Rainsong DR-1000 Dreadnaught

Beautiful.. read on...

perfect...

Well.. i don't even own a rainsong... But i'd like to post my 2 cents...

about 2 months ago, my work sent me to Vegas to attend a DOD conference... well.... I took the liberty to visit the "Worlds Largest Guitar Store" Ed Roman Guitars.... well.. they had a butt ton of guitars... and i only had 2 hours to play them.. so i skipped all of the martins, taylors... etc... I've played them all... I went straight for the Rainsongs... along the way to the Rainsongs i found a Jerry Jones shorty 12 string guitar... that was perhaps the most fun i had in the store.. playing that little guitar.. but that's for a different review... Well.. I played the Rainsongs for about 30 minutes.... BLOWN AWAY... Up until that point... the Rainsong guitars were some of the best sounding instruments i'd ever played..... Then the Salesman came over... we got to talking and i ended up in the High End Acoustic Guitar room.... (Apparently Ed Roman is notorious for not letting non-rock stars play the guitars in his store.... but luckly everyone was at NAMM... except for a few salesmen...)... anyways.. I ended up in the high end room.... and out of the entire room... there were only 2 guitars that impressed me more than the Rainsong guitars... A McPhereson guitar.. (honestly... the best instrument i've ever played)... and a Dell Arte Django style guitar (This runs a close second with the Rainsongs.. it's just the Gypsy Jazz tone was soooooo different than any other guitar i'd ever played... )

Long story short.... I AB'd the McPheresons and the Rainsongs... The McPhersons clearly won.... but then i AB'd the Rainsongs and EVERYTHING else... and the Rainsongs were the clear choice....

Bottom Line.... The McPhereson that i played was around 8,000.00.... The Rainsong was 2,000.00..... For the price for one McPhereson I could have 4 different Rainsongs....

Honestly.. If you're looking at this for reviews... these people have owned the instruments and can tell you detailed opinions..... I can just tell you First impressions... but First Impressions can tell you alot....

As far as bang for the buck... My next 3 guitars are going to be Rainsongs... period...

Only reason I don't gie a 10 is the polyurethane finish still scratches easily

This is actually a follow up to the review I made more than a year or so ago. I originally said the guitars sound took some getting used to I'd write another review in a year... so here it is. I LOVE this guitar! After playing it faithfully for over a year and gigging regularly, any other guitar I play at GC or wherever sounds DULL in comparison. Taylor, Martin, Gibson... they sound muffled.
The overtones and harmonics in the Rainsong are not dampened like a wooden guitar. I have since switched out the Fishman Blender for the Element system and am very please. By itself the system is great. I also bought a Fishman Aura nd had my guitar sent to them to have custom sound images done. The combination of the Rainsong/ELement/Aura is the best amateur or semi-pro live acoustic sound I've heard to date. There have been a few "pro" setups (i'm talking like Paul mcCartney, Harvey Reid kind of pro) that have sounded slightly better, but nobody in the bars or clubs I've heard have this good of plugged in sound, and I'm not running through highend PA. A simple Yorkville Powerd mixer w/ Carvin PM15 speakers and that's it. I run an open mic once a month so I get to hear a lot of acoustics run through my system. I've also had the opportunity to hear my Rainsong out front while somebody else played it and I was blown away. Other guitaists can't believe my "Black plastic" guitar sounds so "acoustic". I have quit going to guitar stores to play other guitars that I had been drooling over. Non compare to my Rainsong. If it ever got stolen I'd get another in a heartbeat. I've said everthing else in my previous review, just thought I'd say the honeymoon hasn't worn off!

a basic big old dreadnought, except its completely made out of graphite...other than a more comfortable weight, there's no adjustment needed to play one(i never forget how i couldn't get used to the round back on ovations, but the were my primary guitars in the late 70's)The Baggs electronics are simple but get the job done fine

I was totally sold on it when I got one of Rainsong's wood/graphite guitars..had to get a full graphite model...in all areas it exceeds my expectations for an acoustic guitar..and I play solo jazz guitar so the sound of the guitar is crucial

all excellent...but it is a high end guitar and its's expected

never a problem..seems to stay in tune better than guitars

great people..bought it used and they didn't treat me like a bum like some companies do

