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Location: South of most, North of few | Anybody here ever try a Composite Acoustics guitar? I've heard a few good things about them, and now they have a bluegrass model dred. |
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Location: Scotland | Tried a bunch at NAMM, they are outstanding instruments. If I needed another guitar I'd probaly buy a CA rather than a woodbox or another Ovation. Their dreds sound like a really good wooden dreadnought, which as good as they are is a sound that is of no use to me. I prefered the smaller bodied X model. I believe Johnny (Strummin12) is now a CA owner. |
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Location: NJ | Played one in Colorado.
Better than a RainSong (for what that's worth).
Gimme a Q. |
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Location: Scotland | If the Q was available then that's a whole other story. Right now CA are the only viable all-composite guitar on the market. Compared to Q10 that was living at Cliff's place for a while the CA's aren't as good, but they're pretty damn close, and they are out there to buy. |
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Location: NJ | Agreed. |
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Location: big island | http://www.takamineforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=73 |
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Location: NJ | Nice Forum. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I had a chance to play one last week for a few minutes and was very impressed with it. I didn't plug it in, but it had a nice, balanced acoustic tone and it was very comfortable to play. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Better than a rainsong, not as good as the Q, or an Adamas for that matter. |
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Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | It's not a Q, but I'm a little partial to THIS ONE
According to one source, the inspiration for building this display guitar was in fact the Q, updated with the modern style sound port and bowl shape. Unlike the Q, under all that black gloss, this one actually has a wooden neck.
 
Dave |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by Mauvais Beal:
Better than a rainsong, not as good as the Q ... Reminds me of a girl I knew who was a "sports groupie". We spent the night together and the next morning I asked her "So, how was I"
She said "Well, you were better than Magic Johnson, but not as good as Arthur Ashe"
Dave |
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Location: NJ | considering they're both HIV-positive, that's QUITE a compliment . . .
THAT is a GREAT guitar, Dave!!! |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by cliff:
considering they're both HIV-positive, that's QUITE a compliment . . . DUH, Yeah Cliff - THAT's the whole friggin point of the joke !!! |
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Location: SoCal | Always wear a condom...... |
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Location: Minden, Nebraska | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
Always wear a condom...... Natural, or composite?
:rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | In Dave's girlfriend's case, a black one . . .
The CA that I played in CO was (I believe) the "X" (I didn't notice/remember the model#). It definitely wasn't the dreadnaught. It WAS pretty comfortable, and DID have a decent sound . . . |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Right now I'm looking (lurking) at a bluegrass model. (ain't it funny, every maker has a "bluegrass" model now) Might be working out a trade for a new one. It's a dred size with a 1 3/4 nut and, as all of their guitars do, looks beautiful with all that carbon fiber gloss finish. I'm meeting the guy tomorrow to take a lookie see. I'll let you guys know what happens. |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | Have the X body and have tried the dreds as well. I think they are very good, extremely comfortable, light. Electrically, I think they are better than wood guitars, the graphite I think enhances the electric tone. I have been using my X out mainly but brought out my 87 collectors this week and love it was well. But it is so much heavier than the X. The X is just a breeze to take out and is just about indestructable. Hard to beat.
Steve |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | I think comparing the Q to a CA is kind of sad. The reality is that Ovation never made it to market with it and it just underscores what could have been.
Steve |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Thanks for th input Steve. I think it's a done deal for me. I've heard a lot of good things about the CA's. I just want to get one and go out and play it in the rain. (IF it ever rains again). Steve, what electronics would you recommend to retrofit in one of these? |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | I have been thinking of getting a CA dred and I thought about getting the bluegrass and putting in a pickup that doesn't have the controls in the side of the guitar. My X has a factory installed Baggs Imix with the small wheel controls mounted under the soundhole. I think this really is one of the better systems out there. But I find that I use the bridge pickup almost exclusively. The Ibeam is acoustic sounding but I am with Rainsong on graphite guitars. They only use the baggs understaddle. If I were doing it I would look at dtar's wave-length with the same wheel controls. I have heard good things about the 18 volt system but I have not tried it.
Steve |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Ive got the Dtar system on my Avalon and it sounds very nice. I am with you, I won't cut a hole in the side of the guitar for a preamp. The less conspicuous, the better. The Dtar I have has no volume or tone, just a direct out. I would hesitate to use their "load and lock" system, cause it requires something like a 7/8" hole in the base of the guitar to accept the battery holder. |
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Location: Scotland | Cut a hole for the pre, don't cut a hole, use an external box, blah blah blah blah.... I think that as someone who has spent some 25-odd years attempting to get the best possible amplified acoustic sound, AT SERIOUS CONCERT VOLUME LEVELS (note the capitals. i.e not at your local open mike or coffeehouse or playing at home or whatever) then I think I may have some insight here.
