Guitars Opening Up

[drum_zeppelin]

i have really cheap ibanez and will soon buy a larrivee.

i notice after a year of playing it finally sounded more rich.  It was after i tried a bunch of different tunings in a two week period.

I believe that different tunings will hasten the opening up process now.  What are your views?

[B0WIE]

My heavily used Larrivees sound WAY more open than my newer ones.  A tonerite changed my Italian Spruce L03 in a great way.  My SD50 doesn't sound right and restricted like the other new Larrivees I've played so I haven't bothered to put the tonerite on it.
Personally, I don't think different tunings would do a lot as the tonerite manages to make big improvements with one frequency.  Just getting that wood moving does a lot, the rest is just natural age.

BTW, the improvements over noticed are more even frequency response, extended high frequencies, greater dynamics and nuances in playing are exposed more.  The most important thing for me is reducing the upper bass hump and "boom" that stiff guitars have.

[datdaddy]

I bought a new LV-10 18 months ago.  When I got it, it was beautiful, of course, but I worried about the sound.  It was just NQR.   I figgered, well, I bought it, and for that amount, should prolly spend a bit for a Tone-Rite and see what happens.  Tone-Rited the heck out of it.  Got a bit better.  But honestly, after playing the doggy out of it for 18 months, it's still beautiful, and sounds wonderful.  I think the wear and tear of daily workouts does the most good.

[ducktrapper]

Why wouldn't builders tone-rite the crap out of their guitars before sending them off? Any evidence anyone is doing this? I prefer the old fashioned way of playing the dern things, myself. Dang modern world! You kids get offa my lawn!   

[Strings4Him]

Why wouldn't builders tone-rite the crap out of their guitars before sending them off? Any evidence anyone is doing this? I prefer the old fashioned way of playing the dern things, myself. Dang modern world! You kids get offa my lawn! 

People thought the car would never replace the horse ;)

[eded]

Why wouldn't builders tone-rite the crap out of their guitars before sending them off? Any evidence anyone is doing this? I prefer the old fashioned way of playing the dern things, myself. Dang modern world! You kids get offa my lawn!  

And pull your da#% pants up.  You look like an idiot!      

Just kidding!

Ed

ps:  I agree that my guitars will never need a tone rite.  Anyone else can do as they please!

[Queequeg]

Why wouldn't builders tone-rite the crap out of their guitars before sending them off? Any evidence anyone is doing this? I prefer the old fashioned way of playing the dern things, myself. Dang modern world! You kids get offa my lawn!   

Matter of fact, some do.
Tim McKnight, for one. Other boutique builders do too.

[ducktrapper]

Matter of fact, some do.
Tim McKnight, for one. Other boutique builders do too.

Although I suppose that could be a mixed blessing for Tone-rite. While it may be good advertising, it might cut into potential sales. 

[L07 Shooting Star]

I've pondered this tone-rite controversy for awhile.  I'm wondering if I went to the nearest "Love Shop" in Edmonton and found their cheapest vibrator, if that would do the trick?  I would just fire it up and insert it in the sound hole, I guess.   If my wife had one, I would experiment with that, but she doesn't have one or appears to feel the need for one, so I guess I'll just stick to playing the guitar (and my wife) and hope for the best.

[ffinke]

I bought a new LV-10 18 months ago.  When I got it, it was beautiful, of course, but I worried about the sound.  It was just NQR.   I figgered, well, I bought it, and for that amount, should prolly spend a bit for a Tone-Rite and see what happens.  Tone-Rited the heck out of it.  Got a bit better.  But honestly, after playing the doggy out of it for 18 months, it's still beautiful, and sounds wonderful.  I think the wear and tear of daily workouts does the most good.

I agree, just play the devil out of it and watch it come to life.

[eded]

I believe guitars change over time.  I even believe that tone rite type thingies can change guitars.  What I believe more is that we learn the guitar and how we need to tweak our technique it to get the sound we want out of that specific guitar.

