Alex Ryan - Emerald X20 Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar Deep Dive Review and Sound Comparison

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  • Опубліковано 3 гру 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 94

  • @stimpsonjcat67
    @stimpsonjcat67 Рік тому +7

    Ryan's OG vids were the reason I hunted down an Emerald to play.
    5 deep now.

  • @jaythizzle1969
    @jaythizzle1969 Рік тому +7

    This review is perfect, hits every point a customer would want to know.

  • @danielkleiner9560
    @danielkleiner9560 6 місяців тому +4

    Excellent video and review! You are incredibly well-spoken and concise in your dialogue. Those are traits rarely found in review videos.

  • @Michael-Ray
    @Michael-Ray 7 місяців тому +2

    18:33 If I close my eyes I can't tell the difference or notice the transition between the Taylor, Emerald and Martin in this recording - they all sound like high end acoustic guitars on my audiophile headphones! The Emerald has the added benefit of comfort, low maintenance and durability. This video has really opened my mind as to why one should adopt evolving technology over tradition especially when it comes to musical instruments. Even the classic Martin D-28 model would have been considered as evolving technology back then when it was first produced.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  7 місяців тому +2

      Thanks for the great Comment Michael! You're right, these guitars have all been innovative in their own areas, it's great to be part of the next steps of guitar evolution.

  • @DanMarksMusic
    @DanMarksMusic 11 місяців тому +3

    Holy heckers that was the best review I’ve ever seen. So thorough and I love your analysis and approach 👌 I hope Emerald has sent you another model for such a great promo!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  11 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for watching! Stay tuned for more!

  • @spmartin
    @spmartin 7 місяців тому +2

    Beautifully produced and informative. Alex, thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I'm playing with the 3D builder right now!! Actually, I'd love to order one., then go to their annual owners party to pick it up!!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  7 місяців тому +2

      Glad it was helpful! You can email sales@emeraldguitars.com for help with custom orders or any other queries. You should also check out our Emerald Tours this year in both May and September here emeraldguitars.com/emerald-music-tours/

  • @ben-jammin2284
    @ben-jammin2284 10 місяців тому +2

    What an absolutely amazing review! Just wow! I was completely sold up until seeing how much of a pain the string changes appear to be on these!

    • @davidhampshire3762
      @davidhampshire3762 9 місяців тому +1

      Hi Ben,
      I did a review yesterday and mentioned the string replacement.
      Emerald came back to me with a short video, it's so simple, just stick a plastic golf tee in the hole to stop the ball end jumping out, or maybe even a match stick?
      If you look at my review (click on latest, it was only last night) they have replied with the video link.
      Hope that will put you back on the right path : )

    • @rosewoodsteel6656
      @rosewoodsteel6656 2 місяці тому

      @@davidhampshire3762 That makes sense!

  • @Stringz
    @Stringz Місяць тому

    I gotta say, this is probably one of the best reviews I’ve ever seen. The playing part was great having the wooden acoustics along with it. And right next to it. Excellent! You can really get a great sense of the sound. I think the wood always sounds better, but one thing is for sure. You can’t beat the outdoor weather advantage it has, or the durability. Really a cool thing, I’d just like the sound improved a bit, maybe not quite as bright and more like the tone of the wood.

    • @Stringz
      @Stringz Місяць тому

      And that is a beautiful guitar. There are so many specifics and great things in general you touch on that are very helpful. You articulate it in a great way too. And you rotate the guitars and such throughout in times it’s very helpful too. So many great insights as well that you add. Very well done. Subbed.
      Just excellent 👍🏼👍🏼

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Місяць тому

      Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

  • @outerbanks854
    @outerbanks854 Рік тому +1

    What a great review... If I ever hit the lotto I will grab one of those immediately...

  • @stevesilva6478
    @stevesilva6478 10 місяців тому

    By far the best review I have ever watched and listened to. Thanks for the effort that went into producing this.

  • @scott9143
    @scott9143 4 місяці тому

    you make great videos. The comparisons are the best I have seen on UA-cam

  • @pixelpoet
    @pixelpoet 6 днів тому

    Excellent review dude many thanks.

