Wood vs Time

[Ripper]

Lads...

Its sooooo hot here in ol' Toronto today!
I have the A/C on high and I'ma chillin!

Heres a question that id like some opinions on...

Do you believe it to be true that the more you play your guitar, be it acoustic or electric, the better it sounds over time?

[hammeroff]

Nope.

Even if it did; the rate at which a guitar gets better is nothing compared to the rate at which you get better.

[Ripper]

hammeroff...

Interesting you say that. I read years ago about a guy who bought a dozen Les Pauls. He put them into a small room, suspended them so they were hanging from the ceiling. He then had them surrounded by speakers, and pumped loud music through them 24/7.
Hoping that the sound waves would tighten up the wood grain, and make a new LP sound like one from the late 50's....I guess he was trying to speed up time.
He must have had alot of money because youd think the room would have to be soundproof to be blasting music all day and night.

I know my acoustics sound better over time. My solid bodies....hmmmm?

[sumgai]

deep,

I'm a bit surprised that this topic hasn't heated up very quickly at all.

"Aging" a wood like this is, so far, only a theory - no long-term studies have been undertaken to either prove or dis-prove the theory in real-world terms. That said, there was a related discussion on this forum some time ago, wherein we hashed out what percentage of a solid body guitar's tone comes from the wood. Anywhere between 10 and 50 percent, with no consensus for a final answer.

Hence, it would appear that bombarding a Les Paul with loud music (of what sort?) would have no lasting effects on how the guitar sounds. I tend to agree with this assessment. For me, the rest of the percentage missing from above (the 50 to 90 percent) is probably closer to the mark - solid body guitars derive more of their tonality from their pickups than they do from their wood (or the finish on that wood). If we could age a pickup in imitation of real life, then I think we'd have something, but aging wood in a solid body, that's a bit of a stretch, IMO.

Now if we were talking about acoustic guitars, that'd be a different story.


sumgai

[Ripper]

Thanks Sumgai...

I agree, I dont think solid body guitars wood changes all that much over time. At least not so we can actually hear its tonal changes.

When I bought my first 12 string years ago, the owner of the guitar shop told me to play it. Dont leave it sitting around he said. He told me the sound matures and deepens as the wood vibrates.

I thought it odd at the time, but now I do believe it to be true.

[lunaalta]

I don't think any instrument should be left without playing it. Any excuse is valid to get the thing played....LOL

[ChrisK]

This topic sounds like a Viagra trial.......


I apologize in advance, I just can't resist...

....I guess he was trying to speed up time.

Hmmmm, and Heisenberg may have slept here............

Well, time is a variable and only the speed of light is a (universal) constant. When one travels at any velocity, time (local to said one) is affected and slows down. Ya gots to be bookin' real fast to have an appreciable effect thereon.

I guess to speed up time one would have to be travelin' at a high negative speed (not back'awards, but negative).

Perchance:

There once was a lady named White,
Who traveled much faster than light.
She left home one day,
In a relative way,
And returned the previous night.


"I don't know where I am on this. I'm going to go look for myself. If I return before I get back, don't let me leave again..........."


I do think that acoustic guitars age more than solid body guitars. Since most solid body guitars are finished and most acoustics are only finished on the outside (one surface of the wood), it's called out-gassing and drying out!.

Remember, once you kill something organic, it decays. It may take a loooong time and be protected by many means, but decay is, a, er, aging is.