Emerald Guitars Reviews 914

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 93 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of the products, highlighting their stunning appearance, comfort, and lightweight design. Many also commend the excellent sound quality, describing it as crystal clear, rich, and warm. The customer service and staff are frequently mentioned as top-notch, providing helpful advice and a personalized experience. However, some customers experienced issues with their orders, such as darker-than-expected finishes or problems with playability like string buzzing and dead tones. A few also noted discrepancies between the product received and the online builder's representation, and some felt a lack of follow-up after their purchase.

What people talk about most

Product

People report positive experiences with the product. Customers consistently praise the guitars for their... See more

Quality

Customers had positive experiences with quality, consistently praising the craftsmanship and sound of the... See more

User experience

Clients share positive opinions on user experience. Many reviewers found the products to be comfortable,... See more

Staff

Users describe positive interactions with staff, often highlighting their responsiveness, professionalism,... See more

Customer service

Consumers find customer service to be a positive experience. Many reviewers highlight the prompt, attentive,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Placing my order was quick and easy. Using the online store to explore the various models and options available was fun and efficient. And the product I received is a fantastic guitar, perfectly set u... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Instantly my favorite guitar, a custom X7 with Hyvibe. It’s lighter and more comfortable than i imagined. The sound is excellent, never heard a carbon fiber guitar before. Even without a monitor hav... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I've purchased an X-20, and have also ordered an X-30 in recent weeks. The most important criteria is sound, and it is simply superlative. The body and neck are stunning, the soundboard area now a w... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I bought an Emerald Virtuo a few weeks ago and have played the guitar at every full band electric and solo acoustic show I’ve had since. I have searched for years to find a guitar that can viably be... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Guitar Store
  2. Music Producer
  3. Music Publisher
  4. Musical Instrument Manufacturer
  5. Musical Instrument Store
  6. Musician

About Emerald Guitars

Written by the company

Established in 1999, Emerald Guitars based in Co. Donegal Ireland are the #1 Carbon Fiber Guitar company across the globe that cater to the needs of all musicians from the casual hobbyist through to the professional recording artist.



We provide a vast range of custom Carbon Fiber Acoustic & Electro-Hybrid Guitars available in Standard, Archtop, Bass, Baritone, Travel, Ukulele, Double Neck & Harp Guitar Models all with a unique design and feel that you would expect from a premium product.



Founded by renown luthier Alistair Hay In 1994, Hay was working for Seebold Racing in St Louis, Missouri, USA and building Formula 1 racing boats using carbon fiber. Between the skills he had developed whilst crafting world class racing boats and possessing a passion for product design and engineering, Alistair had an idea to build an acoustic carbon fiber guitar. The process of producing a product fit for market took a couple of years. From there, Emerald Guitars officially launched in 1999, Steve Vai’s custom Ultra Guitar was made and the rest is history. You can read more about that journey here.

Current Stock Explore the latest stock added to the Emerald Guitar shop, ready and waiting to ship worldwide!

Launch 3D Builder Ever wanted to build your own dream guitar? Look no further. The Emerald Guitars 3D builder provides a market leading immersive experience enabling you to craft your very own custom instrument. Build your guitar today!

Book a Call Our team are ready to answer any of your questions and help you choose the perfect instrument for you. Book a call, a 1-2-1 consultation or a walkthrough of our 3D builder at a time that suits you.

Contact info

4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

914 reviews

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Replied to 50% of negative reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Emerald Makes Great Guitars

The quality of the guitars delivered were excellent. As a matter of fact, the first Guitar I received was so awesome that I went ahead and order a second one. The only thing I would do differently I think is if I were Emerald guitars, I put a little more documentation in with them. Other than that, they are just awesome.

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My third Emerald. I love playing slide on them

This is my third Emerald guitar, but my first custom build. They are beautiful instruments, and pretty near bullet proof. They sound pretty good acoustic, but really shine when plugged in. Truthfully, I have no complaints. That's probably why I went in search of the second and third. They are my primary instruments out of a large pile of instruments
I primarily play slide guitar, and the Solace was my first Emerald. I'm happy to say that my X20 and X7 12 string both take well to slide, and sound great.

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Simply incredible!

Let me start by saying that I’ve never purchased a guitar without first playing it. I was intrigued with the carbon fiber concept, and after reading reviews I took a chance. To say I’m pleasantly surprised would be somewhat of an understatement. Not only is this guitar the absolute best I’ve ever played, it is also a genuine work of art! Pictures do it no justice at all. It is beautiful. In terms of playability, it’s the easiest I’ve ever played. The action and setup were spot on right out of the guitar case. I am located in the US and the guitar is manufactured in Ireland. I’m sure it endured many atmospheric changes during transit. When I opened the case and strummed it I was surprised to hear it perfectly tuned! One strum of an open G chord erased all fears. The sound produced by this instrument is just remarkable. The material used, the sound hole location and the bridge are nothing like a “traditional” wooden guitar, but the result is mind blowing! I have played guitars that cost thousands more than this. This guitar is the clear winner. Everything about this guitar screams quality. Emerald Guitar builders are actually artisans. Thank you for your attention to detail. I would give 10 stars if I could! I will be back folks. Somewhere in Ireland there is a 12 string with my name on it!!

