Seven Years Later - Finally, a CA Cargo

[ST]

On March 16th 2009 I met a great bunch of folks who were congregating in Vancouver for a Larrivée factory tour and to pick up their Forum III guitars . Danny will remember this. Danny let me play his Forum III. It was basically an LS-03 with 12 frets to the body and  Forum III appointments. It was a lovely instrument.  

That evening we had a great time at Vancouver Southpaw's house.   I was a party crasher at the event. I had not ordered a forum guitar. I heard about the tour and joined in and lucky for me, I got invited to the party.  I had left my Larrivée at the factory for some much needed attention.

It was great to meet all those wonderful people like Tuffy, Dermot, Eva, Linda, Tad, Mike and others that I have not see here lately.  That evening Photomat  brought his Composite Acoustics Cargo and he let me play it for quite awhile.

Playing Danny's Forum III and Photomat's Cargo, I developed a desire for a smaller guitar.  

The regulars will know that the LS (Larrivée small) is a small version of an L - basically the same size as a Larrivée Classical. It's a beautiful instrument and aesthetically it is wonderfully balanced shape. I think that this may be my personal favourite body style.  It was discontinued years ago, although it has been resurrected for special runs, like the Forum III and special dealer orders. To me, it is much more attractive than an OM.

It took me a seven months and I eventually found a nice LS-05. This suited me better than the Forum III guitars because it has 14-frets to the body. Sadly, it doesn't get a lot of attention though. Almost everything else here has a cutaway, and I really need the access to the upper frets. It's not that that I spend a lot of time going wheedily wheedily wheedily up above the 12th fret. I do a lot of chord voicings right up to the 15th fret and the cutaway gives me the access to do that.

Photomat let me play his Cargo and I was really impressed with the playability, the easy access to the upper frets and even the tone. I've got guitars here that I play regularly with scale lengths of 24.5" to 25.5". I remember being surprised when Photomat told me that the  Cargo has a 22.75" scale length. I had been playing it for quite awhile and not noticed.  

Long & McQuade had a new Cargo back in 2010 and I looked at it, but I had just gotten the LS-05 and thought that I could wait on getting the Cargo.  I went back a little later and it was gone.  I've been looking for a Composite Acoustics Cargo ever since.

Well I just found this one and snapped it up immediately. It is every bit as good as I remember. I've got some traveling to do soon and I'm looking forward to taking it along. I had planned to take my Yamaha SLG110S (Silent Guitar). The one downside to the Yamaha is that when you want to share the music with friends you need an amp. The Cargo sounds really good acoustically and the one I got has an L.R. Baggs Element installed. It sounds just fine amplified too.

Here's a couple of comparison shots showing the Cargo and an C38 Classical (same size as an LS). The case below is a near-perfect fit for the Classical guitar so I put the Cargo in the same case so you could see the difference in size.





It's been fun remembering the Forum III factory tour and musical get-together. It's nice to pop in here and see Danny and Lynn. I don't see the others as often and that's too bad.  I just saw Dermot and we hung out for a couple of hours. We had a great time.

I think my quest for a little guitar is done.  It's too nice to leave in the car, but it's nice to know that I could without fear about what heat or cold might do to it. It's actually 3" shorter than the Yamaha Silent Guitar, and it's lighter. I can see me tossing it in the car when I go out just in case I get invited to sit-in on a set or join an impromptu party.

[unclrob]

Nice looking guitar{both}.I was amazed how much I enjoyed the Composite I played and wouldn't mind having one.ENJOY!!!!

[tuffythepug]

ST, I'm glad you found the composite guitar you were looking for. 

How well I remember the evening you refer to in your post.  Danny was the only member I had ever met prior to that trip.  He was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and get me to my hotel.   I vividly remember the good time we all had at Southpaw Mike's house trading and playing different guitars.   I was in heaven because Southpaw Mike and Johnny37 were fellow lefties and I had, for the first time in my life, an abundance of lefty guitars to have fun with.   Including my own freshly strung LS-03MT  Forum III.


I really enjoyed hearing you play Danny's FIII and Photomat's Cargo.   I have to agree with you that the LS may be my favorite guitar size and shape as well.  12 frets work fine for a cowboy chord strummer like me though ! 

congratulations on your new Cargo !

[Danny]

    Nice find ST and the memories are enjoyable. I'd love to see you and Dermot again, but that would be a wish only. Semi-retirement has reduced my extra traveling funds.
    Tell Dermot Howdy next time you see him.

btw; photmatt offered to lend me the Cargo in Seattle and then Dermot lent me his Webber round body in Vancouver. fine folks

[ST]

Hey unclrob,

Nice looking guitar{both}.I was amazed how much I enjoyed the Composite I played and wouldn't mind having one.ENJOY!!!!

Thanks.  

Looking at the Cargo (especially the black one) you just wouldn't expect it to be so nice to play. I think I'm going to have to put slightly heavier strings on it or raise the saddle (or get a new one).  Or I need to lighten up with my pickin' hand.  

There the action is very low, probably lower than on my electrics. It's not troublesome except that I'm getting a little bit of string-hitting-the-frets noise when I get around the 10th fret and above. It's fine if I'm gentle.

I can't tell what gauge the strings are. I'm thinking that they could be .11's. They ship the Cargo with Elixrs Nanoweb  .12-.53 from the factory. It think I have a set of those around here somewhere.  Hmmm - no truss rod.

Any ideas?

[ST]

Hey Lynn, Danny

That was a fine day that day. It was great that so many of you guys and gals were able to make the trip. How odd that a bunch of strangers having only a shared passion for wood and steel could have such a nice time together.

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.

Danny, I've organized these kinds of things before. I am still grateful to you for doing so much to make it all come together so smoothly.