YMMV

Ed

[B0WIE]

I've pondered this tone-rite controversy for awhile.  I'm wondering if I went to the nearest "Love Shop" in Edmonton and found their cheapest vibrator, if that would do the trick?  I would just fire it up and insert it in the sound hole, I guess.

Or, you could buy a used tonerite, use it for 2 weeks, sell it for around the same price, and keep your dignity intact... 

[Queequeg]

I've pondered this tone-rite controversy for awhile.  I'm wondering if I went to the nearest "Love Shop" in Edmonton and found their cheapest vibrator, if that would do the trick?  I would just fire it up and insert it in the sound hole, I guess.   If my wife had one, I would experiment with that, but she doesn't have one or appears to feel the need for one, so I guess I'll just stick to playing the guitar (and my wife) and hope for the best.

ahh... Tonerite- the product we love to hate.
Good luck getting the sex toy to attach to your guitar. Let us know how that works out. If it fits the soundhole on your guitar, I suppose that's the XXL, then?
Tonerite will not open up your guitar; at least not in the sense that only age can mellow the wood as it very gradually dries. And not just the wood but often overlooked is the glue holding it all together, and then of course there's the finish. These age over time. Years, really.
Here;s what Tonerite says about how their product works:
In a general sense, the ToneRite® works by releasing the inherent stress in the instrument by de-dampening.  Fine instruments are crafted from many pieces of wood and material glued and bound together.  This system naturally has tension built into it. Over time, the tension naturally gets worse due to entropy.  Luckily, by playing the instrument, we naturally relieve some of this tension and our instruments start to resonate more causing increased volume, tone, balance and playability.
One of the biggest misconceptions we run across is that the ToneRite® is artificially 'aging' the wood in an instrument. It is not.

The play-in process and the aging process are two distinct processes that both involve their own physical systems. To put this clearly...

The Play-In Process: The Play-In process involves the individual components of an instrument learning to resonate as a whole instead of against one another destructively.  This process occurs due to vibrational energy that effectively transfers into the instrument to de-dampen it.  The result of this process is added volume, resonance, dynamic range, playability, etc.
The Aging Process: While not very well understood, the hypothesized aging process in acoustic instruments involves the structure and materials of the individual components of an instrument.  Whether it is the crystalline structure of wood, the loss of glue material, or anything else—the aging process is separate from the play-in process.  Also, aging on its own will not produce a good sounding instrument.  An instrument left fallow for a period of time without being played will produce a closed and stiff sounding instrument.

So, yes, playing your guitar will do the same thing.
I can leave the tonerite on a guitar for a week while I am playing one of my other guitars.
Tonerite won't work miracles on your guitar. It's a subtle difference. Subtle, you know? Like the difference between maple and mahogany. Like the difference between phosphor bronze and 80/20. Like the difference between sitka and adirondack. Your non-musician friends won't hear the difference. But perhaps you will.

[ducktrapper]

Or you can do what I did to my OOO-50. Attach it to a stereo speaker and play Come Together (chosen for overall bass response) quite loudly, on repeat for eight hours a day while you're at  work. Of course, that might not work if you have anyone living with you.    

[abalone at last]

That actually does work,,,,set on a guitar stand in front of a big speaker while listening to your favorite music.

[ducktrapper]

That actually does work,,,,set on a guitar stand in front of a big speaker while listening to your favorite music.

Well, my OOO is a monster! 

[L07 Shooting Star]

Or you can do what I did to my OOO-50. Attach it to a stereo speaker and play Come Together (chosen for overall bass response) quite loudly, on repeat for eight hours a day while you're at  work. Of course, that might not work if you have anyone living with you.    

I remember that.  A very creative alternative.  Did it work?

[ducktrapper]

I remember that.  A very creative alternative.  Did it work?

Well, truthfully, I don't know. How does one actually tell if it's the vibrating, the playing or the passage of time? I will say that it sounds terrific when I play Blackbird, Eleanor Rigby or Here Comes the Sun on it.