2 May 2025
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Inaccurate estimated tariff / duty…

Inaccurate estimated tariff / duty charge. I asked what th the tariff would be prior to purchase. Told 10%….Was not told of 8.7% that has been inconsistently applied for years. Caused my tariff / duty bill to almost double. Excuse was “tariff changing too quickly”….Not buying it…..the 8.7% been in effect for years…They should have told me the total potential tariff / duty at the time of purchase…..

Not happy…..last Emerald purchase from me….

Shame on me for not knowing……last Emerald purchase….

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Custom X10

A wonderful, high quality, custom built X10. Great communication and customer service. Emerald guitars are among the finest instruments available to players today.

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Perfect purchasing experience!

The entire experience with Emerald Guitars was great! The guitar was described accurately, they worked with me on a shipping and delivery date, and the guitar arrived in perfect shape when they said it would arrive. Most importantly, the guitar sound and quality is fantastic! I will definitely buy from them again.

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Clear as a bell!

My only question is; why didn’t I build an X20 sooner! The appearance is spectacular, the sound is as clear as a carillon, annd has amazing playability!

2 May 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good Guitar

Timeline was what was quoted. The Guitar (X20) was what I expected except It seems to play a little smaller size wise than I expected. Wish I would have gotten the X30. I did not know about the ambassador program until after I ordered it. I certainly would have found someone through the program to try and see first. First guitar I ever purchased without seeing or playing Prior to purchase. I recommend seeing one first. Still a good guitar.

9 April 2025
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I Haven’t Seen The Guitar Yet

I haven’t even seen the guitar yet.

I tried to tell Emerald not to ship the guitar, so close to my departure for an extended vacation. They shipped it anyway, and a delay in shipping caused me to be under intense stress during my during my holiday.

I had to make arrangements with my next-door neighbor to take the shipment in. It’s a good thing I set up UPS my way in advance of travel and brought my laptop with me because I wasn’t able to make changes with UPS any other way. In addition because Steven, the shipping manager was on holiday, delays in resolving customs paperwork cost me to pay additional brokerage fees for a guitar that was sitting in a warehouse while I was traveling. The last thing I needed was dealing with this while on a cross country road trip.

1 May 2025
Emerald Guitars logo

Reply from Emerald Guitars

Hi Ainsworth,

I'm sorry you haven't got your hands on your guitar yet. As we discussed previously, your guitar was expedited and shipped early as per your request when you received an order notification. We actually had to accelerate the timeline to include it in a shipping video and get it on it's way to you, as you requested.

When it was shipped there was more than enough time for the quoted UPS timeframe. US customs held your guitar, which was beyond our control, and any fees charged to you were charged by UPS/US Customs. Steven being off during this time had absolutely no affect on the timeline or the availability of these documents from US customs, which were provided to UPS in good time.

We had also mentioned to you at the time that dealing with UPS and trying to have the parcel rerouted can further delay the customs processing, but you insisted on doing it.

We have previously expressed our sincerest apologies that the guitar was delayed in customs, but the entire team at Emerald have worked tirelessly to ensure you got your guitar in the best possible time, and to resolve customs issues when they did arise.

If you should like to discuss this further, please get in touch at Sales@emeraldguitars.com.

Regards,

Caolan

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Simply unbelievable

I ordered the X20 model and waited on pins and needles for its arrival. I have never purchased a high end instrument without playing it, so I was apprehensive. Upon arrival I was absolutely amazed at the quality of the build. Hands down the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen! It literally took one strum of an open G chord to dispel any apprehension I was experiencing. The sound and playability of this instrument is unrivaled in my opinion. I simply can’t stop playing it! I purchased mine with the passive K&K pickup. It did not disappoint. It delivers a booming, rich sound when played through my Bose system. Even the guitar case was much better than I expected! There is absolutely nothing about this purchase I can complain about. Great communication from order through delivery. I am sure I will purchase another guitar from Emerald soon. It was shipped from Ireland on a plane and withstood all of the environmental complexities of temperature change and so on. When I opened the case, the guitar was perfectly tuned. I’ve played it for about a month, very often, and have only tuned once. It retains tuning like no other guitar I’ve played, probably due to the lack of expansion and contraction that is evident with all wood guitars. To say I’m satisfied with this purchase is a gross understatement. It is a dream to play and looks like a piece of art. Thank you Emerald guitars for taking the time and having the expertise to do this right!

15 April 2025
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

BEAUTIFUL, COMFORTABLE X30 Guitar; Helpful People! <3

First off, the guitar is one of the MOST beautiful I have ever owned, and even seen! The neck is SUPER comfortable, it plays great, sounds great, and is SO COMFORTABLE!!! ^_^ The Hiscox case is amazing, also!

Now, for the company, Kevin was GREAT at helping me out! I am grateful, Kevin, thank you! Coalan was also helpful over the phone as well! I was taken care of throughout the process, and that always makes a product feel extra special/secure knowing there are people/a company behind it, not just, "Here's your product, give us the money." They worked with me, and I appreciate it! :)

Glad to have the Emerald X30 Harborica Guitar! What a guitar! ^_^

17 April 2025
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It's Worth It

The guitar is amazing. This was my third Emerald. And like the first two, I bought the guitar sight unseen outside of the online videos. The online builder was so accurate to the appearance of the finished product.

The sound is amazing! It plays like a dream.

It did take a while to get built and delivered, but it was so worth the wait.

28 March 2025

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