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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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Haolenuke
Lokahi
USA
117 Posts |
 Posted - 12/19/2009 : 4:18:47 PM
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| Thanks Dave, I'll give it a try. For now I can get there slacking the current strings, though a set of Worths would be nice. |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2009 : 07:22:47 AM
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I doubt it will be useful to many of you, as you are mostly Americans, but there is a UK company, Newtone, who will make you up sets in whatever gauges you want. They are handmade, with round cores instead of the usual hexagonal. They are very smooth and although not coated, are very long lasting. I personally like them more than any other string.
They do sets for open tunings, a set for Weissenborn type instruments, and sets for low, or even tension. Or like I say, they’ll make you up whatever you want, for whatever instrument you want.
Two caveats – if you order from them, there’s probably a minimum order of six sets - , a lot of potential outlay out on something you don’t already know you like.
Secondly, the UK pound is currently about $1.60, so this may well make it too pricey for Americans, especially with shipping.
However, I know they do have distributors in the US, so it’s possible to try one of their made up sets, and see if you like them.
For anyone who’s interested http://www.newtonestrings.com/acoustic_page.htm
And a US distributor that I’ve just found http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/
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abrigoohana
Lokahi
271 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2009 : 10:35:19 AM
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I know I'm chiming in a bit late, but we have a Rainsong someone gave to us a couple years back because of the bent neck. After we took the strings off, we realized it's invaluable as a CAT TOY... the cats just love climbing in and out of the sound hole. Last week we decided to see what we can do to repair it. Our latest repair tool is a product called Gorilla Glue, LOL. I'll let you know how it goes.
Aloha,
Lanet ~ mom of the Abrigo 'Ohana |
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2010 : 03:46:08 AM
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Hi, Some information about graphite guitars. Graphite is a very stable material and should not need a truss rod for adjustment. The problem is usually not with the graphite but with the glues used to put the guitars together. A big diference between Rainsong and CA guitars is the way the neck is joined to the body. When Rainsong first came out the heat tolerances were around 180 degrees. People mistakenly thought their guitars were impervious to heat (read the warranty info that comes with your guitars) but they are not - glue joins will fail. I believe they are now good to a little over 200 degrees but a trunk on a hot day with the sun beating down can get brutally hot. The guitars are also mostly black and the sun on the beach can be brutal. I have found the CA guitars a little more stable as the neck is somehow part of the body and not glued. It is not uncommon for the Rainsongs to go to the darkside. When this happens there is not much you can do as far as a fix. When I had my store, I had to stop selling them because of too many problems. On the plus side, the company is very friendly and responsive to customers needs. IF you bought the guitar new, there is a good chance they will replace it for you. Please call them directdly on the phone rather than an e mail and explain the situation. What you describe is most likely the neck set failing.
Larry |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2010 : 11:31:08 AM
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| Sadly, over the weekend, I read that CA Guitars closed. The company website has been taken down and phone calls are not being answered. A few dealers have sold their remainig inventory at discounted prices. |
Andy |
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2010 : 3:30:12 PM
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| That's a bummer, Andy. They were really nice folks. They never did seem to get it together on the business side. Don't count them out though. They have been through this before albeit in a different economic climate. Today's economy has been brutal on the high end guitar industry. |
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Turtle Song
Aloha
47 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 07:36:07 AM
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Hi, all. Long time no post.
Five days before the doors were locked I was emailing with a rep about a possible future ‘ukulele and I was told it was in the works for next February. What happened was sudden and unexpected by all. Even some dealers didn’t know the doors were closed until I contacted them to find out what they still had in stock.
There are still models available through dealers who still had stock on hand. The CA webpage is closed, so you have to google “Composite Acoustics” and the model you might be interested in to find dealers. I was in Hilo three weeks ago and Ken had some in stock at that time, not sure what he has left.
The problem for the buyer is, no warranty, unless the company is resurrected and takes on warranties sold after the lock up (and there is much rumoring and speculation along these lines.) But, as one dealer said to me, “These guitars don’t need a warranty.” True, that, they are great. That being said, there has been the occasional CA with issues, though, as with any product. I own two from before the crash, a GX and the Cargo I had at camp last year, and think they’re great.
Honestly, I think the Cargo is the best travel sized guitar I’ve ever picked up, and right now, the ones left with dealers are going like hot cakes.
If the company is restructured, or bought out, there’s speculation on what may or may not happen regarding quality. Speculation swirls around the issues of keeping it stateside vs possible outsourcing and/or the possibility of how materials are handled being changed.
