Rainsong OM-1000

Others have already stated all of the stats and details so let me just add some personal views on it. I personally really like the look of the Graphite on the guitar. Its thin light body is a please to play standing with a strap or sitting and sounds far bigger than it is. The neck is very smooth and fast. And it takes a beating (climate, travel, my kids, ... and keeps sounding and playing great.

I play mainly finger style acoustic guitar stuff... diverse range of music... and it suits me quite well. Very clear bell like sound... but still has as very acoustic warmth and depth to it. I traded in my favorite traditional acoustic guitar (a Taylor 814BCE - their 25th anniversary, braillian rosewood sides and back, spruce top instrument) that I had for 4 years) after playing this guitar for over 2 hours in a guitar shop. I spent a week going back... playing everything the shop had across dozens of manufacturers at every price range... and this is the one that spoke to me. I sold the Taylor to buy this one new... and it has been my lasting favorite instrument for over 2 years now.

When I bought the guitar it was perfect. The action was perfect for me. All the frets and body were perfect. Just an amazing instrument. Over the years this guitar has taken more abuse than it should have. I have taken it places I would never have taken any of my other guitars, left it out of the case more than I should have... and the thing that is amazing about this guitar... the action, the tuning, everything on this guitar is still great. There are a few well earned dings in the graphite finish... but for a guitar that has been around the world and treated the way it has... not as a collectors item... but a instrument to played every day... it looks and feels great.

I have gushed about this above... this guitars has been very reliable even though its owner has not been. For two years it has sat out of its case other than when I travel with it everywhere. It stays in tune. It is always ready to go. I would say this is one of the best features of this instrument ... but that would diminish just how wonderful it sounds. After all... isn't that ultimately why we buy any guitar?

Ok... this is the reason I am writing this review (something I never do). My eight year old daughter who has decided she wants to learn to play dropped the guitar and broke the tuning peg off the tuner. I was going to take it to a local shop and have them replace the tuner... but it had rainsong on the tuners... so I want to replace it with the same. I wrote the support folks at rainsong and received a near immediate response. Professional, curtious as they asked me if I was the original owner (given I had never registered it). Took my word at the answer. Even after I explained to them... that it wasn't exactly the guitars fault an 8 year old had dropped it... and told them I would pay for the tuner... they said they would send me the replacement free. Wow... how often do you get support and service like that in this world in which you pay to even call support for many products. I was so happy and thrilled with the experience writing this review was the only way I knew to appropriately thank them. Jeane you are awesome.

Fantastic sound, beautiful looking, wonderful to hold and to play, incredible reliability, amazing playability, awesome support... that goes beyond what you deserve in a professional manner... what more can I say? The only thing I would complain about is it took me about a year to actually be in a place with one of these guitars was on display so I could play it myself. I was traveling and finally landed in a town with the entire Rainsong lineup in the store. I went daily to sit in the guitar shop and compare this instrument to every other instrument in the shop. I didn't take a penny with me... a personal rule... to avoid the spontaneous buying GAS thing... and after a week drove 5 hours back to buy this guitar from the shop the let me sit for hours playing it. To keep my wife from killing me... I parted with my beloved Taylor 812 BCE to ease the pain of buying one more guitar. Yeah... that good... and 2 years later still loving it just as much.

made in washington 2004.
came with a tkl case thats well sturdy.
graphite composite design with clear finish.
lr baggs element pickup.
very small and thin which is perfect for me cause im a shorty.
the neck is nice and thin which gives it an electric feel.
gotoh tuners that are real smooth to work with.

im diggin the sound of this guitar. im used to a dreadnought that i had to beat the hell out of to make it sound nice. this guitar is loud enough but it sounds nice playing real quiet to moderatly loud strumming. thrashing it like my old gutar doesnt sound as nice and i really shouldn't have taken up that kind of playing because this guitar really deserves to be finessed. plugged in its great, we have a small studio and unless i get the smak dab in front of the amp seat the notch thingy does the trick.

