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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
 Posted - 02/24/2010 : 10:32:19 AM
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quote:
So I left it on a stand and blasted reggae at it for about nine months
Hmm, and all this time I thought my Lake, Halia Aloha O Kaupoa would benefit most in an environment of slackkey. It gets played alot too, but always seems happy when I come home if its been in front of the speakers 
A few years ago I was visiting a Seattle luthier and a vintage dealer was admiring the sound of my 1995 Goodall (thanks Reid). He related that he has been able to get a new Martin sounding like pre-war by blasting it with sound in a closet. But to paraphrase, there isn't much mana in that approach.
Larry |
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2010 : 10:48:55 AM
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| I love the comment about not much manna in opening up your guitars in a closet. The music that's played to break in a guitar is not meaningless. There's plenty mojo going on that we don't understand. Lacquer (or finish) settles into the top, moisture leaves and vibration opens the entire system. With all due respect to previous posters, the guitar does not loose highs as it ages. Hopefully the trebles become rounder without loosing their bite. The whole guitar becomes more of what it was when new. Hide glue is quite different from Tite-Bond. There's even a huge difference on Martins between a T-bar and an adjustable rod. I guess what I'm saying is break in your guitar by playing it and vibrating it the way it was meant to. |
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slackkeymike
Lokahi
440 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2010 : 1:34:11 PM
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The issue of the Tonerite and all of that is hotly debated. Some argue that if it actually works, then the life of the guitar should be shortened. Really! Some say they use acquarium air pumps to break them in. My issue with tonerite is that they provide little useful data by which to prove their claims. On the other hand, the device price point is perfect... not too high, not too low. If the data were there and it really worked, the device would be worth a lot more than ~$100. Then again, if an acquarium pump works just as well, its kind of hard to justify a much higher price, works or not. You see what I am getting at? Once you buy a tonerite, you gain access to their forums. Only then. And those that have done it report there is no supporting data their either. Just testimonials, etc.
But it is true that guitars open up with time. And time and playing may be the only real way to do it.
Mike |
Aloha, Mike |
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Earl
`Olu`olu
USA
524 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2010 : 05:55:35 AM
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age is good, but "played in" is better
I couldn't agree more, Mark. Time makes for minor changes in the wood, and it settles a bit as it finishes drying and aging. But there is no substitute for having the instrument do exactly what it is built to do -- play and sing for itself. Kinda like breaking in a newly rebuilt engine. |
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2010 : 08:19:40 AM
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quote:
age is good, but "played in" is better
.....which explains Keith Richards, dunnit?
(Who plays in open G tuning, BTW.)
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2010 : 3:52:22 PM
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| A guy I knew back in my Bluegrass days used to bungy his guitar to his stereo speakers and play Lestar and Earl thru them, among other things. |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2010 : 07:31:32 AM
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The ‘opening up’ phenomenon certainly appears to exist. I’ve had a (second hand, but underplayed) mandolin which noticeably seemed to improve over a few weeks of playing. And the amount of anecdotal evidence is certainly plentiful.
However, when I went to buy a guitar, I wasn’t persuaded by the feller who said that guitar x would sound amazing in years to come. I pointed out I wanted one that sounded good NOW, not one that might sound good in 10 time.
I’ve bought 2 wooden instruments from new. A L’Arrivee guitar (about 10 years ago) and a Collings mandolin (almost 2 years ago). They both sounded really really good in the shop, and both continue to sound really good now. I can’t say I’ve noticed a change in the sound of either – they’ve both been really consistent.
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2010 : 08:41:53 AM
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When I had a guitar store and sold high-end acoustic guitars, I noticed that if I told people the guitar would sound great as time went on, it put some people off and I would lose a sale. I amended the comment to: As good as this guitar sounds now, it will just get better and better as time goes on. I would often get phone calls from customer proclaiming how good their guitar had become or how it just sounded much better one day.
I would sometimes get a guitar in that I knew should be a good one but it would be a dud out of the box. I would play open E chords with a heavy pick, as hard as I could, for about a half hour. The next day I would have a reat guitar. |
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slipry1
Ha`aha`a
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2010 : 09:10:01 AM
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| In my experience with Martin guitars, going back to 1960 (00-18, Braizilian rosewood 000-28, D-18, new 000-28), they sound great at first, and then, ater a year or so, they go through not sounding so great for a year, then, if they get played a lot, they become good forever (or at least until 2010). My 2009 000-28 hasn't gone sour yet, though. |
keaka |
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2010 : 08:43:37 AM
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| You know, I really do hate to make all this more complex than it is, but the above statement depends on where you live. I think we all know that drying out a guitar is not the best thing for it, but it will make it sound better than a properly humidified guitar. Segovia used to keep a special case of wine and only opened a bottle in celebration after his favorite Ramirez would get a new crack. An over-humid guitar will sound muffled and the damage can be far worse than drying out a guitar, although not so notceable at first. |
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syungen
Aloha
USA
22 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2010 : 6:57:47 PM
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| Does the phenomenon of 'opening up' apply only to acoustic instruments, or is this something that happens with solid body electric instruments, as well? I've got a vintage Les Paul and a Stratocaster, but I always assumed that the tonal characteristics were from the pickups, primarily, and the body mass of the instrument. Opinions? |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2010 : 08:01:44 AM
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I can't recall any studies of solid bodied instruments. As I understand it the "opening up" really is most prominent to thin solid wood instruments. Plywood acoustics don't exhibit much of an opening up over time. Perhaps because they don't start with as much potential when built? In solid body electrics, as you say, much of the sound is produced in the pickups & amps, so the difference is probably less over time. Different woods will always effesct the sound, but the characteristic sound of a single coil pickup has a greater difference from a humbucking pickup than an alder body has from a mahogany body. You hear discussions of amps & pickups a lot, and Gibson verses Fender a lot.I don't recall anyone ever stating that clear finished Strats or Tele's sound different than opaque ones. But Fender uses a different wood in them, saving the prettier wood for clear finish models. One is alder, I don't recall which is the other predominate wood they use, ash seems to come to mind. Flamed maple, mahogany, koa, etc, have never been used by Fender in a guitar meant by them to have an opaque,painted finish.Seems like there would be some discussion of the sound, but I never heard any.
The Les Paul body is made of several pieces of wood, to produce the characteristic sound, and to make it hard to duplicate the sound. The carved top is maple, the back is mahogany. The maple makes it a little brighter than all mahogany, the dense woods make the sustain greater. In the end, your ears determine what you like.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 03/19/2010 08:06:45 AM |
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2010 : 09:29:55 AM
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When Bill Collings first started making electric guitar prototypes, he went to Jason Lollar for pickups. Bill ad a certain sound in his head and he and Jason made many attempts to create it. After two long years of waiting for Collings electrics, Bill realized the importance of the wood used for the body of the guitar. He started using woods that had the same acoustic charactersitics of his acoustic instruments and the guitars came alive. He found the overall weight also had a greatdeal to do with sound.
The rate at whih electrics age is not as dramatic or quick as with flat tops, but they do indeed age. Lacquer absorbs into the wood by osmosis and the woods change over time. Remember that there is a huge differenc in tone between a maple or a rosewood fingerboard.
Fender's main body woods are alder and ash. The ash is a much lighter wood and has a distinct tone. Fender has used maple, koa, mahogany, walnut, rosewood (Brazillian and Indian) on bodies all with varying results. I always advise people to first try a potential electric purchase unplugged to hear the resonance of the instrument. |
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opening up
