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  #1  
Old 05-24-2020, 01:24 AM
BMinor BMinor is offline
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Default New member and new sable owner

Hello everyone.

I recently purchased a McPherson Sable and I utilized this forum heavily while I contemplated and researched this purchase, so thank you all for the information. In return, I'll share a little background and some initial thoughts on the guitar.

I've been playing for 25 years (wait...that can't be right!), self taught with many many plateaus along the way. I've occasionally taken lessons but never for any extended period. I love a lot of different types of music, especially reggae and folk.

I've owned a number of acoustic and electric guitars over the years. The sable is the 10th guitar I've purchased. Here's an overview:

1. Martin DX1 (sold)
2. Ibanez AES20E (sold)
3. Taylor Big Baby (sold)
4. Epiphone G-400 (sold)
5. Music Man S.U.B Silo 3 (sold)
6. Taylor T5Z Classic (sold)
7. Custom HSH semi-hollow by Moniker Guitars, Austin TX (sold)
8. Washburn WCG25SCE (current)
9. 2012 Limited-edition Fender American Stratocaster, hand-stained (current)
10. McPherson Sable Honeycomb / Gold (new)

So, how did I come to purchase the fabled Sable? After years of experimentation and owning some different things, and with cases, cables, amps, pedals, etc spread all over my office, I thought it was perhaps time to consolidate. I've always enjoyed the simplicity and warmth of the acoustic guitar and I've always thought about owning a really nice one 'someday', an 800-series Taylor or even something from one of the boutique builders.

I eventually decided to go with carbon fiber, and that led me to offerings from Rainsong (V-DR1100N2), Emerald (X-20) or Mcpherson.

For me, the Sable was eye-wateringly expensive. It took me weeks to even get to the point where I started to seriously consider the purchase. I read every post here that mentions the brand. I watched every single video I could find online.

Eventually, I figured I could sell my other two guitars to offset the cost if I ended up loving it. Although I wasn't sure if I would want to part with my trusty Washburn, I've had for four years and it's been a great instrument. The craftsmanship, details, playability, sound and overall quality punch way above its price point. It even has an arm bevel which is something only very high end guitars had when it was new.

I found a Sable locally and I made an appointment to go play it. First thoughts; it looked really nice, was heavier than I expected, smelled great. I played it for about 90 minutes. Now, I've always been the type of person who feels you can't really get a sense for something in a strange setting like that. You need to get it home, see how it fits into your day to day. I wouldn't say I was blown away, initially. As I was playing it, I just kept thinking of the price tag. The numbers running through my mind, I thought of all the other things I could buy instead. I mean, it's this or a cheap used car...

I really wrestled with myself. In the end, I thought it was something that could be really special once I got to experience it in my home base. I had the tech sand the low bridge down just a hair to get the action perfect (for me) and that was it.

That was 10 days ago and I have been playing it daily.

In a word, it's beautiful. The more I play it, the more I appreciate what McPherson has accomplished. Very thoughtfully designed with the carbon composite, cantilevered neck and offset sound hole, and these features pay real dividends in term of sustain, tone, and balance. I also really the size, shape and finish of the neck, extremely comfortable.

The best way I can express this without repeating what so many others have said is that my other guitars all played the right notes.

The Sable literally sings the notes.

It's just in a completely different league compared to the other guitars I've owned. Every time I pick it up, it's a revelation. This is how good an acoustic guitar can sound...and it doesn't ask anything of you, no humidification, no adjustments, no maintenance, no stress. All you have to do is enjoy it.

Does it sound thousands of dollars better than my Washburn? I don't know, that's subjective I guess, but I don't regret the purchase, and I can very easily see myself keeping the Sable as my only guitar.

One thing that I thought was interesting was the lack of visible carbon weave. Carbon Acoustics, Rainsong, Emerald, you can see the actual woven carbon fabric inside the sound hole, on the back and sides, the neck, the headstock, etc. I learned that instead of woven carbon fiber, McPherson uses a carbon fiber composite for the majority of the guitar as it creates a warmer, more wood-like tone.

A lot of other reviews mention the lackluster plugged-in sound and suggest swapping out the electronics but I think the guitar sounds great plugged in. Amplified yet articulate while retaining its character and warmth.