  • @KestrelJo
    @KestrelJo Рік тому

    You did a lot of hard work on this one, and it's very much appreciated. It's answered some questions I didn't even know to ask.

  • @paulgaughan159
    @paulgaughan159 Місяць тому

    Brilliant video, well done👍🏻

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Місяць тому

      Glad you enjoyed it! You can see more of our range of 25 models and design your own over at emeraldguitars.com or get in touch with the team via email to sales@emeraldguitars.com for more info.

  • @magic2506
    @magic2506 Рік тому +1

    Played a friend's X20. Very impressive. Stays in tune really well. Sounds great... as good as if not better than a wood acoustic guitar. The neck action was almost as good as an electric guitar making tougher chords and bends pleasant. Yes, the contouring of the body made it feel really comfortable. Very nice product. I'll consider ordering one.

  • @rosewoodsteel6656
    @rosewoodsteel6656 2 місяці тому

    Thanks! This is the best A-B comparison of acoustic guitars I've ever heard.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  2 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

  • @brianmcfarland4745
    @brianmcfarland4745 Рік тому +1

    Very nicely done! I really enjoyed your review style, and can honestly say I watched it to the end. Thanks

  • @toddfolie1728
    @toddfolie1728 5 місяців тому

    One of the finest well produced videos I’ve seen. Well done and thank you! Here’s a trick for restringing that I use with my Bigsby tremolo that should work with the pinless bridge. Set the string in the bridge as shown then pull tension on the string and apply the capo at the twelve fret to hold the string in place. That will leave both hands free to wrap and wind the string. Wind the string until you have adequate tension on the full string to hold it in place at the bridge then remove the capo. Repeat the process with each additional string. Now it’s off to the Emerald site to figure out how I can get my hands on an X20 : )

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  5 місяців тому

      Thanks Todd, yeah the capo trick works a treat if you have difficulty with the pinless bridge string change! 😁 You can get in touch with us via email to sales@emeraldguitars.com for any more info

  • @Nirabulator
    @Nirabulator 11 днів тому

    Amazingly good and helpful review. Clear, concise and correct. No ums and ahs! What I wonder now is which of those three guitars you showed us you tend to pick up and play the most. It’s an important question for folks who don’t have the means to purchase multiple high-end guitars. At the prices these command, one that will do will not do. I want to be amazed and inspired for the rest of my life. Do you think the Emerald X20 is of that caliber?
    The ergonomics of the Emerald look impressive. Sound over UA-cam is not impressive or convincing. Though I think you have done about as much as is possible to overcome UA-cam’s limitations, the tonal differences between the three guitar here are not terribly clear to me. All three sound really good, but I wouldn’t be able to differentiate between them. Perhaps that is a sign that they are on more or less the same level of sound quality as instruments.
    In my local music shop I have played on some lovely and very expensive Gibson and Martin guitars, so sweet to play on, but I have yet to be impressed by a Taylor. Playing oneself, the differences between instruments are easy enough to hear and discuss. I mostly pick with bare fingers and accompany myself singing my own songs, so the sensitivity of the a guitar to my not particularly powerful way of playing is important to me. I understand and appreciate your effort at objectivity in your excellent review, but I wonder if you could say something more personal about how you think the Emerald responds to your bare-fingered touch.
    Thanks for doing such a creative and conscientious review!

  • @bennybenenati
    @bennybenenati Рік тому +1

    well done to get a good impression

  • @cmcg5788
    @cmcg5788 Рік тому +2

    I suppose that it should be pointed out that this review was first published 2 years ago on Alex Ryan's own channel.

  • @rosewoodsteel6656
    @rosewoodsteel6656 2 місяці тому

    The Emerald had a rounder, slightly softer sound than the others. I've seen a demo through an amp and they sound awesome, electrified. When I gigged for a living in my younger days, I would have loved one of these.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  2 місяці тому

      Thanks for watching! We have 25 models (primarily acoustic) available over at emeraldguitars.com to check out, you can also design your own in the 3D builder or get in touch with the team via email to sales@emeraldguitars.com

  • @gair1944
    @gair1944 Рік тому

    Your reviews are the benchmark reference gold standard! Incredibly well done! Love that Koa top. So 3-dimensional!

