#61
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Ahem...this is my last post on this thread and I am repeating my experience.
When I first received my Pono Slope Shoulder Sitka/Mahogany Dread it was very bright and stiff-sounding. I almost returned it. I chose to strum all kinds of chords on it hard every day for five to ten minutes.This was based on what some members had done with their own guitars and claimed it made a difference. I did this for about a month. I noticed it began to sound less harsh in the trebles and mids and warmer and more rounded in the bass. As time went on, it has continued to do so. For the record I have had a myriad of strings on it in lights and mediums. You can call it what you want or reject it altogether. All I know is it doesn't sound the same as it did a year ago and for the better. My playing partner agrees and he didn't care for the guitar's tone at first either. Something happened.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#62
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I definitely think that is true for me. Opening up to my own humility makes everything better. Best, Jayne |
#63
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One of the reasons that some folks doubt the idea is the exorbitant, overly dramatic claims that are sometimes made for the breaking in process. Anyone who's been in more than a couple of music stores has probably encountered sleazeball music store employees who try to sell off bad- or dead-sounding acoustic guitars by claiming: "Once this baby breaks in, it's going to sound SO sweet..." Nah, it doesn't work that way, and it doesn't make lousy-sounding guitars sound terrific. It's a subtle process, and it's obviously subtle enough that some people miss it entirely. But anyone who has been in a custom guitarmaker's shop when she or he first strings up a new guitar, as I have, will have heard the remarkable changes to the sound that occur within the first thirty minutes of the guitar being strung up. The process continues less dramatically from there, but it does continue. Wade Hampton Miller |
#64
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If you ever experience it, you may still question why but you won't deny it's real then.
I had a guitar go from being for sale to my favorite guitar in the house within about one week. The change in tone was dramatic and drastic. The phenomena is real TO ME. Whether it's humidity changes, acoustic guitar fairies or the presence of Bigfoot, I don't care how. I know it's real. As usual, YMMV
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Roy Ibanez, Recording King, Gretsch, Martin G&L, Squier, Orange (x 2), Bugera, JBL, Soundcraft Our duo website - UPDATED 7/26/19 |
#65
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In addition to moisture, there are resins in the wood. Resins cure over time and become solid or stiffer over time. That's part of the opening up process. Some makers torrify, or bake their wood. It's not to remove the moisture. It's to cure the resins (sap) in the wood.
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2016 Martin D-28 Marquis 2017 Martin D-18 2016 Taylor 416ce-LTD cedar/walnut 2017 Eastman E10 OM |
#66
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Once you have "data", quantifying the changes would be a further formidable challenge. Would a guitar be considered as "opened up" when there is a 3 dB increase in the third harmonic of a given string? What about the fifth or seventh harmonic, or a different forcing frequency (string pitch)? You brain is doing all of this signal processing subconsciously when you listen to and evaluate tone, you just cannot easily put numbers on your brain. The closest analogy I can make is quantifying the fit of a new pair of sneakers, versus the same shoes well broken in months later. You might be able to quantify the pressure points or tightness at key areas, but subjective comfort is in the eye (or foot) of the beholder. Bob Taylor has stated in print many times that he hears three distinct differences in the tone of a guitar during its lifetime. In the first hour, after about two months, and again after about ten years. I have personally experienced the latter two stages with guitars that I have owned. |
#67
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One thing that has always struck me is that this fascination with opening up doesn't seem to be shared by classical guitarists. I'm sure they allow for breaking in but they don't seem drawn to play vintage instruments. In interviews I read with both Segovia and Parkening, they both indicated they retired instruments after a few years of play. Segovia called them "played out" as I recall. He referred to his famous Hauser that way.
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#68
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I don't think anyone could doubt a subtle breaking in of any guitar in the early months, provided you use it fairly vigorously. But betting on a guitar "opening up" and someday sounding fantastic is not my idea of guitar buying. It sounds great now or I don't do it. I also don't agree with counseling new players with an implicit guarantee that it will "open up in a few years" and you'll really be loving it. I also don't think it should be included in any sales type talk. A guitar changes, but only to the owner, they are the only one that can sense it. It is so undramatic as to require a fairly heightened awareness of that particular guitar, and trying to determine what any strange guitar is going to do someday is a waste of time. rct |
#69
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Several posts over time have said their guitars opened up after having Bryan Kimsey worked on them.
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http://chucksmusicpage.blogspot.com/ |
#70
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Enjoy the Journey.... Kev... KevWind at Soundcloud KevWind at YouYube https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD System : Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1 Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1 |
#71
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Mr Kimsey has my '72 D18 on the bench right now for some opening up.
Neck reset, full fretting, and more. Don't know how it will sound, but it sounded good when I took it there. Cue the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyBcHUe4WeQ
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______________________________________ Naples, FL 1972 Martin D18 (Kimsified, so there!) Alvarez Yairi PYM70 Yamaha LS-TA with sunburst finish Republic parlor resonator Too many ukeleles |
#72
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Good thing the guitar got in the way.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#73
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#74
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I’ve been the first person to play probably 10 Baraniks as well. Big changes right up front. No fancy instrumentation required to detect them.
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#75
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Here's another interesting thing to me . . . I think I can hear fairly dramatic changes in how a guitar sounds with HUMIDITY (lower RH sounds better). But I can also go upstairs and compare guitars . . . and one day Guitar A will sound the best to me, while other days Guitar B or Guitar C will sound better to me. What's up with THAT? I can't say I've ever noticed a dramatic improvement that I'd call "opening up" . . . . although I do think I sometimes hear an improvement after using a ToneRite . . but it's more subtle than I think most people mean by "opening up". And then there's the entire "how can you really remember what a guitar sounded like x weeks ago in the first place?" to consider. |