Here we go again! Custom Emerald order placed!!

[Methos1979]

Why, oh why, do I (we) do this to ourselves?!? What sort of masochists are we that we feel the need to subject ourselves to the pain of waiting for an eternity for a custom guitar build?!? I'd been hinting around a few threads here and there that I was considering another custom Emerald guitar build. Well, it's been done. I just spent a good three hours going back and forth with Alistair himself (Kevin is on holiday) planning out the next custom Emerald and the deposit has been made.

Now. The. Wait.

I wasn't really planning on a new custom but a few things got me going in that direction: First, I saw a the latest veneers and one in particular caught my eye that I thought would make for an incredible custom woody. Then there was the new Emerald line announcements in June. I had always said that if they came out with something between the X20 and the X7 in size that I might consider another build. Instead, they updated the X7 with a slightly larger body and similar sound hole design to the X20, two things I wanted.

Since misery loves company I've decided to keep some of the coolest things a secret until the guitar arrives, sometime (I assume) in 2019. Gosh, that even sounds awful. I figure if I don't dwell on it, it will be less painful. Sigh. Anyway, I will share the following: It will be a new style X7. It will be a woody. It will have Amber back and sides. It will have a K&K. It will have a custom neck carve and scale just like my X20, so soft V with 24.6" scale. The rest you'll just have to wait for. I will say that Alistair went out of his way to accommodate my vision and we both think the final result will be quite a thing of beauty.

I only plan to keep two guitars so pay close attention to the following statement. Once this guitar arrives one of two things will happen: Assuming of course that I am over the moon with the new build, one of the two I have now will go on the chopping block. I love the Martin but since getting the X20 custom it doesn't get played much. The X20 is now my main gigging guitar and as you would expect from a CF guitar, it has bulletproof like performance. I like the idea of going all CF and not dealing with the care of a delicate wood guitar and I much prefer the Emerald soft V carve to the Martin Mod V.

That said, I still love the Martin. It's very light and sounds great unplugged (and plugged in, of course). And do I really need two CF guitars that other than some slight variations in aesthetics and ergonomics are sure to play/sound the same? I mean, sure, having a close duplicate backup for gigging is always smart but short of being stolen, what can go wrong with a CF with a K&K, right?!? And it would be nice to have something significantly different from the other. Every time I think I'm ready to sell the Martin I pick it up and really fall in love with it all over again!

Time will tell. But one thing for sure is that there will either be an awesome Martin for sale or (better yet for those in THIS group) a custom woody X20 for sale! Imagine being able to own an Emerald custom woody at a savings from new AND with little to no wait!!

[mot]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Why, oh why, do I (we) do this to ourselves?!? What sort of masochists are we that we feel the need to subject ourselves to the pain of waiting for an eternity for a custom guitar build?!? I'd been hinting around a few threads here and there that I was considering another custom Emerald guitar build. Well, it's been done. I just spent a good three hours going back and forth with Alistair himself (Kevin is on holiday) planning out the next custom Emerald and the deposit has been made.

Now. The. Wait.

I wasn't really planning on a new custom but a few things got me going in that direction: First, I saw a the latest veneers and one in particular caught my eye that I thought would make for an incredible custom woody. Then there was the new Emerald line announcements in June. I had always said that if they came out with something between the X20 and the X7 in size that I might consider another build. Instead, they updated the X7 with a slightly larger body and similar sound hole design to the X20, two things I wanted.

Since misery loves company I've decided to keep some of the coolest things a secret until the guitar arrives, sometime (I assume) in 2019. Gosh, that even sounds awful. I figure if I don't dwell on it, it will be less painful. Sigh. Anyway, I will share the following: It will be a new style X7. It will be a woody. It will have Amber back and sides. It will have a K&K. It will have a custom neck carve and scale just like my X20, so soft V with 24.6" scale. The rest you'll just have to wait for. I will say that Alistair went out of his way to accommodate my vision and we both think the final result will be quite a thing of beauty.

I only plan to keep two guitars so pay close attention to the following statement. Once this guitar arrives one of two things will happen: Assuming of course that I am over the moon with the new build, one of the two I have now will go on the chopping block. I love the Martin but since getting the X20 custom it doesn't get played much. The X20 is now my main gigging guitar and as you would expect from a CF guitar, it has bulletproof like performance. I like the idea of going all CF and not dealing with the care of a delicate wood guitar and I much prefer the Emerald soft V carve to the Martin Mod V.

That said, I still love the Martin. It's very light and sounds great unplugged (and plugged in, of course). And do I really need two CF guitars that other than some slight variations in aesthetics and ergonomics are sure to play/sound the same? I mean, sure, having a close duplicate backup for gigging is always smart but short of being stolen, what can go wrong with a CF with a K&K, right?!? And it would be nice to have something significantly different from the other. Every time I think I'm ready to sell the Martin I pick it up and really fall in love with it all over again!

