Hi Chip . . . My bud and I are in the midst of an argument about acoustic guitars. I've been lead to believe it's important to play a new acoustic instrument as much as possible to mature or warm its sound. I've even heard of placing a new axe in front of a large woofer, and turning the radio on to send vibrations thru wood when out of the house. Is this maturing of an acoustic guitar really needed? Chip answers: It’s not so much that this maturing process is needed. It is inevitable, especially if a new instrument is played frequently. Some people simply want to speed up the process to get their guitar sounding as good as possible as soon as possible. The idea that an acoustic instrument can be “broken in” to sound better is more than just some old wive's tale (although our spouses, or is the plural spice? frequently have more sense than we musicians do anyway). New instruments, especially solid as opposed to laminated wood, can start sounding better after a period of time for several reasons. Even solidbody electrics will improve with time. First, wood responds similarly to muscle: if it is exercised, it works more efficiently. I have seen photos of tonewood blanks being bombarded with soundwaves in the hope of waking them up. I have noticed in over two decades of luthiery that older guitars that have been ignored for a while will also become louder and richer sounding with some playing time on them. This is one reason that museums with highly valued violins on display have trusted musicians in to play them. It’s good for them. Another factor in the improvement of sound has to do with finishes and adhesives. As finishes (especially the commonly used nitrocellulose lacquer) and glues cure, they undergo some changes, including becoming drier and more brittle as the solvents bleed away. This has a positive effect on the tone of an instrument, as the wood underneath the finish can vibrate a bit more freely. Luthiers go to great lengths to obtain aged wood for their instruments. The longer that wood is seasoned, the better chance it has to dry out more completely and, as with lacquer finishes, produce a better tone. Also, as wood settles into the sometimes unnatural shapes that guitars require and that string tension produces, it loosens up, enhancing the guitar's sound. When you buy a new (or new to you) instrument, you’ll probably want to play it as often as you can find time for it, and this will develop the sound. I doubt that you can hurt it and you might help it by leaving it in front of a speaker to keep the wood vibrating, as long as it is in a secure location (many guitars get damaged when stands are knocked over), so go ahead. It’s like voodoo, a combination of psychology, science and mysticism: if you think it works, it probably does. Thanks for the interesting question. I’d like to hear from anyone who has some ideas or questions that might spark a Guitar Tech Talk column, so feel free to get in touch with me personally at jumpinsomethin@aol.com. Also, if you are headed to New Orleans, I’d love to meet you. Some folks from Barcelona, Spain, who had read my column and checked out my website at www.jumpinsomethin.com, dropped by the Columns recently. Very cool. I play seven nights a week these days, so you can’t miss me. Wednesdays, I play (8 PM ’til 11 PM) at the Columns Hotel, 3811 St. Charles Avenue, an historic and beautiful spot. The rest of the week, I’m in a great part of the French Quarter at the Orleans Café, 135 Decatur Street, near the House of Blues and the world’s hippest record store, the Louisiana Music Factory. I start around 6:30 PM and play jazz, blues and R&B through the evening. Hope to see you!
|
|||||||
Guitar
Tech Talk is from Chip
Wilson in New Orleans. If you have a question
about guitar building, repair, or maintenance, send it to
Chip at 
A
reader asks: 
I
love the responses from readers of this column to my new
website at 
Play It Again Sam...66 Main St...Montpelier VT 05602...Phone (802) 229-0295...Fax (802) 229-0755