Dr1000 Dreadnought body. ALL graphite. High gloss polyurethane finish. Gotoh tuners. Fishman Stereo Blender electronics (Matrix under saddle/internal condensor mic combo). For more info on electronics see Fishman website. SKB molded case with "Rainsong" debossed on the top. Made in Woodenville, WA in 2002. Stunning abalone rosette around soundhole. MOP shark fret markers and MOP Rainsong logo on headstock

I'm a weekend warrior playing in an acoustic duo with an acoustic bass player. Gig regularly at various nightclubs. Play rock/pop/folk (Beatles, Floyd, Tull, STP, ELP, Eagles> etc) Playing through a BAggs PADI w/ a Zoom 504 effects peddle in the loop into a Yamaha EMX66 PA w/ Yamaha AS12 12" acoustic suspension speakers.
Like the previous reviewer, the sound takes some getting used too if you are used to a wooden guitar (especially rosewood dreadnought). I would compare it to a high end maple guitar. Very good definition of individual notes. "Bell like" treble like the ads say. Very defined bass, but not extremely "organic". WOuld kind of compare it do solid state amp vs. a tube amp for wooden guitar. It is louder than my Guild D-50. When you play a chord you hear each individual note, which may be good or bad. If some strings are out of tune, you notice. The chords just ring forever, plenty of sustain. I'm used to playing with medium gauge strings. The light gauge strings bend out of tune easier if you fret a chord too hard. This guitar has a lot of punch and really does sound like an acoustic unplugged. In fact I'm probably one of the few that like the unplugged sound better than the plugged in sound (could be the BAggs systems are better) The Fishman in the Rainsong is much brighter and "Quacky" than the Fishman matrix in my Guild. This could be because of the natural brightness of the graphite construction, or the fact my Guild needs a neck reset and there is just barely enough saddle pressure to make the pickup work, thus reducing some of the quack caused by string/saddle pressure. I'm not fond of the internal mic in this setup. I don't know if any other dual source Undersaddle/ internal mic combo would be any better. Before, I used to play with my Guild w/ a Fishman matrix II and suppliment it with an external AKG C1000s mic position about 6" away from where the soundhole and neck meet and got a great sound. I was hoping with the Fishman blender I could forego the external mic route and simplify my set-up. What I've found is that the internal mic pretty much just exxagerates handling noise (belt buckle hitting the back, pick "Clicks" on the top buttons on your shirt, etc.). BUT, I found out that the extra volume the Rainsong gives and the more balanced sound makes it a MUCH better candidate for external micing than a boomy Rosewood dread. I can turn the AKG C1000s mic up a lot more with out feeding back and the added volume of graphite really gives it some punch when strummed hard. I will probably not use the internal mic unless I'm just really lazy and even then, I'll run it in stereo so I can EQ it seperate from the pickup. I'm very seriously condidering getting a BAggs Element retrofit, need to hear some more feedback from people who have used both. I bought this guitar over the internet with out ever having played a DR1000. I said I would never buya guitar without playing it because wooden guitars vary so much from guitar to guitar, even the same model. I figured that pretty much all Rainsongs would sould the same since they're graphite. My local music store had an OM model that I like the sound and playablility of, but I wanted a little more bass response. I'm more of a flatpicker/strummer than a fingerstylist. Plus,I wasn't going to pay $2000 + for a new one so I decided that if I could find either a DR1000 or WS1000 in decent shape for $1200 I'd take either. After 3 months of bidding and loosing on various WS1000's this one came along. I'm glad I ended up with the DR instead of the WS. Previous reviews said the DR had quite a bit more bass response than the WS. I think I would have been dissappointed in the bass response of the WS. Plus, I'm used to playing a dread and I didn't have to alter my playing style that much. I'm liking this guitar more and more the longer I play it.

