Rainsong JM-1000 Jumbo

Made in 2005. All carbon fiber. LR Baggs Element active pick-up and on-board controls. Jumbo size. Medium jumbo frets. Thin neck. Extra light weight. Comes with a gorgeous custom made hardshell case.

I play mainly fingerstyle with my bare fingers and this guitar is perfect.It sounds potent and warm and both the basses and trebles come out when I play. It's probably the loudest guitar on the planet, but it is also very versatile and can be played with delicacy or with power, and it reacts differently. The guitar is also a when played with a flatpick or with fingerpicks.
When it is plgged to my amp, this guitar beats all the guitars that I have in the house (and also the ones that I don't have anymore).
Rainsong guitars are famous for being among the best sounding guitars when amplified, and I can confirm it.

I am usually very picky as far as action and set-up is concerned, and this is probably the first guitar that I will not feel the need to put my hands on. Everything is perfect from the factory. Low action at both the nut and the saddle, straight neck with no strings buzz, great playability. I have examined the guitar for days in every detail and found no flaws of any sort. As far as the attention to detail goes, this guitar is built like a high class wood guitar.
I must also say that I am pleasantly surprised by the service of Musicians Friend. This was the first time that I bought a guitar from them, and I was a bit concerned about ordering a guitar from a big on-line store without having examined it before. The guitar that they delivered to me was visibly "untouched" and fresh from the factory, and packed with great care.

It is 100 % carbon fiber. I bet it will last a lifetime.

I dealt with Rainsong customer support in the past and they are the best. Two years ago they replaced my Rainsong Grand Auditorium (WS-1000)
with a dreadnought, six months after I bought it, just because I changed my mind !

I got the guitar just one week ago therefore I am stll in the "Honeymoon" phase. But I must say, after having played it for hours and hours every day, that this is possibly the best guitar that I have ever owned.
It is also the most versatile, and because of its playabilty ad incredibly lightweight, the most pleasant to play.
The sound of this guitar is just awesome.

I received the Rainsong JM1000 today. The guitar arrived from Musicnas Friend in immaculate condition. It has been built in 2005.
It is an all carbon fiber guitar with a Bagg element pick-up and
on-board controls. the neck width is 3/4.

I played the guitar for two hours...and I am absolutelu blown away.
I thought it is difficult to beat the tone and sound of my Emerald Opus X-30, but...after having compared the two,I must say that the Rainsong JM1000 wins. Everything, tone, playability, sustain, absence of spots, balance between trebles and basses, volume, is absolutely first class. With no intention to criticize the new Rainsong Advanced Series (which I owned for a couple of months) this classic Rainsong is far superior.
And I am just talking of the UNLPUGGED tone. When I plugged the guitar to my Fender Acoustasonic, I got one more time the confirmation that Rainsong are probably the best guitars in the world as far as amplified sound is concerned. The Baggs Element is great, simple to operate, and provides a wonderful, clean, natural sound.

The first thing that impressed me was the perfection of the details and the perfect set-up from the factory. Everything (action, neck relief, nut slots depth, finish, etc...) was absolutely perfect. I am very picky with details and set-up and I bet that this will the first guitar in my life that I will not feel the need to put my hands on.
Kudos to Rainsong for the high-class attention to detail, and also to Musicians Friend for sending me a guitar which was visibly super new and "fresh" from the Rainsong factory.

I bet this guitar will last a lifetime.

I had past experience with Rainsong customer support when I bought other two Rainsong guitars in the past. They are absolutel the best. I remember
that two years ago they replaced my WS-1000 after six months just because I changed my mind and wanted to switch to a dreadnought !

I bought this Rainsong Jumbo new in late 2003. As you know it's all carbon fiber. The tunr a Gotoh, 18 to 1's. This gearing ratio seems to be one of the reasons it holds a tuning indefinitely. Most of the guitars I own have 16 to 1 or less. Mine came with a nice, sturdy TKL case. The electronics are first rate and include a stereo blender ehich I have yet to use.

I play an eclectic mix of fingerstyle music. Unamped the guitar displays a loud sound but it isn't strident. For some reason, after playing for a few minutes the guitar seems to "warm up" the sound blossoms and is quite warm and organic. The sound might be called bright, but it is earthy and delicate. This guitar seems to adapt to any style of music I play. It can punch through like a dreadnaught or sing delicately like the best handmade fingerstyle guitars I've played. I haven't yet found anything I dislike about the guitar.