out of the box it was in tune and it had been shippped to me from nashville and i live in taiwan. the neck was straight and there were no tweaking issues. anyways theres no truss so there wasnt much to be done. the action was exactly what i expected nice and fast. as for finish the clear coat was spotless. at first i thought there are a number of spots that look like the graphite is positioned funny but its and illusion made by the clear coat. they go away if you look from the front of the guitar. its the same with any carbon fiber thing i later was told.

the hard ware is top notch. i cant think of another guitar that will be exactly the same 20 years down the line but thats waht im expecting. you could lever up the couch with the neck with out any damage. (dont try this at home) but as for playing and trying to wiggle the neck it aint moving.

big fat liftime warranty, unless your using it on off days as a cricket bat. i dont expect they get many calls

top notch man! ive shopped around for a year and finally picked this one. i'll be laughing and playing this one till ive got gray hair. good one guys!

I bought my OM-1000 three years ago. It's a Washington-state made guitar, graphite, fishman pickup, active electronics with controls. Small body with cutaway. It has a rather odd-sized soundhole. I had added a plastic pick-cup holder glued near the strap screw. Other than that, the case that it comes with is absoultely solid and well made, but it really could use a larger storage area for those of us who do not like to haul around gig bags. Finally, I have yet to find a feedback-limiting rubber soundhole plug (someone should make one for the odd-sized OM-1000 sound hole), so if you know of one, let me know at agapeguy777@yahoo.com

I play Christian worship tunes, and I also play a lot of acoustic ballads from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. The OM-1000 has virtually no bottom end acoustically, without an amp. But when amped up, it sounds incredibly rich coming out of my SWR California Blonde amp and one single BOSS Super Chorus CH-1 effects pedal. I love the variety of *sounds" I can produce from among the OEM fishman controls coupled with my Super Chorus pedal. That's plenty nuff for me.

The action is perfect for me. Good factory setup. No flaws. Very cool-looking. After three years, I still have people walking up to me to get a closer look at the guitar, and they walk away muttering, "nice looking guitar."

It's durable. There is obviously outstanding workmanship and attention to detail bestowed at the factory on this guitar. I use it on gigs with no backup, about 90% of the time. With it amped up, and a BOSS Super Chorus effects pedal--you don't need one!

No experience yet.

Been playing for 6 years overall, the OM-1000 for three years, along with a Martin Jumbo. The OM-1000 will never sound like a wooden Jumbo guitar, and it does not have to. The OM-1000 is beautiful and distinct, which impresses numerous sound guys at the various Bay Area-based coffee houses that I have played at. I use it with my SWR California Blonde amp, BOSS RC-20XL loop station, BOSS FS-6 dual footswitch, and BOSS Super Chorus CH-1 effects pedal---that's all you really need if you play contemporary Christian worship songs and ballads from the 60s, 70s, and early 80s (e.g., Christian *Vineyard* tunes, Beatles tunes, Eagles tunes, and songs like Old Black Water, Landslide, Dance With Me, California Dreamin'). I love the variety of *sounds" I can produce from among the OEM fishman controls coupled with my Super Chorus pedal. But I best love its light weight, its size, how it lays on my lap (I'm only 5-8, 190, with small hands), how it sounds when amped up, and how it looks. Before purchasing I compared it to all Martin, Ibanez, Guild, Taylor, Gibson, Fender, and Yamaha acoustic-electric guitars in the $3000-$1500 range before deciding on the OM-1000. Then I bought (and have owned for one year now) a Martin Jumbo. I only wish that for the OM-1000 its OEM case had a larger storage area. And I really wish someone would make a rubber feedback-limiting soundhole plug for the odd-sized hole of the OM-1000.

I bought my OM-1000 in 2001 (for about $1650). I was fortunate to get one that was made in Hawaii. Rainsong has since moved their operations to Washington State. It has the active Piezo/mic mix Fischman system. Neck style is thin and fast. Body style fits me better then the dreadnaught. There is not a truss rod. All carbon fiber construction. This guitar does stand out with the woven black matte finish. It looks very nice, but can be intimidating to your hard core 'wood only' guitar owners (myself being one). The case that came with it is rock solid.

