ToneRite feel

[redir]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Just curious. Has anyone used Tonerite on their new torrefied guitars? Did it help open up the “aged” guitar?

I built my first few torrified guitars last year. I've built 5 of them now and it's been my experience that the ToneRite doesn't do much for the torrified guitar. A brand new regular cedar or spruce top guitar with the strings on for the first time though? Yes definitely does something to the guitar in it's first few days of life.

Torrified guitars do change ever so slightly in the first days but they seem to be set in stone after that. Of course I don't actually own one myself to know 10 years from now if it has aged or not but from what I see my guess is they don't.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

The Acoustic Guitar Forum was founded in 2000, and ToneRite didn't come along until 2007. One really has to wonder what folks argued about for those first seven years.

I will dispense with wondering...I am simply grateful that I had a taste of that time when arguing was done in person, and hence, had a very different tone.

I bought my first guitar in 1973, before there was an internet on which to argue about guitars. The owner of the guitar shop that sold my guitar told me that to help break this new guitar in, I should keep it right in front of my stereo speakers whenever I was playing the stereo rather than the guitar. He told me that would help open it up quicker, although playing it was actually the best way to break the guitar in.

That was common practice prior to when ToneRite came along.

Don’t know if it was common, but it was certainly something one could encounter.
~~~~~~~~~
RE: ToneRite on torrified tops: I bought a used Collings C10-35 from another AGF member a few months back. He said that he had put a ToneRite on it and hasn’t noticed much of a difference. I had intended to give it some more ToneRite treatment after I received it, but I am liking the way it sounds right now, and trust that it’s tone might change as I continue to play it (my OM2HG certainly has).

I have had some good results with using my ToneRite, but I wouldn’t describe the results as increasing vibration.

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by redir

I built my first few torrified guitars last year. I've built 5 of them now and it's been my experience that the ToneRite doesn't do much for the torrified guitar. A brand new regular cedar or spruce top guitar with the strings on for the first time though? Yes definitely does something to the guitar in it's first few days of life.

Torrified guitars do change ever so slightly in the first days but they seem to be set in stone after that. Of course I don't actually own one myself to know 10 years from now if it has aged or not but from what I see my guess is they don't.

Thanks Redir for your reply! My gut feeling is the same as yours, that torrefied guitars don't change much with Tonerite. They only change in its first few days of life when the strings are strung and played. After that, they change very little even if the other parts of the guitar (besides the top) is non-torrefied.

So the torrefied guitars that you've made were ordered by other guitarists? You didn't keep one torrefied guitar for yourself?

[Terry_D]

Originally Posted by rgregg48

Interesting that the guitar that improved for me on a short tonerite time was a Larrivee
Keep in mind tonerite wears out strings
So on removing the tonerite you might get the impression
It made the guitar worse because it deadend the strings!

I've never experienced my Tonerite wearing out strings and I've run it on single guitars for weeks. I think string wear has more to do with build up of grime and corrosion.

[EverettWilliams]

Originally Posted by Terry_D

I've never experienced my Tonerite wearing out strings and I've run it on single guitars for weeks. I think string wear has more to do with build up of grime and corrosion.

My experience strongly contradicts this. Strings get worn out not just by grime and corrosion, but by vibrations. Playing weakens the strings and so it stands to reason that the tone rite would too. I’m a frequent string changer and often find myself doing it on a guitar that’s been played a lot after a week. They’re not bad after a week, but they are less than they were. This is especially true with mandolins. It’s possible you’re okay with the sound of slightly deadens string (you’re not alone!) and so it’s less of an issue for you, but the fatigue on the strings from days of vibrations reduces the high end and sparkle. I’ll pick up a guitar mid-Tone Rite to check in on where it is, but I’m mostly listening for increased depth in the low end, not checking in on the tone, which I know will be muted as a result of the treatment.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Thanks Redir for your reply! My gut feeling is the same as yours, that torrefied guitars don't change much with Tonerite. They only change in its first few days of life when the strings are strung and played. After that, they change very little even if the other parts of the guitar (besides the top) is non-torrefied.

So the torrefied guitars that you've made were ordered by other guitarists? You didn't keep one torrefied guitar for yourself?

No I have too many guitars as is

I might consider it some day though.

[Terry_D]

Originally Posted by EverettWilliams