Time will tell. But one thing for sure is that there will either be an awesome Martin for sale or (better yet for those in THIS group) a custom woody X20 for sale! Imagine being able to own an Emerald custom woody at a savings from new AND with little to no wait!!

Ugh! I read your post then went over to the Emerald site. I couldn't help it. Fortunately I don't have any plastic cash handy. I saw two or three ready-right-nows that could tide me over for quite a while. I think maybe instead I will save up and just go visit them and play whatever they have handy. Maybe I will order something, maybe I will walk away with one they have ready-to-go on the shelf or maybe I will just go get another pint of the local suds and listen to the local musicians. I think for now I will go play guitar for a while and try to get those images and ideas out of my head while I subconsciously work out how to grab a flight to see what's what in Alistair's magic shop.

[steelvibe]

I love the specs on the new X7 Methos- a lot. Even seriously contemplating selling off one of mine to fund it (which I would hate to have to do since I'm so happy with them). I wait in pain with you.

I really do get what you are saying about the Martin though. Martin tone is not only hard to beat but sought after.

We clearly need to buy a time-share apartment at Alistair's restaurant. We could go and check out new stuff, pick up our stuff the minute it's finished, and even see a bit of Ireland while we're there.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by EvanB

We clearly need to buy a time-share apartment at Alistair's restaurant. We could go and check out new stuff, pick up our stuff the minute it's finished, and even see a bit of Ireland while we're there.

Now THERE'S a great idea!!!

[Earl49]

People have to take a leap of faith buying an Emerald, since there are no dealers stocking them, and you usually cannot try before buying. But how many of us here have bought one and then cannot stop? It's a disease.... and the wood guitars are the suffering, neglected victims. We have three Emerald's now, and I seriously pondered an X30 too. I even put in "dibs" for Wicked Wahine's koa X7, if she somehow has a major lapse of judgment and decides to part with it once her custom new turquoise X7 arrives in a few months. (I truly appreciate the sentiment, WW, but I'm really not holding my breath. With your Aloha Camp connection, you simply must own something with koa).

Evan: Alistair's Restaurant - very clever. With a wife named Alice, I am formally prohibited from playing that song, but I do play the Piccolo Rag - the underlying guitar part.

[Captain Jim]

Congrats, Scott! Seeing how gorgeous your X20 is, I am sure you and Alistair will have us all drooling again when this new one is revealed. The wait? I have no wise words to help you with that, other than: the end result is the important part, and you have that beautiful X20 to keep your spirits up.

I find myself looking at Alistair's creations and thinking: "How will he top that?" And, he does.

[nuttyprof]

I feel your pain! I'm guitarless for the meantime... now the long wait...
At least in the meantime I can pester Alistair and Kevin with changes I want to make to my order until its in production!

[Carmel Cedar]

Goodness Methos, I think we placed an order at the same time, for what sounds like nearly the same guitar (new X7, woody, amber b/s, custom scale length). If you went for gold tuners, then they'll be identical twins - just different woody tops to tell them apart. Will share my story in a separate thread, but I predict we'll be looking for our X7s at a similar time this winter.

[Methos1979]

Originally Posted by Carmel Cedar

Goodness Methos, I think we placed an order at the same time, for what sounds like nearly the same guitar (new X7, woody, amber b/s, custom scale length). If you went for gold tuners, then they'll be identical twins - just different woody tops to tell them apart. Will share my story in a separate thread, but I predict we'll be looking for our X7s at a similar time this winter.

Oooo, yes! Got your PM. I will say that we have different veneers and other things I know are definitely different. I was pleased when Alistair gave me the approximate date but I've been down this road before where the quoted date went months over. There are differences this time so I'm cautiously optimistic but I'm not going to even think about it until it arrives on my doorstep. I don't even want to know that it's shipped as that was a fiasco unto itself!

[Frettingflyer]

Congrats Methos, Having seen and played your current X20 and your Martin I know you are going to have one tough choice in your future, but what a great “problem” to have. Are you sure you can’t squeeze a third hanger on that wall to have 3 guitars?

[jdinco]

Can't wait to see it Methos, congrats. I gotta keep that one wood guitar, it's just such a treat to play for a change once in awhile.

Methos says "I'm not even going to think about it until it arrives on my door step."

HARHARHARHARHARHAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yo, Methos;

How's that not thinking going? Just asking.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Yo, Methos;

How's that not thinking going? Just asking.

You picked at scabs when you were a kid, didn't ya? Yeah, other people's scabs!