Rainsong WS-3000 12-String

NUMBER ONE TOP FEATURE: IT STAYS IN TUNE! I played at an outdoor party on the Olympic Peninsula on Halloween evening. It had rained for a couple of days, cleared, and then showered again just before the party started. The guitar had been in its case the trunk of my car for 36 hours. I pulled the guitar out of the case and it was in tune. I played for 3 1-/2 hours in 97 percent humidity, wandering back and forth from the bonfire and it stayed in tune all night. I got home the next day, and it was still in tune. A wooden guitar simply cannot do this, especially a 12-string.

Finish: Gloss urethane on grey & black carbon fiber epoxy composite; pinstripe top big herringbone back.
Body style: Single cutaway, slightly smaller than dreadnought.
The neck profile is thinner than most 12 strings.
Manufactured 2008 in Woodinville WA.
Hardshell TKL case included (tight fit).
L.R. Baggs piezo pickup system, includes 3-band EQ, notch (parametric EQ), and phase reverse.
No wood anywhere in this guitar.

The sound is full and articulate. Loud for an acoustic. I was amazed the first time I played one.

The factory setup is very good. It had better be, because there is nothing to adjust except for filing or replacing a saddle or bridge. The graphite composite is very strong and stable, there is no need for a truss rod. The action is exceptionally light for a 12-string and it doesn't buzz unless you are sloppy with your fretting fingers.

I was unable to find any faults with fit or finish - I wouldn't expect any on a guitar in this price range.

It arrived with a broken battery holder; see customer service.

Not only will this guitar withstand live playing, you could play it in the rain (if you're not concerned with the onboard pickup system). I wouldn't think of playing one of my wooden guitars outdoors at night when fog was imminent.

Epoxy/carbon fiber composite is pretty tough stuff - they make race car driver "capsules" out of it. Urethane is UV and abrasion resistant. I expect the finish to hold up exceptionally well.

The guitar is very solid - I haven't tried standing on it. There are no braces anywhere inside the guitar (usually the first thing to break in an acoustic). There is no truss rod to corrode.

My only concern is the L.R.Baggs pickup system, and the fragile design of the battery holder.

My experience with Rainsong Customer support was absolutely first class. I emailed to let them know that the battery holder arrived broken, the response came the next day. They were having Baggs send me a new battery holder - no questions.

They followed up to make sure that I'd gotten it and was happy with the guitar. I let them know that all was well and I was indeed happy with the guitar.

I don't know how many employees Rainsong has, but they have a lot of pride in their product and are ready to follow through to make certain that their customers are satisfied.

Though I took up guitar more than 40 years ago, I've only played seriously for about 8 of those - I'm not what you would call an accomplished musician, but I do enjoy playing. Since I pulled my guitars out of the closet 6 years ago, I've done a lot of trading and find myself sheltering 5 acoustic guitars, 8 electric guitars, 6 amps, and a rack rig that I use for practice.

I would replace this guitar in kind if it was removed from my possession.

I love the sound and IT STAYS IN TUNE. The action is exceptionally light for a 12-string.

Like every other 12-string I've ever put on a strap, it is neck-heavy. I solved that by putting a pouch filled with 1-1/4 pounds of BB's on the strap.

When plugged in, it is very susceptible to feedback - more than my wooden guitars; when playing with an electric band it is hard to get enough volume to hear myself play - even with 2 notch filters in use.

I wish somebody would come up with a counterweight system and a strap lock for pin-end jacks.

I doubt that I will ever need fret leveling, but I think glued-on stainless steel frets (like a Parker Fly)would be more fitting for a high-tech guitar like RainSong.

Bought used recently, as best as I can tell it was made in 2001. Anyone familiar with RainSong guitars knows that they are at lease part graphite / carbon fibre, in the case of the WS3000, they are all graphite / carbon fibre. The mini Gotoh tuning machines are better looking than those on a WS1000 I also own, but as mentioned in my review of that guitar, in a +/- $3000 MSR guitar, I'd rather see something like Schallers.

Like the WS1000, the sound is incredible. Tight and chimey, but not harsh with good tight bottom end. I'm an in-home player, so the Fishman pickup system, although very nice, is something I could really do without.

Seeing as it was bought used, I can't say anything about its setup from the factory. Like the WS1000 I have, the 3000's setup was way too high for my taste, but unlike the 1000, I wasn't able to lower it as much as I would like, due to the neck set. With some work to the bridge plate, it could likely be lowered, but I'll live with it as it stands. The remainder of the guitar is flawless. To my eye, the graphite / carbon fibre material is stunning to look at.

As mentioned earlier, I'm an in-home player, so I can't really comment about it's ability to perform in a live setting. With the interent strength of the graphite / carbon fibre, there's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be around a lot longer than me. The guitar's solid as a rock.