My experience strongly contradicts this. Strings get worn out not just by grime and corrosion, but by vibrations. Playing weakens the strings and so it stands to reason that the tone rite would too. I’m a frequent string changer and often find myself doing it on a guitar that’s been played a lot after a week. They’re not bad after a week, but they are less than they were. This is especially true with mandolins. It’s possible you’re okay with the sound of slightly deadens string (you’re not alone!) and so it’s less of an issue for you, but the fatigue on the strings from days of vibrations reduces the high end and sparkle. I’ll pick up a guitar mid-Tone Rite to check in on where it is, but I’m mostly listening for increased depth in the low end, not checking in on the tone, which I know will be muted as a result of the treatment.

I'm pretty sensitive to the kind of tone degradation that comes with aging strings, but it could be that I continue to play the guitar that's being ToneRited and I'm just becoming used to the sound. I'm ToneRiting a new Yairi right now and will have to change the strings this weekend to hear the difference.

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by s2y

6 weeks. Interesting. I might have to experiment with that. I thought I was ambitious with 8 days.

When I first got the guitar it was a bit strident. But being a never played before Adi top i anticipated that. It was also the reason I got the Tonerite.

Though I have read mixed reviews about the effectiveness of the tonerite. i never read anything about if keeping it on the guitar can do damage. So on it stayed. I did play it a couple times a week but it was hard to judge because the strings were shot. After six weeks I changed the strings and it was a pleasant surprise. Adi tops are known for a long break in period and I know with several years of playing the guitar will continue to open up, but the Tonerite was a nice way to get it started.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

When I first got the guitar it was a bit strident. But being a never played before Adi top i anticipated that It was also the reason I got the Tonerite.

Though I have read mixed reviews about the effectiveness of the tonerite. i never read anything about if keeping it on the guitar can do damage. So on it stayed. I did play it a couple times a week but it was hard to judge because the strings were shot. After six weeks I changed the strings and it was a pleasant surprise. Adi tops are known for a long break in period and I know with several years of playing the guitar will continue to open up, but the Tonerite was a nice way to get it started.

Agreed on the mixed reviews. A bunch of people say it makes zero difference. I have read one or two posts claiming ToneRite ruined the guitar.

The guitar in question is my torrified Adi/torrifed hog Bob Thompson DN. My other DN is torrified Adi/torrified EIR, which isn't nearly as stiff. The Adi/hog DN is plenty loud, just not responsive if I lighten my pick attack. Sounds great. My right hand lacks the stamina to play like that all of the time.

I'll give it a few weeks this time and a new set of strings when it's done.

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by s2y

Agreed on the mixed reviews. A bunch of people say it makes zero difference. I have read one or two posts claiming ToneRite ruined the guitar.

The guitar in question is my torrified Adi/torrifed hog Bob Thompson DN. My other DN is torrified Adi/torrified EIR, which isn't nearly as stiff. The Adi/hog DN is plenty loud, just not responsive if I lighten my pick attack. Sounds great. My right hand lacks the stamina to play like that all of the time.

I'll give it a few weeks this time and a new set of strings when it's done.

Out of curiosity, is the torrified top not sounding open, nice, or pleasant. Why do you feel the need to use the tonerite

[Gee Man]

I recently got a brand new Martin HD-28V w/Adi top and braces. It was super tight sounding out of the box. 5 days on the Tonerite settled her right in and the tightness is now gone, didn't want to go too long, as I want to naturally let her open up as well. I would definitely recommend for anyone with a brand new adi topped guitar.

ETA: No noticeable affect on the "feel" of the guitar after tonerite, just more gentle on the ears.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

Out of curiosity, is the torrified top not sounding open, nice, or pleasant. Why do you feel the need to use the tonerite

Not very responsive if I'm not flat picking as hard as I can. Sounds great when I do this, but a little dull if I back off. I still need to hand it to a friend so I can hear the true sound out front.

[gfspencer]

I just bought a brand new Martin 00 12-string custom. It was built in 2016 and sat at the factory for some time. When I got the guitar it was extremely "tight" sounding. I don't usually put a ToneRite on 12-string guitars but this guitar really needed some vibration so it has been on a ToneRite for a week. The guitar has opened up quite a bit. I will put the ToneRite back on this guitar this morning.

[s2y]

I didn't write down an exact time. I think I did ToneRite for about 4-5 weeks on the aforementioned Bob Thompson Adi/hog DN. Much more responsive.

Decided I'll give my Kronbauer baritone 4-6 weeks to loosen it up a bit, too.

[Ralph124C41]

Thanks for the post. Now that it's warmer the heat is off in my apartment and the humidity has risen to a "safe" point so it's time to re-ToneRite my guitars. I didn't do that earlier this year because the humidity in my room was 25 percent to around 35 percent. But I kept them in their case with a soundhole humidifier which I changed the water about twice a week so they are OK.

But now I can keep them out on a stand and so will be using the ToneRite again.