Rainsong A-WS1000 Advanced Series

Graphite body and top with no bracing, Fishman preamp with built-in tuner, Gotoh tuning machines, custom gig bag. Very thin neck. The review that described it as being like a Telecaster neck is dead on - and I love it!

This guitar does sound a bit boomy on the open D and G strings, but ALL guitars have distinct characteristics, and that is just the way this one is. Overall the sound is pretty balanced and clear.

First, let me say that this guitar is absolutely beautiful. The fit and finish of the body, neck, fretboard, head, frets, etc. were all perfect. I'm only downgrading it a couple of points because the action was set way too high by the factory. Disappointing, but many guitars in all price ranges need tweaking by a good shop. If you buy it at a good dealer, they will do it free. I had to pay $40 since I bought mine on ebay, but it was great after that. They just had to work on the nut and slightly adjust the rod. Factory intonation was dead on. The shop that did the work for me was quite impressed with it.

I've only had it a few months and don't gig, so it is tough for me to comment, but I am extremely impressed by a few things. First is it is almost ALWAYS in tune! Just amazing! I laugh at people who tell me their guitars don't go out of tune because these are invariably people who just pick them up and start playing and don't have great ears. If they actually checked their guitars with a quartz tuner, they would find it is not the case. I check this one every time I pick it up and I only have to adjust one or two strings maybe once a week! And I live in Rochester, NY! One day it will be 20 degrees with 15 percent humidity and the next it will be 40 degrees with 55 percent. Also, I find the finish QUITE resistant to fingerprints and it wipes off super easy.

Have not had to deal with them.

Every time I open the case I like it more. It is pretty as hell, sounds great (you just have to get used to it, like any guitar), and seems really solid. I paid an absurdly low price for it ($600 used in like new condition), but I see them around for $900 or so and I really think they are well worth that. And if you gotta have new, I think the price is still okay if you are not one of those people that are super hung up on getting an impressive looking piece of wood.

great fishman electronics, with built in tuner, love the feel of the neck, carbon fiber top thin and responsive

sound is a bit boomy, a little bit heavy on the low end, I play blues and rock and it is difficult to pick out the high notes. not balanced as well as it could be. i expected more from a guitar i this price range.

this is where it went rapidly down hill, very high action, adjusting the truss rod did little to help. painful to play for more than a few minutes at a time. noted many small blemishes in the finish, the nut was out of alignment and looked like the ends had been hacked off with a pocketknife, no joke. the cutouts for the strings in the nut were barely there (possibly contributing to the high action) the abalone inlays in the bridge pins were crooked and not flush with the top of the pin. it could have been fretted better i could feel the frets as i ran my hand along the sides of the neck. contrary to what is advertised the body is not carbon fiber but a veneer of carbon fiber over a foam and plastic body. the guitar is very heavy for its size and compared to a wood guitar. the rounded edges of the body make it hard to sit and play without a strap, it slips, kind of like an ovation, though not as bad. the finish is very glossy, pretty until you get fingerprints, sweat or any kind of scratches on it. because of how it is made you can't refinish it like a wood guitar, and if anything on the body breaks it is done, you cant repair carbon fiber.

unfortunately this guitar is built like a tank, if you buy it you are stuck with it. it won't wear out, it is dependable and sounds decent if you can get past the highly radiused neck. If this was my only guitar i wouldn't worry about having a backup, it wont break down on you unless you throw it under a semi truck (which i have thought about doing)

in a word lousy, i called customer support and all i got was "all of out guitars are perfectly setup at the factory, I cant imagine why you are having a problem" they have a warranty but you have to send it back at your expense +insurance, and have it returned at your expense +insurance. they could not believe that any of their guitars were less than perfect. they never suggested returning the guitar, any ideas about lowering the action, absolutely no help at all. I have martins, zagers, ibanezes, fenders, gibsons, etc. on the (very rare) times that i have needed to call customer service on these brands, the reps bent over backwards to make sure i was satisfied. Zager even sent me a new guitar before i sent the damaged one back.

