Alistair Hay's TOP 10 custom Emerald Guitars of 2012

[Kindness]

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

This ought to be posted in the custom build section! Might shake things up a little?

Love this idea!

[P_K]

#6 Chimaera Custom Guitars
While this list is dedicated to my favorite custom guitars of the year, I'm giving number 6 spot to all the Chimaera double necks.

While the Chimaera is destined to be a full production guitar, during 2012 we have been developing this wonderful guitar through various custom configurations to show the possibilities and versatility of these wonderful creations.

Double neck guitars is where Carbon truly excels and we have been able to create a guitar that sounds incredible both acoustically and amplified and due to its strength is stable and reliable and due to its light weight is well balanced and very playable.

We are very excited about the Chimaera for 2013 and January kicks off with a 6 string guitar and 4 string bass combination.

Two heads are better than One!!!

[P_K]

#5 X20-OS 12Strings
I completed this 12 string custom version of our X20-OS in December and it's the first 12 string built on the X20-OS platform.
It makes it so high up my list partly for its beauty with its beautiful blood red skin but mainly for it's astounding voice.
Its always exciting hear how a new guitar will sound but this one shocked me. It's the best sounding 12 string I have ever built or heard with a huge voice. The bass notes are strong and powerful with an incredible balance right across all the registers and the fullness of an orchestra. It's the design of the top and offset sound hole that gives it its power and volume and oh boy does it have some serious volume. I think we will be building a lot more of these in 2013.

[P_K]

some more pics!

[Doubleneck]

Cool I believe my guitar is one of the partial pics of the Doubleneck. Can't imagine what #1 will be!!

[Kindness]

[QUOTE=P_K;3306440]#6 Chimaera Custom Guitars
While this list is dedicated to my favorite custom guitars of the year, I'm giving number 6 spot to all the Chimaera double necks.

While the Chimaera is destined to be a full production guitar, during 2012 we have been developing this wonderful guitar through various custom configurations to show the possibilities and versatility of these wonderful creations.

Double neck guitars is where Carbon truly excels and we have been able to create a guitar that sounds incredible both acoustically and amplified and due to its strength is stable and reliable and due to its light weight is well balanced and very playable.

We are very excited about the Chimaera for 2013 and January kicks off with a 6 string guitar and 4 string bass combination.

Two heads are better than One!!!

I am curious as to why you feel you achieved a better sound acoustically with this guitar? Have you applied what you did here to your other guitars?

[Doubleneck]

Lisa, what this Doubleneck does is gives you a great acoustic sound and the ability to use all 18 strings in a song. The Utube I posted illustrated this. I start on the six and the go to the 12 that can't be duplicated live on any other guitar. It is a wonderful option. It also is still one of my lightest guitars so I can take it to my band practices and have of 6 and 12 as an option on any song we do. I would use the 12 sparingly here but without this guitar it wouldn't happen.
This guitar is so different from say his new X20 OS. The double is thin bodied and wide whereas the new X20 is deep and narrower, like most Rainsongs. I am anxious to try the new X20 this month on the road trip. But I would imagine it to be more Dred like in sound. The Double is to me a OM sweet and balanced. Every guitar has its own acoustic character given what it is. Any double by it nature is a series of compromises, but those compromises produce a unique voice. My Rainsong JM 1000 has a just wonderful big full sound. The Double is acoustically is not booming like the JM1000, it has its own wonderful character. I just find myself playing two instrument now the Doubleneck and my new Deering 6 string banjo. But the later is another story what a hoot!

After thought here: most guitar players just can't really conceive of playing on what is two guitars at once largely because before this guitar: it was not a practical option. Alistair has really changed the world here. Someone with real talent is going to take one of these and just blow us all away.

[AndyFrank]

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

Lisa, what this Doubleneck does is gives you a great acoustic sound and the ability to use all 18 strings in a song.

isn't this true with any double neck acoustic?

After thought here: most guitar players just can't really conceive of playing on what is two guitars at once largely because before this guitar: it was not a practical option. Alistair has really changed the world here.

Before this guitar it wasn't a practical option?

[mchalebk]

"isn't this true with any double neck acoustic?"
No, because wood doublenecks involve so many compromises that they usually cannot provide "great acoustic sound".

