#61
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Earl;
I really admire your rehab process. I think a lot of people would have just given up. I've played the NS34ce. I thought it was a beautiful instrument and it played well. But as you note, it did not compete with the sound from a good classical. The closest I came to a cut-a-way nylon string guitar that did compete was a Takamine--but it was still not there. The Blackbird nylon string Rider comes very close to classical tone and projection but does not give me the nut width or fret reach that I like and I was never comfortable with it even with a neck-up. The Rainsong Parlor nylon is almost there but does not give me the fret reach I want. I have the Parlor and the Emerald X10-OSN. When I let others play the two guitars the consensus is that the Parlor may have better tone and projection but the Emerald has a sweeter neck and plays higher. I go back and forth between the two and have been unable to decide on which I would call the best. John has been pretty consistent in his desire for a CF nylon string that would follow the traditional classical build and his ideal would settle the question as to whether a CF guitar could compete with a classical guitar. But his ideal would still leave unanswered the question of whether a cut-a-way and bevels can be added without negatively changing tone and project. It's a challenge, one that I expect Rob to resolve after all the fine advice he's been getting on this thread. One might say he's hanging on by a thread. I suppose we might also say that he's being held back by a thread. |
#62
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Thanks Evan. Giving up was never really an option. Not to be melodramatic, but playing guitar is a core aspect of my personality and a big part of what makes my life worthwhile. Without music, it would be hard to go on.
Since I thumb-over a lot to hit the sixth string for Piedmont blues and ragtime, the wide & flat classical neck does not work well for me. I would have to revise my playing style in a substantial way. Crossovers work fine though, but I have never invested in a really stellar one. I will continue to follow this thread, as it is getting quite interesting. If I ended up with nothing but CF guitars a few years down the road, I would be OK with that. The only reason I sold the NS34 was that it would sit unplayed for large chunks of the year, and deserved better. It is getting serious love now from its new owner in Australia. I have even been known to put ball-end nylon strings on my old Silvertone on occasion. It is built for steel strings and is not a high-end guitar anyway, so that is a marginal option at best. But every once in a while, I really feel the need for nylon sound. Hopefully there won't be any more hand rehab in my future. [knock on carbon fiber for luck] |
#63
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Since someone asked:
50mm and flat. It is a nylon string guitar. Why not put a pin bridge on it so you can use ball end strings... I just sold the one and only 48mm-1 7/8" neck I'll ever own. I adapted but it felt cramped. hunter |
#64
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Hunter;
Take a look at Sir Whale's latest thread--I think you'll like what you see. |
#65
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Quote:
hunter |
#66
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Hunter;
No mistake, you are on topic. The Journey folding guitar has taken on a new medium and is now available in carbon fiber. One of the abiding subjects in the development of a new nylon string Journey has been nut width and your preference echoes the input from others. |
#67
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Rob;
Are you (or will you be) doing any customization? For example, could someone order a color other than what's listed on your site? Would two-tone coloration be possible? Is it possible to order a guitar that is completely one color? |
#68
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Hi Evan,
We'll be doing more customization in '17, which is when this guitar will be coming out. Two-tone bursts should be ready at that time as well. take care, Rob
__________________
Journey Instruments Overhead Acoustic Travel Guitar https://www.facebook.com/JourneyInstruments Santa Cruz Arlen Roth OM 1950s Martin Baritone Uke A prototype of something you're likely to drool over. 9 yr old boy learning drums, 5 yr old girl who likes to groove with the beat, a music-loving toddler, 1 patient and amazing wife. |
#69
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Rob;
If you can find them, you might want to look at pictures of the CF guitars developed by Voyage Instruments (the French company that never made it). The VI guitars were high style with lots of flash. I thought they were pretty neat looking. |
#70
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#71
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Thank you AC. You are a remarkable digger of info and I appreciate all the material you bring the forum table. Tasty. Now Rob is going to have to reconsider all his preconceptions regarding coloration.
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#72
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From a performance perspective, the opposite of classical is casual, so this nebulous instrument is a nylon string casual guitar.
The definition of casual is,"without formality of style or manner." So what makes a guitar casual? It supports whatever style is most comfortable in the moment: standing with a strap, sitting on a stool, a couch, the end of a bed, a pillow on the floor, a tree stump in the forest, or a big rock on a beach, with the thumb behind the neck or hooked over the top, with fingers or a pick, acoustic or plugged in. Then there's the issue of staying away from, "jack of all trades, master of none," and creating an instrument that facilitates stellar performance in a casual setting. The difference between playing with thumb behind the neck or hooked over the top is enough to deserve a 1mm difference in neck width. The difference between using fingers or a pick is enough to deserve a 2mm difference in string spacing at the saddle. I play with a pick. My educated guess is that a 57mm saddle spacing is ideal for fingers, but I don't have to guess with a pick. 55mm is amazing. I may expand at the nut, from 41mm to 41.5, to restore some of the lost string spacing on the neck. Using my minimum 3.5mm fretboard edge gap, this expands the nut width to 48.5mm. I'm going to play more with the new saddle before changing the nut. A 56mm saddle spacing is an example of "jack of all trades." |
#73
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Quote:
Quote:
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#74
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so . . . . about a dash less than 1 233/256 inches seems about right?
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#75
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AC;
That sounds about right, thank you for the clarification. |