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How would you characterize the process of a guitar opening up soundwise after it is first strung up? Is it different for each spruce or cedar, or even each guitar? Have you ever experienced one that just didn't change? Also, if you are sending a guitar out, will you play it in some before it is sent out, or do you let the player do this? I've noticed some changes in the couple I have made, but I would love to hear what everyone else thinks. Thanks!

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

I don't think I have ever owned a "new" guitar.  I have owned, and do own, both spruce and cedar topped classicals.  I have not noticed any difference in the cedar topped guitars over the years.  The Spruce guitars change a lot as you play them.  The more you play them, the more they seem to open up.  However, put one away for a few months, and it seems to be dead when you start playing it again.  It comes back more quickly, but storing them seems to set them back a bit.  When I finish my first, I guess I'll see what a new one is like.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Cedar will open quicker in my opinion, but each guitar opens up different. I over built my first couple and they have not changed much. I could be wrong her but dreds seem to open up quicker than OMs.

I play in a bit each guitar but also ask clients to give 6 months before asking for any hot roding. I have placed strung guitars in front of speakers for hours on end but don't think it really helped that much.

Break-in is break-in I think time and playing is just part of the process.

An old builder/player I knew used to put a new one on the bed in an extra bedroom in an open case.  He would go in and strum the strings a few times every time he walked by that way for several weeks, before he would actually take it out and play it.  He said it made a difference.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I've got a guitar that was tight for 18 months until I played a two and a half hour set at a gig a few week's ago.....a pal of mine approached me and asked if that was YET another new guitar, because she did not recognise the sudden fullness of tone. It was all that continuous hard rythym strumming that did it......

You see, I believe it's just a time thing, I really don't think it matters if the instrument is played or not as long as it's left up to tension. All those different woods under various stresses just gradually reaching some sort of equilibrium. Different woods will take varying time. Cedar fast, most spruce types that bit longer.

I built a OOO-12 some years ago that to my ears was overbuilt and just dull, I put it in its case and left it alone, just moved on and put it down to experience. When I was sorting out my overstocked music room, took it out to put some new strings on before giving it away, but before I did that I tuned it up and played it. It was like the tone fairies had been shaving braces for the last couple of years until they got it right. It was a different guitar.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I think both time and playing have a role. There are a bunch of things going on with both, and although we've made some progress in sorting them out, there's still a lot to learn.

Measurements I've made tend to back up the conclusions that Carleen Hutchins came to with violins some years ago. Over time, and especially with playing, the wood 'loosens up', and moves more air. The top moves more, and pumps more air through the soundhole. Since the 'main air' and 'main top' resonances are in the low and mid range, that's where the extra power is. The guitar gets 'bassier' and 'fuller', usually. If it's heavier, the process takes longer. Some woods, like red cedar and redwood, seem to come 'pre-played-in', while others, like European spruce, can take along time. OTOH, I bought a cedar topped guiar in Spain that took three years to finally play in. Go figure.

All of this can be measured, and ties in nicely with most people's judgements of how 'played in' guitars sound. What we don't know yet is why this happens: exactly what is changing in the wood or glue or finish to cause it. It's easy to make up stories about what it could be, and there is no lack of theories. What's lacking is experimental evidence as to what actually is going on. Wht can't you ever find a MacArthur grant when you need one?