I am aware I used the wrong guitar in the sound clips 😂😂😂😂 whatever … the results were still the results.

@garycoates4987

7 ай бұрын

Honestly,,, not to be a Karen but yeah that negates the test lol ,but I have a solution if the box still works, , get a cheap solid top guitar that doesn't sound good and see if it improves

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

@@garycoates4987lol … it doesn’t negate the test… I have before and after clips … I just edited the wrong ones into the video. 😂

@garycoates4987

7 ай бұрын

@@DylanTalksTone I still think it would be fun to get a really cheap acoustic and test it

@vanshankguitars

6 ай бұрын

Yeah.... Get a Glary and see if it changes it into a Harley Benton

@BIBSTERSrepairshop

6 ай бұрын

@@vanshankguitarsyes then leave it on another week and see if it turns into an epiphone then leave on for a month and see if it’s then a Martin

Probably didn't do much for the sound at all, but I'm sure the guitar enjoyed the heck out of it!

I'm an old geezer with opinions built over time. I have lived long enough, and played the same guitars long enough to "break in" a couple. My opinion is that it is not the playing and the vibration that "breaks in" a guitar. It is the years of temperature cycles and humidity cycles that makes the differences that actually do exist between old and new guitars. It is the aging and stabilization of the wood, or lack of it, that mellows the sound. Many of the prized "vintage" guitars everyone celebrates for their sound were not played for 8 hours a day for 5 decades. They were played for 3 hours on Saturday night and lived in a case under the bed most of their existence. I'm sorry Dylon but I keep expecting you to grab that Martin and run a breakdown of Little Sadie. I fear it ain't going to happen.

@santana1002001

7 ай бұрын

Fully agree

I have a tonerite, and used it on a new Eastman E20D TC. It did "open up" the guitar, however I have a feeling this effect only made the guitar more resonant to the pitch of the vibration. It got a lot more bassy, but not really in a good way. Which makes sense to me, since all the tonerite does is vibrate at a low pitch, so why would anything in the guitar open up to any other pitches? Yes it vibrates the strings, but not to their tuned frequencies, but to the frequency of the tonerite vibrating. It's not like all the strings are ringing. The other thing that made me come to this conclusion was a guitar builder telling me "A new guitar reacts to exactly what you play on it, and it gets better at the things it's often used for." So if the thing the guitar does the most is make a low cycle hum, that's what it gets good at. No proof of this thesis, but I feel like it has to be that way. Please tell me otherwise if you know better.

The idea has been around for decades. Folks used to, in the days of living room stereos,leave the radio on, and put the guitar in front of a speaker. It works!

Congratulations for getting a D-28, Dylan! I've got a 1976 D-28, and had success using actual recorded music to "wake it up". Recently I had the neck reset, a refret (plus new bridge to correct the common saddle misplacement issue from the 1970s). After all that work it was a little bright and not as responsive in the bass as it had been before, as if it needed to settle in. I used a bluetooth speaker and a spare iPad and blasted string band music into it for about 12 hours total. I laid the speaker against the bridge (with some light padding to protect the guitar) and allowed the strings to vibrate freely. It really helped!! That is the same as putting a guitar in front of stereo speakers like we did in the olden times. 😉

I watched a crew pouring a concrete foundation. They put a vibrating thing down in the concrete to settle it as it was being poured, which is kind-of like tapping down a cigarette. Shaking it around in such a way that it can settle in. MAYBE there's parts on a freshly-built guitar that make fuller contact after being vibrated a while. The strings in the nut and across the bridge. The nut and bridge in their slots.

@johntames39

4 ай бұрын

The concrete agitator is used to remove any air spaces in the concrete, that would weaken the set result. Be careful using analogies to predict Apples and whatever. Science gives us measurable results not poetry.

Did the guitar change with a week of vibrations, or was it the strings?

I'll be watching the replay later! Merry Christmas everyone!

@Tony_Leonardi.

7 ай бұрын

Merry Christmas to you !

I think it works, I've used an Ebow and a Capo. Using it to play every note I could get the capo to fret for about an hour each note. It seemed to make my guitar sound louder and more even. I did the same thing on my Dad's old Eko 100, it seemed to improve that one too.

