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Post subject: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:57 am
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I've noticed that several times.
Save for the Tribute guitars which are "ready to play at their best", most guitars need a certain time for the wood to adjust and deliver the expected sound without any harshness and but with ringing harmonics.
Might take some weeks or some months depending on how often you play them.
As an example: I have a '65 Masterbuilder Design Mark Kendricks Strat for several years and I was quite disappointed by its muddy, woody sound (yes, indeed) although playing it regularly for training, notwithstanding the perfect quality of its craftmanship. I was on the edge of selling it :(
And then today I just plugged it and its sound exploded !
Incredible harmonics, a wonderful great crystal clear sound with all 5 pickup positions
A totally different guitar.
How comes ?

On a day to day basis I've noticed that when you start playing a Strat (or a Tele), the sound seems hard; but if you play chords for training on the higher frets; after a while when you play them down on the neck they sound much better than at the beginning, silkier, more precise, with more harmonics.
Wood reaction ?

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Last edited by alainlafrance on Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:02 pm
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It must be that way Alain. You're the man in the best position to know!! :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:10 pm
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Bonjour, Alain!

I'm sure I've read somewhere (could be Infallible Web Dogma!) that pickups can change over time.

Personally I reckon that's more likely than the wood... But then I agree with the Mr Hop..

fhopkins wrote:
You're the man in the best position to know!! :wink:

:wink:

Andy

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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:43 pm
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I've read somewhere that the magnets on the pickups loose strength over time and that at some point during their life reach their ultimate musicality. Could be hogwash.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:52 pm
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A most interesting discovery! Perhaps electric guitars can mature without the benefit of getting "played in."
I know that the voice of acoustic guitars can change, but normally it is regular playing that helps them to "open up."

Or does it? :)


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:02 pm
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Could be the neck actually. Sometimes the neck loosens up or bows differently and that affects things as well.

ME


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:55 pm
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That's a great post.

I've witness this with my humble 13-15 Strat's as most of them don't get played for long periods of time- certainly can be Alain's problem :), but I found issue after not playing guitar for a long time. I would bring guitar into my long time Fender Tech/friend for a checkup and he would say...neck is perfect, set up is still at your DNA/spec- all good. I would tell him can't be, she doesn't feel and sound right- he replied something like: Don't use it, they lose it. After further discussion, he said, not sure why when neck hasn't changed, etc, maybe lack of oil from hands, blood sweat and tears missing on guitar, etc - play them more then 1-hour a year.

I would make that guitar my main noodle guitar for a month or so and guitar would start sounding better and better...maybe in my head, but sticking with theory: Use It or They Lose It.

P.S. Ironically, he's good friends for years with Mark K.- pre Fender, believe they made guitars together, etc- he has a great pickup winding story with him and Mark.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:23 pm
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Holy crap, mojo is real :)


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:06 am
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Is there any possibility that the guitar could have been exposed to a fine Bordeaux? :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:10 am
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That's an interesting topic. I think it has to do with how the wood reacts over time, not just the playing, which of course helps as well. As Mike posted, the neck changes over time under the tension and everything moves and settles through the vibration as well.
I notice this with my National guitars, after they had a neck reset and some work they sounded and played somewhat stiff. After I while everything settled and relaxed.

[quote][/On a day to day basis I've noticed that when you start playing a Strat (or a Tele), the sound seems hard; but if you play chords for training on the higher frets; after a while when you play them down on the neck they sound much better than at the beginning, silkier, more precise, with more harmonics.
Wood reaction ?
quote]

Maybe it's the amp after the tubes getting warmer. But I notice this with my Martin Authentic with the Adirondack top. That top needs some playing time to warm up, just like tubes.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:40 am
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Butterscotch wrote:
Is there any possibility that the guitar could have been exposed to a fine Bordeaux? :wink:


Not the guitar itself :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:42 am
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I once read a tone report over on My Les Paul where they "opened up" the tone on a number of guitars by running them on a machine that artificially vibrated the guitars to simulate years of natural playing.

Results varied - on some instruments there was no change (dead wood!) on others though there was a marked improvement. And this was an independant test and not just someone promoting their own product!

Sadly though i cant find the report - and it was a good one. I'll have a look though Alain.

There is also a service provided for hollowbodies.....http://tonerite.com/guitar/vmchk

Could we soon be seeing aged/vibrated models!

Its the same with a speaker cone in a new amp - some nice big open chords to break it all in.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:42 am
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atolleter wrote:
I've read somewhere that the magnets on the pickups loose strength over time and that at some point during their life reach their ultimate musicality. Could be hogwash.

Can't be on that peculiar guitar as it was crafted in 2004.

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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:03 am
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I have had a look and it was definitely a Tone Quest Report i had (a worthy read) - i cant however find the one i need!

I have read elsewhere that it can take 30 years for a stringed instrument to reach maturity, that includes, neck, body and indeed magnet adjustments over time.

This report was dealing with Violins, violas and other stringed instruments too

Magnets do indeed decay (hop over to the Les Paul Forums and listen to them wax lyrically about the magic of PAF's!)

I'd say Alain you broke that baby in nicely...now enjoy!

Not too mention breaking in all the others!

Oh and a relic guitar is not necessarily broken in in te sense discussed above, although it might feel it.


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Post subject: Re: Is there a time when the CS guitars wood "breaks" ?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:03 am
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"Oh and a relic guitar is not necessarily broken in in the sense discussed above, although it might feel it."
Agreed but there is already that silky smoothness. Maybe the choiciest woods have been used.

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