  • @soundssimple1
    @soundssimple1 Рік тому +4

    There probably is no better format for reviews available on YT. The Emerald design and construction are excellent and I would congratulate the company on their product. I have watched the Emerald guitar factory tour which shows a unique business model and product range like no other guitar company I know of. The guitar demo'd here does sound however much more subtle and reserved at the lower end of the sound spectrum. Maybe the sound hole placement did not project well to the mike placement and appear bass reduced ( not so to the player as the bass was projected 'up' as well as 'out . If you want a guitar with less projection, less bass in the mix then it may be for you. I personally if spending £2000 plus on a guitar I would want a singing and dancing sound as well as a virtually indestructable construction. Emerald guitars do a huge range of models and designs as seen in their excellent website, this one as their entry level for my ears would be the 3rd choice out of these three. I remember when Ovation guitars came out at first and they had their 'own' sound. Many didn't rate them as all rounders in sound spectrum but they found a place and are still highly revered by many players. I reckon Emerald will have a similar future. Best of luck to them.

    • @magic2506
      @magic2506 Рік тому +1

      In the comparison of the 3 guitars, the Emerald did project out a little less and a more string clicky sounding on the strumming compared to the Martin. However, I personally like it. I played the X20 and I liked strumming it and getting nice percussive string sound which helps me get the party started when performing.

    • @photo200
      @photo200 2 місяці тому +2

      I was going to post a new comment, but I think my comment / questions fit better here. First of all, great video, it's about the best one can do given the constraints of UA-cam and trying to evaluate the sound remotely -- well done!! What I wanted to comment on / ask about is that I also noticed a difference in the response of the lowest bass notes. Between all three, I thought perhaps the Taylor had the upper hand in bass response. Some folks are attributing this to a difference in projection, but I wonder if volume might also have something to do with it? I'd be curious what the difference in body volume is between these three models, or if anyone feels that could be part of the difference? For someone who really loves the concept of this guitar and would like to consider getting an Emerald (like me), but who does a lot of playing unplugged and would prefer a stronger unplugged bass response, perhaps the X30 would be a better model to consider?

    • @photo200
      @photo200 2 місяці тому +1

      I took a closer listen to the front and above samples near the end of the video, and in those samples, I don't hear as big of a difference in the bass notes between the Taylor and the Emerald, even in the sample where an E2 is being played. So much can vary with recording setup. In higher notes, the Taylor sounds just slightly brighter and louder, but the difference isn't as pronounced as the bass notes are in the earlier samples. I'm still unsure about buying one sight-unseen, so I'll probably jump on some guitar forums and see if I can find someone in my area that has an X20 I can arrange to listen to in person. Thx again for this great video!!

  • @cardinal9390
    @cardinal9390 9 місяців тому +1

    Love your detailed review!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  8 місяців тому

      Great stuff here from Alex! You can find the full x20 range along with our 3D builder to design your own at emeraldguitars.com

  • @saltuer
    @saltuer Рік тому

    Great review!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Рік тому

      Glad you think so! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to subscribe!

  • @joemorton9217
    @joemorton9217 10 місяців тому

    Your videos are amazing

  • @davidhampshire3762
    @davidhampshire3762 9 місяців тому

    Yes, great review.
    With decent ear buds in was an interesting sound comparison between the 3 guitars.
    All 3 sounded different and in my opinion, all 3 sounded great, after 5 minutes of playing and getting used to whichever one you had, you would be in Heaven sound wise.
    So it obviously comes down to the other factors.
    With the X20 you've got amazing comfort, it's forever in tune, it has forever stainless steel frets and the finish is on another level.
    They are just beautiful and the fretboard has an amazing well oiled feeling to the touch which you notice straight away (but it isn't actually oily), the carbon fibre is so silky smooth.
    Plugged in it is awesome and the pickups on offer from Emerald are obviously well thought out and chosen to get the best sound from the totally different carbon fibre dynamics (I got Ghost Piezo + K&K).
    As the review points out everything is so well and intelligently thought out, the build process is precision and the material is uniform, these are definitely the future.
    Have only had mine a couple of weeks and straight out the box it was amazing, just perfection (as was the packaging).
    Not sure about the string replacement, how difficult can it be, they thought of everything else?
    But will order up one of those electric winders now : )

