Rainsong Guitars - Any good?

WOW!  I had not heard of these insturments before reading your post.  Googled up the company at http://www.rainsong.com/ and am very intrigued.

As a cyclist I am familiar with carbon fiber frames and components used in bicycles - it is truly mind-boggling stuff.  Its incredible strength seems to be way out of line with its mass.  Carbon-fiber bikes are amazingly strong and light.

Wood is a convenient building material only because it grows on trees.  But it suffers from many problems regarding uniformity, moisture, temperature, etc. 

Building an instrument from a stable, strong, and inert material like carbon fiber makes great sense - hooray for Rainsong!  I hope this innovative company is successful in marketing this pioneering application of carbon fiber.

Glad to see that a luthier has finally entered the 21st century.  Will they also be making ukuleles, violins, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, etc.?  James

I play a Martin "Alteritive X" model that is almost all composite. I love it and would never trade off to anything else..(for now).  I've tried a few rainsong guitars and liked tham a bit, but not enough to buy one. I share your dislike for Ovation, mainly because they sound great through an amp, but crappy without.
I do believe that composites are the future, what with traditional tone woods becoming endangered. What needs to change is the "ego's of the elite". All the old timers who belive that woods are the only TRUE path to tone.

Sorry, soapbox moment....I'll shut up now.

No - I'm not one for instrument worship . . . if it sounds good, it is good.  I don't care what the brand name or material might be.  If a 'new' material can be utilized to make a better mousetrap then I'm not going to get all sobby about the old mousetraps.

A musical instrument is simply a tool that enables the user to make air vibrate.  If a better sound can be obtained from a different material, then use the different material.

Nobody writes with fountain pens anymore because they are hard to use and messy.  They did however produced a distinctive 'look' that some people might appreciate.  Nonetheless, what was actually written with the fountain pen is far more important than the tool used to make the writing.

My guess is that carbon fiber instruments (and ceramics, and new alloys, etc) will offer tremendous advantages for instrument builders and players.  Give it enough time and somebody will eventually be mourning the passing beauty of the 'old carbon-fiber guitars'.  James

Hi All,
Can some of you enlighten me on this please?

I have a Greysflex Fly fishing Rod, Which I love!  Light as a feather  to use,  carry and handle!

Now is this post telling me there are "GUITARS" Being made from the same Material?
or have i totally Left the planet?
 
Thank you
Old Doll.

Hi Badeye. the times are sure a changing!
I cannot beieve i may belt out a better tune on my flyfishing rod, which i mght add was bought in Boston Mass, on my last visit!  Much more inexpensive then here! I have a habit of changeing the Economics  of NEW england when visiting?.
Got a late text tonight to go out with the Girletts, which i just  had to do!  Home early as we head off early morning "SOUTH OF THE TENSION Line, as i call it! For some H R T ?.
Better known in these parts as " Husband Replacement Therapy" Hehe.. No apoligies for spelling at this time of night! My only wish! "is that all you clever musical people could join us" What a blast!"  Maybe Chordie at some stage will decide to do this?.
As you said on your earlier post, " you were off work, "Enjoy Enyoy, Life goes by in the blink of an eye"
Dia Linn { GOD TO YOU } AND YOUR TREASURE OF NEARLY 24 YEARS.. NOW "HOW LUCKY ARE YOU"
"YOUR A DARLIN AS WE SAY IN THESE  PARTS OF THIS GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL WORLD WE INHABIT."

SL� N
OLD DOLL.

I love composite acoustics!!  They are totally composite guitars and in my opinion sound better than rainsong.!!

I own two rainsongs. First I acquired a jumbo 12 string and liked it so much that I also ordered  a six string. I really like both of them. I already have larrivee, martin, epiphone, gibson, blueridge, and sea gull.  in my stable of guitars.
     My 12 string rainsong was the first guitar that I have ever purchased without being able to see and play it in person. I made sure that the supplier accepted returns becaue we are talking about a $2,300.00 instrument. When it came I was blown away. I had to have a six string version as well.
     Because the composite material is so strong, the guitars do not need bracing around the body. Bracing also dampens the sound board on wooden guitars. This is why rainsongs are loud. They are impervious to temperature changes and humidity. I really like these guitars unplugged, but plugged into my California blonde II amp, they sound incredable.
     When playing gigs, I usually take both rainsongs and one of my wood guitars. Tone on the rainsong is variable with the baggs electronic system. Of course it never gets as warm as my wood guitars, but it still has a great range of tone. I have found that I am not playing my 12 string sea gull, but I pick up both of my rain songs daily.
     There are a number of rainsong models that are 1/2 the price of my jumbos. I gambled for the first time on buying guitars online without being able to try them out, see, or hear one in person. I won this time around. I may thin out my collection at some point, but my rainsongs are here to stay. They will go to my daughter as family heirlooms.
                                                                                Faris Harton

Thank you for your replies, everyone.

I think the only thing left to do is try one (when I can get my hands on it...).

I'll take a look at those Emeralds. Already, at a first glance, I'm intrigued. Thanks for the links, clareaustin.

I own a Rainsong WS1000 and have owned an Emerald X5.  I loved the X5 but decided I didn't need it after I ordered my Rainsong.

The Rainsong is a fabulous guitar with a very unique sound.  As a new poster, I need to tell you folks that I am a huge Taylor fan.  I own a 710 Brazilian and a custon 314. So I love solid wood guitars. 

The Rainsong is the ultimate gigging guitar in my opinion.  It will withstand great temp and humidity changes and it stays in tune forever.  I don't think I would have it as my only acoustic, but you really could.  It also is a great looking guitar.  It is a little pricey, but if you look hard, I think you could beat the normal street price.  I did have to wait about 3 months after I ordered mine, but my dealer had just taken on the line and didn't have any in stock.

Hey Doc,

The best example I could find on youtube was this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4NYWVbDcKg

I stumbled on this video, looking for Dave Matthews songs as I'm a big fan.

The singer is playing a Rainsong in this video... Seems to have a nice sound. Very loud guitar. Plus they look very nice.

Just hearing about your collection of gems makes me incredibly envious . I'm sure a Rainsong wouldn't look too bad next to all those lol.

Bonne Journee a vous!

J.