[Josh]

The local Sam Ash in White Plains has a couple of Composite Acoustics guitars, including two or three acoustic instruments and one hollowbody electric. All composites (no wood involved) makes for some seriously lightweight and resonant guitars, although the Rainsong on the hook next to one of the acoustics was still a little more my taste.

Seriously cool sounding instruments and the acoustics have an awesome neck heel. The electric plays and sounds great and is ultra light and slim, only let down by the very narrow and small acoustic-style fretwire and kind of crappy upper fret-access.

$1200 for the electric seems a bit much as there are some rough edges, but it seems there's room in the market for a composite-bodied acoustic and electric again...

 

[Jason]

Cool. How were they electrics for metal/rock tones?

 

[Josh]

The only decent 'metal' amp there I could really spend time with was a Jet City 20 with a boost in front. Really snappy and lively sounding, very clear and a bit bright. Vibrato and bending were trickier on the small frets, but it played beautifully with an arrow-straight neck.

Neck pickup tones were absolutely killer (I think the hollow body has something to do with that), and whatever was in the bridge (I'm guessing a JB) had some great snarly high mids and was pretty crunchy. Definitely metal-capable. Serious amounts of acoustic volume too on the electric.

 

[eelblack2]

If you need to snag one from Ash, White Plains, let me know and I will call Chris Konys up for you. (Store manager.) He is an old friend, and that was the store that brought me into the Sam Ash chain for 10 years.

 

[Josh]

That's cool, and I definitely appreciate the offer, Lee!

It's unlikely I'll pick up anything major worth calling over though, as I'm setting aside all my spare cash for law school. Living in Manhattan on a student budget will be tricky .

Assuming my amp hasn't just bit it though. It was doing some weird stuff with the output over the past few days, and then smelled like burning (!) earlier today while I was playing. I immediately shut it down, but who knows? I dropped it off with the amp guru there and have my fingers crossed; I love that amp and don't know how I would replace it.

On topic about the guitars: I consider myself pretty well aware of what happens in the gear world (especially with stuff that is out of the ordinary) and I was surprised to see these as I'd never heard of them before. Finding out that they went under before I even knew about them was even sadder, as they're very cool (if pricey) instruments.

 

[Drew]

A college friend of mine owns one of these:

I've played it a bit - cool guitar, very open sounding, but I think I prefer wooden acoustics.

 

[Zero]

There's a few of them at the Sam Ash here in Philly, too. Didn't know they went under, though.

 

[eelblack2]

It's unlikely I'll pick up anything major worth calling over though, as I'm setting aside all my spare cash for law school. Living in Manhattan on a student budget will be tricky .

I can relate, bro. I was living in Manhattan when I was at IAR. I was also moonlighting as a studio intern in both Manhattan and Bronxville, trying to pick up 4-5 bucks an hour at the studio and giving guitar lessons whenever I had an empty time slot in either studio. Lean, but very fun times.

You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders, in terms of finances and academic path. Hold the course, and you'll be gear-whoring with feeling in no time at all. :yesway:

 

[Bigeeboo]

I played some composites at NAMM I have to say I was turned on by them so much that for the cost I'd pick that up over any other acoustic brand very nice guitars, shame