Setup was OK. Set up a little high, but I'm afraid to shave off any off the saddle for fear of string buzz. I wish they would include 2 saddles, one high and one low like their competitor, CA guitars. Also, like the previous reviewer, I notice that the neck had little, if any releif built into the neck and was almost perfectly straight. I was always under the asumption there should be a slight bow to the neck which mine doesn't have. Kinda wish there WAS a truss rod. The construction was very well done. Typical pinholes on the fret board that I guess all Rainsongs have, but the workmanship was topnotch. The shark inlays are perfect. Frets nicely crowned and no rough edges.

The guitar is durable, I'm it's made out a carbon fiber, it should be!. But, while it won't ding like my Guild, the finish does scratch as easy as a wooden guitar. It being very glossy and black, the scratches show up more. The previous owner did not use a pick guard and the pick scratches are very noticeable. I immediately bought a "Picnxr" clear static cling pick guard to cover these up and prevent any more. It doesn't seem to affect the tone and is pretty much invisible except for a few air bubbles underneath. The guitar should last a couple of lifetimes, except for scrathes. Although I doubt you could place it between 2 chairs and sit on it like someone else said. I gig without a backup, although I always keep a Dean Markley promag soundhole pickup for emergencies in my gig bag just in case the electronics quit for some reason. One reviewer said the neck was so solid you could not bend it and Monte Montgomery couldn't do is tremolo thing. Yes, the neck is stiff as a board, but the top of the guitar is quite flexible since it's much thinner than a wooden guitar, it is quite easy to push forward and pull back on the neck, changing the pitch. It's not the neck itself bending, but the top of the guitar flexing where the neck attaches. Although it seems to snap right back into tune when you let go of the neck. Kind of a built in Floyd Rose! As far as staying in tune it's hard to say. I use a capo alot and I guess any guitar needs to be retuned when going from open strings to capos on the 4th fret (or higher). If I always played in open strings I may find it stays tuned quite well. Except for the scratching, I'd give it a 10 for durability

The customer service is top notch. Jeane answered everyone of my stupid questions very promptly (except when she was busy at the NAMM show) Even answered me back about serial number and ages of guitars,obvious I was looking for a used one. These guys rate right up there with ST. Louis Music, LR BAggs and Fishman as far as answering e-mails.
Warranty is lifetime, but not transferable so I'll never know how good the warranty would have been

I've been playing for 20+ years , semi pro for the last 3. Wanted something high end, yet different than my guild that I wouldn't be afraid to gig with. Looked seriously at a Taylor 710 but it didn't sound that different than my D-50 and I'd be afraid to take it out of the case lest I ding it. Also wanted something I didn't have to keep in a humidified case or room and could let friends play without being a total anal asshole about keeping it "mint". I seriously considered a CA Legacy (another graphite composite guitar) It sounded and played quite good, perhaps even a bit warmer than the Rainsong and was only a $100 more brand new than what I paid for mine used. The main reason I didn't was the lack of ANY fret markers. Since I capo all over the neck, I'm very dependant on fret markers and have just gotten used to using them when I play. Even simple dots would have been OK. But the looks of the Rainsong and cool shark fret markers are hard to top. If it were lost or stolen I would probably replace it with another, although I would try for one with the Baggs system. There must be a reason that Rainsong switched from Fishman. Wish it came with a black pickguard, but some of the older models had one and they quit doing it so there must be a reason. YES, go back to TKL cases! The SKB's are light but cheesy! In conclusion, I'd say that the longer I play this guitar that better it sounds and the duller my Guild sounds in comparison. Now the Guild seems to weigh a ton when I play it! I'll still play both but I think this will be my new fav guitar. Just takes getting used to the futuristic sound a bit.