I recall standing at the front desk of a hotel and waving an arm expansively over a crowd of folks. I was trying to explain that we had to have wireless access in the conference room because we had all met on the internet. This was twelve years ago now, and that concept that a bunch of strangers could be so compelled by conversation sight-unseen, that they would travel thousands of miles to carry on the conversation in person - that was pretty amazing.

Speaking of Dermot, he's looking really good and by all reports life is going well for him. I'll be sure to pass on your regards next time I see him.

ST

[photomat]

Seven years already!!!! wow.  I remember that day with the fondest of memories!! 

I am not sure why I sold my cargo, but I did and it is the one I regret selling.  I used it all the time when I went back to Ottawa to visit family.  Even in -20 weather it held its tuning and always sounded great.  When I played in the church band it also sounded fantastic plugged in.

Congrats on your Cargo, ST, and hi to all.  It has been a long time since I have been on the forum.  I still play my FIII, and I agree, it is a fantastic sized guitar.  Just found a as new L-80 12 string that I posted some photos of.  A friend found it hanging on a guitar center wall!

Enjoy your cargo!

Matt

[ST]

Hi Matt,

Great to hear from you. Speaking of regrets - I've been kicking myself for not grabbing that CS-05 all those years ago.

I don't mind so much now.

That L-80 12 is stunning.

All the best.

[ST]

I did some recordings with the CA Cargo and a Yamaha THR5A and posted them in this other thread:

Yamaha THR5A

I've consolidated several posts to make it easier to read and compare the recordings.   

These are scratch tracks so that you could hear the Cargo with and without the Yamaha THR5A. If you have no interest in the Yamaha THR5A then just listen to tracks 1 and 3 below.

When you click on the links below be patient and the track should play automatically in 5-15 seconds depending on your connection speed.

• 1 CA Cargo Test track 1 recorded with microphone at 24"
  
• 2 CA Cargo Test track 1 through Yamaha THR5A Condenser 100%
  
  
• 3 CA Cargo Test track 2  recorded with microphone at 24"
  
• 4 CA Cargo Test track 2 through Yamaha THR5A Condenser 100%
  

If you open the links above in separate windows then you can switch back and forth between the versions very easily. If you hit play in one window, it automatically pauses the player in the other window. You'll understand what I mean when you try it.

Recording Setup

Using two Cliff Mics RM1 Ribbon Microphones there are two versions of each track.

The Cargo recorded in the air with microphone at 24"


The Cargo with its internal L.R. Baggs Active Element pickup  played through the Yamaha THR5A and recorded with the microphone at 24" from the THR5A


The THR5A and microphone were about 20 feet from me in the null point of the first microphone so there's no bleed.

I played the track once and recorded using the two microphones for each pair of tracks.

The THR5A settings:

• Set to emulate a condenser microphone 100% mix.
  
• NO effects or processing

This should give you an idea of the difference between the guitar in the air, and amplified through the THR5A.


THR5A as a recording interface - no microphones

CA Cargo test 3 direct through Yamaha THR5A via USB Interface

[/list]

[Danny]

    Sounds very nice ST. All I have is a heavy dual chorus amp from Peavy, it's a bear just to get it out and set up at the house. This looks like a good way to go.  Nice playing as always

[ST]

Thanks for the kind words Danny.  I completely understand about the big old amp. I'm definitely traveling lighter these days.

10 days later, I'm still enjoying this little amp.

As I play more electric guitar than acoustic guitar these days I might have gotten more mileage out of the
Yamaha THR10C



That's geared to electric guitarists. But it's a little bigger and heavier.

I got a crazy good deal on the THR5A so I'm happy for now.

ST

[Mikeymac]

These Yamahas are good little amps... I have the "blonde" 10 version.

It can be used for electric (most of the models are for this) or acoustic (there's one acoustic setting). Sounds quite good and it actually can get pretty loud for small rooms. I actually played my Carvin CL450 (nylon string) through mine at a funeral, and it filled the sanctuary (which seated about 2-300 people) - no problem with volume at all.

[ryler]

I followed that F-III build thread and photomat's trip pictures with a vicarious thrill.  It was great fun to read all about the camaraderie and joy from such a well-spec'd out, well-built guitar.

Anyway, congrats on finally getting the Cargo.  You held out quite awhile.

Is anyone of this crowd still in touch with Linda or Ricky?

[ST]

Hi Ryler,

Good to see you again.

"You held out for quite awhile"

I'm not sure why I haven't actually seen a Cargo since 2010. I suppose that I should have bought the one I saw in the store back then, but I wasn't in acquisition mode at the time and i thought that they'd be popular and easily available. As it turns out ... nope.  I wasn't holding out as much as hoping to stumble across one. The price has gone up a lot since then and the Canadian dollar exchange is brutal right now. You know how it goes; once you get something you start hunting around and only local retailer for the CA Cargo has them on their site at $2200 CDN.

Later this year I've got to do some traveling and I'll find out first-hand how well it is received at the boarding gate at the airport.

I hope that all is well with you.

ST

[Danny]

I followed that F-III build thread and photomat's trip pictures with a vicarious thrill.  It was great fun to read all about the camaraderie and joy from such a well-spec'd out, well-built guitar.

Anyway, congrats on finally getting the Cargo.  You held out quite awhile.

Is anyone of this crowd still in touch with Linda or Ricky?

Never hear from Linda, Ricky is in touch now and then.

[ryler]

I'm glad to hear that Ricky stays in touch with you, Danny.  I still miss Holly (Strawintogold) from years ago.  She was funny.

[fongie]

7 years?.......they were the crazy time. No sooner a Forum guitar was ordered another thread/specs was on the card for another to be built.

Nice to hear everyone are doing great.

ST congrats on your new git. Enjoy!