Why hasn't CF Broken into the mainstream? - Page 8

ukejon · #**106** 12-17-2013, 06:33 AM

I'd like to spend some real quality time with a good CF. As with many others, I often don't like the first impression I get from them. They sound too immediate and a tad shrill to my ear. But maybe one simply alters the method of right hand attack or placement to achieve the desire sound.

I love wood guitars. On the other hand, if someone took away all my wood guitars and said "Here, from now on you can only play this nice CF guitar..." then I would gladly pick that sucker up and learn how to play it!

Doubleneck · #**107** 12-17-2013, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukejon

I'd like to spend some real quality time with a good CF. As with many others, I often don't like the first impression I get from them. They sound too immediate and a tad shrill to my ear. But maybe one simply alters the method of right hand attack or placement to achieve the desire sound.

I love wood guitars. On the other hand, if someone took away all my wood guitars and said "Here, from now on you can only play this nice CF guitar..." then I would gladly pick that sucker up and learn how to play it!

I am wondering what CFs you played? But there is more clarity with CF, but lately CF makers have created tops that emulate the less "immediacy" of wood. It's getting very close. That seems across the board. My Emerald Double shocked me with a more woody voicing. Heard it in a Biackbird Lucky 13 a couple months ago with their new voicing. Rainsong as well with new products. CA alway had that bend.

Quality time helps cause no doubt, your ears explications are a trained response. I now have to make a adjustment to my wood guitars.

gfa · #**108** 12-17-2013, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukejon

They sound too immediate and a tad shrill to my ear.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, there's a lot of variation. I played the only two Rainsongs at the local GC recently. Both WSs, one Black Ice and one Hybrid. The Black Ice sounded very shrill to me. The Hybrid sounded very "not shrill," warm but articulate.

Imagine you'd only ever played CF guitars, and decided to try one of the wood ones to see what all the fuss is about. It would be silly to believe that the particular wood guitar you happened to play represented the way all wood guitars would sound. (BTW Ukejon, I'm not calling you silly there. Just yapping.)

For those of us who don't happen to live near one of the few dealers that have some CF inventory, there just isn't the opportunity to sample a range of these guitars.

ac · #**109** 12-17-2013, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfa

. . . . . For those of us who don't happen to live near one of the few dealers that have some CF inventory, there just isn't the opportunity to sample a range of these guitars.

MacNichols is constantly running road shows with various models and makes of carbon guitars and there are several in progress right now. For a very reasonable cost (shipping, essentially) you get a week alone with the guitar and a new set of strings. For those not near a dealer--and some of the makers have only a few dealers in the USA--it's a huge opportunity to test and try out and decide.

tdq · #**110** 12-17-2013, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukejon

..As with many others, I often don't like the first impression I get from them.

I've tried a pretty sizeable sample of the current CF guitars on offer. I've found this very true of quite a few. Some I didn't care for much at first I ended up liking very much - I needed to find the style and playing technique that worked. And with some, I never got there. I love my CA GX, but it did take a while and some experimenting with strings to get there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfa

..It would be silly to believe that the particular wood guitar you happened to play represented the way all wood guitars would sound.

Amen to that!

DHart · #**111** 12-25-2013, 06:46 PM

Living in the Arizona desert, I've learned of the susceptibility of fine wood guitars to low humidity. That has led me to consider the merits of CF guitars. So... I'm here now, with an open mind and open ears.

I wouldn't need a CF guitar to sound just like a wood guitar (as I have wood guitars for that!) Nor would I need a CF guitar to sound like Strats, nor Les Pauls (I'm already covered there as well), but I would like a CF guitar to have a pleasing acoustic sound that I appreciate and enjoy.

