How does a Rains compare to a Rittenberry?

Benjamin Wolfram · Post by **Benjamin Wolfram** » 27 Oct 2010 3:33 am

I'm having a bit of a tough time deciding between a couple of really nice steel guitars at the moment...one being a great looking Rains and one being a lovely single body Rittenberry...PLEASE HELP ME IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE

Just wondering how they compare on different levels. I'm usually a lover of more vintage sounding instruments with my normal guitars so steels would probably be the same.

Any comparison would be great

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 27 Oct 2010 4:30 am

I've owned and played both. Both the Rains & Rittenberry are excellent built guitars. Great service on both also. I have seen one difference I really like though. The Rittenberry can be ordered with a mica top on the cabinet and front and rear apron are maple, I believe. There's some pics on the forum of this. The newer Rains have an upgrade underneath that I also like. They play much smoother than the early Rains guitars, which were fine. This would really be a hard choice for me to make. On a 1 to 10 scale, both are 10.

Mike Kowalik · Post by **Mike Kowalik** » 27 Oct 2010 5:35 am

Opinion deleted.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 27 Oct 2010 6:47 am

I don't think Gary would build you one like this. But Bob Rains set this one together a few years ago with the help of Mark Giles.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 27 Oct 2010 9:20 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:

Man, that is one handsome guitar. If I ever get another it's going to look like that.

Getting back to the original question, the only way to decide is to play both, compare them, and see which one appeals to you more.

I suggest you attend a big steel guitar show where all the different brands are on display and try them all. you may find something that you like even more than either the Rains or the Ritt.

John Walden · Post by **John Walden** » 27 Oct 2010 10:53 am

Hey Ben, I went with the Rains, Built by Gary Carpenter, and Mark Giles. Well built, and plenty of tone and sustain. Easy to play.

Dustin Cook · Post by **Dustin Cook** » 27 Oct 2010 3:36 pm

Just buy both

. You cannot go wrong with either. In my very humble opinion, the Rittenberry is the finest steel guitar built today. But, if the Ritt is a perfect 10, the Gary Carpenter Rains is a 9.5

They are very close in all aspects.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Oct 2010 7:41 am

The very best guitar built is the one I own and am trying to sell!

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 28 Oct 2010 8:26 am

Mike Kowalik wrote:I haven't owned either but I'm sure they are well built and will play and sound like a brand new guitar should.

However if you're after the vintage steel guitar sound you need an Emmons push pull or Sho-Bud Professional.This being my own personal opinion.

I dunno about that. Listen to David Hartley's you-tube offerings. He manages to get a great vintage "Lloyd Green" tone out of his Rains.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 28 Oct 2010 9:32 am

Benjamin, notice your statement:

I'm having a bit of a tough time deciding between a couple of really nice steel guitars at the moment...one being a great looking Rains and one being a lovely single body Rittenberry...

You said:

a great looking Rains

AND

a lovely single body Rittenberry

The second statement has a more intimate tone to it.

I believe that you admire the Rittenberry the most.

Buy it!

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 28 Oct 2010 10:41 am

Curt, would you rather go out with a "lovely" gal or a "great looking" chick?

Mike Kowalik · Post by **Mike Kowalik** » 28 Oct 2010 12:54 pm

Benjamin.....do as someone else suggested....buy them both and then you'll have what everyone considers to be the ultimate when it comes to tone.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 28 Oct 2010 1:01 pm

Curt, would you rather go out with a "lovely" gal or a "great looking" chick?

Good question!

I'd have to say that I would rather go out with a great looking chick, but for the long haul I would rather have " a lovely gal" as my wife!

Seriously though, either one of those guitars is a winner!

David Hartley · Post by **David Hartley** » 28 Oct 2010 2:08 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:

Getting back to the original question, the only way to decide is to play both, compare them, and see which one appeals to you more.

I suggest you attend a big steel guitar show where all the different brands are on display and try them all. you may find something that you like even more than either the Rains or the Ritt.

I couldn't agree more with Mike Pearly King.

David

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 28 Oct 2010 3:38 pm

Marlin Gengenbach · Post by **Marlin Gengenbach** » 29 Oct 2010 3:11 pm

While I have never owned a Ritt, I have owned several other name brand steels, including my present Rains. If I were to buy another, it would be a Rains!

