McPherson Sable or Emerald X30

mikealpine · #1 07-02-2020, 12:24 PM

Hey all. Looking for help from those that know these two guitars pretty well. Neither are nearby for me to try.

I have a Rainsong H-OM and love it. I bought a Black Ice WS1000N2, and the tone isn't really appreciably different enough for me to keep it. Instead, I'd look to sell it in exchange for one of the two in the title.

I love the idea of the X30; big, bold, beveled. But when I hear sound clips, while the guitar is warm, it almost sounds too warm to me. If it helps, I lean more toward the Taylor camp than Martin (except for a killer HD35...another story). I also wish they put dots on the fretboard. As mentioned, I love the bevels, and believe this guitar will be almost effortlessly loud.

The McPherson Sable, being thinner, also seems like it would be comfortable. I like the dots and all of the functional things that make a McPherson the guitar it is. I am concerned that it won't have the same effortless volume on tap.

I'd appreciate any thoughts that have helped others decide between these two guitars. Thanks so much!

martingitdave · #2 07-02-2020, 12:48 PM

I own the sable. My first CF guitar. I like it a lot. However, I wonder if I would like an X30 better as a dreadnought player. Since I can’t play them side by side I don’t know. Others here, who have played both will likely chime in. The Sable is very powerful for a guitar of it’s size (about 000 sized). However, it is not a jumbo or dreadnought replacement in terms of volume.

esimms86 · #3 07-02-2020, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Hey all. Looking for help from those that know these two guitars pretty well. Neither are nearby for me to try.

I have a Rainsong H-OM and love it. I bought a Black Ice WS1000N2, and the tone isn't really appreciably different enough for me to keep it. Instead, I'd look to sell it in exchange for one of the two in the title.

I love the idea of the X30; big, bold, beveled. But when I hear sound clips, while the guitar is warm, it almost sounds too warm to me. If it helps, I lean more toward the Taylor camp than Martin (except for a killer HD35...another story). I also wish they put dots on the fretboard. As mentioned, I love the bevels, and believe this guitar will be almost effortlessly loud.

The McPherson Sable, being thinner, also seems like it would be comfortable. I like the dots and all of the functional things that make a McPherson the guitar it is. I am concerned that it won't have the same effortless volume on tap.

I'd appreciate any thoughts that have helped others decide between these two guitars. Thanks so much!

While I have never played an X30 and so can't offer an opinion, I do have an in stock X30 coming in a couple of weeks. I had them add dot inlays to the tune of $200. While mine will come with the LR Baggs Anthem pickup system already installed, I could have saved myself a few hundred dollars(at the expense of a 4-5 month wait) by opting for no pickup at all.

kdcee · #4 07-02-2020, 03:08 PM

I have both. No comparison. Two different animals. Think of comparing a dreadnaught to an OM. Both are wonderful.

mikealpine · #5 07-02-2020, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esimms86

While I have never played an X30 and so can't offer an opinion, I do have an in stock X30 coming in a couple of weeks. I had them add dot inlays to the tune of $200. While mine will come with the LR Baggs Anthem pickup system already installed, I could have saved myself a few hundred dollars(at the expense of a 4-5 month wait) by opting for no pickup at all.

I didn't know they'd add inlays, good to know! Thanks much!

mikealpine · #6 07-02-2020, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martingitdave

I own the sable. My first CF guitar. I like it a lot. However, I wonder if I would like an X30 better as a dreadnought player. Since I can’t play them side by side I don’t know. Others here, who have played both will likely chime in. The Sable is very powerful for a guitar of it’s size (about 000 sized). However, it is not a jumbo or dreadnought replacement in terms of volume.

My H-OM punches well above its weight, though that too, is no dread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdcee

I have both. No comparison. Two different animals. Think of comparing a dreadnaught to an OM. Both are wonderful.

Is it safe to assume you don't find the X30 to be too bassy? That's my concern; the videos I have heard are often bass-heavy, very little "shimmer" in the higher notes.

kdcee · #7 07-02-2020, 04:56 PM

The bass is strong but for me the guitar is very balanced. I do play bare fingers with no thumbpick.

mikealpine · #8 07-02-2020, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdcee

The bass is strong but for me the guitar is very balanced. I do play bare fingers with no thumbpick.

