I was looking for solutions to swings in humidity and came upon carbon fiber guitars. I tried a McPherson and was not impressed. After much research and the Emerald review by Phil McNight, I pur... See more
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Company details
- Guitar Store
- Music Producer
- Music Publisher
- Musical Instrument Manufacturer
- Musical Instrument Store
- 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
Cavanacaw, Co. Donegal, F93 XP82, St Johnston, Ireland
- 00353 7491 48183
- sales@emeraldguitars.com
- emeraldguitars.com
Replied to 66% of negative reviews
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Love the custom guitar tool.
X20 is a superb instrument of the highest quality
I was looking for solutions to swings in humidity and came upon carbon fiber guitars. I tried a McPherson and was not impressed. After much research and the Emerald review by Phil McNight, I purchased a stock X20 (blue) from the Florida store which arrived on 3/18/26. "Blown away" is how I would describe the X20. I sold my Martin 000-18, and to my ears the Emerald X20 sounds as sweet, if not better. It stays in tune perfectly. Intonation was spot-on and remains spot-on. The ghost piezo sounds wonderful. It couldn't be better.
Everything from A to Z, including the beautiful hand-made mug and certificate, as well as communication from Chris Hay, shows this is a unique company that takes enormous pride in its instruments.
I love playing this guitar so much. Thank you, Emerald team.
The cure for 12-string nitemares!!!
I bought the 12-string because i was sick of constant tuning on sessions
This thing is anazing!!!
Sounds great
N so so so stable tuning-wise!!
Now I dont groan loudly when someone asks for a 12-string part!!
Outstanding customer service—prompt
Outstanding customer service—prompt, attentive, and highly professional. I was pleasantly impressed, particularly given they’re a boutique manufacturer. Purchasing a high-end instrument online can feel risky, but they made the process seamless and confidence-inspiring!
I have only had my x20 lefty for a few…
I have only had my x20 lefty for a few weeks but I truly love this guitar! I would like to thank Kevin for all his help, my credit card wouldn't go through so it took about 3 days to finally make it. Thank you all for such a beautiful guitar, next time I'm looking to create my own build!
Excellent guitars
Excellent guitars. Plays great, sounds great, looks great. Delivered as promised, well packed, fast shipping. Great communication and a great company. Very happy.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
I love this guitar and am inspired to play it constantly!
Quite simply the best, most comfortable and playable acoustic I've ever played. Sounds great acoustically or through the dual pickup system I chose. Met or surpassed all expectations. I'm in love!

Reply from Emerald Guitars
I am chuffed with my second Emerald…
I am chuffed with my second Emerald guitar . It is a lovely thing to behold and play . Very chime like on the DGBE strings the E and A are softer than wood in their sound profile but I am getting used to it . A small trade off for the resiliance and playability of the instrument . I love that I can just leave it on the guitar stand in the cabin and pick it up whenever . Good job guys and thanks Kevin for your good customer service when I rang about invoicing . I havent had a chance to plug it into my amp yet , from already owning an X20 Nylon with an LR Baggs system I know it will sound great . I also love the sustain it holds on notes :) Thanks Alistair for a great instrument that fold in half in humidity heat or dry cold . Glad I now have two :) . Being a lefty I would love if you made a mold for an X20 so I can get a lefty electric version .

Reply from Emerald Guitars
X30 Redwood Burl
I recently bought the X30 Redwood Burl. It is a very pretty guitar compared to the pictures on the website. It is a great sounding guitar. I play it on a Fishman Loudbox Perfomer. There is not a high range in the Vol control on guitar. I have to keep it turned down really low as well as on my amp. It has a hot dynamic output but sounds great. Within less than a month, I custom built a X20 Cocobolo, with gold hardware, LR Baggs HiFi Duet, inlay, and a strap. Looking forward to getting it in 3 to 4 months. I am presently building on a X7 and X10 for future purchases. Emerald is worth exploring if you are curious about a Carbon Fiber guitar. Thanks to the Team at Emerald.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
Customer service is great
Customer service is great, and guitar is fantastic. Custom X10 Slimline. Shipping was kind of an ordeal, but that’s more of a world issue than a company issue. Will purchase another custom X20 soon.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
very responsive and guitars are awesome!
Very responsive to my 2nd order and carbon fiber guitars are awesome!