Jim Hollingsworth · Post by **Jim Hollingsworth** » 30 Oct 2010 4:23 pm

Both are great guitars. But I went with a Ritt because it has a very refined Emmons P/P sort of tone. In fact, two weeks ago Rick Schmidt & I demo'd my D-10 Ritt with a late 60's Emmons P/P and the sound was almost identical... except the Ritt was a bit smoother & sweeter. Oh yeah, and the pedal action & build is light years ahead. I absolutely LOVE my Ritt. And ..... NEWS FLASH .... I spoke with Gary a couple of weeks ago about my next guitar and he said he is going to start building lacquer guitars! I am dreaming of an SD 10 Ritt with a C6 universal tuning (an idea from Paul Franklin) - basically my C6 setuo with A, B & C pedals from E9 but pitched in the key of C.

Anyway, I will testify that you can't go wrong with a Rittenberry!.

Jim

Benjamin Wolfram · Post by **Benjamin Wolfram** » 1 Nov 2010 2:35 am

Haha some great replies there and some awesome looking Rains guitars (bravo on those they look spectacular).

Curt you're right too, I've been leaning towards this Rittenberry which someone has for sale over here in Australia and is probably the nicest looking steel guitar I've seen out of many. Plus it's a single body which I love the idea of.

I ended up going with the Rittenberry and paid for it today...so now I'm just excited as hell waiting for it to arrive hopefully by the end of this week so I can spend the whole weekend getting to know it a bit...especially since the wife is in Sydney (we live in Melbourne) visiting her folks so it'll be the perfect time for the Ritt to arrive

Can't wait to get it, it's got a woodgrain top with black front on a single body and looks an absolute treat...I'll get some pics

I think there is a pic of it up on Bobbbe Seymour's website somewhere in the Ritt section that he's got.

Thanks to everyone though, I'd really love to play a Rains one day so I can torture myself wondering what could have been.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 1 Nov 2010 12:23 pm

Hey Ben you won't be disappointed - while I haven't played a Ritt I did get to hear several of them in really good hands at the Dallas show this last march and they look and sound superb.

You will have to bring it up to the Brissie steel show so we can all check it out next June !!!

Keith Davidson · Post by **Keith Davidson** » 3 Nov 2010 12:28 pm

Hey Ben, congrats on your new guitar. I did a quick search from your description and found this one on Bobby's site.

Is this the one your talking about? If it is, it's a beaut!

Keith

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Benjamin Wolfram · Post by **Benjamin Wolfram** » 3 Nov 2010 12:36 pm

Yep that's the baby! You weren't lucky enough to play it while it was in the shop were you? I haven't played it yet I'm just waiting for it in the mail

Keith Davidson · Post by **Keith Davidson** » 3 Nov 2010 3:28 pm

lol, no I wasn't in the shop....although I'd give my next paycheck and more to be there!

I actually live about 2000 miles away from Hendersonville, TN.

I just found it on the internet - as close as I can get to being there is on the net ....... lol

Best of luck with your new baby, I'm sure you're like a kid waiting for a new toy for xmas.

Benjamin Wolfram · Post by **Benjamin Wolfram** » 8 Nov 2010 12:31 am

Well I just got my Rittenberry...and now I have to pack for an overseas trip to Thailand which we leave for in 12 hours $:\$

It's a stunning instrument...but this is going to be the "longest" holiday I think I've ever been on...I already can't wait to get back hahahaha my wife is going to kill me!

Murnel Babineaux · Post by **Murnel Babineaux** » 9 Nov 2010 10:27 pm

You can't go wrong, Ben.

It's absolutely the best playing and best sounding guitar I've owned.

I'm very satisfied, and Gary is ok, too

Murnel

Steve Hotra · Post by **Steve Hotra** » 10 Nov 2010 6:39 pm

I've owned my SD10 Rittenberry #0006 for a few years now and love it!
I'm still a beginner compared to most players here, but I love the tones that I'm able to coax from this guitar.

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How does a Rains compare to a Rittenberry?

How does a Rains compare to a Rittenberry?

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