Rainsong steel parlor - too much.

[Bax Burgess]

Out of the box it was a better fit to my ear than what my modifications have made of it. Pre-mod, the tusq pins were a bit loose, the bridge slot floor was grooved its entire length, and the saddle's base was not level front to back, but the guitar produced a nice carbon sound: sweet trebles, fast response, and good volume. I corrected the issues, and the guitar, in essence, roars. Even when I play gently, it's too much. For those who want to drive a Ferrari, salutations, but I'm a minivan guy. I thought it was broke, so I fixed it. I'll be going from the stock Elixir nanowebs to rope core Thomastiks and a saddle material other than tusq.

[sirwhale]

You mean it's too loud? or too bright? It sounds like you are saying too loud, but it's not often I hear that complaint. Looks like you'll be starting on the long road of trying (and sanding) saddle materials.

[Bax Burgess]

Too loud. Massive for the body size. I have three other saddle alternatives, so it'll be a short road, as I have all the supplies on hand. Definitely, too loud isn't something generally whined about, but I'm doing it here.

[Earl49]

You didn't say which version of the Parlor - CH, H, or Standard. My WS-1000 classic is noticeably louder than most other guitars, and louder than its H and CH brethren. When I'm playing in the living room, I have to deliberately lay off a bit due to the added volume when strumming. But in a large jam, or played finger style with bare nails, that loudness is often an advantage.

The rest of the story is that not every "improvement" to saddle and pins is an upgrade. Especially for carbon fiber, you are probably better off by experimenting with string type than parts-changing to modify the tone. Sometimes upping the gauge of strings can quiet a guitar down, by "choking" the top a bit with extra tension.

Originally Posted by Bax Burgess

Pre-mod, the tusq pins were a bit loose, the bridge slot floor was grooved its entire length, and the saddle's base was not level front to back......

It's a little puzzling to hear that the saddle slot was not level, nor was the base of the saddle sanded flat. Rainsong is generally better than that. Has this guitar been set up by someone else since leaving the factory?

[Bax Burgess]

The CH model, brand new. The imperfections are par for the course for any new or used guitar I've had the benefit of working on, whether my carbons, woods, steels, or nylons, expensive or cheap. I have the time to do this rinky-dink stuff, time not necessarily well spent by a producer wanting to get a guitar out the door.

[Captain Jim]

The RS Parlor came out shortly after I bought a Shorty... I was impressed that it sounded as big as the Shorty, with very similar tone. The Shorty I had responded best to a light strum - you could make it block up by digging in.

When you said it was "too much," I recall thinking that about the Emerald X20 when I first got it, after almost a year with the X7. It took a couple sessions with it for me to understand how much range that guitar has: from a mellow tone with a light touch to a strong punch when played harder. That guitar continues to impress me like no other I've owned.

Perhaps this will be the situation with you and the Parlor? Strings and a change of pick make a real difference, too. I have tried D'addario and Martin Lifespans and Retros on my CF guitars, but always come back to the Elixirs because I like the punch they offer. The Gravity Gold and Charmed Life (red, brown, and black) have become my go-to picks... they seem to allow more control from light to heavy attack without changing the tone.

Good luck taming that Parlor. (May be the first time those words have been used together.)

[Bax Burgess]

The X20 is a dreamboat of a guitar. I think it's perfect. Using fingerstyle, this CH parlor is still loud. It has such a rich wash with the tusq, that along with the volume it's a lot to deal with. I'll simplify by clarifying with bone or corian, and judge where to go from there.

[BT55]

I purchased a new Rainsong H-OM this year. Out of the box it was barely playable. I sanded the bridge saddle and made some tweaks to the nut and the guitar was transformed. It is now one of the most playable guitars in my stable. Rainsong provided a spare saddle when I spoke to them as I’ve trashed bridge saddles in the past.

[mountainmaster]

I too had to sand the bridge saddle of my Rainsong. I guess they like their action high.

I had bought a spare white Graphtech PQ-9200-C0 in advance just in case I would screw up but all went well.
The guitar came with a black Graphtech saddle, but those are not easy to find within the EU. And I wasn't prepared to pay a huge amount for shipping a small item like that.

[NoodleFingers]

I'm pretty sure that RainSong uses standard Taylor Tusq nuts and saddle. So you should be able to buy exact replacements for the originals quite easily.

[jonfields45]

I can confirm that RainSong uses a Tusq PQ-9200-C0 for most models and a black PS-9200-C0 on the CH series.

The black lubricated ones seem (I did not A-B this on the same guitar) to add a bit more (really the right words are even more) tuning stability but look like they develop string grooves more easily. I've taken the tuner out of my standard gig setup as tuning once at the start of a three set gig, even outdoors last Saturday in 90F 80% RH misery, is all it takes for my CH-PA.

I always buy a spare or two before starting saddle modifications though lately I'm experienced enough that the spares have collected in a box in my basement. It seems someone on eBay has always got these at a reasonable price shipped (to the US) in single unit quantities.