The Fischman system allows for custom Internal Mic/Piezo adjustments. Good antifeedback controls.

The sound is has an awsome 'shimmery' quality to it. However, that shimmery quality takes away from some of the low end bass that I really enjoy with some Taylors and high end Ovations. Unplugged, it is louder then your standard acoustic guitar. Playing blue grass, I can keep up with that annoyingly loud banjo. Amplified, I always have to add more bass to it to make up for that 'shimmery' sound. I find that this is most noticable using elixer strings (which I prefer). I would rate the sound perfect if not for the lack of brassy low end.

Bridge work, fretwork from the factory is great. The carbon fiber expands and contracts evenly throughout the guitar. There is no internal bracing on the body. The neck is actually heavier then the body. You have to be careful if you have a nylon strap and you let go of the instrument because the guitar is 'neck' heavy. Intonation is correct from the factory. No truss rod. I have not needed to adjust anything anyway. There are no buzzed, pings or annoying nuiances to this instrument.

This is where the Rainsongs really shine. This is the best touring guitar I have ever had. I have had the shoulder strap come undone and the neck hit hard on the stage. This would normally break the neck of a lesser guitar. This guitar, NOTHING. It was also still in tune. The conditions here in Alaska can go from really dry to very damp. I have seen guitar neck twist almost 10 degrees from not being humidified here in the winter. This guitar laughs at cold and hot tempuratures. I play at a lot of church functions and do village missionary work. This is about as field rugged a guitar as you can get. Needless to say, it needs no humidification.

I have never had to use customer support. I am starting to wear down some of the frets on my guitar from all the playing I do. I mentioned it to the guy I bought the guitar from and they gave me a respose back through him (I thought It was funny). Thing is to remember to contact them when you do have trouble so that they can open up a work order. When time comes that a flaw needs work, they already have you in the system. I will give an update when my frets wear down enought that my strings start to buzz..

The guitar shop owner had this guitar hanging in his shop for almost 8 months. People would not even touch it for the fact that it was a 'synthetic' guitar. The more I played it, the more I fell in love with it. Therefore, I was the first to take the plunge and buy one. Once I started gigging around with it, people started standing up and taking notice of the sound. Now, sadly, everyone around where I live seems to own one (so much for being original). At least I have one that was made in Hawaii...

This review is for a 2003 Rainsong OM-1000 small bodied guitar made in Woodinville, Washington. It has 21 nickel-silver jumbo frets, a venetian cutaway and gotoh tuners (chrome)The entire guitar is graphite or carbon fiber composite including the neck and fingerboard, and bridge. Nut, saddle and bridgepins are tusq. The body of the guitar featers a bookmatched patter that has a 3-d like effect with a 'floating' abalone soundhole Rosette. The fretmarkers are abalone shark inlays, and the Rainsong logo is inlaid at the top of the headstock. I personally find the guitar very attractive and cool but if you are lover of the traditional acoustic guitar look this instrument is not for you. The guitar came with a Rainsong hardshell case that I believe is by SKB. It is a good case but not up to the quality of the standard Taylor case (of course it also weighs a lot less!)The factory installed pickup is a LR Baggs Element active onboard system which I just wrote a detailed review on in the pickup section. Controls include bass and treble controls (+-6db for either) a phase reversal button, notch filter and volume. Perhaps the coolest feature of the guitar is the pop-battery hatch which makes replacing the battery, usually a pain in most acoustics, a literally 5 second operation. Just push down on the battery compartment, the batter pops out, you put the new battery in and voila! A very handy feature for the gigging musician who can't afford to spend 15 minutes trying to change the battery while the rest of the band/producer/church/whatever gets more annoyed! On the flip side, the price paid for this convenience is a slight buzz maybe because the batter cover doesn't lock in tight enought. This buzz is not discernable when I really strum, but only in soft pingerpicking passages and is never amplified, but nevertheless it prevents me from giving a perfect ten 9 and also the lack of a truss rod, which although is not nessary since the neck will never move, is still a nice feature so players can get the exact setup they want.