"Before this guitar it wasn't a practical option??"
I do think there's validity to his statement. As I mentioned earlier, you have to make so many compromises when using wood to build a doubleneck that they really aren't practical. They're usually very heavy, very neck heavy, and overbraced (or have really thick tops). Composite construction can solve all of these issues.

[Doubleneck]

Originally Posted by AndyFrank

isn't this true with any double neck acoustic?

Andy I am a 60 year old Banker in Ohio that loves Carbon guitars and Doubleneck guitars. My forum ID kind of tells you that. When Alistair announced last year that he was creating a carbon Doubleneck I did go nuts, since that has been my dream guitar and I was sure it would never be made. I never owned a Emerald and never met Alistair. Emailed Alistair last year after the Annoucement several times wanting one. Ended up with one of the first ones. Met Martin for the first time in Utah this summer. Just a great guy and player really. As you point out yes this is not the first acoustic Doubleneck. Its just the first one that combines all the aspects of CF to make a light, indestructible double with weight and balance characteristics very similar to a single neck. I have a great passion for this guitar, its hard not to when that guitar has been your dream. I think I have actually been a Rainsong advocate as well. It's a discussion forum, take me with a grain of salt. What does a banker in Ohio know. LOL.

[ac]

Roughly 4lbs for this doubleneck vs, as I recall, 14lbs for a wood doubleneck that was used by someone famous for a while (mentioned in another thread). That, plus no need to over brace to keep the guitar from imploding, allows great acoustic sound (as I've heard in the different recordings.)

The normal added benefits of CF, strength, waterproof, etc. are just extra. The massive weight difference and the ability to maintain the acoustic sound of a normal 6 string hasn't been done before.

IMO, that's a game changer. A guitar that was once really not very practical to travel with, not comfortable to play for any length of time, or needed to be plugged in to really get decent sound--now is capable of all those things.

CF has got to be a better match for a double neck guitar than it is for standard acoustics, electrics, or other. It never occurred to me until I saw this Emerald.

I'm not a double neck player (yet)--but I'm very impressed with this guitar.

[Kindness]

Originally Posted by AndyFrank

isn't this true with any double neck acoustic?



Before this guitar it wasn't a practical option?? Alistar has changed the world??? Really? Given all the promoting you and Martin have been doing for Emerald Guitars, literally turning this section in to the "lets talk emerald forum" me thinks either Alistar is using some kind of hallucinogenic in his finish or we are missing something. Are you guys sponsors?

Ouch...hugs everyone hugs! If you have been keeping track of my posts, it would look like I am a sponsor for Rainsong!!

Lets face it, carbon fiber luthiers are setting the bar high. Even Obbligato has come up with a saddle to produce even better sounding cf guitars. Each of us have our own preferences, a beautiful thing.

I love how passionate Doubleneck and Martin are about the Emerald guitars. I had the chance to meet Alistair at Kramsters house, and what a great guy. And you know, he works day and night to bring all of us better guitars.

Thanks for posting the top ten! It's fun to see with my coffee every morning.

[AndyFrank]

I'll give you a hug anytime Lisa but I'm not hugging the Kramster.

[P_K]

#4 X20-OS 7 string Fan Fret Woody
Ever since I built my very first 7 string guitar for Steve Vai way back in 2003 I've been fascinated by the extra range and creative potential the extra low B offers. we have been developing these guitars along the way and I feel this guitar is the culmination of everything I've learned to date.
The biggest difficulty with a 7 string is getting good tension in the low B so the perfect solution is a fan fret design. This guitar has 27" scale on the bass side running to a 25.5" scale on the treble side and it allows good tension while keeping the string gauge down to .060
Aesthetically we once again gave this one the Gold treatment with Gold Logo, Gold Gotoh 510 tuners, Gold Evo fretwire and gold tint on the carbon and of course a stunning highly figured quilted Maple top.
It's a stunning guitar with a sweet voice and a bass response that apparently makes its owners dog run for cover.

[Doubleneck]

I really think this is the prettiest guitar he has made. I can't imagine what #2 and #1 will be!!!! And by the way top of the line looks like no truss rod? Steve.