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Location: Wooster, Ohio | Please don't throw things at me but I managed to snag a Composite Acoustics CA - X model on ebay last week at a great price and picked it up today. I plugged it in and I am blowned away by this guitar. All my Ovation guitars are wooden, so this is my first composite soundboard. Has anyone played a good adamas and one of these guitars? Curious as to your thoughts.
Steve |
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Location: Lagrasse/France | Hi Steve,
The composite soundboard is amazing. I do not know if I am mistaken, but the lightness, the rigidity and the smoothness of its tables contribute to the performances. When ou play it unpluged, you have powerful sonorities; more than a wooden sounboard... When you plug it, I think that the the Larsen point is moved back.
I don't know the guitar which you bought. Could you send a picture?
I hope that I answered your search.
Best
François |
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Location: ranson,wva | ive he=ad the pleasure of playing several adamas including slothead#47 ri and the response and tone is amazing,as far as other compisite tops ive never played one..jason |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | There was quite a lot of talk about CA guitars on this board a few years ago. Try doing a search. I think a few members visited their factory. Overall the comments were very positive and the CA compared quite favoribly to adamas guitars at about 2/3 the price. I played one at NAMM but it was too noisy to really hear it well. Fit, finish and playability was very nice. Dave |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | I've never heard one but it's been described to me that Rainsong is a 1 and Adamas is a 10 and these are about a 5 (3 to 7 depending on who's talking) |
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Location: Midland, MI | I've played a CA and a Rainsong locally, but never played an Adamas (heresy, I know). The Rainsong was thin and brittle sounding. The CA did sound better, but not by much. As someone much wiser than I is fond of saying, though, "...ice cream." |
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Location: NJ | Dave;
Paul Hebert was the member that toured the CA factory . . . which is in his hometown of Lafayette, Lewziana . . .
I've never played a CA, but I've heard some good things 'bout 'em. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | I took my slothead #57 and my woodtop adamas that i used to own(dont confuse with my current all wood adamas)to compare with the then new CA models.This was about 3 years ago..Anyway, the owner of the store,myself and another employee of the music store compared these new CA guitars and it was no contest to me or the other two guys.The CA guitar was the better guitar handsdown..I didnt want it to be but it was..I dont know how the currect CA guitars are but the two he had back then were just incredible.The tone and clarity of these all composite guitar were amazing..This might be why in 4-5 years CA guitars has earned the respect of traditional all wood guitar players..If you ever go to the martin,taylor and other forums the CA guitars are praised and respected.This is something ovation has not managed to earned from these guys in 40 years.... |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I heard a CA an a couple of occastions at NAMM. I heard Kim play one in their booth and I wasn't impressed, then I went back just for a first-hand experience and still not impressed. To me its apples and oranges. The CA seemed to be trying to mimic the sound of a wood guitar. I think they do that fairly well, or at least the one I heard. But if you're into the full range, booming, same volume up and down the neck etc. etc.. the Adamas blows it away imho.
So I guess the bottom line is to listen for yourself because you will get as many opinions as people giving opinions. |
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Location: Scotland | I tried a few CA guitars at NAMM a couple of years ago. The guys on the booth were really cool and friendly, and generally I was pretty impressed with the guitars, especially the prototype parlor model. One thing is for sure, they are in a different league to Rainsmog. Now whether you find a CA "better" than an Adamas is down to taste and application. To my ear and to my needs they behave exactly like most all-wood guitars, especially dreads and jumbos in that they don't have enough midrange. This isn't a criticism, it's a classic sound, but not one I need. Secondly once you get away from the first position the consistency of tone and volume across the playable range of an Adamas, or most Ovations for that matter is noticibly superior. That won't matter to some players, but it does to me.