The set-up was perfect right off the bat. The inside of the soundbox is ugly as hell. It looks like its made of layers of black gaffer's tape, but I kind of like that it looks funky that way.

It stands up to anything I can trhrow at it in my live gigs. The hardware is tough and dependable so far. The finish is rugged though it shows fingerprint and arm smudges all over the place. But I don't mind this at all. I just wipe it down with a soft cloth and polish it once in a while with a good polish product. The starp buttons are the most firmly seated of any I've seen. It is utterly dependable. I always use it at live gigs without a back-up.

I haven't had any contact with the company since sending in the warranty card. I don't anticipate having any contact in the future.

I've been playing since about 1967. I also own a Tacoma C1C Chief, an early '60's telecaster, an old Ramirez classical, a Kay archtop and madolin (the Kays are just cool looking, poorly made old beaters), a new Martin 000, 12 fret, with opened tuners, a Taylor 800 series auditorium size guitar, and a new Morris all solid fingerstyle.
I love the overall sound and versatility of this guitar. I also love the fact that it's so immensely stable and plays as slick as warm butter. It is by far the most versatile and satisfying guitar I own. I've played dozens of handmade instruments all over the world and this compares favorably with anything I've ever played. I chose it because of it's big horkin' box and for the versatility of it's sound and for it's playability and stability. It really looks cool too.

You probably already know the Rainsong JM1000 is an all graphite, no wood Jumbo style Guitar which, amusingly, is made in the town of "Woodin"ville, Washington. It's fitted with a Fishman Blender active pickup system. I purchased the instrument new this year
Its ultra thin neck is 1 3/4 inches at the nut and has no adjustable trussrod, since according to the manufacturer, it is unaffected by heat and humidity.
All Rainsongs have a glossy black finish with small sharks inlayed on the fretboard.

The only reason I was interested in this guitar in the first place was because I spend much of the summer living on my boat and have been reluctant to leave an expensive accoustic that close to the water.
I must say that, having owned Gibson, Martin, Taylor and Larrivee accoustic guitars over the past 30 years, I picked up this fully expecting to hate it. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The Rainsog ad describes it as "Loud, Loud, and Loud." That's too simplistic a description. Yes, it does have volume and that works for me because I play fingerstyle without picks. But this guitar also has remarkable balance and a complex range of tones.
It's bright, brassy, and bassey. And wait until you hear it thru an amplifier. That's another big surprise. Amplified, it reveals an amazing clarity, devoid of any hum or buzz normally associated with some accoustic/electrics. I've read that the graphite commposite is a conductor that neutralizes hum.
From the research I've done on the internet, I get the impression the Rainsong people achieved something of a "breakthrough" in the manufacture of these guitars 2 or 3 years ago because it was about then that opinions of them seemed to change considerably for the better.
Traditionalists who've been dismissive of these instruments remind me of my audiophile friends who still hang on to their vinyl records.
This guitar has made me rethink how you believe a good accoustic should sound.
As for the "big" sound this accoustic produces, I should also point out that it's a very big guitar.. it's sound chamber is probably bigger than a Dreadnought.

Setup was quite good, even before I had the saddle adjusted a bit for lower action. This one of those guitars whose neck and fret board seems to put my fingers where they're supposed to be.
I did notice a tiny ding a few hours after a brought it home and I'm not sure if I put there or if it was already in place..

The guitar feels rugged and dependable but because I've only owned it less than 2 months, I really don't know if the finish is any more durable than a wood finish. It doesn't come with a pickguard. I suppose the company feels they aren't necessary. According to the Rainsong folks, humidity, or the lack of it, is a non issue with these guitars.

The guitar comes with a lifetime warranty. I received a nice note from a company representative in response to a question I had about the instrument.

Currently, I own a a few Fender electrics, a Harmony Archtop I received for Christmas at age 7, a Larrivee Parlor, and Martin J40, but this Rainsong is the only guitar I'm playing at the moment. If it disappeared, I'd certainly get another Rainsong but I might check out the WS1000. It's a smaller Rainsong guitar that's not quite the cannon this JM1000 is but perhaps more managable. I'll repeat what I wrote earlier; I DIDN'T expect to like this guitar. I've played for 40 years and this Rainsong JM1000 is one instrument that can sometimes fool me into believing I'm a pretty good guitarist. If I could just find a way to improve my singing!

