Nice videos!

The JM3000, I think, is an ideal showcase for what Carbon can do for the guitar world.  Firstly, there is the extreme tension of 12 strings tuned to concert pitch.  Traditional instruments would need to be heavily braced and overbuilt to support them.  This makes the instrument less responsive, not to mention heavier.  Next, the bellying, shrinking and warping of wood cause the instruments to constantly go out of tune.  The high "creep factor" of wood also causes wooden necks to bow more over time causing the action to rise and make the instruments difficult to play.  When was the last time you walked into a music store to find a wooden 12-string that "played like butter"?

The large Jumbo body (in my opinion) is ideally suited for 12 strings.  The added bass seems to offset the "jangliness" of the 12-strings.  Using our prepreg technology, we are able to make a large body 12-string that still weighs about a pound less than most 6-strings.  The JM3000 is truly a marvelous instrument --- but then again I am biased ;)

As far as your question about setup is concerned -- we build our instruments with the "average player" in mind.  We recommend that players have new instruments set-up so that they can be customized to the player's preferences and playing style.  After all, even if you purchased a Lexus or BMW you would need to adjust the seat to your preference!

This is a great analogy.

Ashvin, thanks for the response. I agree with everything you said and have said most of the same things many times while making the claim that composite construction is the way to go for 12-string guitars. In my opinion, it is virtually impossible to make a great wood 12-string guitar for the reasons you stated. There are some pretty darn good 12-string guitars made out of wood, but compromises have to be made to pull it off.

One of these days I'll probably take it in to get it set up. It really plays quite nicely now, but I can't help the feeling it could be a bit better. One of the problems is that I don't play nearly as much as I ought to, so my hand strength and conditioning and callouses aren't what they should be.

Hi Ashvin,

I also had a RainSong JM3000 12-string and thought it to be the best 12-string acoustic guitar I've ever played (I've also owned Taylor 12-strings which are considered by many to be the new standard of wooden acoustic 12-string guitars)! The only improvement I can suggest to RainSong, and I'd make the same comment to Composite Acoustics (if they were still around) would be to "roll" the edges of your fingerboards rather than keeping them sharper. Why? A "rolled" or more rounded fingerboard edge will permit players to thumb-fret 6th-string notes easier. I'd suggest applying this rolled fingerboard edge to all your guitars. I haven't played any RainSongs with the new N2 neck, so I don't know how they feel for thumb-fretting.  Thanks for being here!

Regards,

RainDance

This guitar played quite well like it was; any difficulties I was experiencing I attributed to the fact that I don't play nearly as much as I should and a 12-string is always going to require a little more to play. However, two things made me start to question if the action was too high. The first was getting my old Ovation 12-string ready to sell. I was astonished by just how easy it was to play, easier than the JM3000. The other thing that got me thinking was reading comments from folks who said a Planet Waves NS capo worked well on their 12-strings. I had found the opposite, that the NS just couldn't get the job done.

I decided to buy a String Action Gauge from Stew-Mac, figuring it was a tool I ought to own. I then checked out two CAs and the JM3000. My CA Vintage Performer and Xi both were exactly on the CA specs that I've seem (7/64" for bass strings, a bit less for treble, don't remember if it was 6/64" or 5/64"). The JM3000 was significantly higher, so I decided to sand down the saddle. It took me two tries to get it so the action read identical to the two CAs. What a difference! The guitar actually played pretty well before, but it plays spectacularly now. It also has better intonation.

I highly recommended the JM3000 before, but that recommendation has just gotten stronger.

Great videos and a darn nice sounding guitar.  Some excellent performing there, too!  Well done, Mr. McHale!

Thanks, Jesse.