CA and Rainsong used very different techniques regarding the materials and bracing, and because of that, got very different sounds. Rainsong uses carbon fiber that’s pre-impregnated with whatever the epoxy is that’s used, CA did not. CA came as close to the sound of a wood guitar as you could probably get with no wood involved, and in my opinion, have a warmer sound than Rainsong.
Emerald is getting talked about on message boards: http://www.emeraldguitars.com/
I’ve never seen or heard one.
Blackbird’s guitars are bizarre looking to me, but they do have that new ‘uke that was released at NAMM, and it sounds good on YouTube.
Deborah |
The seeds for the flowering of our personal peace are within our hopeful, but fragmented, selves. Reflection and silence compose the winds that nurture our simplicity that is the essence of beauty. - Frank Howell
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 08:59:36 AM
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A dealer told me that ukuleles and mandolins were discussed at the Winter NAMM show. Too bad.
I'm weighing the purchase at a discount (final sale/no warranty) thing. Even with an additional discount, they are not inexpensive. Although, having a decent sounding and playing guitar that I can leave out all winter long is attractive. Oh, what to do? |
Andy |
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Turtle Song
Aloha
47 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 12:40:27 PM
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I guess you have to weigh the risk of getting an instrument with issues against the risk of losing the chance to have one of this generation of CA instruments and the quality that they did achieve. Maybe they’ll be back, maybe they won’t, and if they do, the question of future quality remains.
At least one of the dealers I contacted still had intruments on their website that had been shipped out to customers; the web page was being held pending the buyer's final acceptance of the instrument. So, even though no warranty is available, at least some dealers are selling based on customer satisfaction.
I have a luthier who can do anything, so for me, it wasn’t a hard choice.
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The seeds for the flowering of our personal peace are within our hopeful, but fragmented, selves. Reflection and silence compose the winds that nurture our simplicity that is the essence of beauty. - Frank Howell
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 4:29:19 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Admin
A dealer told me that ukuleles and mandolins were discussed at the Winter NAMM show. Too bad.
I'm weighing the purchase at a discount (final sale/no warranty) thing. Even with an additional discount, they are not inexpensive. Although, having a decent sounding and playing guitar that I can leave out all winter long is attractive. Oh, what to do?
Andy, the one thing I would absolutely do is confirm the saddle height. For whatever reason I've seen a number of CA guitars with saddles at around 1/16" which is barely any saddle at all. And this was on instruments with 12th fret action around 1/8". To me this is a clear sign that the neck angle is wrong or the neck has excess relief. In either case, the saddle was carved away to achieve acceptable action.
Neck angle is one of the extremely critical details of guitar construction, and one of the key factors in the difference between otherwise similar guitars.
So either handle the guitar yourself and confirm that it's playable and has good geometry or get detailed measurements (most vendors are refusing returns on these).
With all these provisos, though, I'd buy another one if I can find a good one. Mine is a darned good guitar.
Fran |
E ho`okani pila kakou ma Kaleponi
Slack Key Guitar in California - www.kaleponi.com
Slack Key on YouTube
Homebrewed Music Blog |
Edited by - Fran Guidry on 03/13/2010 08:09:40 AM |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2010 : 06:59:03 AM
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Fran - Thanks for the tip. Very helpful.
Deborah - Thank you too. |
Andy |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2010 : 09:44:52 AM
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I hadn't watched Fran's video clip until today. Wow, that is crazy.
BTW, I hope everything worked out for APT and his RainSong. |
Andy |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2010 : 11:37:47 AM
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Andy (et al) -
I'm saddened to hear about the company's trials.
I bought a Cargo last year after playing a couple of 'em at the Aloha Camp. It is a fantastic little guitar--sounds great, plays great, in tune all the way up the neck. And it fits in the overhead on the little prop planes I have to fly.
Mine's been played on the deck of a barge in the Irish rain, sat in the trunk of a rental car when the temperature hit 113 in Palm Springs, been plugged in on stage, and got dang near frozen this winter when I forgot it was in the car. Don't try that with yer Grimes/Taylor/Martin.
I'd say buy one if you can find one. If you don't like, someone else will take it off your hands. |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2010 : 2:03:50 PM
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Lot of speculation going about whether the company will come back. I hope so.
I ended up buying one with the dual source LR Baggs pickup. It's supposed to arrive on Thursday. |
Andy |
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Topic |
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Waterproof Guitar
