Rainsong WS 1000 Acoustic

2005 WS1000 w/LR Baggs element pickup...I gave this a nine, because personally for me, a two band eq just doesnt cut it. The guitar has absolutely NO wood...which means zero maintanence, zero worries. It doesn't get much better than that.

I love the way this thing sounds...plugged in and out it's amazing. Although I didn't think much of the sound when I first got it, now it's the best sounding guitar to my ears. I like it better than a lot of rosewood and koa guitar I've played. It's so expressive and well balanced. Again it may take awhile for you to really notice the huge sound that graphite gutiars make, but it's definately worth the investment. The LR baggs element is really sensitive. A small tap on the body and you'll definitely hear it coming out of your amp/PA. I was really impressed with the element pickup, prior to getting my rainsong I had a taylor 314 with a fishman prefix. I was so dissappointed that rainsong stopped making the ws1000's with the fishman stereo blend. Because of my taylor experience, I had such a strong basis toward fishmans, but everytime I plug in my baggs pick up, I forget all about the fishman prefix that was on my taylor. Like others have said it's pretty fickle and will feedback, so phase switching and notch sweeping is a must.

The action could be a tad lower. But unfortunately because there is no truss rod, the only way to adjust the action is to shave down the saddle. The finish of the guitar is epoxy so the finish is hard as rock.

The guitar is made entirely of carbon fiber. No more needs to be said. This thing is the king of the ring if it were to every rumble with other wood guitars.

I've had nothing short of a great experience dealing with the rainsong folks. Definitely a class act company.

If I had to choose one guitar to play the rest of my life it would be a rainsong ws1000, because quite frankly other wood guitars will turn to dust before this thing looses its tone and shine. I would defintely buy this guitar again, in fact I don't think I'll ever buy another wood guitar again. Composite graphite guitars are the future.

This is a 2004 ws 1000 RainSong. Includes Gotoh tuners with LR Baggs Element on board system. Of cource the whole guitar is graphite composite in Alaska that means so much. It has a Tusq bridge and nut. The jumbo frets are made of a nickle alloy. The case was made by SKB and it looks cool.

This sound is different. Like they say Mahogany has its sound Brazilian rose wood has its sound and graphite has its sound all different, but all good. This guitar is super loud and blended. compared to my Taylor 312 it has the low end that that guitar missed. It also had the high end that the 0m-15 was lacking. to me sound is some thing evdery one hears differently and has their own oppinion so in the end that you have to hear for your self.

The guitar was set up very nicely. the action is a little high for me but that can be changed by shaving the nut or the bridge. the finish is nice just like any other Rain song. if you want a guitar that looks different from you buds this may be it if you want a unique RainSong you better either be THE EDGE or have the check book.

This guitar is a life time guitar it will never have any problems with cracking or a broken truss rod. This is the guitar you can hand down to your great grand kids grand kids and it will play then like it does now. every thing is perfect on this guitar.

The Guitar has a life time warranty for the first owner. I do not for see me taking it to them to fix. but if i do i am sure it will be a nice experience. One other thing is the shop i bought it from is the best in Alaska i gave him 50 dollars told him i wanted it and i could make payments and i would try to have it paid off in two months and he put it in the case never to played by any one other than me. zumwalts music shoppe is the best.

Like i said Alaska is the worst place for a guitar i had a martin crack three times. that fear is no longer with me because of this guitar. I think this guitar is the best in the world and i would buy a new one if some one stole mine.

Made in 2001 (the last year it was made in Maui). The WS1000 is made entirely of Carbon Fiber. This model features the Fishman blender pickup (they have since moved to the LR Baggs pickup). I've used it a couple of times in a live setting and only had minor feeback hum. Nothing that couldn't be resolved by tweaking the notch control. The Gotoh tuners on this thing are AMAZING! I tune in an open "slack" tuning and used to always have problems with my guitar going out. Not anymore. I tune once at the beginning of the gig and thats it. It also stays in tune no matter where you Capo on the neck. The action is totally playable and comfortable even for a 3 hour gig.

I would rank the sound right up there with the Martins and Taylors of the world. Very deep, rich tone. I currently go directly into the PA using only an LR Baggs acoustic pre-amp for color. THe only complaint would be minor feedback, but I have since purchased a feedback buster for the sound hole.

Action was set up perfectly. I did change the string gauge to fit my style. Did not notice any flaws or design issues. I love this guitar!

Would definitely use this as my main axe with no back up. THe construction is solid! Waxed the finish with Meguiars car wax per the instructions and it's just like new! This thing seems like it will last forever.

Very friendly and personable. Contacted via email and they were very quick and courteous.

