Switch to Carbon Fiber Only

[HeavyDuty]

All but one, not counting my metal body resonators and a few cheap ukes.

I’m primarily a bass player and replaced my pair of Tacoma Thunderchief 5s with one of the first Emerald Balor 5s made.

All I have left in wood is something that really doesn’t have a good CF replacement, my Taylor GS Mini Bass. If someone came up with a five string CF equivalent, I’d be interested.

[gwandsh]

I am trying to consolidate for similar reasons - travel via (smaller) vehicle to Baja for winters.
I fret (no pun intended) over bringing a wood guitar along, humidity swings can be huge.
I am thinking a CF OM would replace my Emerald X20, Taylor GC, Taylor GS Mini, and Martin dread. And be the right call for my needs, at least for a few years.
The Gibson dread is almost new to me, but has great sentimental value, so it will stay but likely never travel.
Two guitars? Perfect - at least for a traveller who needs to pack light!

[martingitdave]

I'm adding one carbon fiber guitar to my stable. I would like to have a worry free guitar for festivals, outdoor, and traveling. My wooden guitars are all terrific sounding. Not sure how the used RainSong I ordered will hold up tonally. It seems that carbon fiber is still variable in terms of tone. But, it's hard to find any RainSong dreadnoughts locally to try before I buy. I ordered a H-DR1100N2 with K&K pre installed.

[mountainmaster]

I did not sell my wood guitars but they have not left their cases for many years.

Edit: Hang on, does my resonator count as wood? I play it quite often but it has more brass than wood.

[Aspiring]

I could see doing so with my X20 as my main guitar.

It is the first CF guitar I've had where I could say that.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

I could see doing so with my X20 as my main guitar.

It is the first CF guitar I've had where I could say that.

I’ve had mine for nearly 5 years, and it is my main acoustic. It does exactly what I bought it for - it can sit out on a stand, all year round, and apart from a light dusting and a new set of strings every once in a while, it needs no other attention.

The facts that it looks and sounds great, and is a joy to play just add to the pleasure of owning it. The only other acoustic I’ve considered since is another X20.

I’ve owned my Martin for nearly 40 years now, and it’s going nowhere, but, sad to say, it very rarely gets played these days.

My electrics are all wood - but if I could justify the eye-popping cost of an Emerald Kestrel, I’d strongly consider going CF for that side of the collection as well.

[Jim in TC]

It all started with a Cargo, which took the place of a GS Mini. The 00-15M, which I did like a lot, was safely in the case all of the time, so off she went and an X7 came in. I still look kinda longingly at the Taylor 12-frets but just can't quite get over the ease of owning carbon (and hanging them guiltlessly on the wall).

[skewzme]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

I’ve had mine for nearly 5 years, it looks and sounds great,

I’ve owned my Martin for nearly 40 years now, and it’s going nowhere, but, sad to say, it very rarely gets played these days.

Can you offer a sound comparison of the CF guitar to the 40+ year old Martin?

[bry]

I just sold my last wood guitar and I am going carbon only. I agree with those saying they enjoy the ease of maintenance and leaving the guitars out of the case or hanging them on the wall. I found here in Colorado my wood guitars always stayed in their cases with humidifiers. I rarely played them. My carbon guitar stays out and it gets played every day.

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by skewzme

Can you offer a sound comparison of the CF guitar to the 40+ year old Martin?

Yes! Both these were recorded straight to an iPhone 11, in similar circumstances, and with a roughly equal number of clams

First, the Emerald:



And then, the Martin:



Different guitars, different sounds, different feels. Neither is ‘better’ - if I had to leave the house in a hurry, I’d grab the Martin, because it’s pretty much irreplaceable, but the Emerald gets all the playing time.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

Yes! Both these were recorded straight to an iPhone 11, in similar circumstances, and with a roughly equal number of clams
...

Different guitars, different sounds, different feels. Neither is ‘better’ - if I had to leave the house in a hurry, I’d grab the Martin, because it’s pretty much irreplaceable, but the Emerald gets all the playing time.

Um... you do have TWO hands.

The Blonde and I were talking about guitars today, and she asked, "When was the last time you had your 814 out of the case?" I couldn't say for sure.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Um... you do have TWO hands.

The Blonde and I were talking about guitars today, and she asked, "When was the last time you had your 814 out of the case?" I couldn't say for sure.

She actually knows what it’s called? What a cool wife! [emoji23]

[David Eastwood]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Um... you do have TWO hands.

The other would grab my 2001 Rickenbacker 650D, equally irreplaceable.

Just trying to keep it acoustic - Emerald can easily make me another X20

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

She actually knows what it’s called? What a cool wife! [emoji23]

Not only does she know the model of each of my guitars, if I'm playing in my music room and she isn't in there, she can generally tell what I'm playing by the tone from the other room.

A couple of the guitars in our house are technically hers. When I have felt I couldn't cost justify a particular purchase, she has said, "That one will be mine... but, you can play it." No, she doesn't play.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by David Eastwood

Yes! Both these were recorded straight to an iPhone 11, in similar circumstances, and with a roughly equal number of clams
...

Different guitars, different sounds, different feels. Neither is ‘better’ - if I had to leave the house in a hurry, I’d grab the Martin, because it’s pretty much irreplaceable, but the Emerald gets all the playing time.

Very nice David. Was that your 0-16? I wasn't watching while listening, but it didn't fit my preconceptions of an 0-size guitar. It sounded much bigger.