The fact that the wood snobs like CA is pretty irrelevant. If I needed something that sounded and performed like a D28 or whatever, I'd go out and buy a D28 not an Adamas or a CA. |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | I would agree with many things said: CA blows away Rainsong. I have played them back to back in Gruhns in Nashville several years ago, no comparison. I think that CA is overly concerned with sounding just like a wooden guitar, but that was the market they were orginally going after. Even the look of their first guitars were styled after a standard blue grass acoustic. The X body or OM style is really a departure from that. That is the one I have. I frankly think it is the most innovative acoustic guitar I have ever seen. I use a flatpick and two fingers picking style and I was going up the neck
with my acoustic amp today. Great clarity. It is not a wood sound but has its own quality. But for a total innovative package, a total composite guitar from the ground up, I think it equals the innovative spirit of that first Ovation many years ago. I think not to applaud that, is wrong. Ovation ought to buy the company and give it some capital and economies of scale. They don't seem to be out there marketingwise and don't seem to have the volume as well. Maybe that will change with their new manufacturing facility.
Steve |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "The fact that the wood snobs like CA is pretty irrelevant. If I needed something that sounded and performed like a D28 or whatever, I'd go out and buy a D28 not an Adamas or a CA."
Very well said. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Unlike you guys(Miles,Paul) as an Ovation fan im very interested in and find it very relavant as to why the "wood guitar snobs" have accepted the all composite CA guitar in 5 short years and they still feel that Ovations after 40 years are a joke and not real guitars.This is not my opinion nor do i say this to agrivate everyone,after all we are all Ovation fans here..I think it deserves discussion without blinders.
So,i thought about Pauls statement and wondered why would i buy a CA guitar instead of just buying a martin D-28?Thats a great question! So i thought about it and one quick simple answer besides the fact that i really like the sound of the CA guitars is because if for example i am a bluegrass player who plays out at outdoor festivals and i want to buy a guitar that has the classic martin D28 sound but i dont want to buy a D-28 because of the obvious problems that a wood guitar would have exposed to heat/humidity or rain or if i have to have my guitar in my car or trunk for long periods of time because i play out in Bars or church and did not want to expose my wood guitar to heat/humidity/rain then this would be the perfect guitar to have.I personally own a 1948 martin D-28 and would never want to damage it or hurt its value by taking it out but i would enjoy having that Martin dread sound when i play out.This would be another good reason to have a CA guitar..I also understand that the CA guitars record well and as most people know who record martin dread boxes do not record well.
Also, you make it sound so negative that the CA sounds like a wood guitar.I personally find it pretty amazing how an all composite guitar can be voiced to sound so woody.After all wood guitars are the benchmark for any guitar.A few thousand years of stringed instrument history has proven this.So the fact that CA can make an all composite guitar that sounds this close to a wood guitar is simply amazing in my opinion.Even Ovation early on set its goals to sound like Jim Richards Martin D-28 and D-45.Those guitars were the benchmark during the design and development of the first ovations.
In the end Ovations had their own distinct sound that can never be confused with a wood guitar.In many ways this was great for ovation because it developed a market for the "Ovation Sound" and they have sold millions..In the end a great success story and the reason we are all here. |
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Location: SoCal | This is starting to become a good thread. Important to praise when appropriate. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | You know, Sam is actually on to something here and really has me thinking. I don't know how to say this without ruffling feathers, but ...my goal in a guitar is for it to sound like a classic wooden box guitar, without having to actually BE one. Does that make sense? Think "CSN&Y" or "James Taylor", that's the sound I love in a guitar.
On several occasions I have had to go the non-Ovation route to find that sound. I love these guitars. Unfortunately, these are overpriced instruments that are fragile, don't hold tune that well, and aren't always as playable as Ovations. So... if someone like CA has come along and actually capture that classic woody sound in a composite guitar then hats off to them. and I DO place a lot of credence in the fact that the woody fans have accepted this instrument.
This does not take anything away from Ovation. They have their own unique and very pleasing sound and just happen to be pointed in a different direction than the woodies. Robust, great value, the best electronics, best necks and playabilty and some truly amazing sounding instruments in their own right. I love them as much as any of you, if not more. But I am not going to be blind to whatever else is out there.