Made in 2002 in Woodenville, Wash. Fishman Blender. All graphite (Won't bore you with redundant details, same as all other DR1000's previously mentioned). SKB case (wish they still had TKL)

The sound is an acquired taste. Takes some getting used to, epecially if you have always played a rosewood dread. Bright and crisp, incredible sustain. Very good definition of indiviual notes. Much more noticable if you are slightly out of tune than my Yairi dreadnought. Slightly lacking in warmth (Comparatively speaking). A bit louder than my Yairi unplugged. Plugged in it is a little brittle and I have been boosting the bass and rolling off the treb. Built in internal mic of the Fishman blender seems to pretty much just exagerate handling noise (bumping, buttons on your shirt, pick hitting the top etc.). I'll probably just use the pickup and suppliment with an external condersor mic like I've been doing w/ my Yairi w/ a Fishman Matrix II. I will say that the longer I play it the less brassy it sounds to me and the more I appreciate it. I'll do another review ina year and see how my opinion has changed.

I thought the action was a little high when I got it, but when I put in a lower saddle I got some buzz so I went bacj\k to the original.
The neck was COMPLETELY straight. I had read that they built in some relief so it was slightly curved like most guitars with a truss rod, but not on mine, perhaps this is why it buzzed even with higher action?. Action was good. finish had a couple of factory blemishes on the top, under th finish, looks like two water spots that won't wash off. For the price I paid for the guitar ($1139.00 on e-bay, new and shop worn) I can overlook it. Fret board has the standard pinholes that i guess are inherent in all rainsongs. The abalone roseete is stunning and the shark fretmarkers were well done.

Finish does scratch. There were a few pick scratches when I got it and I promptly put on a static cling type clear pickguard. Seems very durable. It will still go out of tune in temperature changes but this is more due to expanding/contracting string than the guitar itself. Unlike other reports, the neck is NOT solid as a rock. You can bent it fairly easily and change the pitch, but it goes righ back into correct position when you let it go. You CAN do the Monte Montgomery tremolo effect onthis guitar!

Very helpful, until I started asking questions like if the New Baggs pickup fedback as much as the Fishman. The they didn't answer me. Althogh I have been a bit of a pest with numerous questions before I bought the guitar.

Like I said, the sound is an acquired taste. I think I actually prefer the unpluged sound of this and the plugged in sound of my Yairi, but I'm still experimenting with settings. MY wife loves the strumming sound of the Rainsong. Describes it as chimelike. My feelings change from week to week. When i first got the guitar I thought it excessivley sounded bright and brittle and my Yairi was bassy and warm. After 2 weeks, now the Rainsong is sounding clear and resonant and the Yairi is sounding a little dull and boomy in comparison. I think it's all what you are used too! Lookswise the rainsong is absolutley stunning under stage lights and the abalone rosette is gorgeous, nothing can top it in the looks dept. I bought this mainly as a stage guitar because I wanted something I didn't have to baby and worry about every littl ding and also wanted something completely different than what I had and so far I'm fairly happy. I think you need to give it time and I ALWAYS have buyers remorese whenever I buy anything. I did when I bought my Yairi and now I would never sell it. I hope I feel the same way about this is a few months. By the way the case looks like a good one at first glance, but the fit of the lid when you close it is not very good, takes some wiggling around to get it to seat right. I've heard the original TKL was much better.

Year made: early 2003, I think--in Washingotn, not Hawaii

You can read all about this guitar on MF or the Rainsong website. This is the all-graphite model as opposed to graphite top. It doesn't make that much difference in sound, but the durability factor is second to none. I'll never worry about the neck shifting around or the back swelling or contracting with the weather. Looks gorgeous on stage--very glossy. It does seem to scratch easily (no pickguard), but Rainsong says you can buff it with automotive wax. I'll try it out. I'm not a really hard strummer, but I do have some deeper scratches that I am doubtful will come out with wax. I'd like to see a clear pickguard even if it did screw up the perfect gloss finish.
Mine was one of the last with the Fishman blender. I haven't played the newer Baggs equipped models, but I'm sure they blow away the Fishman. The neck is relatively thin and very comfortable for my modest hands. It's got a nice compensated bridge, and the setup is perfect because you'll never need to touch a thing. No truss rod adjustments ever, nothing. Tuners are solid and accurate. Mine came with a relatively cheesy Rainsong embossed SKB case. I was really hoping for a nice wood and leather case with this level guitar, but hey, I'm nitpicking.