I have been playing for about 10 years. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would be deeply saddened but would definitely replace it in a heartbeat! Would try to seek out another Maui made one (pre-2002)with Fishman electronics. I have played several and they all seem to play pretty consistently well.

Neck and Soundhole Inlays, LR Baggs Element Electronics, Custom Case, Graphite Contsruction are second to none. The headstock is a little plain though.

I have a flatpicking style. This guitar is loud, bright and even for all notes. The same holds true when plugged in. This is the best sounding guitar I've owned, but certainly the most expensive. It has relegated a late 90's Martin DR to a backup role.

Replaced light elixirs with mediums and it all came together. Doesn't ring the same capoed with a Kyser. Will experiment with a Shubb, hopefully with improved results. Overall, the action is superb.

There are a few pinhole marks high on the neck which I'm led to believe are difficult to avoid in the manufacturing process. They do not affect playing at all. Other than that the finish is even and excellent. The strong workmanship is evident.

After one month it's hard to guage. But, it's seems incredibly sturdy and reliable. It's holds tune remarkably well. I've taken it from Air Conditioning out to my back porch in hot & humid South Florida with no additional tuning required. It'll debut in an outdoor gig later this month to what I expect will be outstanding results. The Martin would always require some constant tweaking when "breathing" outdoors.

I received a hand signed letter from them shortly after I registered it on-line. That was nice. I haven't had to deal with any problems or questions yet.

I've been playing for about 20 years and currently own a Martin DR and a relatively inexpensive mass-produced Alvarez. Both are electric/ acoustic.

So far, so good. I am thoroughly impressed and would surely consider replacing it if lost. I was looking at the mid to high end of Larivee, Tacoma, Martin, & Gibson before settling on the Rainsong. I was struggling with the non-traditional looks and materials but, the sound, both acoustic and plugged in, eventually won out.

Features already described A brilliant conception of ideas.

Carbon sound is unique. No deadspots, all notes even in volume, any area of the neck. Incredibly loud.I play mixture of fingerpicking and strumming. Put off further use by comments below. Sound very good overall.

Cosmetically, totally immaculate. A thing of beauty. The set up was diabolical. I bought it blind from (a genuine and lovely person) who must have far greater left hand strength that me. The neck (non adjustable) has exactly the right relief,approx 10 thou on the bottom e. Going across the board to the top e, the relief varies to much much too bowed. This is ony adjusable by removing the frets, shooting the board back straight and refretting. Very expensive! The neck, sighting from the headstock is very uneven, reminding me of those awful cheapy guitars from the 70's. Fret job rubbish too. There is little or no bevel towards the cetre of the board, and the shoulders are absolutely not finished. This, combined with the larger than usual amount of playing room, means you can hear the frets trying to rip chunks out of your hand. Absolute junk at this price. The neck is very flat at 20 inch radius, which I personally don't like. The combination gloss urethane neck and epoxy board make for a very slippy sweaty feel. Main thing is the twisted bent neck, and terrible fret job. Inexcusable at this level.

It's going again because of the neck. Shame ,I always wanted one of these. Having bought it used, I have no redress, so I am knackered really. I think it would last forever otherwise. In the pool, on the beach, snow,greenhouse etcetc. Case above average quality.

N/a COS BOUGHT USED.They are as usual offerrring far less support to UK buyers.

Brilliant in conception. If the neck and fretwork were sorted, I would proably love it. My main guitar is a Taylor 714, an example to the world of how straight level fret work should be carried out. I always wanted one of these till I had it, and the bubble has burst. Shame, because it sounds great.

I bought this guitar used, at Guitar's Plus in Princeton, WV. I had went with the intentions of purchasing a Martin D-16, but I came home with a Rainsong WS 1000. Why did I purchase it over the Martin? When I played it, it screamed "I'll do you right, buy me!".
I was purchasing a guitar for home recording, plugging straight into the board. I'm not sure when this Istrument was made, but it was made in Hawia, it has Rain Song on the 12 th of 14 frets. It has a pickup, and a condenser built in. The built in EQ only works on the pickup on this gitar. Is this a flaw, or?...

THis thing is truly versatile. We play Folk, Fingerstyle, Rock and Blues and it is the best straight plugged into the Mixer that I've ever used. The unplugged sound of the guitar and plugged with condensorsound is very close, and they are both great. It sounds warm with a pick, et you can bare finger pick it without getting stuck up in the mud. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to come shining through for lead playing on higher notes played upard of the 10th or 12th frets. I'm using light gauge D'Addario strings. Perhaps if I used some effects or a processer I could get more zing out of it.

The action is set-up about right for me. I'm an acousit player, ands it'asgood as any acoustic I've played as fac as action. I mainly use the the built in condenser. I've expieremented with the pickup, and micxing mic and pickup, but I love the mic. My guitar shows a light dimple on the surface near the top of the 14th fret, but it hasn't bothered me.