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  9 місяців тому

      Thanks for the great comment David, well said! Heres the link to the video for changing strings if you need help ua-cam.com/video/0VKQ1IzGhIs/v-deo.html 😁

  • @justinsevier5558
    @justinsevier5558 Рік тому +1

    This was amazing and honestly stopped me from purchasing an Emerald. Which Taylor is that? It sounded best to my ear in most situations. Thanks and great work!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Рік тому

      Theres a guitar for everyone over at our site and you can check out a range of other content with in depth sound demos too.

    • @rosewoodsteel6656
      @rosewoodsteel6656 2 місяці тому

      I believe he said it was the Presentation Series Taylor. They were the top-of-the-line Taylor back in the day. -Very Expensive.

  • @steviesynapse
    @steviesynapse 9 місяців тому

    This is a fantastic review, I love the look and design of Emerald guitars. It’s great to have the Taylor and Martin for reference, sound wise for me the Taylor significantly wins out but so it should, it’s more than twice the price of the Emerald which is also cheaper than the Martin D28. I love carbon fibre guitars and own and play Ovation’s so I would interested to play an Emerald to see how it sounds and feels.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  9 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching. You can check our Ambassador program to find an Emerald near you to try out emeraldguitars.com/ambassador-program/

  • @jaythizzle1969
    @jaythizzle1969 Рік тому +4

    I own both a Taylor and an Emerald, I prefer the Emerald in every way other than sound, I think the Taylor sounds more "natural". Emerald has more mid-tones

    • @TWhite-mq6uf
      @TWhite-mq6uf 4 місяці тому

      That makes sense. Which model of Taylor? The attractive thing about the Emerald is not having to worry so much about my investment with the desert climate where I live.

  • @GodfreyGuitar
    @GodfreyGuitar Рік тому

    I love my X20! I have three guitars in rotation, the X20, a Rainsong, and a Heritage 575. These three guitars are all great, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the X20.

  • @craigjohnson4302
    @craigjohnson4302 9 місяців тому +1

    Great review! But, in my estimation of this showdown, the Taylor sounded the best, and I’m not necessarily a Taylor fan. The Emerald sounded a little dull and slightly muted. Of course, this was determined from a UA-cam video, so a live listening would be mandatory. But, the best looking is the Emerald, hands down (sorry for the pun)!

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  9 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching! Maybe see if you can try one out in person and see what you think then, here's the link for our ambassador program where you can find one near you. emeraldguitars.com/ambassador-program/

  • @NemoNepersonne
    @NemoNepersonne 23 дні тому

    I played tonight at an acoustic bluegrass jam with 22 people playing. A friend showed up with a new X-20, just received from the company. It looked beautiful, and he let me play it. I couldn’t hide my shock. I was wearing fingerpicks, and I know how to play loud, but the low strings sounded mediocre, and I could hardly hear the treble strings. He says it sounds great plugged in, but he was disappointed. I doubt that its maximum volume was more than 75 dB, while my Martin maxes out at 88 dB and my banjo at 100 dB. I told him he should return it, but he said oh, no one needed to hear him, and it was loud enough at home.

  • @1olddoggie
    @1olddoggie Рік тому

    Great video! How did you get your head apart the body? Great job!!

  • @taimurchoudhry.
    @taimurchoudhry. Рік тому

    This is one beautiful guitar. Can you please tell me that is the nut width on this model wider than the Martin and Taylor used in the video? I prefer a thinner nut width like the ones on an ovation. Thank you so very much

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Рік тому +1

      Our X20 model can come in a variety of nut widths from 43.5mm to 48mm.

  • @rosewoodsteel6656
    @rosewoodsteel6656 2 місяці тому

    Question- Is the saddle adjustable and replaceable?

