Google Home Mini as a Tonerite - crazy idea??

[personatech]

I have a spare Google Home Mini (free from Spotify, if I remember correctly). I'm thinking of using as a poor man's Toneright: flip it upside down so that its padded top sits on the guitar soundboard, then have it play an acoustic playlist at moderate volume.

Has anyone tried this before? Is there any danger I might not have considered?

[Guitars44me]

That sounds like a really good idea to me. Someone else may not think so and I’ll be glad to hear what they have to say…

The world is full of small speakers. Plenty of options for something similar.

Cheers

Paul.

[Lillis]

My concern would be that it may vibrate on the top too much and cause finish issues.

[TheGITM]

Totes cray cray, but I like it!

[67goat]

Assuming the idea behind it is true (which I am not convinced of), it might be better. Tonerite uses a small number of subsonic frequencies. This would let you use a wider range of frequencies. But then, maybe the subsonic frequencies (that won't be generated by a Google Home speaker) are more effective. I would just make sure you don't have the volume set too high.

[Moldstar]

I imagine you could buy and use any number of portable bluetooth speakers to do the same thing, right? Our you could just yank a 4 or 5 inch woofer out of a junk stereo, wire that up and just put it face down on the guitar body, and play your tones through that.

[KevinH]

Would be worth a try. But it depends on how much you can get the top moving. For a rough comparison, my Tone Traveler, when turned to max volume, usually gets the bass strings moving so much they sometimes hit the frets.

I tried using the Tone Traveler as a device to visualize Chlandi patterns on one of my guitars to see if I could visualize the vibration modes of the top. I placed the guitar on a table and propped the neck so the top was horizontal, sprinkled some dried basil on the top and turned on the Tone Traveler to its max volume. It was strong enough to just barely get some of the basil flakes moving toward a vibration node. But it wasn't enough. You might try that with your Home Mini for comparison to see how much vibration you're getting.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by Lillis

My concern would be that it may vibrate on the top too much and cause finish issues.

Valid concern. The Google Home is nicely padded on top, unlike my Echo Dot which is all hard plastic.

[lowrider]

Or, you could just play your guitar more!

[Jdogblues]

I bought a new Eastman E10OO and have been using an Amazon Echo dot with no ill effects. Its definitely opened up some but I've also been playing it so....whatever.

[phavriluk]

My opinion about these doodads is that what they 'open up' are the wallets of the folks that buy them. I think there is no reasoning and logic which can penetrate their conviction, in the absence of any empirical data, that they can perceive improvement in their instrument's acoustic performance by using this stuff.

Want your guitar to sound better? Play it more and care for it.

Pass the popcorn.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Or, you could just play your guitar more!

Yessiree says Bob!

[abn556]

In the old days we used to put acoustics off to the sides of our amps when we played. To give you and idea of the volume - I remember the air movement coming out of the f holes on a 335 playing on a metal panel Super Lead and a 4 x 12. It would make my arm hair stand up. Imagine what that kind of sonic pressure was doing to our acoustics.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Lillis

My concern would be that it may vibrate on the top too much and cause finish issues.

Ditto for me as well.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by lowrider

Or, you could just play your guitar more!

Every day, but I'm impatient!