Composite Acoustics X Performer

Thin-body, all carbon, quality components, good initial factory setup. On-board electronics very satisfying. Very fast neck. I miss a pickguard since the gloss finish can scratch.

My biggest gripe is the ergonomics of the thin body. Some reviews laud the cutaway back as conforming to the player's body. I find it difficult to get comfortable, and many standard positions give me twinges and pain. It angles too close to the body, putting the fretboard too far back. My Martin dread is awesomely user-friendly in contrast.

Since the neck is heavier than the body, in most normal positions it feels like the neck is dropping away. Ultimately, I bought a guitar rest (Tappert I think) which makes the guitar quite playable - and since both guitar and rest are black, not too lame looking.

Strumming, especially minor chords, produces a wistful haunting quality I don't seem to get from most wood guitars. A very inspiring sound from carbon. Extremely responsive for fingerpicking, wonderful sustain. Bass could be stronger, but overall balance is exceptional.

This was a floor demo model, but immaculate when bought. Action is quite good - feels almost electric without any buzzing. Tight, beautifully finished guitar.

Stays in tune, extremely stable. It's carbon fiber with a monolithic body construction. I'm guessing it's tough as nails.

No direct experience post-sale, but pre-purchase inquiries were very congenial.

Played for over five years, self-taught, mostly blues, mostly fingerstyle. The sound of this guitar is compelling. Some bended notes sound like angels singing. But ultimately, the ergonomics can get me down. I'd definitely (probably will) buy another CA guitar that fits better, maybe a GX or a dread-shape. Quality is extraordinary; the carbon look is beautiful to my eyes.

Other guitars. Martin 000 and D-16, Custom Soloette Hummingbird (graphite neck, cherry body),American Series Strat.

Thin body all graphite cutaway guitar, shaped like an orchestra .L Baggs I-Mix electronics, which mix a soundboard transducer with an undersadlle pick-up. TLK custom hard case. Made in 2007.

I am a fan of composite guitars and I had them all: Rainsong, Emerald, and a couple of CA (Composite Acoustic) dreadnoughts.
When I first played a X, I was stunned: first, I did not expect so much volume. Yes, it is not as loud as a Jumbo, but it is as loud as any other traditional OM guitar. Second, the sound is so sweet, natural, and balanced, that it is a pleasure to hear. It perfectly fits my style of music, which is mostly fingerstyle bues.

The guitar has a wonderful playability, it is almost as easy to play as an electric. The action is quite low. The neck is straight with minimal relief (no truss rod). The guitar arrived with the Baggs P.A. and the
battery compartmernt detached from the body and lost inside the guitar body, probably due to bad care during the shipping. I managed to re-place them at the right place using the available velcro straps. A couple of nut slots were a bit too deep and I filled them with a drop of superglue, while waiting for CA customer service to send me a new nut
(which they immediately agreed to do).

I believe that this guitar will last forever. It is not affected by humidity. I am just a bit concerned that too much heat (like playing under the sun) could melt the adhesive under the velcro strap that keeps the P.A. system in place inside the body, as it probably happened during the shipping.

Composite Acoustic customer support is fabulous, probably the best that I have ever experienced.In the past they replaced my CA Bluegrass Performer with a new one because mine had a little cosmetic problem with a binding on the neck.

This is a fabulous guitar. Incredible acoustic sound for its size, and it beats any other guitar that I have heard when plugged in.
It is so light and easy to play that I can play for hours without getting tired. It is also very cool to look at. So far, I love it.

Carbon Fiber with Black Gloss Finish
Thinline w/ cutaway 20 frets
Gotoh SG503 Tuners
Slim U neck w/ medium nickel-silver frets
Neck scale 25.5
Made with no wood, just carbon fiber, metal and minimal plastic
L.R. Baggs custom onboard electronics
TKL Custom hardshell case included. The case is the only weak link. My first case was replaced because the glue used to manufacture it smelled horribly. Additionally, for a $2,500 guitar I would have liked to see them pay attention to all the details. I feel they neglected the case.

I play rock, classical and christian rock.
The sound is amazing, both plugged in and unplugged. I must however that this guitar sounds great unplugged, but I could tell immediately after plugging into a PA system for an auditorium that seats 2,000 people, that this guitar was meant to be plugged. I have never heard an acoustic guitar sound this good plugged into a PA system with nothing but a Carvin direct box. My Martin doesn't even come close to this X Performer plugged in, although unplugged my Martin does have a slightly deeper and warmer sound.
I love the sound of this guitar, my only complaint is that the instructions for how to use the L.R. Baggs electronics were not as user friendly as I had hoped for a $2,500 guitar.

My X Performer required no adjustments on my part. The action struck a perfect balance between too close or too high.
The finish on this guitar is beautiful, in fact that's what made me pick this guitar up initially.
The guitar in general is amazing to look at.
Additionally, the guitar uses Carbon Fiber instead of wood, so it's much lighter and is not sensitive to weather, humidity and any other factors. I rarely have to tune this guitar, it manages to stay in tune whether I play outside, in a cold auditorium and a humid and hot coffee shop.

This guitar is built to take a beating, as it is not made of fancy delicate woods; rather it's made from Carbon Fiber.
The hardware is top notch, Gotoh Tuners, Tusq bridge and nut.
I've had the guitar apart completely and every piece of it is of the highest quality.
I've only had one negative issue and that was a loose instrument jack. Compositve Acoustics quickly replaced my guitar, as they have a lifetime warranty on their guitars. I believe my guitar was a victim of being the first in the batch of these great guitars. My replacement was even more amazing than the original.

Composite Acoustic's customer support team ROCKS!! They really care and made sure that I was completely happy with the way they resolved my issue with a loose instrument jack.
As an business man myself, this is how I run my business. You've got to keep your customers happy in order to build brand loyalty, and these guys have got that down to a science.
The warranty on my X Performer is a lifetime warranty. Of course they won't replace it everytime something goes wrong, but it's nice to know they'll fix it and stand behind their product as long as I own it.
I shouldn't have many problems though, I love this guitar and take care of it like a little baby... as best I can.
The best part of their customer support is that you get an American answering the phone. I've been so upset to find out that I have to speak to someone overseas over a guitar issue. Not these guys, they're straight outta Louisiana and they take great pride in their guitars and their company!!

I've picked up the guitar 3 years ago after going 10 years without playing.. college, marriage, kids, military service, naval flight training, etc... I had played almost my entire childhood through high school before than, mainly classical, flamenco and big hair rock. I bought a Martin when I first started playing again at my church, but although the tone was beautiful, I need a thinline for performance pursposes. That's when I stumbled upon this baby... lucky me!! This is for certain my last steel string acoustic guitar, I have asked Composite Acoustics when their Classical Nylon version will come out, but they could not say. This guitar was featured in a recent concert & live cd recording I played and all I can say is that the guitar performed flawlessly! I did break a string, but that was my fault, I got a little excited!!
What I like the most about this guitar is that it's the total package: it looks cool, it sound great unplugged, kicks some serious ass plugged in, and feels great in your hands. It's a fast neck too for an acoustic guitar; plays almost as effortlessly as an electric guitar.
My only advice for Composite Acoustics is this... take the time to design a better case or get with a better case manufacturer. Take a look at some of the cases by Gibson, Martin, Fender, Taylor. The case is part of the guitar too... we deserve a better case, maybe even a carbon fiber case!!