I have been playing acoustic guitar for over 12 years, and most intensly over the last 6 years. I first played a Rainsong at a guitar shop in Seattle just because I thought it looking like a novelty. My memory was that it sounded about as good as the beautiful Taylors that I also played there. I then forgot about for a few years as I was happy with my Taylor 710 that I had at home. Then I started playing out for a lot of gigs (mostlty in Churches) and I noticed that my Taylor wouldn't hold its tune for very long. This is partially an Arizona problem because the extreme dryness here is rough on guitars. But this Taylor was very sensitive to temparatue and after I had warmed it up, it would always be flat. I had to stop in the middle of my set to retune, and I couldn't take it anymore. It was at this time I started reading up on Rainsongs because I read that David Wilcox (my hero) sometimes uses one on tour along with his custom Olsons. So I went down to Guitar and keyboard city and tried a couple for myself. I was immediately struck by the evenness of tone and the perfect balance across the strings. As a fingerpicker, this is crucial to me! I also enjoyed the power, volume, and resonance of the guitar that as strummer is crucial to me. What really sold me though, was the size. I am not a very large person and don't have long arms and playing dreadnought guitars has always been a drag for me, but I have never found an OM that had a tone full enought for me. Enter the Rainsong om-1000! For its size it has a monter tone, with a gutsy bass, clear mids, and singing highs. It is the cleanest and clearest acoustic tone I have ever heard. I can hear all six strings on every chord. My favorite tonal feature is that I can play from whisper quiet to full on roar and tone is the same! Even at whisper volumes the clarity is still awesome which enables me to be a more sensitive player and deeper musician with a greater dynamic range. I find it to be the perfect fingerpickers guitar because all those little fun licks really speak out clearly against any accompianment. However, I can also strum the heck out of it and it is still clear and true, just louder. At extreme levels of strumming it may get just a little harsh because it puts out so much volume. It has amazing presence like other reviewers have said. Its tone is very in your face and cuts through any mix. These features really help me as a performer to stand out and be noticed and is a performers dream. A quick word on the pickup. I hate undersaddle pickups as the Fishman Matrix pickups I have used for years always gave my Taylor a harsh, overly crisp clicky tone. The LR Baggs Element has convinced me that maybe they aren't so bad! For live gigs I run the guitar through a Crate 250D acoustic amp (and an AKG c1000s condernsor mic) and the sound I got from this combination at my last gig was described by a guitar playing friend in the audience as "the best amplified acoustic guitar sound I have ever heard" 'nuff said.

This catagory is what really sold me on the guitar. The factory setup is perfect for my style of playing (nice and low) and I can't complain there. The neck is easily the slimmest, fastest neck I have every played, which is perfect for my small hands. I can play licks on this guitar I just can't make work on other instruments. This is the lightest acoustic guitar I have every played or held. This is an advantage of graphite and I don't think it would be possible for a wood guitar to be lighter as the rainsong requires no bracing. I don't own a precise scale but just guessing it can't weigh more than a couple of pounds. When I perform standing up it is almost unnoticable, it really wraps around my body. It features a venetian cutaway that makes reaching the high notes a peice of cake. The frets are almost perfectly done and feel great under the hand. The finish is beautful except for some tiny flaws that I have read are almost impossible to avoid with graphite guitars. They are right where the neck bracing meets the body and are almost unnoticable unless you stare up close at them. I give it a ten in this catagory nonetheless. The only complaint at all I have is the one I already mentioned with the pickup batter cover.