I don't remember seeing any CF guitars in the Phoenix area GC's... but perhaps there is another shop in the Phoenix area which carries a few examples for me to try out. I'm looking forward to playing some of these beasts and hope to find one that I like as it would be nice to have one acoustic guitar that is wonderful to play that I can leave out and about in the house, or play outside in the sun, with no concern for susceptibility to changes in temp or humidity. For me, THAT is the driver to CF instruments.

franchelB · #**112** 12-26-2013, 08:52 AM

Well, with CF guitars, you have a decent sound...at least to my ears. And you'll get that same decent sound years from now. Solid-wood bodied guitars will sound "better" as it ages...at least to my ears. But the poster is right, the CF guitars are low-maintenance guitars, though it sure is more expensive to buy.

Dolphinboy · #**113** 12-26-2013, 02:58 PM

Why haven't carbon fiber guitars broken into the mainstream?

Well first off, I considered buying a cf guitar and actively set out to try some. Most guitar stores I've visited have zero cf guitars. The ones that did had maybe 1 or 2. So limited availability is a factor.

Cf guitars are priced at a price point that will limit the potential customer base too. Most I looked at were $1500 - $2500. While not super expensive they are not in the most economical price range and probably would need to be much lower to sell a lot of units.

Then there are those that just don't or won't look seriously at something out of the mainstream, non wood, radical designs, lesser known brands etc.

All that being said, do they need to be mainstream? I hope the companies making them are successful enough to stay in business, but I don't know if thier business plan is to be one of the mainstream companies.

As far as sounding like wood, I never played a carbon fiber guitar and thought "does this sound like wood?". I just liked, or didn't, the sound, feel and playability of the guitar. My impressions were based solely on the qualities of the guitar and if if it was something I would enjoy playing.

RustyZombie · #**114** 12-26-2013, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHP

Maybe the simplest answer is the best, a lot of people don't like the way they sound.

That is exactly like saying a lot of people don't like how wood guitars sound. There is so much variation among species of wood and types of designs that it makes it a ridiculous supposition. It's a blanket statement that isn't representative of reality.

AZLiberty · #**115** 12-26-2013, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

I don't remember seeing any CF guitars in the Phoenix area GC's... but perhaps there is another shop in the Phoenix area which carries a few examples for me to try out.

Last time I was in Tucson the GC down there had several Rainsongs.

Captain Jim · #**116** 12-26-2013, 11:20 PM

Last spring, I could not find a Rainsong anywhere in the Phoenix area. Nor in the towns north of Seattle (Mt. Vernon, Burlington, Bellingham), near where they are made. Certainly not what I would call "mainstream" as far as available in lots of guitar shops.

Jim

Finger Stylish · #**117** 12-27-2013, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Last spring, I could not find a Rainsong anywhere in the Phoenix area. Nor in the towns north of Seattle (Mt. Vernon, Burlington, Bellingham), near where they are made. Certainly not what I would call "mainstream" as far as available in lots of guitar shops.

Jim

It's the same for top tier wood axes as well.

I would bet that only a small percentage of all guitar shops stock Premo wood axes. Some are by order only.

As far as buying a guitar without ever having heard or seen it. A Carbon would be my only option as there are fewer variables.

Being hard to find doesn't mean it's not worth the drive or search, or a blind purchase.

jdinco · #**118** 12-27-2013, 09:14 AM

Wood or CF, I doubt most dealers can afford to stock very many $2000+ guitars. Probably accounts for a very small percentage of their sales.

kramster · #**119** 12-27-2013, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

Living in the Arizona desert,

I'm looking forward to playing some of these beasts.

PM sent to you

HHP · #**120** 12-27-2013, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackmoresNight

That is exactly like saying a lot of people don't like how wood guitars sound. There is so much variation among species of wood and types of designs that it makes it a ridiculous supposition. It's a blanket statement that isn't representative of reality.

Doesn't say anything about liking or not liking wood. It says some people don't like the way CF sounds. I get the durability stuff, and most others do by now, so there must be a reason they don't attract buyers. As they are musical instruments, the most likely reason is the sound. All the talk about the look, resistance to change, the name, etc is the supposition and is a denial of the basic reality. I can't name an accomplished instrumentalist who uses one.