This is an update to the above JM-1000.
Re: The dots on the side of the neck: RainSong agrees that they should be there, and apologized profusely for omitting them. Since I don't miss them, and I kind of like the idea of a "custom" or "unique" guitar, I settled for a T-shirt to square the deal.

- Go to www.rainsong.com and read the descriptions.
- What year was it made? 2002
- Where was is made? Woodinville WA.
- Fishman Pro Blender with plug in the end pin.
- Body and neck woods? It is a graphite guitar. See site for the real words.
- High gloss finish. Beautiful! Mother of Pearl rosette is beautiful. Shark inlays on the fretboard are as precise and clean as I have ever seen.
- But ? There are no dots on the side of the fretboard, like on my WS-3000. When I lose my belly (!), and can?t see the sharks anymore, that may me a problem.
- Body style: Jumbo, no cutaway. When it arrived, my wife said something I haven?t heard in years: ?Oh, my god! It?s HUGE!?
- Tuners: Gotoh
- Neck/Scale: 1.75 wide at the nut. Thin neck.
- Comes with a nice case. It doesn?t have the ?RainSong? on it like the case for the WS-3000. It is made in China. Otherwise, it looks like the WS-3000 case, except much larger.
- Strap button on neck joint.
- Tusq bridge pins, nut, and saddle.

- How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
I play folk, country, Parrot Head, fingerstyle instrumentals, some blues, and other stuff that nobody but my wife can describe.
- What amps and effects are you using it with? An old Marshall electric guitar amp. The Fishman controls are easy to understand, even for this formerly all acoustic guy, and I am able to get some fine plugged-1n sounds out of it. I will play stay pure acoustic for a while, though. It is great that way.

- Rich/Full sound? Bright sound? Acoustically, the sound is bright and full. It has plenty of bass, and the balance, separation, and presence are superb.

- What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety? It can be LOUD, just like they say it can. But ? it doesn?t have to. But I bought the Jumbo because I wanted a guitar I could get pure, distinct sound out of while playing barefooted. This guitar does just that. I can get the country sound, the bluesy sound, or the sweet fingerstyle sound by changing attack, style, and using or not using picks.

- Again: This guitar can be LOUD! But this guitar plays quietly as well as any guitar I have played.

- Likes and dislikes? If I discover some, I will report them.

- How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?) It came set up perfectly. The action is perfect. It looks as low as it could go without a buzz. I had heard that the Jumbos were set up high to accommodate players who beat on them, but this one was not.

- Did the guitar contain any flaws? There are some pinholes in the urethane on the top. Otherwise, I have not detected anything wrong at all.

- Will this guitar withstand live playing? Without a doubt.

- Does the hardware seem like it will last? Yes, definitely.

- Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? The UV-protective urethane finish seems to be pretty tough. The trick is to keep the shine on there. No problem using the recommended Meguiars Final Inspection.

- Are the strap buttons solid? The strap buttons are both in there for good.
- Can you depend on it? I see no reason not to depend on it.

- Would you use it on a gig without a backup? You bet I would.

- If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they? RainSong and Allen Music both demonstrate excellent customer service. They went out of their way to answer questions and calm what fears I might have had.
- How long is the warranty? Lifetime. That is what you make it, I guess.

- What other gear do you own? I have an Epiphone FT350BL that has served me well since 1976. It is going to my son?s dorm room soon. I have a RainSong WS-3000 that I love.
How long have you been playing? Since 1964
- Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar? I asked questions and bugged them a lot. They answered all the questions and put my fears to rest. I could have saved a lot of angst by just chilling out after I ordered the thing. Everything is OK.
- If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? No doubt. If I had the moolah.
- What do you love about it? I love the way it feels. The easy way it plays. The way it looks. Most of all: The way it sounds.

- What do you hate? If I find anything, I will report it.

- What is your favorite feature? The sound, the versatility, and the way it fits me perfectly standing up with a strap.

- Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? I played some Martins, Taylors, Tacomas, Ovations, Gibsons, Guilds, Alvarezzzezzz. If I were to add wood to my stable, it would probably be the Tacoma Chief C1C. Again, I chose the RainSong because of its sound, playability, durability, and appearance as a package.

- Anything you wish it had? Nope.