If you think you can have a world-class great-sounding acoustic guitar, that will perform WITHOUT COMPROMISE when amplified at more than polite volume levels, then you are deluding yourselves, and you will continue to chase the "holy grail" and empty your bank balances at the next "lock and load" "18 Volt, high headroom, zero quack" "almost like a studio condenser microphone" "ES System" "acoustic imaging" "microphone modelling" or whatever system the manufacturers and magazines tell you you MUST buy.
I'm sure sometime in the future there may be a way to amplify a fine acoustic guitar at concert levels and still have it sound like an acoustic guitar without a worldclass $2000 a week engineer at the console, but right now there isn't.
So grab your Ovation, doesn't matter what preamp, just set it flat, plug it into a direct-box and into a REALLY GOOD, PROPERLY EQ'd PROFESSIONAL PA SYSTEM, hit a 1st-position G chord, nice and loud, and then tell me what's wrong with that sound.
Lecture over. |
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Location: East Tennessee | Paul,
Not A Thing.
I have a SSB Celebrity CC059 with an OP 20,Close your eyes and tell if I'm playing that or my Country Artist with stacked tone/volume. Most people can't. |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | Paul, Probably some wisdom here. My 87C with old type still completes. I did some digital recording on my apple notebook and I had lots of options to tweak all my guitars to make them sound pretty good.
87C still sounded very good.
Steve |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Well, I ended up trading the Larrivee for the CA Bluegrass. Really a beautiful guitar, and quite the voice. Very loud if you want it to be, yet very clear and full even when being gentle with it. Nice neck profile, and...no truss rod. Here's part of their warranty disclaimer...
Although carbon fiber is an incredibly strong and resistant aerospace material, this product is intended to be used as a musical instrument only. This product is not intended for use as a battering ram, billy club, baseball bat, boat paddle, personal transport (such as a toboggan), body armor, pool float, projectile (human or mechanically powered), aircraft component or geostationary satellite (unless inside spacecraft). This warranty is VOID if the Composite Acoustics product has been used in any of these ways.
:D |
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Location: big island | and where are the images of your new plastic? |
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Location: South of most, North of few | It got too late to take any outside, and being mostly, well, all black, it doesn't show much detail inside. I'll get some up tomorrow. Sure is purdy tho and sounds just as good. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | So...I awoke this morning to....rain. Anyway, I got it outside between rains and got a few pics. I hate taking pictures of black guitars! (but the cat likes it)
 
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Location: East Tennessee | Jim,
Great looking guitar.
Yes be very careful what you're wearing when you take pictures of that guitar. :D |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I see you have the potential for adding a bone nut!!
Phil needs to hold a clinic on "Photographing the Black Guitar" (Exposing your Dark Side?).
Cool guitar BJ. |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | Nice JimBob!
JimBob to me recently, "the Laravee will be around for a long time"....well, in your terms, it was around for a long time. :eek: ;)
Enjoy it buddy! |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by BegginJIM:
JimBob to me recently, "the Laravee will be around for a long time"....well, in your terms, it was around for a long time. :eek: ;)
OK, OK, I know. GUILTY! ;) :p |
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Location: closely held secret | Nice, Jim. Very nice! I love the 3-D qualities of the CA tops. |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | Did you purposely buy the Bluegrass to be able to put in the pickup of your choice or was that the sound you wanted or was that what was available for a good price. Sounds like a multiple choice test.
Steve |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Steve, Actually I like the dred style, and sound, plus it was a trade for a guitar that I didn't play much anymore. The guy I got it off of was looking for a straight sale because he's moving to the Carolinas for his job and wanted to thin down the amount of guitars he has (15) When I approached him about a trade (trader Jim) he really wanted to get a Larrivee (GAS) so it all came together. I was thinking of electrifying it, but the jury is still out on that one.. Whew... |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Damn, that's a ncie looking guitar. Congratulations. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Thanks Dave, I kind of like that new Tak you got too! :D
(starting to sound like a mutual admiration society)
I'm feelin' that GAS again.... :rolleyes: |
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| Wow! Congrats, Jim. Does she sound as good as she looks? |
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Location: South of most, North of few | It sounds as good as any I've played. Different, but just as good. It's kind of like explaining the sound of an Adamas. It sounds like a very high quality wood guitar, just more of it. Next jam, I'm bringing all of them along, or at least as many as I can fit in the car. So....when is it? |
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| Next jam, I'm bringing all of them along, or at least as many as I can fit in the car. So....when is it? g8rBowl MLK weekend, Jan. 19-21. Can't wait! |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | Originally posted by Trader Jim:
Next jam, I'm bringing all of them along, or at least as many as I can fit in the car. Or as many as he still has left. :p |
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Location: South of most, North of few | That was just plain cold. ;) |
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Posts: 286
Location: North Idaho | I picked this GX Performer on a sale this past summer to use in the Idaho cold this winter. (Elderly is still using the picks of mine as the case is a dread. CA got me the correct case.)
