Tonerite: The rest of the story...

RP · #1 03-28-2018, 07:56 PM

It's been several years since Tonerite https://www.tonerite.com/collections...uitar-tonerite created a stir on AGF. Some swore by them, and some swore at them. I was curious as to whether attitudes have changed or what attitudes are at this point, for that matter. Inquiring minds would like to know....

JoeCharter · #2 03-28-2018, 08:16 PM

Back then the mods kindly asked me to avoid the topic. Not sure whether the topic ban is still effective...

RP · #3 03-28-2018, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

Back then the mods kindly asked me to avoid the topic. Not sure whether the topic ban is still effective...

O tempores, o mores. Maybe cooler heads can chime in than in years gone by...

#4 03-28-2018, 08:36 PM

My feelings haven't changed. I buy a guitar for the tone, meaning I like that tone, of that guitar, at that time. I don't want to go trying to change it as the change may or may not be pleasing to me. If the tone alters over time, so be it, that's the natural process of things. That doesn't mean I think Tonerite doesn't work, they probably do; but for me I simply am not looking to change the tone of my guitars.

Dustinfurlow · #5 03-28-2018, 09:07 PM

I’m in the same camp as the fella above. At least if you’re paying good money for a decent guitar...should be happy upon leaving the store / getting it in the mail. I’ve gigged with my custom Larrivee over a year now and it’s a happy clam now just like the old 79’ I played at a time...just play

Wade Hampton · #6 03-28-2018, 09:49 PM

The ToneRite works pretty well on some guitars, not so well on others. The bracing pattern on Larrivée guitars seems to make them immune to the ToneRite, but Martins and - especially - lightly constructed custom guitars definitely show an effect.

The other unquestionable effect of the ToneRite is to deaden the strings. When I was using one I waited until the strings were about ready to be changed before I left the ToneRite on the guitar.

whm

Long Jon · #7 03-28-2018, 10:01 PM

I’ve had one on my Emerald X20 all week, no change. Luckily it sounds great already.

I do actually own a TR and have tried it for extended periods on quite a few wooden guitars , including Martins and Taylors, and especially a Recording King “Nick Lucas” which, although all solid woods, was a bit of a plank IMO .

Didn’t percieve any change , but the guitars were already well used apart from that RK which was brand new.

The only guitar I swear I noticed “opening up” in a really great positive way was a GSMini that I had from nearly new and it happened by being played hard and plenty (before I ever bought a TR)

Denny B · #8 03-28-2018, 10:08 PM

I just buy 'em and play 'em...

When the strings get worn out on my guitars, I'm the guy who's gonna do it...

Pura Vida · #9 03-28-2018, 10:12 PM

I bought one recently to see what all the fuss was about. Normally, I just play my guitars in, but I had a guitar that's a good case study: Adi top, just under one year old, sounds and feels really tight / compressed, when I played it.

After the first application, I noticed some marginal improvement, but certainly not a huge change. So, a week later, I reapplied it for a second round, and noticed that the guitar had added a little volume and vibrated a bit more on the top. Since then, the guitar has remained a bit more open and continues to open up. The tone is still cold, so I'm interested to see how it changes throughout the rest of the year.

Is that the TR? Or is it just a factor of time vs. play? Perhaps both. IMHO, I went in with realistic expectations, and it met them. It didn't change it into a different guitar, but it did help make a tight top more responsive with a little more volume too.

Montesdad · #10 03-28-2018, 10:14 PM

My tonerite sits in its box, in a drawer of a dresser in a room that I seldom go in.

I'm OK with that - - -

SpiderTrap · #11 03-29-2018, 12:41 AM

did a homebrew with Aquarium pump hooked to bridge of Alvarez dread for 4 months running 24/7 ( Except leaving house ) Did Bring Very nice tone out . It is one of my keepers nice bearclaw on front too .

Goodallboy · #12 03-29-2018, 05:05 AM

Tonerite changes the sound of a guitar. That isn’t the same thing as improving the sound of a guitar.

Only the owner of said guitar can make that dextermination.

srick · #13 03-29-2018, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The ToneRite works pretty well on some guitars, not so well on others. The bracing pattern on Larrivée guitars seems to make them immune to the ToneRite, but Martins and - especially - lightly constructed custom guitars definitely show an effect.

The other unquestionable effect of the ToneRite is to deaden the strings. When I was using one I waited until the strings were about ready to be changed before I left the ToneRite on the guitar.

whm

I coudn't have said it better, Wade.

best,

Rick

Silly Moustache · #14 03-29-2018, 05:40 AM

I bought the firstv version back in ???

It was when I was quite busy "accumulating" my collection, ... or collecting my accumulation.

I was investing in collings guitars and I think it was a DS! that I got in 2010. Bought via ebay. It arrived in perfect condition and aparently unused. but tight as a drum. tonerites were a topin of chat so i bought one and put it on the DS1 for a week. Not much. Another week, mmm, another two weeks - high during the day, low at night (so's not to upset the neighbours).

It DID, I believe, oen up the guitar, but then i started using it as my bluegrass band guitar and that's a great envirnoment to really loosen up a guitar.

I've used it on some gutars which seem to go to sleep and I used it on a Santa Cruz imported from the US which wasn't singing as it should - don't think it had been given much play time.

you can't objectively measure the effectiveness of such a thing, but fuirther, yu can't totally judge the tonal resonance of a guitar in a dealers shop.

Buying the thing is just your first commitment to an instrument. Then you need to get it home strip the strings off it and put you preference on your way, and play it, and play it, and play it in YOUR style to get it to sing, and for me the tonerite helped.

incidentally I had it ona Larrivee SD-50 for ages - no change. Sold the guitar to a friend (a bit of a thrasher) and now that guitar sings like a bird.

I'll admit that I've walked away from a number of Gibsons guitars in dealers because I felt nothing in them, so, maybe I should have paid for them and then done the work, but they are known for being of variable quality.

I can't remember the last time I used my Tonerite, probably won't again, but I believe they help the process of opening up a soundbox.

jdto · #15 03-29-2018, 05:59 AM

I bought one used to check out how it worked. To my ears, it helped my J-45 TV to loosen up a bit and was an improvement. For my Halcyon, I noticed it livened it up even more. It was already quite a responsive and lively guitar, but the ToneRite seemed to bring out more of its sweet voice. On my Hummingbird, which was already 11-12 years old when I bought it, I haven’t noticed as much of an effect.