This thing would be great for live gigs because it's built like a tank. It stays in Tune better than anything I've ever played, I love the tuners on it. It doesn't seem to mind coming right out of the cold car trunk and into the warm stufio room.

haven't tried to contact the manufacturer.

I've been playing for about 23 years. I've owned Martins, Tacoma's, Taylor's and various others. This guitar can compet with the best of these.

Year made: Feb 18, 2000
Made out of Carbon Fiber.
Has a Fishman Blender, not too bad. The blender has an internal mic and transducer.
Finish is a transparent uthethane over the carbon fiber.
I believe the body-style is a "Grand Auditorium"
Tuners are GOTOH

I got all kinds of little goodies with it, but didn't really care either way to have. The TKL Case is "da bomb" as the kids say.

I think is has a very modern sound. Very even quality. It has a little bit of wierd sparkle that I like. The only think I run it through before a PA is a Sabine NEX5000 pedal tuner and an LR Baggs Acoustic DI box.

I wish it had a little more punch. It is plenty loud, but sometimes I want a little more.

I bought this used. How anyone could have played this thing in a professional environment is beyond me. The action was very high. The guitar is in fine shape. I cut down the bridge saddle about 1/8" and now it is playing very well.

The Fishman Blender is alright. You think they could have made the control panel smaller, but that isn't Rainsong's fault. After a little car polish, it looked excellent. Not a bad finish spot anywhere. No dimples as others have talked about. I absolutley love the inlay work. This instument has the "Rainsong" inlay at the 12th fret instead of the headstock. I love that!

This is the toughest acoustic I have had. The tuning pegs are quality. Strap buttons are in good spots. Very dependable, I would do a gig with this alone without thinking twice. I spend a lot of the summer on the beach and I can't wait to take it out there.

E-mailed and called them. Excellent support.

I practice 16-20 hours a week and gig randomly. I like the look, the shark inlays and the unique tone. I love how easy it is to care for and the durability. If it were stolen I would be unhappy. It is now part of the family. My "main" guitar is a Larrivee LV-03RE. Comparing the two is silly. The Rainsong has a unique sound. The Larrivee has all the natural goodness you would expect out of a hand-made woodie. As far a playability, the Larrivee is much better. As far as electronics, the Larrivee has a B-Band A-5 which is also a much better pickup/preamp setup.

There are things the Rainsong has that are better than the Larrivee, like even string volume. It is also 1000 times more durable and the case is nicer and the inlay work is better. Believe it or not, the unplugged volume output is not much better than my Larrivee. They are different instruments and I love them both.

This is a recently manufactured model, with Fishman Blender (though on request the factory will send one with an L.R. Baggs Element, which will soon replace the Blender). It was manfactured in Woodinville, WA. See other reviews for the details.

I don't plug in much, and haven't had too much experience with the pickups. However, acoustically, this guitar is full of discovery. It is loud, sensitive, balanced, and varied at different right hand positions and different volumes. I'm used to playing a Martin D35 set up very high, so this permits much gentler playing. I use fingerpicks with a heavy attack, yet this guitar doesn't easily 'bottom out' with my style. The lower setup allows me to do things I might only have done on an electric. The light weight and smaller body (than a dreadnought) makes it wonderful for fingerstyle. The sound: it almost seems as though it is run through a reverb unit, and it may tend toward a slightly metallic midrange, as though played with a piezo pickup. However, this is only one of its tones, and can be controlled.

Action is terrific. I had to look at a few instruments to find one that was satisfactory cosmetically. There are inconsistencies in different guitars, and a perfect finish is apparently impossible due to the manufacturing techniques. For instance, tiny pits - pinholes, really - can be found on the fingerboard, and where parts meet (neck to top, for instance, or tuner to the back of the head) there is a bit of messiness. Of course, the inside looks like the inside of a fiberglass boat. Don't look inside. Still, I love how it looks, and it was very well set up. It doesn't buzz even in an open C tuning.

I bought it as I figured it needed less caution than a rosewood Martin. I expect to take it around with me. However, I haven't had it long enough to comment on its durability.

Calls prior to purchase were well answered and helpful. I've had no service.

I've played over 40 years, and mostly play acoustic. I'd consider the Rainsong 12 string for its stability. So far, I'm having a wonderful time with this instrument, which may become my main guitar for casual use and playing out.

Manufactured in 2000 in Hawaii. Made of Carbon Graphite with Fishman Blender pickup. With case.