Reply from Emerald Guitars
Most exciting guitar around…
Playing for around 50 years I’ve owned a LOT of guitars, just about every major brand and a few customs… I’ve never been more excited about my X20 than any other guitar that I’ve owned or played. It fits effortlessly on my lap and feels like home… I hardly want to put it down. I consider myself fortunate to also own the double neck Chimerea (now discontinued) it’s an absolute beast. I became so enthralled with Emerald that I signed up to become an ambassador, eager to share my love of these guitars to others.
Responsiveness, Communication, and an Amazing Product!
The responsiveness and thoughtfulness of the Emerald team is exceptional. They worked with me with a return and a couple other things related to a user error I made on shipping and we're just super supportive not to mention forgiving for my ordering mistakes! I have an X7 on the way and an X10. I used to have the older version of the X7 back in the early 2000s and that thing traveled with me everywhere during my time in the Army. Even to Afghanistan. These guitars just sound incredible, there's nothing like them. Besides the unique shape and the beautiful design, the sound reinvigorates your desire to play and makes every jam session all the more enjoyable. Thank you Emerald team, I appreciate you guys a lot!

Reply from Emerald Guitars
perfect guitars for Wisconsin climate
I struggled for years with humidifiers. I worried about my wood guitars. I have 2 Emerald guitars, X10 slimline nylon and X7 black opus. No more worries. The Emerald's sound better than wood to my ears. The days of cleaning humidifiers are over. Thank you Emerald Guitars.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
I had high hopes for this purchase
I had high hopes for this purchase. I spent years saving to buy an emerald guitar. I finally found an x30 that I could afford. The delivery date for a US guitar was 3-5 business days, after I purchased said guitar I was hit with a message that it could take an additional week due to high orders. Unfortunately it took an additional two more weeks. I reached out to the Emerald team who were very nice in their response however, they didn’t seem to know where the guitar was because they kept saying that it was on its way to Florida. I was told that due to the inconvenience I would be getting a high vibe pick up and a guitar strap, which I was very excited for because It had the cool built in speakers that allowed things like looping, reverb, chorus and some other features, but when I took delivery of the guitar it did not have this pick up…
I asked Emerald about it and they basically said our marketing team got it wrong. They meant the HiFi pick up.
So to summarize
Do I love the guitar? YES
Would I purchase another Emerald? Probably not
I spent years wanting an emerald guitar and when it came time to purchased one, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. False promises and lies that I received instead.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
Beautiful Weissenborn style guitar
Beautiful Weissenborn style guitar. Shipping from US distribution point to US point was great.
Great company and great leader with…
Great company and great leader with Alistair. Great attention to detail and customer relations. Also a top quality product on the cutting edge of carbon fiber composite guitars and instruments. More than worth waiting for no matter how long it takes.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
Found my forever guitar
I was looking for an acoustic guitar in the $2,000 range and tried the yamaha, alvarez yiari, and Martin. All nice guitars. I tried a friend's Emerald and was impressed. When the one I was looking at finally went on sale i took the plunge. It had all I wanted,(pick up, bold weave, and a veneer top. 3 days later it arrived and I am amazed! The sound compared with my Breedlove is a softer sound (less treble?) But the X7 has more volume from a smaller guitar! The action is perfect, and the intonation is amazing all the way up the neck. I may never "need" another guitar but if I do it might be an X-30 if I see one on sale in a few years. Amazing guitar.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
Emerald Guitars makes a stunningly…
Emerald Guitars makes a stunningly beautiful sounding and looking guitar! They are also a pleasure to deal with and very professional.

Reply from Emerald Guitars
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