The guitar goes beyond all expectations with wonderful overtones and unmatched acoustic volume. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Tim, thats the one I really wanted, (that GX is a beauty) but this deal came along for a trade and I couldn't resist. I can't get used to the way this neck attaches to the body. There's no heel, just runs straight in. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | The GX Performer is the one I bought recently. Incredible sound, and I'm very happy with the guitar. I've compared a few different CA models, and I preferred the GX.
Cliff, the X model (the one you played) is the first CA model I tried as well (at Manny's in NYC, the only other dealer in our area is Mando Bros. in Staten Island) and I was very impressed with the bass response for such a thin bodied guitar. But, just like with Ovation there are different body depths to CA guitars. The X model is like a shallow bowl. It's comfortable and a great sounding guitar, but it, reasonably, doesn't have the body depth to stand up to the rich, full sound of your Adamas. Clearly, apples and oranges. Perhaps if you have the opportunity to try another model in the Performer series, you may find yourself more impressed with the CA brand.
The GX Performer is the 'mid-deep' bowl version of the X, yet still a very comfortable body size to play. They promote it as having 'grand auditorium' sound. To me, it's night and day, and very rich sounding.
FYI....CA also has the 'Player' series version of some of their models...which are 'budget conscious' versions of the high end Performer series. They look similar, but are different. I haven't tried these in person, so I don't know if it is as different by comparison as a Celebrity and Adamas sound. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | This should be fun...I just picked up the COT Dreadnought model, which should be pretty similar in setup to the bluegrass one. I'm really curious to see what the plugged/unplugged sound is like compared to my roundbacks and wood bodies.
I looked into that GX Performer when it first came out, just never could find a local dealer up here to try one at. (Rainsong is "the" carbon-fiber guitar of the NW, since they're based here in the Seattle area).
By the way, Jim, I didn't know you had an Avalon...exactly how many guitars DO you have? I spent a bit of time chatting with Roby Duke, one of their signature artists, back in November. Avalon's working on a signature model for him - kind of a blended cedar/mahogany concert body cutaway with a little deeper body depth, with the back sloped in more towards the neck than normal to provide a little more low end. They were talking about moving it to a 12-fret, which is always a good idea.
As Woody keeps telling me - "too may flavors..." |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by Paul Templeman:
Cut a hole for the pre, don't cut a hole, use an external box, blah blah blah blah.... I think that as someone who has spent some 25-odd years attempting to get the best possible amplified acoustic sound, AT SERIOUS CONCERT VOLUME LEVELS (note the capitals. i.e not at your local open mike or coffeehouse or playing at home or whatever) then I think I may have some insight here.
If you think you can have a world-class great-sounding acoustic guitar, that will perform WITHOUT COMPROMISE when amplified at more than polite volume levels, then you are deluding yourselves, and you will continue to chase the "holy grail" and empty your bank balances at the next "lock and load" "18 Volt, high headroom, zero quack" "almost like a studio condenser microphone" "ES System" "acoustic imaging" "microphone modelling" or whatever system the manufacturers and magazines tell you you MUST buy.
I'm sure sometime in the future there may be a way to amplify a fine acoustic guitar at concert levels and still have it sound like an acoustic guitar without a worldclass $2000 a week engineer at the console, but right now there isn't.
So grab your Ovation, doesn't matter what preamp, just set it flat, plug it into a direct-box and into a REALLY GOOD, PROPERLY EQ'd PROFESSIONAL PA SYSTEM, hit a 1st-position G chord, nice and loud, and then tell me what's wrong with that sound.
Lecture over. Yeah... what he said.
Also.. "projectile (human or mechanically powered)"
Obviously they had a spy at the last Ovation FanClub Factory happening. :( |
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CA guitars