This guitar is so solid it is impossible to imagine much harm coming to it unless I threw it off of a cliff or backed it over with my guitar. The finish seems diamond hard and seems pretty scratch proof (only time will tell of course) The gotoh tuners are very solid feeling and have a high ratio so I can get very precise with intonation(very important as this guitar will bring out any intonation problems) Strap buttons are solid the faders on the pickup have a reassuring resistance to them. Even though this is the lightest guitar i have ever played it is very solid and will probably be in perfect condition 100 years from now. It is the live performers dream. Once new strings have settle in, it will simply not go out of tune,even after some abuse. I have pickup it up out of the case where it has sat in a cold room all night, and it is perfectly in tune, and more telling, it is still in tune 30 minutes later when it has warmed up. It laughs at humidity changes and delivers the exact same tone no matter what the weather. I always like to have a backup incase I break some strings in the middle of a song, but outside of keeping some batteries close by, there is no need for a backup.

As I have only had the guitar a couple of weeks I don't have too much to say about this catagory. I did just receive a very nice thank you for registering letter and they did email me back the next day about a question I had for the company. Rainsong is a very small company and I am confident they will be there if I need them. The instrument has a life time warranty but it is so well built I doubt I will ever need it!

I have been playing for 12 years and have a degree in music from Arizona State. I also play bass and piano. My backup guitar is an old Washburn acoustic that I have had for 12 years and can't bear to part with for sentimental reasons. If this were stolen I would go into a deep manic depressed state. After recovering I would do everything I could to get it back or get a nother one. I love everything about the guitar and hate nothing except the Elixir strings the factory installed. I put some DR phosphore bronze on it the second I had it at home and couldn't believe what an awesome sounding guitar I had just bought! The only other thing I wish this guitar had was the Buzz Feiton tuning system or the Earvana nut. This guitar really brings out intonation flaws and I plan on installing one of those systems soon! I choose this guitar for its small size, amazing playability, great tone, and eternal durability and the fact that it holds it tuning so well. I have played tons of guitars and find that what I wanted was a high end instrument with a unique tone that suited my playing and was versatile. This instrument hits on all these catagories. If you love a Martin dreadnought tone and look, you might not like this. It is very unique and may be an aquired taste. It is pefect for me and what I use it for and that is bottom line behind any instrument aquisition choice. Now I will have to see how well it records...

Made in 2003, Washington State, standard features etc.

Bright sound, lacking in the bass department, and lacking output if not plugged in.

Set up fine, never changes. No flaws, just another clone popped out of the mold, totally unchangeable and interchangeable with any other om-1000

Very durable, dependable

A friendly note of welcome, hand signed. Good people

I have played for many many years. I got rid of this guitar because it seemed totally without soul, a never changing quantity with very little character. I bought a Taylor 414Ce and am enjoying the hell out of it.

Made in 2001 in USA.
If you know about Rainsong guitars, you know the basis story -- body is single piece of graphite, graphite neck, fishman pickup, active electronics with controls. Small body with cutaway.

I play jazz, country, blues, avant garde. Played through Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Quiet when amplified -- outstanding electronics. Acoustically -- a tiny bit cold. Low end could be richer, overtones not like a Taylor, Collings, but it still sounds great. You must adjust to it -- it doesn't sound exactly like a wood guitar. Very even resposnse.

Action is WONDERFUL. Great factory setup. No flaws. Perfect and cool-looking.

Durable, dependable, built like a tank. Outstanding workmanship and attention to detail.

Easy to reach knowledgable people at company and they are very friendly and helpful. Great lifetime warranty.

Been playing for 35 years, play bunker guitars, fender strat, gibson 345, taylor dan crary, prs. this is a great guitar -- but my one caveat is that you shouldn't buy it expecting it to replicate wood guitar sounds -- it's a little different, but great in its own right. sturdy as a tank, impervious to humidity and temperature vacillations in my house, i play somewhat abusively, and it holds its tuning beautifully. i am increasingly impressed with the rainsong om1000.

2001 Model OM-1000 made in Hawaii (one of the last).
Electronic configuration same as all Rainsongs (Fishman Blender active piezo + microphone)
All Graphite (carbon fiber) and resin construction.
SBK Hardshell Case included. Gotoh tuners. No neck adjustment.