I am looking forward to this one as I have been wondering about this.

Did you change strings? I'm in the camp that I don't think it does anything, but I've never used it. I would think changing brands and type of strings would have a way bigger impact regardless of any impact the Tone Rite would have. It's a hard device/concept to absolutely prove without a perfect testing procedure. That's true with many guitar beliefs. Nice discussion topic. Cheers and have a happy holiday season!

@Brewhound77

7 ай бұрын

I was gonna say the same thing. Day 1 brand new strings are going to sound brighter than strings that got played once and sat for a week.

This is interesting Dylan. I've always had a bit of curiosity about these, but at the price point, it's been very hard to pull the trigger. But i actually found through eBay a version that is much cheaper, so I'm giving that a shot. It'll be interesting as I'm using it on a solid wood guitar I built. I guess we'll see how it goes.

I got one of those devices when I got my Taylor 914ce. New, the Taylor was super bright. They come with Elixir's which are my choice for strings for all my guitars. I put some Silk N Steel strings on it and it warmed up nicely. Now that my Taylor is older, it has a natural sweet aged sound to it. Can't say if the device had any impact, but like you say, it does do a thing.

I've had one of these for years. I'd have to say my opinion reflects yours. It's funny watching you in this video I could feel the same conflicted opinion I have but in the end I seem to think it made a change. I noticed a chance on all the acoustics and even ES Les-Pauls. I don't know that I'd recommend one either but I'm okay with having bought it myself because of the amount of guitars I used it on and "felt" a change. The guitars seem to just vibrate more but whether that works its way back into better sound I can't quantify but I felt it helped the guitars subtly in a positive way.

I enjoyed the video I agree the toneright does effect guitars I had a friend that owned an acoustic guitar store and he used one on his new guitars on the wall or stand to enhance the sound.He said it worked but to what degree I can’t say I would think it would be different on every guitar. I know a person that hung his acoustic close to his stereo speakers and he emphatically says it made his already great sounding guitar sound better very noticeable difference. The sound vibration and of course his speakers for the stereo had big magnets so I would think if a person played electric 1:34 guitar could put where the sound waves coming out of the guitar amp would vibrate the top of the acoustic and produce some result as well wouldn’t cost anything to try that. I also dig that you like Martins I have owned 30 plus models across the line from road series to custom shop . My current favorite is my 1937 authentic D-18 very awesome

Did it do something to the guitar or to the strings?

I've been placing a Bose Soundlink speaker down on the strings of my new Eastman E20D, Martin d-28 Style guitar with a non torrified adirondack top. I was playing pink noise on loop from an old phone for two weeks straight while I was on vacation - volume about 65db. Afterward it was a great sounding guitar, with the strings still intact, neither the bracing nor the frets had come loose, and even the screws on the tuners and strap holders were still tight. My cat said it sounded glorious.

I bought two in a row, and somehow everything INSIDE the box was dusty..I am not sure how that happens.....I returned the first...the 2nd same thing...think I am getting used stuff?

Did you change the strings at all? Could any difference you notice just be from the extra week of string vibration? I don't think I'd buy anything like this. The only thing that will make my guitars sound better is hours of practice. lol

Back in the 60,s when I was a kid the old timers would lean acoustics against their radios and speaker's to help break them in ( putting in the music in it) as they would say

I have an old hollow body Gibson and some years ago I heard someone talking about this thing. So what I did is when I went to play I’d put the guitar in front of my speakers, playing some guitar music, for ten minutes so that the vibrations “loosened” up the instrument. And you know what? My guitar sounded great when I did that. Eventually though it occurred to me that the difference was probably due to my head, ten minutes of hearing great guitar music, releasing the everyday concerns in my mind before playing, probably made me play better. And me playing better is why the guitar sounded better. But either way, it does work!

