Bought a Cargo, and played.....

[RickW]

So, I'm on a business trip to Calgary, and find there's a guy who sells guitars from his home, and he is the local CA dealer, and has three Cargos in stock. So, he picks me up in his brand new 'Vette, (very, very nice,) and we go to his place. The Cargo is as amazing as has been reported. Plays like a dream, sounds really darn fine. Blows the doors off any other travel guitar I've played, and is up there with some of my most favourite guitars I've played. So I bought it.

So, I'm sitting in this room full of guitars, mandolins, ukeleles, and banjos. He says, since you're here, why don't you try a few other instruments. So, I played:

4 Bourgeois - 2 dreads, a small bodied 12 fret slothead and an OMS.
3 Thompsons - local builder in BC. Two small 12 fret slot heads, and an OM.
A CA GX and a dread.
A 1924 Martin type 2, all mahogany.
A 1920 something Martin ukelele.

It was...um... unbelievable. I dunno which one was best - I think the best sounding was one of the Thompson 12 frets. But I'm not sure. The old Martin was very, very cool.

His website is www.acousticguitar.net.

Now tell me why I bought a new guitar when I have tendinitis....

[Don Clark]

Why are you asking us why? Is buying a new guitar something that needs explanation, substantiation, or something just to justify it?

No Rick.....these things just happen. It's uncontrollable. Don't try to figure it out. ;D

_{I would have loved the Bourgeois 12-fret.}

[RickW]

Hey, Don. I bought a motorcycle once in the dead of winter, that I could barely ride until the Spring. It hurts when I play, and I have this brand new guitar that's torturing me....

[SteveO]

Rick, you know what they say about minimalize rationalize and justify.
If it has to be painful, what a way to go.

[iamjohnne]

Don't question it, just accept life on life's terms. You have GAS, that is just the way it is.

[Marshall]

Wow what a night.

Had one of those Cargoey things in my hands over the weekend. The 1 3/4 flat neck is not my feel. Good thing, too. Or I'd have to get one.

[RickW]

Marshall, I love that neck. Goes to show how different we all are. The Bourgeois dread was a bit fat for me.

And Don, that 12 fretter was a thing of beauty, yes indeedy. I just have this thing about having access to the upper frets. Maybe with a cutaway. But damn it was nice.

[Deleted]

When the GAS symptoms subjugate the pain, there's no sense in resisting. Always.... always remember there is no cure for GAS. Only temporary relief.

[Doug]

Other than the stings, I love it.

Them damn coated strings mess up my pull offs. And have a weird feel.

[guitone]

This makes 3 cargos among us, congratulations. Now if only Bill will admit that this little carbon monster is all he needs

[theevan]

We can support you with good rationalizations, Rick. Ergo, the Cargo is short scale, easier on the hands.

'Grats.

j's 12 fret Thompson was the Thang...I loved it.

[RickW]

If I had the bucks, Evan, I'd seriously consider the Thompson. Very, very sweet.

Doug, change the strings! Must be perfect for someone travelling so much. Guitone, have you tried anything else on it yet? I keep mediums on my OO, and I'm thinking I might try some on this little baby. As for Bill, that's two GXs I've played now - nice, guitars. The Cargo sounds very much the same, but not quite the volume or richness - but a damn fine facsimile. And the size blows me away.

Yeah, the short scale will hopefully be easy on the hands and sore tendons. Gosh, i hope so.

And... I think I'll call it Carbonetta - Carbona's little sister....

[billhammond]

Carbonetta -- I love it! Congrats, Rick!

I still play my Goodall, just to be clear here. But she stays home more often than not when I go a-giggin', as there is no sense in my exposing it to risk when I don't need to.

G2 is a glorious guitar, though, and I see it as a lifetime partner.

Doug -- I think you will get used to the Elixirs if you give them a little time. I do pull-offs galore on them with ease. And a cheap bastid such as yourself will surely appreciate how long they last!

[guitone]

Rick, I have used both light and mediums on it, both GHS and Martins and cleartones I took off of my Larri parlor. No matter what string I put on to me it sounds, and feels the same, lights, mediums, nothing makes me think it is different to my ear. With that short scale mediums will never feel like mediums, I am using mediums on my larri as well. So I use whatever I have around on the cargo, and to me the strings seem to just keep going and going, sort of like that Ever Ready bunny.

[Deleted]

Like many other advances in technology, I suppose I'll be dragged 'kicking and screaming' into the 21st century. For the moment I have no complaints about what I own/play.

Strings are a funny thing. Like most things concerning guitar they are a matter of personal taste. I've tried the coated strings from a variety of manufacturers and there are many good brands but I usually end up going back to my 'tried and true' choice, D'Addario EJ-16s. They've been my 'workhorse' strings for over 31 years.

Oh... congrats, Rick. And all you other carbonites! Who knows? Maybe I'll join your ranks some day.

[Doug]

I've got to do a little minor setup work on "The Little Chunk of Coal" strings loose strings tight etc and then I'll be putting new strings on her. Glad to hear the sound doesn't change when you get rid of the coated strings.
Let's see I'm paying 2.3? for the Martin strings I like vs the cheapest I've found the Elixir's for is about 12. That makes them 5 times as expensive and they don't won't have that blues sound. ;D

Fun guitar, a little heavy in the headstock cause the rest is so light and it doesn't hang the same way my other guitars do, but I"m getting used to it.

[RickW]

I love elixirs, but I use the D'Addario coated strings on my Epi - just sounds better.

I'll have to mess with things - see what I like. Interesting that the tone doesn't change much for you with the different weights and types.

And my arm is KILLING me this morning....

[Fingerplucked]

Congrats, Rick. For the record, I think you did the right thing. You've been wanting one of these for a while, and the best you EVER could have hoped for was to delay the inevitable.

However:

"So, I'm on a business trip to Calgary, and find there's a guy who sells guitars from his home, and he is the local CA dealer, and has three Cargos in stock. So, he picks me up in his brand new 'Vette, (very, very nice,) and we go to his place."

I heard bells & sirens going off, and I saw red warning flags when I read your opening lines. A guy who sells guitars from his house who drives a Corvette? AND he offers to come get you?

And you didn't know it was over before it started?

[majorminor]

Oct 16, 2008 0:32:48 GMT -5 Doug said:

Them damn coated strings mess up my pull offs. And have a weird feel.

Could be worse Doug



For the record I was afraid to Google pull offs

Congrats on the new guitar Rick. you to Doug.

[millring]

So, I'm guessing that the whole chock-full-o-guitars evening is happening to you in present participle?

(sounds like fun!)