Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff M
What I find dubious is it happening with all guitars.
What I can't understand it the preoccupation some folks seem to have with proving that it happens, and their need to try to accelerating it.
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I agree, with limitations. I don't think all guitars open up. I believe that the kind of build construction and finish type/thickness greatly affect this phenomena. For instance, a straight/heavily-braced, thick top covered with excessive coats of poly I would expect to never exhibit much, or any change over the years. However, a lightly-braced, voiced top with lacquer or varnish finish I would definitely expect to open up after an indeterminable period of time, possibly due to aging, drying out of the cells and/or crystallization of the resins and glues, and the amount of time spent in use (i.e. playing).
I know for a fact that well-made older guitars exhibit certain characteristics that newer guitars do not. Greater warmth, wider sound dispersal, rounder trebles, increased projection, for example. I've gained this insight over the many years I've owned and played various guitars. I look for these characteristics when I'm in the market for a used instrument, and these qualities are what I use to base my judgment call when making a selection.
It's not a scientifically-biased judgment. I have no mathematically precise charting or double-blind studies to correlate or prove what I've learned. It's based on personal experience, after handling many dozens of instruments, of all ages, from many makers, for over 40 years.
Why do people feel the need to prove this? Good question. To justify the purchase? To communicate their excitement and joy when an instrument begins to fulfill a tonal promise? You'll have to ask, this is subjective in nature.
As for the need to accelerate the process, I can offer two possibilities. One: To enjoy all the instrument has to give, as soon as possible. Patience may be a virtue, but it's easier said than done. Two: Age. Not of the guitar, but of the player. There comes a moment of frightening clarity for all of us when it's blindingly obvious that life is truly finite, regardless of the intelligence, fitness, or tax bracket of the individual. Years creep by, at what seems to be an ever accelerating pace, and suddenly one realizes that most of your life has passed, and what may remain, even if old age is something that might occur, allows for far too few active years available in order to enjoy what was once taken for granted. Each day becomes more of a gift, and little things should be savored while it is still possible.
This applies to guitars, as well. Those of us who do firmly believe that a great instrument will open up and mature over time, and who truly appreciate the sound of a one that has reached that point, realize that we may not always be around to play and enjoy said instrument. This is something, that while may be grasped intellectually to a point, cannot be fully understood until felt. I feel it every morning, see it in the mirror, and I'm reminded of it every time I open the medicine cabinet and see the increasingly expensive, larger array of drugs that are extending my existence on this planet.
When I was twenty, thinking that I would enjoy playing a guitar in 20 or 30 years ... well, to be honest, it didn't actually cross my mind. I couldn't imagine myself even as a middle-aged person, much less an old one. I felt unending, and therefore, so was my life. Now ... I see being 70 as a fairly distinct possibility, barring illness or accident. And that time is approaching, much, much sooner than I would prefer. These days, I have a greater appreciation for the sound of a mature instrument, but I am also aware that if I buy one new, I might not live long enough to see what it will become. This places a greater sense of urgency upon everything I do, including my hobbies ... along with any projected and/or hoped for accomplishments, dreams and goals.
All of this, I'm sure, is nothing but fodder for argument, if you are rigidly determined to prove otherwise. But for me, if only for me, my personal experience in these matters overrides an intellectually, well-reasoned argument towards this being an area of folklore, excused by hearing and memory loss, and the simplistic hopes of well-meaning individuals.
Some things in life just have to be experienced, and can't be easily quantified, just like having faith.
IMHO.
... JT