I know lots of folks here will disagree with this. They firmly believe that no wooden guitar or box shaped composite guitar could ever sound better than any Ovation. That may be true IF your standard of what a guitar sound sound like is the classic Ovation sound. Nothing wrong with that. Remember, there is a REASON that there's more than one guitar company out there. And in one way or another they each have their merits and they will each appeal to some segment of the market.
Dave |
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Location: ranson,wva | my hats off to you dave,that was verry well said,i do love o's as much as the next guy here but i also own a few no o's including a 12string rikki..different sounds for different things..jason |
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Location: Scotland | I mostly agree with you Dave. Except that the main reason I use Ovations is that they don't sound like a box guitar. When I need that sound I have access to plenty conventional wooden instruments. What I didn't aggree with was Sam's totally subjective statement that "The CA guitar was the better guitar handsdown" There is no such thing as "better" when it comes to guitar tone, just "different" Whether you prefer the difference depends on your ear, your personal taste, and what you need to do with the instrument. |
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Location: NJ | I have played many rainsongs. I try to like them but I just can't. I have found the build quality to be less than great, set up not to my liking, and overall the sound left me flat. (taylors on the other hand have a great build quality but just don't speak to me soundwise, too generic)
I have only played a CA on one occasion. It was at a namm show which was not the best place to try out a guitar. It seemed ok but I will have to reserve judgement until I can find someone that stocks them and actually give them the true one on one once over.
I agree with temp, the reason I like my adamas guitars so much is because they have a unique voice. You can always pick me out in a group of players with tradional guitars. I guess I also like being the "different" one in the group.
I disagree that Ovations have not had the same success as CA. Ovation/Adamas are internationally known. They are/were used by many of the major artists out there. Trends change, times change, music changes, critis change. As a result, other choices are out there and artists use them. Often these changes are fueled by economic reasons. I know of many artists that have amp deals with major companies but the sound guy uses their amp behind the stacks of "fill in the blank" amps. We see this trend with artists using Ovations in the studio or at home but now not on the road. Sad but true.
Critics in magazines are just that. Often the people that lobby the loudest and buy the most dinners and give the free samples are the ones that get reviewed. Ovation and Adamas both get good reviews in magazines and often the information about them is inaccurate.
I do not only own Ovations/Adamas acoustics, I have a couple of martins, a national, a guild and a gibson. These are different flavors and there is nothing wrong with it. You speak with your wallet and pocket. Dave, who had only ovations has branched out to other brands, Sam has sold many of his rare collectable Adamas guitars to buy other guitars. Players do what they feel is best for them. If you feel the guitar is not doing it for you, then you pass it along and find something else. It may be in the same brand it may not be. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Al, that was very well said. Great comments. |
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Location: Wooster, Ohio | A sidelight. I emailed the CA factory and they made less than 100 X bodys at the old factory. They have been shut down for a year and a half retooling and setting up a larger facility. They are just now starting to make X's again. Who can afford to shut down a factory for a year and a half? Anyway I can see why not many of you have played one. Not many out there.
Steve |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "Also, you make it sound so negative that the CA sounds like a wood guitar.I personally find it pretty amazing how an all composite guitar can be voiced to sound so woody.After all wood guitars are the benchmark for any guitar."
I guess this is where opinion and taste comes in. I do not by any means think that wood is the "benchmark" in the sence of everything needs to aspire to it, but rather in the sence of any new material needs to sound at least as good as wood. For many many years, wood was the best we could come up with taking all things into consideration. Lots of people tryied lots of materials. Carbon Fiber came along and other composits and the sound is being taken to the next level. |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by 45flint:
...Who can afford to shut down a factory for a year and a half?... Apparently CA. ;) |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by 45flint:
Who can afford to shut down a factory for a year and a half? Is this factory in Europe? Sounds like a normal summer holiday to me ...
Dave |
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Composite comparisons
