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Old 06-18-2007, 09:40 AM
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Default Played a Rainsong today...

It was a used PG 1000 (not sure if I got all the letters right), with a serial number in the 7000 range. It sounded ok. Big voice, played fast. I'd have to play it a few more times to really give a good review, but if you want a guitar that withstands the elements and don't mind spending a few bucks, it would be worth it. It was an acoustic electric btw, but I didn't plug it in.
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Old 06-18-2007, 12:54 PM
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I wouldn't mind trying the Rainsongs and CAs. They're probably the future, what with South American mahogany down to about two years before CITES slaps the lid on it, and sitka looking at about six years to go. I have the feeling that actual wood guitars might be worth a fortune in the future, regardless of the name on the headstock.

I spent a lot of time in aviation, and have also toyed with the possibility of building a plane as a hobby. Some enterprising luthier ought to go order the enormous free catalogs from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty and also from Wickes Aircraft Supply and thumb through them. We live in the space age. Why aren't we playing truly space age guitars? I suspect there's a better way, if someone would break with tradition and find it.

But Rainsong and CA are a step in the right direction.

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Old 06-18-2007, 01:29 PM
jastevens jastevens is offline
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the rainsong "PG" guitars were part of the "projection series"

not to be confused with the classic or advanced series (what most people think of when they hear 'rainsong')
the projection series paired the projection-tuned carbon-fiber top w/ wood back and sides.

i played a few and they sounded pretty darn good and played great, but being partially made of wood, they are NOT immune to changes in temp and humidity like their big brothers.

the projection series never got very popular and was discontinued a few years ago.

all the ones i played seemed to be fine instruments, but because of their lack of popularity, the resale is pretty darn low.

i have seen more than one sketchy e-bayer try to pass off projection series instruments off as the full carbon equivalents by conveniently leaving out the specs on the backs and sides.

so... to summarize...
projection series... carbon top, wood b&s... nice guitars (i like to think of them as backwards ovations), but not the same thing as the all carbon rainsongs.
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Old 06-18-2007, 01:44 PM
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That wood explain the woodiness of the sound. I was wondering about that.
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Old 06-18-2007, 01:55 PM
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I will own a JM-1000 one day.
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Old 06-18-2007, 03:41 PM
banpreso banpreso is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugar Bear View Post
We live in the space age. Why aren't we playing truly space age guitars? I suspect there's a better way, if someone would break with tradition and find it.


Sugar Bear

once the start trek replicator's in place, we can all have 70 year old pre war braz martins!!

seriously now... spruce has only 6 years left? i saw the article too. the article says they are being sold to japan to build houses. does that mean 50 years later when those houses are torn down and we'll all the sudden have a big batch of ages spruce to work with? haha. seriously.... spruce only has 6 years left? it's like doomsday for guitars... i mean isn't like 90% of the guitars spruce topped?

back to the rainsong... i played one and thought it was really nice. it had a nice sound, very bright in my opinion, but sounded nice and played well. one really has to be in the market for a very very durable guitar to pick one of these up, but i could imagine big markets for these things.
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Old 06-18-2007, 07:23 PM
3rd_harmonic 3rd_harmonic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pencap23 View Post


I will own a JM-1000 one day.
wow.
No doubt.
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Old 06-19-2007, 06:16 AM
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I got to play one of their smaller body models recently and was really impressed how good it sounded. At first I thought it may have been because it was tuned down, but we tuned it up and it still sounded great.

While at Rockin' Robin in Houston, I played some of the CA line. They were also impressive, although I don't recall being as impressed as I am with the Rainsongs.
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Old 06-19-2007, 07:02 AM
Sugar Bear Sugar Bear is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by banpreso View Post
once the start trek replicator's in place, we can all have 70 year old pre war braz martins!!

seriously now... spruce has only 6 years left? i saw the article too. the article says they are being sold to japan to build houses. does that mean 50 years later when those houses are torn down and we'll all the sudden have a big batch of ages spruce to work with? haha. seriously.... spruce only has 6 years left? it's like doomsday for guitars... i mean isn't like 90% of the guitars spruce topped?

back to the rainsong... i played one and thought it was really nice. it had a nice sound, very bright in my opinion, but sounded nice and played well. one really has to be in the market for a very very durable guitar to pick one of these up, but i could imagine big markets for these things.
"Number One, you have the helm, I'm going to the replicator with my book on the history of the acoustic guitar, and I may be there for several hours!"

What I read was that Sitka spruce has about six years left, not all spruce. Being from upstate New York, this alarms me to the point of cancelling the Friday night bonfires so we can save some of this Adirondack red spruce we've been burning by the ton. (Just kidding )

I'm very curious as to where tonewoods will be going in the future. I'm already seeing some very unusual stuff out there. Maybe someone will discover the ultimate tonewood, something no one ever suspected. But I'd also like to see more R&D in advanced materials in acoustic guitars. But I wish all the makers would leave electronics as an option. I play acoustic. If I wanted electronics, I'd get a Les Paul or a Strat.

Sugar Bear
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