Thank you. I’m mostly a strummer/singer.

douglasfan1 · #9 07-02-2020, 09:19 PM

For strummer, I think X30 should be a better choice.

jonfields45 · #10 07-03-2020, 05:37 AM

The Sable is OM sized like the guitar you plan to keep. Maybe the spruce veneered RainSong Dreadnought is worth checking out. MF will ship you one and take it back if it does not make the cut. They are currently out-of-stock on Sables.

The lack of a tight waist on the RainSong Dreadnought gives it a different voice than the WS or OM with more margin than the WS vs. the OM.

mikealpine · #11 07-03-2020, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonfields45

The Sable is OM sized like the guitar you plan to keep. Maybe the spruce veneered RainSong Dreadnought is worth checking out. MF will ship you one and take it back if it does not make the cut. They are currently out-of-stock on Sables.

The lack of a tight waste on the RainSong Dreadnought gives it a different voice than the WS or OM with more margin than the WS vs. the OM.

I didn’t realize MF sold Sables. Good to know! I had considered a Rainsong dread, possibly an older H, which are no longer in production. Would love to play an X30, though. The bevels are particularLy attractive for comfort. Thanks for replying!

ed62 · #12 07-03-2020, 10:43 AM

A month ago I was in the same boat as you....I decided to go with the Sable over the X30 mainly because I already own an emerald harp guitar and im familiar with their neck profile....I was interested in the Sable because of what i read on this forum about the sable neck profile and overall reviews of the guitar.......Lets just say I will never ,ever , under any circumstances part with my Sable or need to buy another guitar.

GuitarLuva · #13 07-03-2020, 11:18 AM

Sorry if I'm late to the game I was taking one of my AGF breaks. I currently own both The Sable and the X30 but they're apples to oranges different, one being jumbo and the other 000 size. If you're looking for opinions I'll certainly give you mine but just remember we all have different preferences, expectations, etc. so YMMV.

The Sable is the newest addition for me. I haven't had a chance to take it out in the wild yet due to covid 19 but I can tell you this will be by main gigging guitar. It has a nice warm tone, very wood like, and the volume that comes out of the little box really surprises me. I'll compare the soundboard structure to that of Adirondack spruce in that there's lots of headroom. If you dig in with a pick it really comes to life. The Sable doesn't seem to care if you play it hard or light. For fingerpicking, love the tone it produces just don't expect wood like volume. Every carbon fiber guitar that I've played exhibits the same volume characteristics when played fingerstyle. Don't get me wrong they still produce plenty of volume (for me) fingerstyle, just seems to be the biggest difference that I've noticed when comparing carbon to wood. The Sable doesn't have the fancy contours and bevels but it does have rounded edges and my favorite part is the textured coating on the back and sides. It really prevents the guitar from slipping around on you. The only complaint I have with the Sable is the strap button on the neck heel. It's a personal thing for me I just don't like strap buttons on the neck heel on any cutaway guitar no matter the make. Luckily it's an easy fix. I like Emerald & Godin's strap button location so that's where I relocated the button to on my Sable.

The X30 tone is a little harder to describe for me. It's a warm tone overall but not quite as warm as the Sable. It really has a unique voice. I personally don't think the X30 has too much bass, it's really quite balanced for its size. They did a great job making a big guitar feel smaller with the contours and bevels. When it comes to volume the X30 is not as loud as what you might think. It's plenty loud but when you see the size of the body you might expect it to be much louder than it actually is. The X30 prefers to be played with a lighter touch and a lighter pick. I'll compare it's soundboard to cedar in that when you really dig in it starts sounding weird. I'm basically a light to medium strummer but some songs I play that requires digging in I need to back off a little which is not a big deal for me. One thing nobody seems to talk about here but worth mentioning is the X30 has a wolf note on D/Db. All stringed instruments have wolf notes, some are hidden better than others, but the X30's are right in your face. I can get rid of it completely by adding mass to the bridge but doing so kills too much low end. So here's the thing. When strumming this guitar using chords that contain D/Db I find it actually adds a nice thump to the tone. On the other side though, playing fingerstyle my fingers really make those wolf notes pop to the point where I only use this guitar for strumming and it does that quite well. I'm surprised people don't actually mention this more on here.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, I could include more info but that's enough for now. Both of these guitars are great and I consider myself lucky to have both of them. Both are keepers for me but if I could only have one it would be the Sable as I think it's the better all arounder, at least for me. Any other questions feel free to ask.

mikealpine · #14 07-03-2020, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ed62

A month ago I was in the same boat as you....I decided to go with the Sable over the X30 mainly because I already own an emerald harp guitar and im familiar with their neck profile....I was interested in the Sable because of what i read on this forum about the sable neck profile and overall reviews of the guitar.......Lets just say I will never ,ever , under any circumstances part with my Sable or need to buy another guitar.