been playing for 2 years, have a home recording studio, and have owned many guitars, and this one was by far the worst. their advertising is misleading if not outright lying about the carbon fiber body, and there was no way i could have known the carbon fiber was veneer if i hadn't removed the preamp and seen the 1/4 inch thick layer of foam that the carbon fiber was glued to. i would never replace this guitar if it was lost of stolen. the only things good about it are the neck and the fishman electronics. the sound is weak at best, if you have $1400.00 to spend on a guitar buy a $700-800 Zager or Martin and spend the rest on gear. or save up and get the top of the line rainsong @ $2300.00 these have a great reputation. I have played one and it is an outstanding guitar. i really don't see any benefit to carbon fiber over wood, especially with all the new HPL guitars coming out. if you like the looks go for it, but i don't say i didn't warn you. i see a lot of positive reviews on this guitar, but most of them relate to how good it sounds plugged in. well any guitar with a $300.00 preamp is going to sound good, what makes or breaks an acoustic is how it sounds unplugged. this one doesn't cut it.

Soundboard - Graphite soundboard crafted using RainSong's Projection Tuned Layering??? technique. No soundboard braces.

Body - Graphite body. No body braces.

Neck - New "super low profile" bolt-on Graphite neck and composite fingerboard fabricated using RainSong's Performance Shape Casting??? as a single piece. Double-action truss rod.

Accessories - Tusq??? Nut, saddle. MOP inlaid Tusq??? bridgepins.

Case - Customized gigbag.

Finish - High-gloss polyurethane.

Depth at end-pin: 5 inches

Lower bout: 15.8 inches

Body Length: 19.5 inches

Neck width at nut: 1.75 inches

Scale length: 25.4 inches

Tuning machines: Chrome plated custom Gotohs with 1:18 gear ratio

Electronics: Fishman Prefix Plus-T

The sound of a Rainsong guitar is clarity. Full chiming clarity. With the 1 3/4" nut, I can play fingerstyle with ease and every individual note rings like a bell. It's like having a grand piano built into a guitar when you play a note. I'm still getting used to it. I have 4 Martins, 1 Taylor and 1 Larrivee. Recording with the Rainsong is very unique. The tone using the Fishman Prefix and a guitar cord straight into the recorder yields more claity than a Taylor and a condenser mic. If you want a classic bluegrass sound, this is not your guitar. If you write pop or fingerstyle jazz; this is a dream guitar. I love it. The top has no bracing due to the stregth of graphite. Open chiming tone.

The guitar is perfect. Everything is beautiful.

I have one gripe. The neck profile is very slim; it's like a slender Telecaster neck. I like an acoustic guitar with a bit of beef in the neck profile. I've gotten used to the profile but I took a couple weeks of recording with it. The more expensive standard Rainsongs have beefy neck profiles but the guitars cost twice as much.

It's graphite. You could put it in a car trunk in sub zero weather and pull it out and open the case in a 80 degree studio. It will sound the same in a damp swamp as it will in a dry dessert. I used to fear Wisconsin winters and gigging. No more worries.

I've joked and called guitars "bulletproof"......this guitar is bulletproof.

Life warranty. Great dealer.

It's a high tech marvel with a soul.

I dealt with Rainsong customer support in the past and they are the best, really. Once they even replaced a Grand Concert after two months just because I changed my mind and wanted to switch to a dreadnought !

After having owned several Martin, Taylor, CA and Rainsong
guitars, ALL pure acoustic, I decided to switch to an acoustic electric.
Drove to Elderly, spent a morning there, and came back with a beautiful red Rainsong Advanced Series guitar.
Grand concert cutaway, 3/4 neck.
My first impression. It is not as loud as the original Rainsong
guitars (the ones that cost over 2,000.00). This is probably due to the fact that the new Advanced Series have a considerably thicker top compared to tyhe original Rainsong models. But it has a very balanced sound and a very natural one too, not harsh at all.
Basses are clear,full,not muddy, and trebles are excellent.
Sustain is great, as it is in every Rainsong guitar.
Playability is excellent, this is due also to the perfect set-up.
But where the guitar shines, is when it is plugged.
With my Yorkville A 100 acoustic amp, it sounds incredible.
Negatives ? Well, the truss rod (yes, it has a truss rod even
if it is an all composite guitar) needed some adjustment because it was loose and it was creating a rattling sound when strings were played. It is a bit heavy, not so much but heavier than a standard Rainsong.
Fot a street price of around 1,200.00 dollars, I think it's a great buy.

Thanks for the attention,

gerardo1000