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  2 місяці тому

      The saddle is a GraphTech low friction saddle and is adjustable as much as any standard acoustic guitar bridge / saddle.
      It can be replaced with another of the same or similar in a different material but may have to be individually shaped for each guitars bridge slot.
      You can contact the team via email on sales@emeraldguitars.com for more info on any of our models.

  • @brianelliott3847
    @brianelliott3847 11 місяців тому

    This may be a dumb question but I was wondering if you can put nylon strings on a carbon fiber guitar?

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  10 місяців тому

      Yes, it works great.
      Check out our signature nylon guitar - X20
      emeraldguitars.com/models/x20-nylon-elegance-clarity-power/

  • @schwajj
    @schwajj Рік тому

    How do you like it compared to the x30? Edit: maybe you answer this, I asked before watching

  • @cugir321
    @cugir321 7 місяців тому

    Did you receive any benefit for doing this video? I do like the stainless frets. Mcpherson has evo's...they wear more then stainless. The martin sounds better. More of a vintage open sound.

  • @matthewderosby713
    @matthewderosby713 Рік тому

    Is there a lefty version?

  • @davidabramyk2999
    @davidabramyk2999 11 місяців тому

    I’m surprised I thought I’d like the Martin best of the 3 and the Taylor was the best all round to my ear. With the caveat that even with great headphones UA-cam sucks for comparative listening

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  11 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching, you can check out more tone samples in our channel for individual models along with performance videos.

  • @mikeonb4c
    @mikeonb4c 5 місяців тому

    Great review though sadly I think the tone would struggle to give me the same pleasure as my Atkin D37 gives. In all other respects it looks a lovely guitar though 👍

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  5 місяців тому +1

      Thanks for watching Mike, have heard great things about the Atkin models, enjoy your D37 but give an emerald a try if you can or find an ambassador near you here
      emeraldguitars.com/ambassador-program/
      Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more content coming every week. Thanks!

    • @mikeonb4c
      @mikeonb4c 5 місяців тому

      @@emeraldguitars I will have to give it serious consideration as they look like very fine and beautiful instruments. Funnily enough I started looking as my daughter who lives in Cambodia was saying how her wooden guitar just never stays in tune. I think an Emerald carbon fibre guitar would solve that problem 👍 I use my guitars for my recordings and chose each for its particular tone. There again a carbon fibre guitar would bring something new. 👍

  • @valueofnothing2487
    @valueofnothing2487 8 місяців тому

    No, I mean it doesn't sound like a Martin. It sounds closer to the Taylor. It might make a very nice electric/acoustic, or have a unique fingerpicking sound. It would also sound fine in a band - as the differences are not that much.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  7 місяців тому

      Thanks for watching, hope you found this comparison helpful.

  • @MilanChamling
    @MilanChamling 10 місяців тому

    Very cool guitar but can't beat acoustic guitar tone to my ears.

  • @trentsmith5184
    @trentsmith5184 Рік тому +2

    Love the practical design elements but it just doesn’t sound anywhere near as good as the others.

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Рік тому

      Theres a guitar for everyone over at our site and you can check out a range of other content with in depth sound demos too.

  • @byromtaylor6482
    @byromtaylor6482 Рік тому +4

    tthe review was good but put me off buying one the x 20 was the worst of the 3

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  Рік тому +1

      Try one out for yourself if you can, it might change your mind!

    • @byromtaylor6482
      @byromtaylor6482 Рік тому

      i will next time im in ireland@@emeraldguitars

    • @daves_
      @daves_ 11 місяців тому

      same

    • @joemorton9217
      @joemorton9217 10 місяців тому

      There’s another video on UA-cam comparing the different emerald body shapes. The x10 sounds the best to my ears. I own an x7 and it sounds amazing. I owned an x20 first and it wasn’t my favorite sound.

    • @sidius_wav
      @sidius_wav 10 місяців тому

      The Martin sounded the best

  • @davidabramyk2999
    @davidabramyk2999 11 місяців тому

    No sound of it plugged in

    • @emeraldguitars
      @emeraldguitars  11 місяців тому

      You can check out other videos on our page, especially in the x20 playlist where we have live videos where the guitars are plugged in.