Flatpicker thinking of carbon fiber

Elisdad · #1 12-27-2018, 11:35 AM

I play a lot of fiddle tunes and bluegrass and spend lots of time at bluegrass and fiddle festivals. I currently play a Collings D2H. My Collings has been through it all with me, sweltering heat, cold, jamming under a canopy while raining, etc... I love the idea of a carbon fiber guitar and really intrigued by the Emerald x30 and the Rainsong Hybrid Dread. I need it to be loud for bluegrass!

Am I looking at the right options here? Would there be better choices?

Thanks,

Eric

Captain Jim · #2 12-27-2018, 11:48 AM

I would say you are looking at the two best options for your use. Stick around this sub-forum. Most of us came here looking for climate resistance and stayed for the great tone.

Good luck with your search.

benderman57 · #3 12-27-2018, 11:57 AM

Both great choices you are considering.

I will throw into the mix a CA Composite Legacy Model. At one time they even made a Bluegrass model that was loud & Lively. Great guitars that don't get much attention around here anymore with Emerald & Rainsong always striving to improve.

If you are after a loud & proud Dread style guitar you should consider a CA Legacy.

GuitarLuva · #4 12-27-2018, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elisdad

I play a lot of fiddle tunes and bluegrass and spend lots of time at bluegrass and fiddle festivals. I currently play a Collings D2H. My Collings has been through it all with me, sweltering heat, cold, jamming under a canopy while raining, etc... I love the idea of a carbon fiber guitar and really intrigued by the Emerald x30 and the Rainsong Hybrid Dread. I need it to be loud for bluegrass!

Am I looking at the right options here? Would there be better choices?

Thanks,

Eric

I can't speak for the Rainsong Dread but I can tell you that the X30 is an amazing guitar in every way shape and form. It would certainly make a nice bluegrass guitar!

chistrummer · #5 12-27-2018, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elisdad

I play a lot of fiddle tunes and bluegrass and spend lots of time at bluegrass and fiddle festivals. I currently play a Collings D2H. My Collings has been through it all with me, sweltering heat, cold, jamming under a canopy while raining, etc... I love the idea of a carbon fiber guitar and really intrigued by the Emerald x30 and the Rainsong Hybrid Dread. I need it to be loud for bluegrass!

Am I looking at the right options here? Would there be better choices?

Thanks,

Eric

Benderman nailed it with his suggestion. I just checked out your youtube channel, you need a CA Legacy. I love Rainsong and their dreads could certainly work for you but I think the Legacy was made for flatpicking. I would suggest you give Ted at LA Guitar Sales a call and ask him about the differences. I doubt you will find anyone with more cf guitar experience anywhere. He calls em as he sees em and will give you a nice discount just by asking.

SpruceTop · #6 12-27-2018, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elisdad

I play a lot of fiddle tunes and bluegrass and spend lots of time at bluegrass and fiddle festivals. I currently play a Collings D2H. My Collings has been through it all with me, sweltering heat, cold, jamming under a canopy while raining, etc... I love the idea of a carbon fiber guitar and really intrigued by the Emerald x30 and the Rainsong Hybrid Dread. I need it to be loud for bluegrass!

Am I looking at the right options here? Would there be better choices?

Thanks,

Eric

See if you can find a used Composite Acoustics Tim Stafford Signature Dreadnought with Onboard Aura. This is essentially a tricked-out CA Legacy with a sound port on the side of the upper bout that would likely be a good choice but let me say the neck-relief is apt to apt to be quite high but it's a monster both acoustically and amplified. I had one but returned it due to what I considered the need for excessive playing effort on my part. See Tim Stafford, as part of Blue Highway, play this signature model just about every Saturday night on Reno's Old Time Music on the RFD-TV channel on DirecTV and likely on Dish and cable too.

JerryM · #7 12-27-2018, 03:43 PM

I pretty much do the same thing all summer at festivals and jams, had a RS for a couple of years and they play nice but never got the volume to cut enough. I am seriously looking at a McPherson Sable and a second good choice I think would be a RS dreadnought. I think either. one will work as they are close to traditional size and more traditional looking.

Earl49 · #8 12-27-2018, 04:41 PM

From direct personal experience, I find the loudness to go 1) X30, 2) Rainsong DR-1000, then 3) WS-1000. The DR is definitely louder than my WS. I have played the CA Legacy dreadnought in the local store a time or two, but I tend to avoid dreadnought guitars these days. I don't have enough experience with the H-DR to know if it is louder, warmer, or ????

I play my Emerald X20 at bluegrass jams routinely and wish for nothing more. I have not yet tried the X30 at one (only had it about 12 days now) but it sounds very Martin-like in its tone. A friend who owns a DR-1000 came for a jam and pot luck on Christmas Day and could not put down my X30. The Emerald X30 gets the nod from me because of the curves and bevels - very comfortable.

