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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
 Posted - 06/12/2002 : 11:20:07 AM
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Last February, I had a chance to have 4 RainSong guitars in my home for several days! Then I had to take them back to the factory.  I didn't get to play them as much as I would have liked, but I enjoyed them and thought they were a high quality steel-string guitar with better tone than my Martin 000-16. Of course, I prefer nylon.
I emailed Jeane Carr, their sales manager, on another topic, and she said they are in R&D on a nylon string guitar. If all goes well, they may be able to introduce it this fall. If all goes stupendously well, I may be able to grab a demo this August to take to an open mike/jam. Whoo-hoo! 
The new guitar is not a classical or flamenco guitar. It will have a body much like their WS models with cutaway and a 1 3/4" nut. That's all I know. They made a nylon string classical/flamenco model in '95 or so that was a resounding dud; this is new. If it's up to the quality of the steel string guitars, I'll have a serious financial decision to make.
BTW, I have no financial interest in RainSong, just a lot of musical interest in their graphite guitars. They were mfg. in Hawaii but shifted operations to the mainland, just a few miles from me, to ease the killer transportation costs they faced. Most (all?) employees came with the company. That's loyalty. When Guild relocated from the East coast to California, none of the production employees would go.
Pauline
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2002 : 12:47:59 PM
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hi pauline,
i have a rainsong WS mumble and love it. i think that the tone is quite different from wood guitars, but it's beautiful sounding and works very well with slack key. it's also pretty loud for what that's worth... i play it as much as my other fave guitar (a breedlove).
i've been debating getting a nylon string guitar for playing around with, especially after hearing a recording of moses kahumoku playing on a nylon string guitar. maybe i'll wait to see what the RS will be like...
aloha,
keith
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2002 : 8:05:04 PM
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I heard that the luthier helping them on the nylon string design is from Pimental, a family operation out of Albuquerque, NM. I've tried their classical models and the tone is wonderful. I'm saving up to order one of the Pimental's. I'm really curious if the graphite allows for the subtly nuances of tone that the wooden classical do, that is, if played in the hands of a competant players. (A guy can dream, no?) Also, I haven't played any other guitar but a classical, so I'm a bit apprehensive to spend the little $$ I have on a differently configured fretboard. My fingers are getting too old for the changes.
Raymond
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2002 : 12:36:50 AM
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Raymond,
I have a steel string with a 1 3/4" nut that I often tune to Taro Patch. Usually I play nylon. I think my left hand gets more confused because of string spacing than my right but not for long.
It's my eyes that cause the problems. Apparently I rely on the looks of the strings, wound or unwound, to tell bass strings from treble strings. I keep getting D/G or G/B confused and fret the wrong string!
Pauline |
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jlsulle
Lokahi
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2002 : 11:51:37 AM
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The comments regarding Rainsong guitars seem to ring true with most people. I have a ws1000 which I play just as much as my other wooden guitars. The sound is a little different but very nice. Perhaps a little sharper or crisper sounding. And btw they are much stronger and less affected by climate and temperature changes. I plan to take mine to George Kahumoku's workshop on Maui (leaving tomorrow-Oh Boy-Hot Dog) and again for the August Beamer camp. I would not trade my wood guitars for the Rainsong but they are a wonderful addition to any accoustic collection. I do not work for Rainsong either.
Sulle'
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2002 : 12:28:10 PM
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sulle,
be sure to post a trip report when you get back from camp!
enviously,
keith
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2002 : 12:34:06 AM
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Sometime last January I played a used RainSong WS1000 at Buffalo Brothers. It was a cannon. I went back a week later and it was gone.
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Dusty |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2002 : 10:48:44 AM
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hi dusty,
umm, that would have been me that snagged the rainsong from BB... it's a beautiful guitar.
aloha,
keith
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2002 : 5:09:03 PM
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Small world we live in.  |
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duke
Lokahi
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2002 : 6:24:27 PM
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Just wondering if any of you Rainsong owners have an opinion about using med guage strings for the bass strings and lights for the trebels? I'm somewhat intimidated by the Warranty Card which prescribes lights only, otherwise you will burn in hell along but at least your Rainsong will stay in tune... I emailed Rainsong and asked but received a somewhat tentative reply saying "we haven't tested them for that."...
Duke
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2002 : 8:16:40 PM
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Hi Duke,
I assume you are tuning down, this is a slack key forum, so how about calculating what the slacked string tension is on medium strings vs. standard tuning on light strings. D'Addario has a chart/formula for string tensions. I've seen a link for freeware to do the same that I'll look up if you'd like.
Pauline |
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jlsulle
Lokahi
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2002 : 10:27:22 AM
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Hello all,
I have a WS1000 Rainsong guitar on which I use John Pearse set #800 (slack Key Set) bronze strings. I believe these strings are a mixture of medium and light and they have worked well so far. The neck and body of this guitar are very strong and it seems the company is being extra cautious. Because of the guitar's construction it is also very good for traveling. I just took mine to Maui for the music camp.
Jerry(Sulle)
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duke
Lokahi
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2002 : 1:55:27 PM
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Mahalo Pauline & Jerry. I'll check out the tension chart. The Pearse slack key set of strings is exactly what I was thinking about getting.
Duke
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Pauline Leland
`Olu`olu
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2002 : 4:14:09 PM
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Hi Duke,
Here's a link to a discussion on string tension that contains the links I mentioned.
Pauline |
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wdf
Ha`aha`a
USA
1153 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2002 : 7:18:17 PM
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>>hi dusty,
>>umm, that would have been me that snagged the rainsong from BB... >>it's a beautiful guitar.
>>aloha,
>>keith
Funny. I met a guy at a George Kahumoku workshop at Shade Tree in Laguna Niguel who claimed to have bought the guitar - you perhaps?
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Dusty |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2002 : 7:22:43 PM
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you know, i met a guy at george's class at shade tree who claims to have been looking at that guitar! i guess we've met...
we should get together and play some time!
keith
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