers are nice, but i like the lighter top and showing off that its a carbon instrument.

[raysachs]

It doesn't affect the sound or playability of the guitar at all, or at least not perceptibly. So it's just a question of whether the extra money is worth it to you for aesthetics only. I had a gorgeous Cocobolo veneer X7 for about a year and a half and I loved the veneer for the first week or so, and then, to be honest, I never really saw it again. None of my three current guitars (one acoustic, two electrics) are colored / finished in ways I particularly like, but I don't see that either - I love all three guitars and the looks don't matter after the first week or two. But you may be different. For me, going forward, it wouldn't be worth the upcharge.

The newer X7's are wonderful guitars, though, and the previous generation wasn't bad either. You can't go wrong if that's the guitar you want, you just have to decide how much looks are worth to you.

-Ray

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

The woody tops are nice but I'm not sure if they are $600 upcharge nice. jdinaz makes a great point though, it isn't just aesthetics but personalization.

If you are really drawn to the woody tops, you could order one plain jane CF just to see if you like it, flip and buy a woody top of you did. They don't come up often and usually sell in a day or two-whether here or on Reverb. Emerald also has a fair return policy on the plain jane model if you send it back within a week (I think) and pay for return shipping.

Pretty much my point-of-view also.

While the veneers are in many cases stunning, I’m too cheap to pay the upcharge for purely cosmetic reasons. Besides, I love the look of the carbon weave.

However, I’d seriously consider paying the upcharge for the slotted headstock, so I’m wildly inconsistent too

[121]

The carbon fiber weave beauty on Emerald's Guitars,
should never be hidden from view.

[Earl49]

I'm a weave fan myself, but my wife really likes her X7 woody's. Mine are all exposed CF weave -- a green X20, a green X20-12, and a red X30. Her X7's are Version 2 with bubinga and koa veneers and amber bodies. (Bubinga is technically a spare and might get sold). Be aware that the colors are much more subdued in most real world lighting conditions than the studio photos on the Emerald web site. Red looks like maroon, green looks very dark with bold green highlights on the corners and the neck (my favorite) and amber looks like a deep root beer tint, like a dark sunburst or a dark ale if you are a beer fan.

Unless you are really lusting after a particular veneer, I agree with getting a stock CF weave model and seeing how you bond. Within the one-week trial period, you can return it in like-new condition for credit - less shipping fees - against an ordered veneer one, or keep it until your custom gets in and flip the plain one here. If time is a factor, buying from stock gets it to you within two weeks (usually less) and ordering a veneer is a 4-5 month process for selecting the veneer and then waiting for the custom build.

[RP]

The primary reason that I ordered my X30 with Black Limba veneer (no electronics) was because it was a 70th birthday present to myself, and I wanted to make it a very special gift to myself. Truth be told I would have been just as happy with a black weave, but that was my thinking for a very special occasion. I happened onto the satin finish about halfway into the X30 waiting game thanks to Simon, and I really like the satin finish because it doesn't show fingerprints or scratches like a gloss finish does. I recently ordered an X20-12 (no electronics) in black with a satin finish as a Christmas present to myself...

I have an X10 acoustic in ruby red and an X10 electric with the veneer. they are both great guitars. I am considering a new custom 7 and having the same debate as to veneer or not to veneer.

As several members have pointed out, the difference is primarily aesthetic and I have to admit that I really like the beauty of Emerald veneers. I also think that if I were performing I would want the eye candy of the veneer.

[sumokids]

I have a red X20 and an X7 with a cocobolo veneer. Both are stunning in their own ways and attention grabbers everywhere they go. If I was forced to pick one on looks alone, the depth and elegance of the red carbon would likely win out, but I tend towards minimalism in general. You can't go wrong either way.

[Captain Jim]

You can't go wrong either way. I have two Emeralds with the carbon weave top (an X7 black and an X10 red) and an X20 with a lauro preto veneer. Each is a delight to play, great sound. The X20 was from the second Select Series, and I was captivated by the looks. It was an easy buy decision for me because I already had the black weave X7 (previous generation).

When the new X10 was introduced, I ordered a custom scale length (24.6") and the red weave. The red weave with the black edging is particularly striking to me. Subtle, but elegant.

I like a difference between the top and back/sides, so went with the Crystal Ice finish on the back and sides on the X10. I could not be more pleased with the look and feel of that combination.

The veneer is about the looks and personalization, so shouldn't be discounted if it fits the budget. I am quite content with what I have for guitars right now (haven't bought/ordered a new one in two years), but some of those veneers really make me consider.

Good luck with the decisions.