Elisdad · #9 12-27-2018, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl49

The Emerald X30 gets the nod from me because of the curves and bevels - very comfortable.

Based on looks alone, the x30 is what I want. Amazing looking. I wasn't sure how that sound hole would project to the other players in the jam.

GuitarLuva · #10 12-27-2018, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elisdad

Based on looks alone, the x30 is what I want. Amazing looking. I wasn't sure how that sound hole would project to the other players in the jam.

The offset soundhole in the X30 projects forward just fine. Louder than my Gibson dread, according to the wife.

AZLiberty · #11 12-27-2018, 07:48 PM

Both the CA Legacy and Rainsong Dread (of various flavors) fit in a normal dreadnought hardcase.

I'll take a guitar to a local gig in a gigbag, but if I am flying or driving any distance I want a hard case.

Not sure if Emerald has a hardcase solution for the X-30 yet.

As for volume in a Bluegrass mix, my Rainsong Shorty is considerably louder than my Martin Dreadnought, so I can't see a Rainsong Dread being a problem.

GuitarLuva · #12 12-27-2018, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

Not sure if Emerald has a hardcase solution for the X-30 yet.

I received my X30 a few months ago and it came with a Hiscox hardcase. They were having a case issue regarding the size of the X30 but it was resolved. Emerald responded to the issue in another thread. I'll link it when I remember which one it was. So far I'm yet to hear someone say something negative about the X30. It's really amazing what Alistair did with it.

Earl49 · #13 12-28-2018, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

The offset soundhole in the X30 projects forward just fine. Louder than my Gibson dread, according to the wife.

You can hear X30 just fine from out front. During our Christmas Day jam, there was me on my X20-12, my friend on my X30, and my wife on her fairly loud alto flute. That was a whole LOT of guitar for our moderate sized living room, and we both had to back off to hear the flute sitting just a few feet away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

I received my X30 a few months ago and it came with a Hiscox hardcase. They were having a case issue regarding the size of the X30 but it was resolved. Emerald responded to the issue in another thread. I'll link it when I remember which one it was. So far I'm yet to hear someone say something negative about the X30. It's really amazing what Alistair did with it.

Mine came two weeks ago in a molded Hiscox case, just like the other Artisans. It does not have the Emerald logo molded in, but that is OK.

It has taken me a bit to adjust to the very powerful low E string on the X30. Mine came set up very low - like electric guitar low - and noticeably lower than our other Emeralds. I've since shimmed the saddle up and loosened the truss rod to add back some relief. That also seemed to mitigate the boomy low E, or maybe I've just adapted?? It is still powerful, but not overwhelming. X30 is a large guitar, and I have shifted my playing position slightly to accommodate it. Normally I play using the classical position and neck angled upward about 25-30°. X30 wants to sit with the neck more level, and I can actually play it sitting on my right leg without bothering my bad right shoulder. This is not bad - just different than the X20.

GuitarLuva · #14 12-28-2018, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl49

You can hear X30 just fine from out front. During our Christmas Day jam, there was me on my X20-12, my friend on my X30, and my wife on her fairly loud alto flute. That was a whole LOT of guitar for our moderate sized living room, and we both had to back off to hear the flute sitting just a few feet away.

Mine came two weeks ago in a molded Hiscox case, just like the other Artisans. It does not have the Emerald logo molded in, but that is OK.

It has taken me a bit to adjust to the very powerful low E string on the X30. Mine came set up very low - like electric guitar low - and noticeably lower than our other Emeralds. I've since shimmed the saddle up and loosened the truss rod to add back some relief. That also seemed to mitigate the boomy low E, or maybe I've just adapted?? It is still powerful, but not overwhelming. X30 is a large guitar, and I have shifted my playing position slightly to accommodate it. Normally I play using the classical position and neck angled upward about 25-30°. X30 wants to sit with the neck more level, and I can actually play it sitting on my right leg without bothering my bad right shoulder. This is not bad - just different than the X20.

I also found, due to all the fancy contours, that it actually helps my playing posture. Normally with a wooden guitar I'm hunched over but with the X30 I'm sitting straight. My wife noticed this as well.

Earl49 · #15 12-28-2018, 12:30 AM

My posture and guitar position has fully adapted to the X20. The X30 is different - still quite comfortable for such a large guitar, but the X20 works almost perfectly for me. The best description is comparing a dreadnought versus a 000, with X30 being the dreadnought.

I play seated and with a strap almost 100% of the time. The X20 locks in against my right thigh, whereas the X30 is a little too big for that. It does sit nicely with the neck somewhat more level. Over time, it will all work out. I'm still in the bonding and learning phase. Interestingly enough, different thicknesses of picks seem to work better. The X20 likes a heavier pick for more robust tone, and the X30 wants a lighter pick to add back some balancing brightness. YMMV of course.