Just curious what's driving the CF love.  I started with option 2 because of shoulder issues, but I'm beginning to embrace option 1.  For other, would love to hear why.

JD

PS - to reply, looks like something's broken, so you have to do preview first then save.

JD:

I don't how much you've purused this forum, but you'd be amazed at the different threads that run through the advantages of carbon fiber.  No humidifiers, no weather induced crackings, ergonomic designs, exoteric designs, new sounds, new sizes, projection, and so forth.  I'm one of those people who is offing all his wooden guitars while selecting the carbon fiber instruments that suit my needs, desires, lusts.  I'm sold on carbon fiber for all of the above noted reasons.  Sounds like you're either there or on the brink.  Enoy.   

What Evan said:  "No humidifiers, no weather induced crackings, ergonomic designs, exoteric designs, new sounds, new sizes, projection, and so forth"

But, I'm not parting with my D-35!  As much as I really like the carbons (CA OX -Raw and the RainSong), when it come to tone that pleases me most the D-35 wins hands down.  But I do like the CF guitars and the convenience they offer.  I also like their tones a lot (or I would not have kept them), but they are not the same ... nor do I believe they are meant to be.

Just my $0.02.

Ray

Yeah, my bad, meant to include durability, etc. as one of the options.  Too bad I can't edit it, but I'll just assume for now that other means durability/low maintenance.

Thanks Evan, I've definitely read a lot of the forum - just curious what the actual breakdown is.  Apologies if this is old ground.

JD

I am drawn to carbon because, once made it doesn't change.  Fingering will always be the same no matter what time of year.  I also like that mine is voiced and painted to look like a wood guitar.   I  love that few people know its carbon, don't know why I love that but I really do.  I think it came from seeing a woodgrained CA at a period festival and he was getting away with it, mixed right in with those vintage guitars.

Steve 

For me it is all about the environmental durability and stability (including the fretboard that is impervious to sweat on a hot day).

For me, all of the above and none of the above.   Durability for traveling was my initial motivation, but once I owned the guitar (CA 5i), tone, comfort and playability became more important. So much so in fact, it's now for all practical purposes, my only guitar.   Tone is very important to me.   If anything happens to my 5i, I'm screwed.   I've played quite a few other CF guitars, and for ME, none have even come close with respect to the tone I'm looking for.   

ken

When I voted last week, my comments somehow got lost.  So I will try just the comments again.  I don't "love" or "hate" carbon fiber guitars in general.  I can point to one specific model of carbon fiber guitar that solved some problems for me - the CA Guitars Cargo.  I really like the short scale and the way that CA Guitars took advantage of the ability to contour their instruments to the human body nicely in ways that I think it might be difficult to do with a traditional wood guitar.  The Cargo is (for me) a joy to play.  Despite its size, it sounds much more full than other guitars I have played (carbon fiber or wood) of similar size.  I have played other carbon fiber instruments and I find them to be very nice instruments, but the Cargo seems uniquely suited to my needs.  It is a good example of a nice match between player and instrument.  To me, it is an added bonus that, at least under normal circumstances that might challenge a traditional wood guitar (i.e. dry air in the winter and heat in the summer), I can leave my Cargo on the stand year around.  Though I read discussions in forums about whether these guitars sound like wood or that you can leave it in the trunk of a car in the desert heat with no ill effect, I simply treat these instruments much as I would any other guitar except that I can leave it out on its stand all the time.  Also, it does not have to sound like wood for me to appreciate what this instrument does for my ongoing ability to continue to play music.

Tony

All of the above. In the "other" category: they,re as close to hassle & worry free acoustic guits as you can git!

I love my Emerald X7/OS for many reasons. Let me count the ways.

1. Durability. She is a seasoned road warrior. While I'm careful with my wood guitars, when I travel with her I am more confident that she can withstand crowded bag-heavy overhead compartments on planes. She doesn't react to the weather or climate changes. In other words, she is a delightful travel companion.

2. Voice. My carbon has a unique voice. She's not wood, but at times she can sound "woody". She speaks in her own way that is brighter than her wood brethren, and almost pianistic on the lower strings. When she is plugged in, she is able to speak in a variety of voices that are suitable for the venue in which she is performing.

