Do they need to be played?

robgilmo · May 2018

I have heard that as an acoustic ages and the wood ages if it isnt played it looses tone and begins to sound dead, because without resonating the wood fibers become tight, I have also read that even sitting the guitar beside a speaker like a radio, tv or HiFi can help.
Any thoughts on this?

proggy · May 2018

There's a gadget available called The Tonerite, you place it on the strings and it simulates playing .

Guitar shops use them.

slacker · May 2018

or you could play it.

It doesnt take long in my experience.

ICBM · May 2018

Simply leaving them on a stand or a wall hanger where they can pick up natural sounds from the room also makes quite a difference, compared to keeping them in a case.

Roland · May 2018

But is that the guitar vibrating to environmental sound, or because it’s not shut away in the dark with the case pressing on the table, back, sides and strings?

ICBM · May 2018

Roland said:

But is that the guitar vibrating to environmental sound, or because it’s not shut away in the dark with the case pressing on the table, back, sides and strings?

Both. The case will stop the wood vibrating.

AliGorie · May 2018

not something I E-V-E-R consider Robo pick 'em outa the cupboard /case and play - some of my guitars dont get played for many months. Once I start playing any of them they soon 'warm up' - quite literally as they get used to vibrating - which naturally generates heat all be it minute.

I wrote something on here about people who sit on their sofa (in near laboratory conditions) and play a note or chord and LISTEN to that - but that's not to be confused with playing music and listening to THAT.

Sure we can all sit peacefully and compare the odd and even harmonic partials % in relationship to the fundamental, but is that what the guitars for ?.

robgilmo · May 2018

See I never really play mine, I noticed last night how the finish had turned to a dark honey colour in all the years I have owned it and it struck me how little I play it. Mind you its always been out on a stand.

stimpsonslostson · May 2018

robgilmo said:

See I never really play mine, I noticed last night how the finish had turned to a dark honey colour in all the years I have owned it and it struck me how little I play it. Mind you its always been out on a stand.

My wee Faith acoustic has completely changed colour in the 3 years I've had it on my wall too. It used to be quite anemic but now it’s a lovely golden honey colour and looks as good as it sounds. There’s no shortage of "ambient sound" in my living room- I have two small kids. No chance the guitar could seize up with that all day!

richardhomer · May 2018

My 25 year old Martin was sounding ‘small’, quiet - and generally shit - for a while.

In the last last few months, I’ve kept on a stand in the spare room. It’s probably the quietest room in the house - but the guitar is sounding exceptional at the moment. The hygrometer in the room suggests the humidity’s lower than it should be - so I’m struggling to find any justifiable reason as to why things have improved so noticeably....

Jez6345789 · May 2018

I have and do use a tone rite from time to time I don’t have the best ears but I can hear the difference on the acoustic. Do think it depends on the guitar some seem to benefit more from tone rite.

I have that adirondak Cort ooo and frankly I don’t have enough time to give that a couple of hours a day for a couple of years just to get it loosened up Tonerite seems to help it get that nice dry woody tone when played lightly and some bark when you dig in.

Even a few months of playing seems to improve most guitars not sure if it’s also familiarity playing tricks

thermionic · May 2018

I have my cheap Loar acoustic right next to the sofa here, and if I sneeze loudly I can hear it “reverb” for a couple of seconds!

soma1975 · May 2018

Make sure you vibrate a tone in Dmin so you have the saddest of all guitars.

Gagaryn · May 2018

thermionic said:

I have my cheap Loar acoustic right next to the sofa here, and if I sneeze loudly I can hear it “reverb” for a couple of seconds!

I used to keep a resonator in my living room but had to move it - it would start making a racket when listening to records, think it wanted to join in.

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Do they need to be played?

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