I've had a Rainsong WS1000 for about two years now. I've also got a Larivee. Both are excellent guitars.

The Rainsong is a really good 'all rounder'. I play in a few different styles and contexts, and the Rainsong sounds perfectly OK in any context. It's got a good strong mid range, in particular, and for single note stuff it's great. The bass isn't as massive as the Larrivee, but it's certainly pretty decent. And unlike some other guitars, the notes don't die off when you start playing up at the higher end.

The pickup is perfectly serviceable, and has a very handy phase switch and notch filter for quickly dealing with any feedback problems.

I too tried it in Doncaster against some other high end acoustics, and I found it just as good, or better, than the ones they had in at the time.

But best of all, they're very very stable. Last February I was in Hawaii and Florida. The heat & humidity had NO effect. I played Hawaiian music it, (which requires a lot of retuning) and American music with it in standard. All the while It stayed in tune, and the tone was unaffected. I then got back to the sub-zero North of England and did a small (but amplified) gig with it. Again, it was absolutely fine.

I believe that acoustically, the Larrivee and the Lowdens (and Fyldes) will outgun it – but it certainly holds its own in such company. I've also played with some Gypsy Jazz type guitars (acoustically) and it's capable of a solo being heard against about half a dozen of these being strummed.

It won't suit everyone – the neck's very thin, for instance. And there are some people (I'm one of them) who will always believe that wood has more 'character', or 'mojo'. I still play the Larrivee in local sessions, and still love it.

But for a good, reliable 'workhorse' which you can use for most acoustic styles, and take anywhere on the planet without worrying, then the Rainsong's hard to beat.