3. Style/Comfort/Sound. The Emerald has comfortable curves. She's very nice to look at and she feels good when I hold her. When she is on stage the audience is enthralled with both her sound and her good looks.

4. Compactness. She is petite and light as a feather. I carry her on my back in her gig bag and walk the streets and ride the trams and subways of distant cities and towns.

5. Memories. As time goes by, we have shared fond memories of our performances together. When I look at her I am reminded of our time in London, Toronto, and Clearwater Beach. I look forward to our future on some of the world's stages, cafes, pubs, and homes. She is always ready for the road and what lies around the bend.

marcar

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Like many here I have multiple reasons but overall I voted other because it's the imperviousness to humidity and temperature changes that was the final deciding factor for me. I love the sound, looks, and playability of my RainSong but I love the sound, looks, and playability of lots of guitars, including the Larrivee I considered (still quite smitten with them). But I like knowing that I won't ever have to worry about things shifting about or having to adjust the neck every other season. That said, I do remember the first time I saw a RainSong in person, I was struck by the looks and it really spoke to me. I also enjoy it's uniqueness and I like having a guitar nobody else does.

I'm drawn to new frontiers. I like carbon fiber guitars because they are pushing the envelope.

I voted for their wonderful voice but the attribute that brought me to the carbon fiber guitar was it's durability since I work with kids. It has the best possible combination of characteristics for those of us who work with children: great sound, cool look (which kids really go for), minimal weight, durability.

I love my carbon guitars so much that I play them at home most of the time instead of their wooden sisters as well as all of the time at work.
Barb

I can't seem to vote - maybe I voted already. Anyway, what brought me to them is durability, specifically in regards to the neck, after my old Washburn got warped beyond repair. My instruments live in the living room, on stands or leaning against the wall, to be grabbed at will - I like having a guitar I can leave out and not worry about humidity, or lack thereof.

What Marcar, evan and Barb said!

Well I would have liked to vote for more than one but that's ok. For me, they both sound good and they're different. When asked why I got one I just say "because everybody else has a wooden one" ya know? While they are brighter sounding they're just tough as all get out. Just a tough, comparatively carefree instruments. Especially for a 12 string.

This is a pretty old poll (the thread was inactive for over a year) and is apparently not active anymore. However, I would say that any poll on "why I like carbon fiber guitars" that doesn't include anything about durability and being impervious to most environmental conditions is missing the point. If it wasn't for these factors, I doubt anyone would even make CF guitars. I have to believe this is the primary reason most people even consider buying their first composite guitar.

Brian;

Absolutely. However, recent developments have given us other reasons as valid as durability. For example, projection. The Cargo caught my attention because of the big sound coming from a small guitar; it seems the CF may exceed the volume levels generally accepted with wooden guitars. I think we are also on the verge of tonal variations with CF that may exceed the variations possible with wooden instruments; tuned tops may give us tonal choices we've never heard before.

We might also ask questions regarding where CF falters, relative to wood. I would say that CF guitars, while often good looking, do not, yet, match the beauty of many wooden instrument. I suspect that this is a short term faltering since color is still a rudimentary part of CF. One of the reasons I liked the Voyage Instruments prototypes is that they were seriously messing with color. Something to look forward to.

Evan, I agree that there are many advantages that composite construction brings to the table. However, if it weren't for durability and being impervious to most environmental conditions, very few people would even consider switching from wood instruments. Of course, once you acquire one, the other advantages start to become noticeable.

I adore the beauty of the many incredible woods that exist. But I also love the various weaves of CF the builders use and their 3D look in passing light.

I thought I would never like anything other than the natural carbon look for a long time until I saw Martin's Carbon Fiber Project CD insert and one of the videos of him playing the X30 7 string. I would never have considered red before that time but now I can look to my left as I am typing this and see its beauty in person. It really is stunning, especially in sunlight. The closest wood I can think of is the deepest cherry wood used in some of the classic upscale furniture pieces.

I love the look of wood--but don't miss it for a minute, especially now. Open the photo below in a separate window or tab to see full size.

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What first caught my eye (or fingers I guess) was the playability of CF guitars - the first one I tried was a 12 string Rainsong and the fact that it played like an electric astounded me. Then I found out about the durability! I have to say I don't find the visible weave/stripes on CF guitars very appealing - my GX carbon burst is one of the more subtle variations - and wonder why there isn't more variation on the finishes. I do like the finish on Martin's X30, but could still do without the stripes. But people seem to like it, so to each his own.