Thanks for the comment, I think I am leaning this way. As much as I like specific attributes of the X30, I think the Sable is more the sweet spot. Additional confusion for me now is the idea of a Rainsong H dread. Found one for sale, good price, but the Sable still calls me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuitarLuva

Sorry if I'm late to the game I was taking one of my AGF breaks. I currently own both The Sable and the X30 but they're apples to oranges different, one being jumbo and the other 000 size. If you're looking for opinions I'll certainly give you mine but just remember we all have different preferences, expectations, etc. so YMMV.

The Sable is the newest addition for me. I haven't had a chance to take it out in the wild yet due to covid 19 but I can tell you this will be by main gigging guitar. It has a nice warm tone, very wood like, and the volume that comes out of the little box really surprises me. I'll compare the soundboard structure to that of Adirondack spruce in that there's lots of headroom. If you dig in with a pick it really comes to life. The Sable doesn't seem to care if you play it hard or light. For fingerpicking, love the tone it produces just don't expect wood like volume. Every carbon fiber guitar that I've played exhibits the same volume characteristics when played fingerstyle. Don't get me wrong they still produce plenty of volume (for me) fingerstyle, just seems to be the biggest difference that I've noticed when comparing carbon to wood. The Sable doesn't have the fancy contours and bevels but it does have rounded edges and my favorite part is the textured coating on the back and sides. It really prevents the guitar from slipping around on you. The only complaint I have with the Sable is the strap button on the neck heel. It's a personal thing for me I just don't like strap buttons on the neck heel on any cutaway guitar no matter the make. Luckily it's an easy fix. I like Emerald & Godin's strap button location so that's where I relocated the button to on my Sable.

The X30 tone is a little harder to describe for me. It's a warm tone overall but not quite as warm as the Sable. It really has a unique voice. I personally don't think the X30 has too much bass, it's really quite balanced for its size. They did a great job making a big guitar feel smaller with the contours and bevels. When it comes to volume the X30 is not as loud as what you might think. It's plenty loud but when you see the size of the body you might expect it to be much louder than it actually is. The X30 prefers to be played with a lighter touch and a lighter pick. I'll compare it's soundboard to cedar in that when you really dig in it starts sounding weird. I'm basically a light to medium strummer but some songs I play that requires digging in I need to back off a little which is not a big deal for me. One thing nobody seems to talk about here but worth mentioning is the X30 has a wolf note on D/D#. All stringed instruments have wolf notes, some are hidden better than others, but the X30's are right in your face. I can get rid of it completely by adding mass to the bridge but doing so kills too much low end. So here's the thing. When strumming this guitar using chords that contain D/D# I find it actually adds a nice thump to the tone. On the other side though, playing fingerstyle my fingers really make those wolf notes pop to the point where I only use this guitar for strumming and it does that quite well. I'm surprised people don't actually mention this more on here.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, I could include more info but that's enough for now. Both of these guitars are great and I consider myself lucky to have both of them. Both are keepers for me but if I could only have one it would be the Sable as I think it's the better all arounder, at least for me. Any other questions feel free to ask.

Fantastic review, thanks so much. As mentioned above, I am leaning toward the Sable, though there’s a Rainsong dread calling me. I like the H series, and found one for sale. Even so, the Sable looks beautiful. Thanks again!

jonfields45 · #15 07-03-2020, 12:37 PM

I've also been giving the Sable a harder look these days. I recently (nearly) finished up my executor duties for my mother (almost 93 when Covid-19 likely got her -- she had a good run and was 100% bedridden and mostly unresponsive this last many months). After directing what there was as much as possible to my kids (and the others as explicitly willed), I had a guitar's worth leftover...and bought an electric instead.

The new PRS McCarty thinline is a first for them and hits all my care abouts which starts with light weight. I'm busy with my IR software trying my hand at acoustic guitar emulation. It won't be even close to a real acoustic but good enough for my mostly vocal duo while enabling me to play the electric guitar parts, get this, on a real distorted electric guitar!

Too bad for McPherson.