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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | A good place to start is WHY are you wanting to sell your 1681 and WHAT are you expecting to get in a Rainsong or CA that will tickle your fancy. |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 26
| Jukebox Joe:
Perhaps what you are saying does have a lot of merit.
After all, my 1681 is a great guitar.
What intrigues me about the CA and Rainsong guitars, aside from the crystal clear, bell like sound that comes through on the demo videos, is the fact that I often have to play the 1681 sitting down, with the guitar in my lap and the guitar turned so that the top is facing me, in order to optimize the sound acoustically, as I, the player, hear it.
Again, I think this is a function of the fact that the Lyrachord body does not vibrate very much and that the rounded bowl directs the sound upward, through the top and away from the player.
This is great from the perspective of the audience, but not ideal from the perspective of the player.
I have also been intrigued by the great reviews I have read of the CA and Rainsong instruments.
Unfortunately, there is no store near to me that has CA or Rainsong guitars, so I have not been able to play one in person.
I think my inclination now is to buy a new CA guitar, with the right to return it for a refund, if it does not meet my expectations, and keep both my 1681 and the CA if the guitar does meet my expectations.
Later on, perhaps, I might get a Rainsong as well.
I think I would be extremely fortunate to have 3 very fine carbon fiber acoustics at my disposal, each with its own set of strengths.
Al |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| 2 questions:
1. Do you primarily play for yourself alone, or for an audience? If the former, then how the guitar sounds to the player is certainly the main consideration.
2. Do you base your guitar buying decisions on the compressed audio of an Internet video? Personally, I would never judge a guitar's sound on that criterion, but that's just me. Then there are all the other factors like neck profile, fret finish, etc. that are very personal to playability. You can't get a sense of those over a video. |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 381
Location: Miami | Al, now you're talking sense! ;) I second what G8r said about Internet video, and I'll go further. Even a live demo with someone else playing it is NOT enough! You have to play it yourself to know if it's right for you.
As to what the player hears versus what the audience hears, it depends on 4 scenarios:
(1) You only play (as opposed to play and sing), and you only play unplugged (smaller intimate audiences). In this case you'll want a guitar with good projection, and man, do you already have the right guitar for that!
(2) You play and sing, also unplugged. In this case, you pick the guitar that works best with your voice as heard from the audience.
(3) You play or play and sing, plugged. In this case, the direction of the projection is almost negligible (not entirely, but almost) and what you need then is to find the right guitar / amp combo.
(4) You play or play and sing for yourself. In this case, you get the guitar that sounds best from your point of view regardless of what an audience would hear. And here, not to influence your decision or anything, I've played a CA with the side hole and the Adamas 1681 and while the big CA hole was more "in your face", it also had nowhere the tone of the 1681, but this again is a matter of personal opinion. I own neither, so my opinion was unattached, but still subjective since they're my ears.
Hope this makes sense, and in case I haven't emphasized my main point enough: listen and play for yourself before trading away a near mint 1681! Go with the refund option at all costs and you'll never regret it. |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 26
| G8r and Jukebox Joe:
I primarily play for myself, so for me, how a guitar sounds to me, as opposed to an audience, is what is most important.
I, of course, would greatly prefer buying a guitar after playing it in person, because as you say, there are many factors to consider in evaluating a particular instrument, but I think many of us who have bought guitars from Ebay, for example, have taken the risk that a guitar will meet their hopes and expectations when it arrives, and if not, one always has the option of selling it.
As I said, there is no CA or Rainsong dealer close to me, so I cannot try one out before I buy. But if I saw a CA or Rainsong on Ebay at a great price, I would consider buying it, sight unseen and guitar unplayed, knowing that I could always sell it, hopefully for about what I paid for it.
Al |
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Joined:
July 2009
Posts: 26
| I will be ordering a new CA guitar today, on approval, with the right to return it for a refund.
I will be keeping my 1681, as well.
Thank you all for your advice.
Al |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 381
Location: Miami | Great! Do post your findings. I'd love to get another person's side by side evaluation. |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Excellent plan. Look forward to your comparisons and impressions. |
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Joined:
March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Congrats Albert! Glad the OFC could be a sounding board to help you make the right decision. And as Joe said, let us know how you like the new one. |
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Joined:
September 2002
Posts: 806
Location: Seymour, Tennessee | I like my CA OX very much and compared to the guitars that some folks have over here (they are few and far between)it sounds waaaay better.
I'll have to wait till I get home to do a comparison with the O's.
I believe the O's sound better but I don't know what people listening to them that may be different than what I hear.
I can say that the CA OX is very powerful for having such a shallow bowland being a rather small guitar.
I am out of my playing league with probably 99% of you guys but I like how it sounds and so does everybody else here who have seen it or played it.
I wish I could compare it to an Adamas of my own but that'll have to wait till I hit the lottery or turn criminal. |
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Joined:
May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I can say, I've never been disappointed with any CA guitar that I've tried. Nice instruments and quite well priced for what you get. |
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Adamas 1681, Near Mint, For Trade for Composite Acoustics Guitar
