Tonerite - results from actual testing

[mike in lytle]

Started so we could have some actual results, from those who have done tests.
Mike

[Queequeg]

This guy presents a before & after 168 hours of Tonerite in a video.
I'm not endorsing Tonerite or his test, but he tries to evaluate fairly as he's able. There are some variables he cannot account for.
(About 11.5 minutes if you're interested.)

[kevbroce]

I appreciate the test, but unfortunately you can hear a difference in tuning between his two tests.  Cycle between 5:30 and 5:50. You can hear the strings pulsing on the 5:50 strum, that not tone, that's tuning.

Either way, my Santa Cruz's tone varies more than I heard here just based on my room's humidity level and temperature.  The setup and intonation stay consistently great, but the tone definitely changes.  I think you're better off just playing and changing your strings once in a while...

[Queequeg]

I appreciate the test, but unfortunately you can hear a difference in tuning between his two tests.  Cycle between 5:30 and 5:50. You can hear the strings pulsing on the 5:50 strum, that not tone, that's tuning.

Either way, my Santa Cruz's tone varies more than I heard here just based on my room's humidity level and temperature.  The setup and intonation stay consistently great, but the tone definitely changes.  I think you're better off just playing and changing your strings once in a while...

I hear the pulsing on the open string strum which begins at 5:50, indicating that at least one string is out of tune.
And I agree that humidity certainly impacts tone, at least as the wood absorbs or dries out.
Again, lots of variables. The primary, by a wide margin is always going to be the human factor.

[ducktrapper]

What's the hurry? You start out with a great sounding guitar (the reason you bought it) and it either gets better with age and use or it doesn't. They rarely get worse. My guitars all sound great. Me? Meh.   

[B0WIE]

I've owned two different Tonerites. I tried them on a variety of instruments, new and old. Positioning was optimized to get maximum vibration throughout. This position varies depending on the instrument. 3 weeks was my average run time, though I've gone up to 6 weeks. Recordings were done for some instruments to verify results were not imagined. Mic placement was replaced down to the inch.

Observations;
-There isn't always a change, but when there is, it's mostly an improvement in vibration; low end/bass is bigger and rings more freely, sustain is improved, slightly better volume.

-It does not sound the same as actual age on an instrument. There's a little of that, but it never gets the kind of articulation and nuance that you get in a guitar 20yrs+ old. A tonerite will soften up the new instrument "stiffness" by improving response, but it doesn't change the overtones or improve the voicing of the instrument like age does. In a well-aged instrument, the bass is more defined and less woofy, the highs are more gentle but still clear, and the player can get subtleties in playing to come through more easily. I don't get that from a tonerite, not even after 6 weeks of continuous run time.

-Some instruments "go back" to sounding closed up or stiff after a few weeks. I read a university study that theorized vibration may be re-distributing the moisture molecules in the wood fibers, resulting in the change in sound. This would explain a lot to me. Especially how my all-koa steel string changes significantly after toneright use (my wife even noticed and she doesn't play) but would go back to sounding like a typical koa after a few weeks of sitting in the case. I tested this 3x to verify.

-The instruments that did stay changed were all improved in response. No negative changes were observed.

-Older instruments either remained unchanged or showed a slightly bigger low-end for a period of time, before going back to how they were, similar to what I described in the Koa.

-3 days was the minimum for any change, though this was always a temporary change as described above. The minimum for a permanent change was, I believe, about 10 days. However, all the ones that had a permanent change were eventually run for more than 10 days so that may be influencing things.

-Electric guitars and basses seemed unchanged and I'd personally consider it a waste for electrics.

The tough thing about the tonerite is that it's likely to be used to "save" a new instrument that the owner is not in love with. But, I don't think it's going to do that. I think someone who has a couple newer (less than 10 years old) instruments might enjoy the way it takes out some of the stiffness in response. Or, if someone buys/sells instruments at least once a year they might like this. I got mine used and sold them so my investment was essentially just covering shipping. The first one made enough of a difference that I bought one again a couple years later to try on other instruments. I learned a lot of interesting things so I don't regret the investment in time, though I don't think I'll be giving it a 3rd try.

[Sandstorm]

What's the hurry? You start out with a great sounding guitar (the reason you bought it) and it either gets better with age and use or it doesn't. They rarely get worse. My guitars all sound great. Me? Meh.   

Yeah, isn't half the fun opening up the guitar from playing it the old fashioned way?