I play acoustic and electric rock (from Zep to John Mayer to DMB), and the guitar is incredible. I run from a behringer DI direct into a Mackie board and out to FOH. The output is hot enough that in a pinch you can get away without a DI, but I've always considered that a no-no. It's got this bell-like high end--they aren't kidding about that. The lows are more distinct-it'll make most wood guitars sound like mud. The guitar naturally has tons of volume because of the graphite--much more resonant than wood. I played Taylors and Martins before buying, and this guitar tied the Taylor 710CE-different sound, but just as good. The Rainsong won for durability, and I don't feel like it places second on sound.

You do have to be careful with condenser mic live (use piezo saddle pickup), and the guitar does benefit from a soundhole block on stage. One of the best guitars I ever recorded with, a high end Yamaha of a friend's (no kidding, it was great on tape), sounded like a wood box with strings compared to the Rainsong. I was blown away. No regrets.

Action perfect--it's low as it can go without buzz. If you're a hard player, you might get a little low buzz, but for most rhythm playing outside of bluegrass, etc., it's great.

The guitar's finish is exceptional, although as I noted, it does seem to scratch easily. The pearl sharks look great, and the graphite weave is really cool looking in the lights.

No bracing or anything on the inside--very clean (it doesn't need any due to its graphite construction).

It's definitely the first thing anybody should consider if you're playing in a band live. If you're an acoustic guitarist playing solo and you need that wood sound, o.k., I can see that. But I think there are quite a few solo artists that would go this way if they weren't so hung up on names like Martin and Taylor (no offense, they're great guitars). For reliability and durability with great sound, this is it for me. I play in Chicago with radical temp and humidity changes, and I haven't broken a string yet in 3 months, and the guitar is always the same, right out of the case. Rarely even have to retune much. Never during a performance. How bout that?

Dunno. Haven't needed to.

Been playing for 7 years. Own a Larrivee D-03E, Fender Clapton Strat (with vin noiseless), '86 MIJ Fender Tele '62 RI.

I wish I had waited for the Baggs, but the Fishman is definitely all right. I would replace this guitar with the same model if stolen.

I love the fact I never have to worry about it. I hate temperamental guitars. But I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't sound great.

My D-03E was the best deal going at the time, but the guitar has been nothing but trouble because of the rigors of playing in a band and lack of proper humidification (my fault, but it's a pain in the $#@).

I compared to the Taylor 710CE (fine sounding guitar, but I would cry the first time I nicked it on stage--too pretty for work), the Martin DC-16E and the HD-28 with outboard electronics. Picked the Rainsong for its volume, unique sound, and durability.

Wish I had the Baggs, just because I know they're awesome.

No regrets with this guitar. It is more expensive than I would like, and it's hard to see this guitar as a $2000 guitar when you're used to seeing very pretty wood for that price. I guess it was worth it, but next time, Rainsong, throw in a decent case!

this guitar was made in 2000 i think. its a USA made. my model has fishman pickups in it, the newer ones have LR baggs. it has a blender control which lets you go from the mic inside the guitar to the pickup, or blend them together. its made up of entirely graphite. it came with a rainsong hardshell case. the graphite body allows you to not have to worry about heat or sun damage if you are playing outside. it can be exposed to temperatures as high as 185 degrees, which is great for me because i play outside in FL a lot and that is the outer arm of hades; in other words, it gets hot. i never ince have had to worry about the wood getting damaged. they have got these awesome little shark inlays on the frets, king of like the greg norman shark if you know what that is. beautiful abalone inlays around the sound hole.

the sound on this guitar is absolutely incredible. i was a little skeptical at first, of an ALL graphite guitar. ive played the ovations and they suck. this guitar absolutely blew my mind. it has this bell like tone that i have not heard matched by any other guitar. every string is equally as loud; there are absolutely no dead spots on this guitar. i will admit, unplugged, it is nothing that would just blow your mind away. it sounds good, but its not overwhelming. but the second you plug it into a PA system or an acoustic amp, you will be totally in awe of the sound. i have gotten more compliments on that guitar than anything else i have ever owned. it is great for any style of playing, from bluegrass to classical to acoustic rock to whatever it is you want to play with an acoustic.

