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  #1  
Old 01-01-2013, 07:27 PM
MikeB1 MikeB1 is offline
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Default Emerald X7-OS Strings???

Ok, I have been experimenting with strings on my new X7.

So far I have tried Elixir nanowebs and GHS Silk & Bronze.

According to GHS, the Vintage Bronze are slightly more towards the bright end of the spectrum than Silk & Bronze, so I thought I would give them a try next.

My question is about the gauges.

The GHS box shows the following table:

VN-L .012 .016 VN24 VN32 VN42 VN54

VN-B .012 .016 VN26 VN36 VN46 VN56


Will the X7 handle the slightly heavier VN-B? Are they still considered “light gauge?

Thanks everyone!

Mike B.
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  #2  
Old 01-01-2013, 09:12 PM
Ed422 Ed422 is offline
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My experience is that anything heavier than lights (12-54) changes the relief. Mediums threw things too far off for me.

Ed
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  #3  
Old 01-02-2013, 04:03 AM
ac ac is offline
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Mediums which are heavier than what you are mentioning, won't harm an X7 or X7-OS at all. My X7 came with mediums on it from MacNichols.

As to relief, my original X7 with either lights or mediums measured exactly 0.004--no relief change at all.

I have not measured my X7-OS with both gauges so don't know--but it has a truss rod if I ever need to use it.

For the price of the strings, I'd recommend just simply trying it yourself on your own guitar. It's the only way to know for sure if you like how it plays or not.
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Old 01-02-2013, 05:48 AM
Ed422 Ed422 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ac View Post
Mediums which are heavier than what you are mentioning, won't harm an X7 or X7-OS at all. My X7 came with mediums on it from MacNichols.

As to relief, my original X7 with either lights or mediums measured exactly 0.004--no relief change at all.

I have not measured my X7-OS with both gauges so don't know--but it has a truss rod if I ever need to use it.

For the price of the strings, I'd recommend just simply trying it yourself on your own guitar. It's the only way to know for sure if you like how it plays or not.
My X7-OS has no truss rod. Is yours a custom?

Ed
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Old 01-02-2013, 07:02 AM
mchalebk mchalebk is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed422 View Post
My X7-OS has no truss rod. Is yours a custom?

Ed
Pretty sure most, if not all, Emeralds are available with a truss rod; just have to order it that way (in other words, doesn't have to be custom, it's just an option). Don't know if they can add one to a guitar once it's done, but you could always inquire to see if it's possible.
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  #6  
Old 01-02-2013, 03:50 PM
ac ac is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed422 View Post
My X7-OS has no truss rod. Is yours a custom?

Ed
Not sure if custom is the word, it's just one of many options when you order. 2 of Emerald's models come with truss rods standard. All the other models can have them if you just request it. Same as you can request having all gloss with weave showing or not, different tuners, pickups, colors, and almost anything else you can think of for reasonable extra cost. (colors are free of course) Want 7 strings? 9 strings? 12 strings? Nylon strings? Just ask and it's likely possible.

If you buy used, it will be whatever it was, but a growing number of people request truss rods so there will be more with truss rods available used in the future, just like anything else.

Hollow necks can bother some people who have certain playing styles and a few people mentioned this in the past over at the MacNichol's forum. But for myself and my style and most other players, it doesn't bother at all. If your playing style finds sounds you don't like with the X7's--then you'll have to move it on, I suppose.

Having a truss rod installed during the build might remove some or all of this issue as I think (I'm not certain) that Alistair needs to add "something" inside there to stabilize the truss rod.

I've owned X7s with and without truss rods--but as I mentioned--the sound of the hollow neck simply doesn't impact me at all. Someone else who has been bothered by hollow necks and who has played with and without truss rods might be able to answer if the truss rod versions are better for them.

I'm not sure if Rainsong's and CAs have hollow necks but Emerald's and Blackbirds do for sure--so that issue will be there also. Someone out there will chime in and clarify this hopefully.
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Old 01-02-2013, 03:55 PM
P_K P_K is offline
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Yeah, the truss rod is an option on all the Emerald models. the T8, T20 and X30 always come with a truss rod

i think that a truss rod can be added to a guitar, but you would need to refinish all the guitar (it is only my guess). Alistair is incredibly gifted and he has done things to guitars i've never thought it would be remotely possible. If you are interested, drop him an email

i have a X7 standard and i've tried strings ranging from 012-053 to 014-064 (custom ordered set) and the neck never moved. anyway, you won't damage your guitar putting a medium set of strings
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  #8  
Old 01-02-2013, 04:20 PM
MikeB1 MikeB1 is offline
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Default X7-OS Strings?

Thanks so much everyone for the information!

Can anyone tell me how I could measure what my relief is set at?

Is it customary to measure it at a particular fret?

Mike B.
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  #9  
Old 01-02-2013, 05:08 PM
mchalebk mchalebk is offline
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Here's how I measure relief:

1. Place capo on 1st fret.
2. Fret the string where the neck joins the body (just past 14th fret if neck joins body at 14th).
3. Measure how far the string is off the fret closest to the midway point (if neck joins body at 14th fret, this will be at the 7th or 8th fret).
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Old 01-02-2013, 05:32 PM
MikeB1 MikeB1 is offline
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Thanks so much Brian!
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  #11  
Old 01-04-2013, 05:39 PM
Alistair Hay Alistair Hay is offline
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An X7-OS should easily handle heavier strings. It may increase the relief a little but not so much that couldnt be compensated by reducing the saddle a little bit.
We are aware that the hollow neck does for some playing styles create a little bit of percussive sound, for some this is a positive but for others its a negative. For this reason we offer a solid neck option that deadens this effect and this also gives you a truss rod so if you desire you can dial in the neck to suit string changes.
Alistair Hay
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Old 01-04-2013, 06:03 PM
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Acousticado Acousticado is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emerald Guitars View Post
We are aware that the hollow neck does for some playing styles create a little bit of percussive sound, for some this is a positive but for others its a negative. For this reason we offer a solid neck option that deadens this effect and this also gives you a truss rod so if you desire you can dial in the neck to suit string changes.
Alistair Hay
Alistair, I assume that the Chimaera, being another of your models with hollow necks, is an exception to a solid neck/truss rod option to reduce weight? Does the Chimaera also produce this percussive sound depending on playing style, or do the two necks either eliminate it, make it more pronounced, or about the same? Thanks.
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Last edited by Acousticado; 01-04-2013 at 06:12 PM.
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  #13  
Old 01-04-2013, 06:25 PM
Ed422 Ed422 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Emerald Guitars View Post
An X7-OS should easily handle heavier strings. It may increase the relief a little but not so much that couldnt be compensated by reducing the saddle a little bit.
We are aware that the hollow neck does for some playing styles create a little bit of percussive sound, for some this is a positive but for others its a negative. For this reason we offer a solid neck option that deadens this effect and this also gives you a truss rod so if you desire you can dial in the neck to suit string changes.
Alistair Hay
It's a darned shame there aren't more of these floating around. A solid neck and a truss rod would more than likely make this X7-OS up my alley.

Ed
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  #14  
Old 01-04-2013, 06:26 PM
Alistair Hay Alistair Hay is offline
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Personally I dont notice it as much on the double neck or X20-OS as I do on the X7-OS.
We build the Chimaera with a hollow neck for balance and it truly makes a huge difference but we can also add truss rods if required. This could be counterbalanced by using the super light Gotoh Stealth tuners but that does add significantly to the price.
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  #15  
Old 01-04-2013, 10:18 PM
AndyFrank AndyFrank is offline
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Alistar, what's the price of the double neck? Do you have an ad in the marketplace?
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