Do some guitars need a "warm up"?

[JTFoote]

I've never played a "sleepy" guitar, or one that needed waking up, either. But I definitely benefit from getting my hands warmed up and ready to go. I don't blame the guitar if something sounds discordant, or odd, or muted. I know that's me.

As for tuning, I've also never played a guitar that once in tune, stayed that way. If I change keys, or use a capo, I have to make adjustments, even if they are minor. If the humidity fluctuates in the music room, all the strings will have shifted. I do less of it with newer strings. So if I find that I am doing more tuning than playing, it's time to change them out. Nothing is more irksome than trying to keep a guitar in tune with old strings when it's late at night, and you are tired from a long day at work.

... JT

[riverrummed]

I notice that a guitar starts to sound better after about a half hour of playing...if you want to call that a warm up. It also helps if the guitar matches the furniture in the room it's being played. (Sorry, I couldn't help it!)

[sdelsolray]

When a guitar is played, its temperature (relative to the ambient room temperature) increases due to the heat generated by string vibration and contact with the higher temperature human body. For me, that can slightly affect the string tuning a bit.

As I play a guitar for a while I will get tuned into how it is sounding and behaving more and my playing abilities will improve a bit (assuming I started out cold).

I doubt there is any appreciable difference in tone or behavior due to the first paragraph above, but there usually is a difference in what I perceive as tone and behavior based on the second paragraph above.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by riverrummed

I notice that a guitar starts to sound better after about a half hour of playing...

I've noticed that my guitar playing starts to sound better after about a half hour of playing ...

.... but if I attach Tonerites to my hands before playing, my playing sounds fine in about a minute.

[SongwriterFan]

I don't know if any GUITARS need to warm up, but I think most GUITARISTS do.

[Gasworker]

Using this logic if I throw on an instrumental, let's say a Larry Pattis instrumental. His guitar should sound better towards the end because he has played it longer? That's not been my experience. He sounds the same from beginning to end to me. I suppose he may have warmed the guitar up before recording?? If you are saying only the player can hear it? That's not been my experience either.

[printer2]

Originally Posted by Teleman52

I don't think "warm up" in this context has anything to do with heat

I've certainly noticed it, with guitars that haven't been played In forever, they certainly change a lot with just a little play. I recently bought a mandolin from the 20s that's been sitting unplaced for at least 29 years, same thing, it changed as I gave it some love

This topic comes up regularly and more than a few people thought the guitar gets better as its temperature went up from the energy it absorbs. When told that there are very watts of energy available to warm the guitar they then attribute it to conduction from the player's body. If not heat what changes in the guitar?

[efnef]

Short answer: Yep.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by printer2

This topic comes up regularly and more than a few people thought the guitar gets better as its temperature went up from the energy it absorbs. When told that there are very watts of energy available to warm the guitar they then attribute it to conduction from the player's body. If not heat what changes in the guitar?

I've seen a study in violins that the vibration cause moisture bonds to break in the wood and disperse as its played more. I think the study was done in the context of long term changes in tone though, but it could be a similar thing happening on a smaller scale. I know guitars sound better to me when the humidity is low. Just a theory

[HHP]

What stops it from continuing to change after after 30min or so? If the playing is doing something to the wood, wouldn't the rate of change continue as you continue to play?

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by flaggerphil

I installed fuel injection on mine and they never need to warm up.

Lol. Mine too. The player (me, YMMV) might need to warm up though.

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by HHP

What stops it from continuing to change after after 30min or so? If the playing is doing something to the wood, wouldn't the rate of change continue as you continue to play?

I'd say that's bad logic. There are a lot of things that have limits, you'd think if you kept coloring a paper black that it would just keep getting blacker, but there's a point where it's as black as its gonna get.

Maybe not the best example but it's the first one that came to mind and there's plenty of examples like it

Or for instance going back to my last post, if the vibration is causing the moisture bonds to break, once the bonds are broken, they can't be broken further

[Irish Pennant]

It should work in both directions. A guitar starts off sounding great but after playing it for a half hour it's tone falls off. If this isn't the case then it's most likely the player that's warming up.

[printer2]

Originally Posted by Teleman52

I've seen a study in violins that the vibration cause moisture bonds to break in the wood and disperse as its played more. I think the study was done in the context of long term changes in tone though, but it could be a similar thing happening on a smaller scale. I know guitars sound better to me when the humidity is low. Just a theory

But then regular heating should be able to do the same thing. Or if it is vibration related then putting your guitar in front of your stereo speakers should have the same effect. Also pretty weak bonds if a little bit of playing breaks them.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by HHP

More likely fingers, muscles, tendons, and brain need time to come up to speed. Can't quite see what playing a few minutes might do to a few pounds of wood.

Yup, guitars sound better after being played for a while, but this guy is also right.