Help me pick an Emerald

opie · #1 10-16-2021, 04:15 AM

I'm going to purchase myself an Emerald as a treat. I'm sure other Carbon makers are lovely but I can't decide between Emeralds so lets not make it more complex.

I play at home, by myself 100% of the time. Just helps me relax. ZERO desire to play in front of people. I'll play about any style of music but I do gravitate towards a bluegrass/country style and then fingerstyle after that. I play a touch of electric but I don't plug in often.

I had always thought I wanted an X7 but then started looking at and listening to the X20 which I think might tickly my fancy more with flatpicking.

The virtuo peaked my interest but I'm afraid I'd have to plug in all the time with that one. Maybe I'm wrong?

So what is the intarwebs opinion? And between those two should I get a pickup installed? I mean is it like 4WD on your truck? It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it?

kitesurfer · #2 10-16-2021, 04:22 AM

everything you said about yourself applies to me. the only time i plug in is for my lessons. I have an x20 and an Amicus currently being shipped. You are welcome to play mine though i live in jax, fla

jklotz · #3 10-16-2021, 05:52 AM

I'm in atlanta. You can play my x 20 if you want. Just pm me.

Captain Jim · #4 10-16-2021, 06:53 AM

Congrats on your decision to get an Emerald - I have three; they are great guitars. I'll weigh in on your choices, only because you asked...

If I were to have only one Emerald, it would be the X20. It is the "flagship" model (my opinion), like the 814ce is to Taylor owners. It does everything well. It isn't the biggest, smallest, loudest, quietest of all the Emeralds. It would do what you're looking to get from a guitar. It is comfortable to play, sounds great. No downside.

The X7 is a great smaller guitar. Sounds bigger than what it should. I have a previous generation X7, which is smaller than the current model... it is my "fun size" guitar. It was my first Emerald and changed my entire way of thinking about acoustic guitars. It is an impressive little powerhouse. If you are good with a 24" scale, this would be my second suggestion for which Emerald to buy.

The X10 is Emerald's bridge guitar, between an acoustic and an electric. I find mine to be a bit quieter than the X20 or the X7, with a sweet balance of tone. It has a smaller nut width (1 11/16 vs 1 3/4 on the other guitars). More than enough acoustic tone with some good electric options. This is a fun guitar. I use this one frequently for long distance music projects with my long-time music partner.

The Virtuo is a thin-body X10 that gives up some acoustic sound (some, not all) in favor of the electric options provided by the Fishman Fluence pickups. If you aren't playing plugged in, this would be the equivalence of buying a Corvette when you live on an island with a 30 mph speed limit. If you are playing in a band, this would be the Emerald I'd recommend. Since you aren't, I'm back to recommending the X20 or X7.

Emerald is calling their X20 "dreadnought" size and their X7 "parlor" size. The ergonomic design makes the X20 far more comfortable than any dreadnought or Grand Auditorium size wood guitar I've played. Likewise, the X7 sounds bigger and is more comfortable than a wood parlor size guitar.

So, bigger guitar with a 25.5" scale - go for the X20. Smaller guitar with a 24" scale - go for the X7. That makes this decision easier... now you get to delve into colors, veneers, pickups, fretboard inlays, tuner colors... that should be enough to give you even more angst.

Good luck with the decisions. Keep us posted.

David Eastwood · #5 10-16-2021, 07:06 AM

Great response, Jim - I think you covered all the basics very well.

Hard for me to contribute as I’ve never seen, let alone played, an X7 or an X10. All I can say is that I’m happier with my X20, after three years of ownership, than I’ve ever been with any other acoustic guitar (and that includes my beloved Martin).

The Martin is still the one I’d grab if I had to leave the house in a hurry - it’s pretty much irreplaceable. Emerald can always build me another X20

Methos1979 · #6 10-16-2021, 07:18 AM

I'd say definitely go with the X20 because you mentioned bluegrass. I also vote for getting the pickup. Your instincts are dead-on.