I bought my WS-1000 in March of 2001. I fly Citation and Lear Jets for a living and needed a guitar that could not only hold up to the rigors of daily travel, but to be able to withstand extremely cold temperatures. Most of the time, there is not enough room inside the cabin for my guitar so it has to be stowed in the outside baggage hold where the temperatures are regularly 40 to 50 degrees below zero for as long as five hours at a time. I spoke directly with RainSong?s marketing and customer service honcho, who said they would stand behind their warrantee under those conditions. I?m told that the carbon graphite compound used in its construction is shipped to the factory in dry ice. I am here to tell you that the carbon graphite construction holds up so well that I don?t even detune the instrument prior to loading and when I get to my hotel room, it?s still in perfect tune. I am careful not to open the case until it reaches room temperature so that the condensation doesn?t affect the electronics. I brought the guitar in to the Woodinville, Washington factory a couple of months ago where the marketing manager and Ashvin Coomar, the president and CEO, looked it over. They were very pleased to find that ? after more than 50 flights -- the instrument looked showroom new with just a tiny scratch in the finish (which they promptly buffed out). I must warn you that heat is still the enemy of this guitar, and like any high-end guitar, you don?t want to leave it in the trunk of your car on a hot summer day. The series 3 and 4 guitars are cured at a higher temperature and these are the preferred instruments. Also, the materials used in construction aren?t bullet proof, so don?t go using the guitar as a tennis racquet.
As far as playability is concerned, the set up from the factory is as good as those from Taylor, meaning they are comfortably low without any string buzz. My WS-1000 has the 1 ?? nut width but the neck is thin enough that many electric guitar players find it comfortable. And what about the sound? I brought my RainSong to several open mic gatherings over the last two years and many felt its sound was one of the best there. At one event, everyone commented on how good it sounded when plugged in. It has the same on-board Fishman blender that Taylor uses with an under saddle pick up and inside microphone. One long time guitarist, who is a very accomplished player and owns a fleet of fine all-wood guitars said, ?I really didn?t want to like this guitar.? It was hard to get it back from him so that I could take my turn at the mic.
A fine all-wood guitar is known for not only the sounds it projects, but for the sounds it absorbs. I own a Collings D-2H and for flat-picking along with my Martin HD-28, a Lowden F-32 for fingerstyle along with my Martin 000-28EC, and a Goodall 12-string, so I can appreciate the rich sound that those great guitars can make. When I play my all-wood guitars I hear warmth. When I play the RainSong I hear a slightly more bell-like tone where the highs shimmer. That?s not to say they don?t have any warmth! I?m talking subtleties here. When you think of the RainSong WS-1000, think of a piano. When you envision the jumbo JM 1000, think Grand Piano. I know of several artists who are more impressed with the plugged in sound than unplugged. I needed a guitar that could withstand extreme cold and could handle both the subtleties of fingerstyle and the demands of flatpicking. My WS-1000 not only does that but it has the playability and tone equal to many high-end instruments.
I don?t work for RainSong, nor do they pay me for an endorsement, but I can highly recommend their instruments. I bought mine from a shop in Kentucky sight unseen.
Regards,
Mike Gilles

US made graphite guiar with Fishman Matrix blender pick-up system. It's a 2001 model. I guess all of the material info has been supplied by the other reveiwer's... so I'll spare all of teh details.

The sound... that is what sold me on this guitar. I bought it a year ago and it's been my baby ever since. I was testing Taylor's (various models), Lowden, Martin, Gibson (I was playing an older J-200 at the time I made the purchase of the WS-100) and others. The guitar just had amazing tone, sustain and volume! I didn't even plug it in. It won over the other acoustics that I was trying out.

Once I got home I plugged into my PA. Then it came alive once more! I'm not a big fan of Fishman electronis... I was using a L R Baggs Dual Source in my other guitar at the time. The guitar/pickup combo worked. I could finally play at very loud volumes and still have a "real" acoustic sound.

Love the action... it's solid from 1st to last fret. I can actually play lead riffs on it, hehe. Bend's and other tricks are no problem with the Rainsong.

This guitar has been solid as a rock for the past year! Holds tune amazingly.

I haven't had to deal with them really... no need. Once I e-mailed about other pickup options and was answered quickly and very warmly.

Been playing 20 + years... played electric and acoustic for a living most of that time. I am sticking with acoustic these day's and letting the younger folks carry around the huge electric rigs, hehe. I still have the Gibson j-200 but never touch it. Thinking of getting another Rainsong, maybe an OM. If it were lost or stolen, after freaking out I'd run to get another one! I love the guitar but am still not sold on the Fishman system... I just like the Baggs LB-1, Ribbon pups. I did compare to many guitars before I bought and am so happy that I settled on the WS-1000! I'd like a retrofit pickup system for this guitar... maybe something by Baggs or B Band.