Are you in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and interested in checking out an Emerald Guitar? Contact me and let’s chat about it. I can save you $100 on your purchase!
So … what is an “Emerald Guitar” and why haven’t you heard or maybe even seen one?
Emerald Guitars is a relatively small instrument company located in Co. Donegal, Ireland. They create amazing custom stringed instruments crafted out of carbon fiber; a space-age material that is incredibly strong, light, and stable.
I have been playing Emerald Guitars since 2016, and currently own two; an X20 and an X10. Why Emerald? I’ll explain that in a few minutes.
As a small company, Emerald only sells their guitars direct to consumers. They focus on custom-built instruments, and thus do not have a dealer network. You will not find their guitars in stores or on retail websites.
Knowing that their customers are passionate about their instruments, and that potential new owners would like to play and experience one before choosing to place an order, Emerald has created an “Ambassador Program”. Ambassadors connect and meet with potential customers, answer questions, and make their personal instrument(s) available for new customers to try and inspect. In return, the Ambassador is awarded a 5% credit toward future purchases (not cash!) of any sales that result from these connections. I also have a coupon code good for $100 off your new Emerald guitar!
Are you in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and interested in checking out an Emerald Guitar? Contact me!
_________________________So why do I play Emerald Guitars and how did I find them?
Acoustic guitars are finicky instruments. Being made of wood, and unfinished on the inside, they are very reactive to the environment. Humidity (or lack thereof), temperature, and other environmental conditions can wreak havoc on wood guitars, even causing permanent damage. At the very least, they require periodic (usually seasonal) maintenance to counteract the effects of the environment and keep them playing and sounding their best.
Having grown tired of the constant tweaking and adjusting of multiple wood guitars, I started looking into buying a carbon fiber guitar that would be impervious to environmental changes.
I already knew of a few companies that created carbon fiber guitars. But a Google search brought me to Emerald Guitars, and I was instantly enamored with their non-traditional designs and beautiful aesthetics. It didn’t take long to decide to order one.
This was in 2015, and at that time a custom Emerald had a 6-month lead time (they’re down to just 2 months now, and often even quicker than that). I emailed with them, and finalized the design for my X20 with Quilt Maple top and natural Carbon Fiber back & sides.
Just about 6 months later, my beautiful X20 was in my hands and I still own it today.
In late 2023, I purchased a custom-build X10 model, and even though the “older” Emeralds are exquisite guitars, the newer guitars are a step above. The fit and finish quality has increased dramatically as Emerald has advanced as a guitar company, and my new X10 is a gorgeous piece of functional art, and my new main gigging guitar. The photo above is of my actual guitar, taken by Emerald before shipping, and part of their Customer Guitar Gallery, serial #9622.
As for build time, as stated earlier, they quoted 2 months. I placed my order on October 23, 2023 and my shipment arrived from Ireland on December 12. That’s just 7 weeks from order to delivery.
Emerald Guitars posts weekly “shipping videos” on their YouTube channel where they highlight the custom guitars going out that week. My Blue Royal Ebony X10 is featured at about the 5:00 mark in this video from December 8, 2023.
I’d also like to take a moment to praise Emerald as a superb company.
My original X20’s pickup system failed after (I think) less than a year of ownership. Emerald facilitated in getting me replacement parts. But after the system started failing a second time, they had me send the guitar BACK to Ireland – and they paid the shipping both ways. They were no longer using that pickup system (wonder why?) and installed the new LR Baggs Element system – for free. Again, they paid the shipping both ways and did the work without charging me a dime. THAT is stellar customer service.
After a time, I upgraded the Element system to the LR Baggs Anthem setup. This pickup system has become integral into my “sound”, and an essential tool in creating my live-looping performances.
When it came time to order my X10, I inquired about having the same system installed (Emerald offers the Anthem, but with a different preamp. I wanted the same StagePro setup as my X20).
Their answer? No problem. Order a guitar with no pickup, send us the stuff you want, and we’ll put it in for you.
Stellar customer service again, 7 years later. They haven’t changed.
From the emails they send at each stage of your guitar’s production, to the shipping videos showing the custom instruments that are leaving the factory each week (you’ll see yours there too!), Emerald Guitars has a culture of community. Owning one feels like being part of a family.
I received my X10 in December of 2023, and I already can’t wait to order another Emerald Guitar.
So again, if you are in the Phoenix, Arizona area, and you’re interested in checking out an Emerald Guitar (and $100 off your purchase), contact me and hopefully I can give you all the details you need to make an informed decision.