RP · #7 10-16-2021, 08:46 AM

I'd also vote for the X20 but would forgo the pickup...

opie · #8 10-16-2021, 09:28 AM

Wow. Thank you for all the responses. I think x20 is the way to go. I will fiddle with my build and report back when I get it

redi · #9 10-16-2021, 10:05 AM

Odds are you will probably get one, then another. Then another. Don't ask me how I know

X20 is a fair place to start unless you prefer smaller guitars, then the X7 fits the bill nicely. X20 is big enough and you really need a purpose for a Jumbo, imo.

If the X10 or -slimline were your cup of tea, you just might go the Virtuo route.

The basic pickup they typically use, LR Baggs Element is pretty basic, unobtrusive, and does not add much to the cost, so going for a stock guitar usually speeds things up by a couple months, and possibly helps with resale if you ever part with it.

dmcginnis · #10 10-16-2021, 10:32 AM

I'll chime in on this one. I love my X7 and highly recommend it. I had an X20 but recently sold it. I did that because we had the chance to do an A-B comparison between the X7, X20 and an X30 with a fantastic guitar player and his fiddle-playing partner (they are both professional/performing musicians). In the blind A-B-C test, the fiddle player did not know which guitar was being used to accompany her....from her perspective, the X7 was the best with the X20 next....but both behind the quality of my McIlroy wood guitar. The X20 seemed to be unnecessary after that comparison, so I sold it. My X30 is also on consignment because I love my X7 so much.

Regardless, they are all wonderful guitars...you cannot go wrong with any of them.

David Eastwood · #11 10-16-2021, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RP

I'd also vote for the X20 but would forgo the pickup...

Ditto - I don’t have a pickup in any of mine, and have never missed it. I’m also pretty much exclusively a home player.

SpruceTop · #12 10-16-2021, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by opie

I'm going to purchase myself an Emerald as a treat. I'm sure other Carbon makers are lovely but I can't decide between Emeralds so lets not make it more complex.

I play at home, by myself 100% of the time. Just helps me relax. ZERO desire to play in front of people. I'll play about any style of music but I do gravitate towards a bluegrass/country style and then fingerstyle after that. I play a touch of electric but I don't plug in often.

I had always thought I wanted an X7 but then started looking at and listening to the X20 which I think might tickly my fancy more with flatpicking.

The virtuo peaked my interest but I'm afraid I'd have to plug in all the time with that one. Maybe I'm wrong?

So what is the intarwebs opinion? And between those two should I get a pickup installed? I mean is it like 4WD on your truck? It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it?

I bought an Emerald X20 a couple of years ago and love it as it's versatile for flatpicking and fingerpicking. The LR Baggs Element can sound pretty good especially when routed through an LR Baggs Session DI. My only other Emerald choice would be the X30 because I already have an X20.

raysachs · #13 10-16-2021, 03:18 PM

In my experience, the X20 and X7 are very different sounding guitars. The X20 is brighter in both good and bad ways to my ear. The X7 is somehow deeper and warmer, despite it's smaller size. If possible, you really should try to play both - I realize that's a tall order, but you can't really know which you'd prefer otherwise. I had an X20 for a few months - I had an X7 for most of two years and frankly wish I'd kept it. It made sense to sell it when I did - I had a lot of good reasons, but I wish I still had it, so I guess you'd call that seller's remorse.

Hard to go wrong, but depending on the sound you like, you can definitely go more right with one than the other...

-Ray

esimms86 · #14 10-16-2021, 08:42 PM

I would also suggest that you think about what kind of guitar sound you prefer or have gotten accustomed to. As we all know, bluegrass players tend to gravitate towards Martin D18 and D28 models. This may or may not describe you, however, these particular Martins embody sound signatures that most bluegrass/country players are familiar with. You play alone 100% of the time so you would not be in need of a proverbial “banjo killer.” Still, if the sound in your head is that of a D28 then I would go with the X30. If the sound in your head is that of a D18 then I would go with an X20.

BlueStarfish · #15 10-16-2021, 09:28 PM

Another vote that says the X20 will be great for what you describe. It has great bass (but also nice strong trebles too, so it is warm and bright at the same time). It’s very responsive. It can get plenty loud if you set it up with medium gage strings, shim the action up to a nice flatpicking height, and play it with a nice stiff flatpick.