i bought the guitar used so i dont know what it came like from the factory. when i got it, i did not have to adjust a single thing on it. the set up was more than i could ever ask for. it was a smooth perfect fit. the feel of that guitar is just amazing. its got a nice smooth feel, and you can do some seering leads with that puppy. it plays almost like an electric when you are doing leads. but its got the feel of a nice acoustic. the edges on the back are rounded which makes it nice and comfortable to play.

this thing is a tank. i could take this guitar into the mojave desert and play it and it would not be phased. the strap buttons work fine on it, big and thick. like i said, i play in temperatures that exceed 100 at times and i never worry about this guitar. water doesnt damage it, heat, sun, NOTHING. i never have a backup when i play this guitar because it just doesnt need one.

NA

if i could give this guitar an 11 i would. but i cant so ill give it a strong 10. i am sad that i cant really do this guitar justice by just telling you about it. you would have to play one of these for yourself to even begin to appreciate it. ive been playing about 12 years and i have yet to play a guitar that amazes me as much as this one. i have dropped more jaws with it than you can count. if this guitar was stolen, i would hunt down the guy who took it, beat him to a pulp, then take my guitar back. thats all i have to say about that. i have had so many people try and buy this guitar from me that i just get sick of hearing it. most are skeptical of an all graphiote guitar, which you should be. but this guitar is the exception to the rule. i play a taylor acoustic as well. that thing is awesome in every way imaginable. but, there is just something about this guitar that makes it stand out. i would sell my left lung to get another one of these if i had to.

All carbon fiber (graphite) body and neck, with top of the line Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender. It has 21 jumbo frets, beautiful abelony inlays around the sound hole. The fret board is made of a jet black super strong composite material and has abelony inlays shaped like sharks! Really cool! Tuners are Gotoh. Finsih is gloss of course. The body is modeled after a Martin D-28 dreadnaought. The neck is very thin and extremely comfortable. It reminds me of an electric guitar neck. Also the guitar is very light in weight. My DR1000 came with a SKB hard shell case with RainSong embossed on the front. Strung with Elixir strings.

I play praise & worship and contemporary christian music.
This guitar has a wonderfully balanced sound. I was totally blown away by it. It has incredible note seperation. The trebles do have the bell like quality that the company claims they have. The DR1000 has quite a bit more bass responce than the WS1000. The projection is exellent, loud and crisp with a warm undertones. The graphite sound board gives notes and chords incredible sustain. When plugged in this is one sweet sounding accoustic. The Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender system has to be one of the best at capturing the accoustic sound plugged in. This guitar sounds great when fingerpicked and strummed.

The finih is very nice and has a high tech look to it. When the guitar arived to me it was set up nicely. Excellent cratsmanship. I even held it under a flouresent light to see if I could find any imperfections. The action is low has a very slight buzz on my low E but it could be due to the fact that I am a hard strummer. The neck is very fast and thin. Overall the guitar feels very comfortable and is extremely well made. With Graphite you don't have to worry about humidity and other things that can plague wooden guitars. Another thing about RainSongs is they stay in tune!

I am hard-pressed to find anything negative to say about my RainSong. I think this guitar will outlast me. It's made of carbon fiber which is extremely strong & durable.

Very helpful in helping me to make my decision on which model to buy since I didn't have a RainSong dealer in my area and I couldn't go to play and compare models. I would hope that should I ever need anything they will be just as helpful.

I have been playing for about 8 years. I was so close to buying a new Taylor 400 series acoustic. The Taylors are incredible instruments in sound and in quality. I had read glowing reviews on the RainSong WS1000 so I decided to take a chance. It paid off. The DR1000 exceeded my expectations. It easily sounded as good as the Taylors that I played. It offered better durability, more volume & sustain and a better neck feel. Brandon at Allen Music gave me the best price I could find on a DR1000. Even lower than Elderly. For those of you who are skeptical about guitars made from Graphite you owe it to yourselves to hunt down a RainSong dealer and try one. If you don't have one in your area do what I did, take a chance and order one!