In contacting RainSong to register the guitar in my name, their representative was very friendly and accommodating, but seeing as the guitar is used, warranty issues are not applicable.

I've been playing for over 40 years, mostly electrics, and over that time period I've probably owned 40 or so guitars. Like my RainSong WS1000, the 3000 is also one of my all-time favorites. Would I replace it if stolen? In a heart-beat. As far as the overall rating, it's tough to say anything's a "10", but the RainSong definitely is.

-Go to www.rainsong.com and read the reviews for the RainSong models. They are a lot alike.
-What year was it made? 2002
-Where was is made? Woodinville WA.
-Solid-Top? Laminated top? Laminated Curly Graphite.
-Fishman Pro Blender with plug in the end pin.
-Body and neck woods? Body is laminated hand-worked graphite. Neck is molded graphite composite. 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.
-Body style: Like the WS-1000, Grand Auditorium with a cutaway.
-Tuners: Mini Gotoh
-Neck/Scale: 1 * wide at the nut. Not a big or thick neck.
-Comes with SBK case. I have never owned a case this nice. ?RainSong? molded in lower bout of case top.
-Strap button on neck joint. End pin is plug in for Fishman On-Board Blender.
-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. This 12-string can be made to fit any style. It is very versatile, and a variety of picks, fingers, strums, and picking styles make this guitar sing in different languages.

-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.

-Rich/Full sound? Bright sound? Acoustically, the sound is bright and full. The Lows, mids, and highs are all there, and the balance, separation, and presence are as good as I have ever heard, even when playing at low volumes.

-What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety? It can sound like a piano, or sweet, like an electrified gut-string. It can sound folksy or bluesy, depending on whether or not you wear picks and upon how delicately you want to play it. It plays very distinctly at low volumes, which makes expression easy.

-Likes and dislikes? It is not a forgiving guitar. Every mistake is readily apparent. You can?t hide imprecision in the midst of noise, because all the tones and notes are separate and distinct. Fretting must be correct to avoid buzzing. I am having to clean up my act.

-How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?) It came set up perfectly. The action is very easy, but not quite as easy as on some of the Taylors I played. I tuned it down a step, leaving the Elixir lights aboard, and the action remained easy without becoming sloppy. There was no buzzing while tuned down, either. I think the action is perfect for me. I have it tuned back up to concert, and the action is plenty quick and easy.

-Did the guitar contain any flaws? The end pin/plug in needed tightening. Other than that, I could find nothing other than a small shiny spot, about the size of a period in this print, under the finish midway up the fretboard on the treble side. I went over the finish with a flashlight and a magnifying glass, and that is all I found. It is small enough that I didn?t see it the first time I inspected the guitar. No big deal.

-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. Using the recommended Meguiars Final Inspection regularly will help a lot. Time will tell.

-Are the strap buttons solid? The strap buttons are both in there for good. I always jiggle the plug-in/end pin to make sure it is not unscrewing itself.

-Can you depend on it? I see no reason not to depend on it.

-Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Sure, if I were going to play only 12-string stuff. It will go the distance.

- 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. Brandon Allen went out of his way to put a deal together for a RainSong Jumbo, which I ordered before I knew I was going to receive the 12-string for a gift.
-How long is the warranty? Lifetime. I guess it is like having a parrot, because I am not likely to outlive it.

-What other gear do you own? I have an Epiphone FT350BL that has served me well since 1976. I have a RainSong Jumbo on its way in a few weeks.

How long have you been playing? Since 1964

-Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar? It was a gift, and I hadn?t a clue that it was coming. I was considering one to replace the Alvarez I just sold and to take a step or three up. I just hadn?t played one. If I had, I would have been hard to live with until I brought one home.

-If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? Having played one now, and having played many 12-strings in stores and little rooms, I would buy a RainSong WS-3000 to fill the 12-string position on my guitar team.

-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? The way it amplifies my ham fisted errors. The way I fuss over the shine.

-What is your favorite feature? Besides the sound, the fact that it is a 12-string and I don?t have to tune it all the time.

-Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? I played other 12-strings: Some Martins, Taylors, Tacomas, Ovations, Gibsons, Guilds, Alvarezzzezzz. Some sounded good. Some didn?t. Some looked good but didn?t play worth beans. Some sounded fantastic, but didn?t play well or were hard to look at. I would choose the RainSong because of its sound, playability, durability, and appearance as a package. I am glad my dad was listening to me as I talked about guitar shopping.

-Anything you wish it had? Nice legs? A magic fingerboard that would make me sound like a real guitar player? A roller-furling jib? Nah. I think it is pretty well loaded as a package of guitar goodies.