The case is pretty standard. I don't love the carbon fiber effect, but it fits well, seems well made and the green interior is cool.

I am not a high-end guitar guy. I'm not an expert player. I'm not a connoisseur of anything. But I appreciate good design and good quality, I enjoy playing and I appreciate everyone who has contributed to this great resource. I'm happy to be aboard and look forward to contributing to the forum going forward.
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  #2  
Old 05-24-2020, 06:27 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Welcome aboard! Nice first post and review of the Sable
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  #3  
Old 05-24-2020, 06:34 AM
billyg billyg is offline
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Really nice review and background. Enjoy your new Sable.
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Old 05-24-2020, 07:08 AM
ed62 ed62 is offline
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Great review....I have had my sable for less than 1 week and everything youve said rings very true with me also including the incredible tone of this guitar !!!!....Congrats
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Old 05-25-2020, 06:06 AM
Frettingflyer Frettingflyer is offline
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Congrats on a great find, and welcome aboard. Enjoyed reading your review, then went back to playing my Sable
Dave
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Old 05-25-2020, 06:29 AM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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Congrats on your new Sable and welcome to the forum. The fact that your Sable smells nice is just the thing to put prospective buyers over the edge.

Tony
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Old 05-25-2020, 06:49 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Nice review - congrats on your new Sable! Getting that first carbon fiber is a bit of a revelation. All the great sounds, less fuss.
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Old 05-25-2020, 08:08 AM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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Welcome to the forum and the growing Sable club.
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  #9  
Old 05-25-2020, 11:05 AM
BMinor BMinor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbeltrans View Post
The fact that your Sable smells nice is just the thing to put prospective buyers over the edge.
So nice...which is really a small thing but it surprised me. You expect a nice wooden guitar to smell good.
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  #10  
Old 05-25-2020, 11:07 AM
BMinor BMinor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuitarLuva View Post
Welcome to the forum and the growing Sable club.
Indeed! I reached out to McPherson directly as I had some questions about the guitar and the Sales Rep that got back to me mentioned that they are seeing a big increase in popularity...
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Old 05-25-2020, 11:50 AM
kramster kramster is offline
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Nice buy of a most excellent guitar!
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  #12  
Old 05-25-2020, 12:16 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMinor View Post
Indeed! I reached out to McPherson directly as I had some questions about the guitar and the Sales Rep that got back to me mentioned that they are seeing a big increase in popularity...
The power of the forum.

Really, that can't be it, since there are a handful of folks here who have posted that they purchased Sables and/or Touring guitars. Of course there are those who read but don't post too.

Tony
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  #13  
Old 05-25-2020, 12:54 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMinor View Post
Indeed! I reached out to McPherson directly as I had some questions about the guitar and the Sales Rep that got back to me mentioned that they are seeing a big increase in popularity...
Would you expect a sales rep to ever say anything other than "a big increase in popularity"??

It seems to me that the Sable and Touring are very nice guitars and have improved since the Kevin Michael name they were introduced with. I think the "Big 3" in carbon fiber, Emerald, RainSong, and McPherson, are making excellent guitars. I have no inside information on the state of the acoustic guitar market, but... those of us who know and play these guitars appreciate what they bring to the playing/owning experience.

This sub-forum, Tony Polecastro's reviews, Emerald's social media marketing - all these are exposing guitar players to the great options available in carbon fiber. With that in mind, there should be growth potential with carbon fiber... still a niche market in the acoustic guitar universe, but the word is spreading. One traditional guitar player at a time.
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  #14  
Old 05-25-2020, 01:15 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Jim View Post
... still a niche market in the acoustic guitar universe, but the word is spreading. One traditional guitar player at a time.
That's it in a nutshell. CF is a niche market, swimming upstream in the traditionalist acoustic guitar world.
Congrats on the new Sable, Bminor. I'm actually glad that I cannot try one locally, as I have more than enough carbon guitars already.
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  #15  
Old 05-25-2020, 03:30 PM
BMinor BMinor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Jim View Post
Would you expect a sales rep to ever say anything other than "a big increase in popularity"??
Good point. But there a lot of recent reviews here from folks who have picked one up, and I noticed that many retailers were out of stock (which is pretty much everything given the impact the virus is having on supply chains), but still...I was actually surprised when I emailed the shop and they confirmed they had it.

Mine now!
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