Pretty much will stick to my Aug 12, 2010 post. I've kept both the carbon fiber guitars and the D-35. I play'em all but pretty soon the D-35 will be relegated to its case /w the humidifier - out of sight/out of mind: Sad.

Ray

It is the first reason to give CF guitars a go, but if they sounded bad, few of us would stay on and even rave about them, let alone collect them.

I'm with hempomatic. It's the whole package. Sound, durability, comfort.

I'd be severely bummed without my GXi. Nothing out there in the CF world has got that tone, and nothing in the wooden world has the durability.

isn't it a lovely guitar?? ;)

i really love the look of carbon fiber guitars. woods are also very beautiful, but i think a good carbon fiber guitar can also be stunning!

i have been thinking about all this thread a lot. i agree with all the reasons but i think there is a lot more. what i really love is that our carbon fiber guitars are designed and built by some of the most gifted people i've ever known of

the blackbird Super OM is an amazing example: it is a supreme design, ultra light, stiff, strong, reliable, sounds like any other guitar i've ever heard (do you know any other surround guitar?) and loud. the look is stunning, a really show stopper

one point where carbon fiber guitars are clearly superior is on guitars that need more tension, as 12 string guitars, and baritones. i've never heard a better baritone than the Emerald so far

what first got me interested is realiability. wooden guitars are not reliable, they change all the time and this is not practical at all for a traveling musician like me. i've had lots of problem regarding that in the past. once i started playing carbon my work is way easier

but now, what's more important for me is that they sound amazing. do i need more?

No doubt. My point is simply that the low maintenance and worry factor associated with carbon fiber is the primary reason we even consider them and, I'm sure for many of us, the reason we turn our backs on the wood guitars we used to love.

Perhaps the poll is simply assuming we all love these aspects of CF guitars and moved on to other facets. That might be fair. However, in my case, every time I think about getting another wood guitar, I remember that I'll have to worry about the high humidity in summer and the low humidity in winter and scratching them, etc. It really is far and away the primary reason I'm into CF guitars. Yes, the guitars have to play and sound good, but I can get that out of wood guitars. And, as cool as I think some of the CF guitars are to look at, I still prefer the look of a beautiful natural finish wood guitar.

Martin wrote:

Martin,

I hear you. If you are traveling with a guitar, I can't think of any more travel-worthy guitar than a carbon fiber. But I also like the look of my carbon fiber. Can't tell you how many times when I take it out of the gig bag that I get "oohs and aahs" from people. I like having a distinctive looking guitar that stands out from the crowd of woodies. Now, don't get me wrong. I have my share of "woodies" and I still love my electrics, in particular. But I'm finding that my go-to guitar when I'm playing solo or just strumming around the house is my X7-OS. It can stay on the guitar stand in close reach all year round without worrying about humidity and temperature changes. Meanwhile, my Martin spends more time in its case than out of it.

marcar

I love the look of fine wooden guitars too - but when the slightest knock cracks a chunk out of your lovely nitro-cellulose lacquer, it's not good.

I love that my CA OX and Cargo are so tuff - doesn't mean they don't get the best possible treatment, but when the inevitable bump occurs - it's not a disaster. They are out where I can reach them, 24/7, which means they get played, a lot.

I also love the look of carbon fibre. There aren't many cf guitars on the market that I don't covet for their beauty.

But, as has been observed, we wouldn't play them if they didn't sound and feel great. They do, they really have that lovely note separation and sustain that is just a joy to be close to - whether heard, or felt in the body.

Cheers,

Nigel

Actually, the first time I played mine in the music store, I loved the sound. It wasn't until later that I found out how impervious they were to the elements. That was a big bonus. But for me, it's always been about the unique sound. I simply prefereed it over the other guitars I tried (wood or not).
Of course it helped that they were absolutely gorgeous.
Now I'm hooked.

Yeah it blows me away tough the finish is on these things. I accidentally dropped a G7th capo on mine and it didn't even leave a mark. I think you'd just about have to whack one of these things intentionally. They're tough!