New (used) Rainsong Day!

[geewhiz]

Picked up a mint condition CH-OM for a great price.

Here's my brief review: Holy Smokes.

Here's the longer story. I play in an acoustic trio, sometimes duo. I've been using a well worn Martin D16 for a few years now. I use a Fishman Loudbox Mini out to the PA with some mild processing (compression, EQ, maybe a touch of reverb now and then). I wanted a replacement for the Martin for several reasons, not all of which I will detail here, but one requirement was that I wanted a smaller bodied instrument.

I was familiar with CF guitars and Rainsongs but I had never played one. I always assumed they were "expensive". So two weeks ago I wasn't even seriously considering one. I'm not even sure how they came on my radar but I saw the new Concert Hybrid series on one of these forums (maybe here?) and it checked a lot of boxes for my needs. Part of the appeal also was their ability to withstand a wide range of conditions, and we have outdoor gigs coming up for the summer.

I spotted a used one on Reverb and it just happened to be about 45 minutes from here. I contacted the seller and arranged to try it out. As I drove to the guy's house I was kind of skeptical about the guitar. I'm not sure why, but I was telling myself that unless it really knocked my socks off I'd probably walk away and keep looking.

The seller handed it to me and I played on open E. Man, did it resonate and sustain! I immediately noticed the difference from other wood guitars I've played and own/owned, but it wasn't a difference that I found to be unappealing. I liked the 'hi-fi' quality of the tone, and I was also really impressed by its dynamic range. It's great for finger style of course but what really surprised me was its ability to hold up to pretty heavy strumming. We play a really wide range of music so I need a good solid all-arounder. Check. And it's amazingly loud for its size. One other thing that was almost shocking - it has light gauge strings on it but I dropped the low E all the way down to C and it didn't get buzzy and floppy. I had read of this capability in another review and the neck really doesn't move. Wow.

It has been here since Tuesday night and I've played more acoustic guitar this week than I have in the past month or two. It's just a very inspiring and very comfortable instrument, thanks to the 12 fret design, but it doesn't SOUND like a smaller guitar. Just amazing, and what a well executed instrument.

In summary - WOO-HOO!

[BT55]

Congrats from a fellow Rainsong owner. You chose well it’s a great guitar!

[jricc]

Congrats on you CH-OM. I Love my mine, it's about a month old and I have used it on 6-7 gigs and it is such a pleasure to play.

[geewhiz]

Thanks

I meant to mention in my original post - this isn't just a great guitar for my gigging needs and as the replacement I was seeking. This is just a great instrument, period. Wood guitars do sound different and I can see where some might prefer the traditional look and sound of those instruments. That said, to my ears it doesn't sound that different from some very fine wood guitars I've played. As we all know, it's hard to make general comparisons like this when you consider that two identical guitars of the same model and construction (Martins, Taylors, etc) can sound different from each other. I'm a long time electric player and I've always said that the whole gear thing is a crapshoot. There are just SO many variables between woods, construction, etc.

Yep, this Rainsong is simply a very nice guitar.

[Captain Jim]

Welcome aboard! There are a lot of us here who feel the same about our carbon fiber guitars. There is definitely that "discovery" stage... usually followed by a period of euphoria... then relief, when you don't have to worry about the humidity or worry about taking the guitar outside... then a small bit of forehead slapping when you think: Why didn't I know about this sooner?

Enjoy your RainSong!

[steelvibe]

Congrats! I have a 2014 Shorty which is essentially the same guitar and I smile every time I play it. I recommend Martin Retro strings (lights) for it- you can thank me later

[geewhiz]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

Congrats! I have a 2014 Shorty which is essentially the same guitar and I smile every time I play it. I recommend Martin Retro strings (lights) for it- you can thank me later

Thanks - I already pulled the trigger on some Elixir Phosphor Bronze's but I'll keep your recommendation in mind ;-)

Geewhiz;

Very good on You! A great Ax, a great find. But there are risks.

You started with the discovery stage, have already hit the Woo-Hoo point, and, as the Captain pointed out ,you are entering the euphoria stage. All of that is good. But then....you'll start wondering what else you've missed? It's a disease, one commonly found on this forum.

So hang on to the euphoria as long as you can. Enjoy.

[CRM]

Congrats on the Rainsong, like you I just discovered carbon fiber as well. I sold all my wood guitars in the last 2 months (7) and bought a used Rainsong Smokey Hybrid and I am in awe of the tone, volume and playiblity that this guitar provides. I am moving to a very dry climate and I would fail at keeping a wood guitar humidified correctly to keep it from cracking and twisting into a knot....I am moving where there is a lake and like I have heard you can also use them as a paddle if needed....lol

[Earl49]

Congrats, and welcome to the club. I live in a moderate climate these days. The house stays between 37-50% RH most of the time, so I don't really *need* carbon fiber instruments for the humidity issue. I just like them - a lot. In-case humidifiers (damp sponges in soap dishes) can handle things for a few weeks during the peak heating or AC seasons.

But in a past life I lived in Alaska, and winters were brutal for dryness. With a cabinet humidifier putting out 8-10 gallons per day, we struggled to keep the house up to 20% RH. Only the Rainsong could live out of a hard case, handy for play. That WS-1000 started my carbon fiber journey, and I'm thoroughly hooked. Eventually this will lead to the departure of most wood guitars and ukulele and we'll be almost completely converted over to composite (carbon fiber and ekoa) instruments. One all-koa guitar and one all-koa ukulele will always remain -- a nod to all the Hawaiian music that I play -- but everything else is up for adoption.

Just last night, I sat on the back porch swing playing my Emerald X20-12 for an hour, watching a fairly serious summer thunderstorm - a big cell went right over us and we got about 3/4" of rain in an hour. There was even a little bit of over-spray around the edges of the porch roof during the most intense parts. But with a CF guitar and older strings that are due for a change, I really didn't care if my body or the guitar got a little wet. Except for the on-board electronics, I could have easily stood out "singing in the rain". Kids, don't try this with your fine wood guitars.

[kramster]

Originally Posted by geewhiz

Holy Smokes. WOO-HOO!

Nice typical reaction ...nice buy indeed! Love mine! And I think it loves me back...a little anyway.

[Frettingflyer]

Congrats on a great find, and welcome to the CF club! As others have said, it can get kind of addicting trying out all the differn’t options and sounds.
I started with the Shorty, great instrument, enjoy!

[MiG50]

Further proof that Shortys are gateway drugs.

[Braindead]

Originally Posted by kramster

Nice typical reaction ...nice buy indeed! Love mine! And I think it loves me back...a little anyway.

A jigger of Hogs #3 bourbon straight into the sound hole will bring out the affection you need. Have you named him/her? They have feelings you know!

[Long Jon]

Geewhiz! Welcome to the carefree world of carbon !

I have only ever had the pleasure of playing Emeralds , but would love to have a go of some others.

Not that it matters, but apart from the obvious quality of their instruments , I also think “Rainsong” is a great brand name in itself.
Kind of resonates with an ancient and elemental suggestion of nature and music.

(I tried to express that as unpretentiously as possible,,, how’d I do ?)