I play light finger-picking and strum/lead with a pick, mostly soft rock and folk rock. Don't have an acoustic amp yet, shopping for one. Unamplified it sounds as loud and clear as my Guild large-body dreadnought, though it's probably 1/2 the total volume. Better treble and sustain than anything else. Clear and piano-like sound, not colored by any wood absorbtion. Can play quietly but distinctly as well as loud as you want. Can't wait to hear through a good acoustic amplifier with some subtle effects.

Action is outstanding, very easy, no buzzes and easy to play with Elixir Light strings provided. Did play through a rigged amplification system and it did okay, but need good amp with feedback elimination. Bookmatched backside, topside is vertical pattern (carbon fiber). No flaws at all. High polished finish is beautiful.

I have seen artists using these (mostly WS-1000s) at gigs in clubs as well as large concerts, and they appear to hold up well with lots of use. The finish is high gloss resin and Rainsong suggests car wax (Meguiars) to keep it up. The resin holds the carbon fiber together. The strap buttons are solid and can easily support the light weight of the guitar. If I were gigging with it, I would easily play without a backup, just bring extra strings and an extra 9V battery for the preamp.

Rainsong is a pleasure to deal with. I wanted the manufacture date and they quickly sent it to me via email. Registration was handled quickly. Warranty is lifetime to the original owner. I have had no issues with them, but have heard about a few owners who have nothing but good things to say about issues that have come up. In the rare case that there are problems, Rainsong usually replaces the guitar unless the fix is very simple.

Been playing 35 years. Pared down my equipment which used to consist of a Strat, Casio MIDI guitar, Guild acoustic, Roland MIDI modules, Roland JC-55 amp. Now I only have the Rainsong and am shopping for a good acoustic amp. If this guitar were stolen, I would buy another one. I love the fact that the Rainsong stays in tune, humidity is not a factor, it's a great size (comfortable), and has unique appearance. My favorite feature is the great sound. I tried several guitars out in the $1000 range (Yairi, Ovation) and actually bought the Rainsong based on many reviews without playing it. I chose Rainsong because I was tired of the humidity battle, as there are great swings where I live. I chose this model because it is smaller and easier to hold than the WS-1000 without sacrificing great sound. There's nothing else I can think of that it needs. It should last me the rest of my life. Rainsong is to guitars what Gore Elixir is to strings, lasts longer and sounds better than anything else out there.

Bought in Fall of 2001. Produced in Washington. See features at Rainsong.com

Sounds great with and without the Trace Acoustic TA100R that I use. The Fishman Blender works great.

Action great, set up wonderful. Pickups seem wonderful. Flaws: there is a glue blob at the bottom of the neck near the low strings, a small white hair looking scratch on the headstock and the high E string gets caught under the metal of the last fret because there is a little edge on it and it catches it. I pulled the E string over the last fret on my taylor 310 and it doesn't have a lip so it slides right back.It seems to me that the fret protrudes out further than it should have. It was suggested by Rainsong that someone file down the protrusion.
I bought the guitar by mail from Allen Music (Brandon Allen) so I never got to see or hear it before purchase. I certainly would have questioned why this left the factory looking like this. I ignore these minor flaws because the guitar sounds so GREAT! No regrets! My friends are astounded by the beautiful tone of this instrument.

This guitar and it's hardware will probably outlast me! Beautiful in it's own way and super dependable, always in tune. Strap buttons solid. This is a great guitar!!!

Rainsong was wonderfully responsive to my email questions. Brandon Allen at Allen Music in Kentucky is deservedly THE dealer to order a Rainsong from. He is a wonderful soul. guitars@allenmusicshop.com
Great price and great service!

Been playing less than 2 years (drums all my life). Practicing all the time, getting better all the time. I would buy another in a heartbeat. I have a Taylor 310, the Rainsong dominates it in my ears!