I bought one and used it on many acoustic guitars in my collection. My impression...it had very little or no effect on my 50 year old, broken in guitars. Where I was truly impressed, was with newer guitars. You are right, the 'jangly' high end was transformed to a richer, more responsive sound that sounded more 'broken in' and older. The biggest effect was on my 1992 Martin D-28. I didn't play it much because I have 5 guitars on my wall that I prefer....so according to a local luthier, it fell asleep. I put the tone rite on it for a week and the result was impressive. Is $150 bucks a lot for what looks and sounds like a $20 aquarium pump? Yup. Does it work? Yes, it does. I just ordered a $12.83 replica on Ali Express...that price sounds much better but, we shall see.

You brought up an element that can't be controlled: your own pick attack. Did it feel more comfortable to you? Did you have to dig in as hard after the treatment? You can be subconsciously changing attack to get the sound that you want to hear, as I know you already know.

I believe guitar break in and speaker break in are the same kind of myth. You don’t break in a speaker, you “break in” your ears over time as you get used to them, and you could see how somebody could project outward and believe it was the speaker that had changed rather than themselves. If you believe your powers of observation and opinions are fixed and perfect, then of course it’s the rest of the world that needed to change. It’s a powerful illusion, and one that sells a lot of gear.

I wonder if the change is because of 100+ hours of wear on the strings? If you put new strings on it, do you still hear the change?

I know from experience that frequent gigging changes solid top acoustic guitars. My 21 year old Taylor sounds richer and louder from when I got it new. Even my Alvarez Masterworks (which I bought used over a year ago) has developed a little in depth through lots of gigging. I can hear it in the bass response. That said, all my gigging guitars are subject to frequent changes in temperature, exposure to volume in venues etc. Even PA speakers (when you stand close) can move the top through sympathetic feedback at gig volumes. I'm not sure you can buy a device that speeds that process up (but I can be wrong).

I wonder if you had two D28s and treated one of them with this but over a year, with regular playing using this on the downtime, would it accelerate the effect? I think you'd find the strings had settled in the nut and bridge a little better but you'd need a microscope to see it.

good video. nicely played.

I can think of better uses for a massage apparatus. UPDATE: Thinking about it, isn't this only going to have the same effect of "dulling" your strings after you've played them a while, only over a shorter time frame? Is that we are experiencing here, just accelerated string wear?

@mikedspringstead5974

6 ай бұрын

Well, it won't be adding the "finger cheese" of actual playing ...

This was funny for me to watch, I’ve used a Tonerite for years. The change you noticed was the dulling of your new strings, making it sound warmer. Does it make a slight improvement? Yes but I only use it when it’s time to change strings on a guitar.

Industrial Manufacturers use vibrating equipment (Especially Large Heavy Metal Manufacturing) to clean micro dust and tiny debris off parts .. It does work in that concept.. That Device might knock off Micro Wood (Saw)Dust and debris that refines the wood to make it more resonant.. I was thinking if you could check inside the guitar both before and after to see if there is like a saw dust accumulation inside, that could lend a more positive possibility that it might actually be improving the Tone

Isn't the theory behind it; an acoustic guitar that has been played over time sounds better than one that hasn't. So, the Tonerite is playing the guitar when you are not.

I just purchased the Tone Traveler because I can use it on all my acoustic guitars as well as my mandolins. We'll see, but sound waves makes more sense to me than just vibrations. And it does make sense that playing and woods vibrating would open up the sound a little bit. Otherwise, the best genius money grab since the Pet Rock!

Wouldn't a 25 dollar aquarium air pump slid under the strings and left on for a week not do the same effect?

Ok so here is my history with this ToneRite. I bought one years ago and used it on multiple acoustics. Martin D-35, Seagull S6 Original, Seagull SWS, Yamaha Solid top, Martin Special D, Taylor 114ce, Taylor 414ce. Does it work? Absolutely yes. Does it make a night and day difference? No. It definitely speeds up the break in period and opens up the wood a bit. It makes the biggest difference with all solid wood acoustics. I do anywhere from 7-14 days, at the 3 different levels. I also put new strings on after this process. It tends to dull the strings after a while. For a solid top, laminate back and side acoustic, you have to let this thing run for at least 2-3 weeks to really notice a difference but you will hear and feel the difference. The resonance was the biggest change. The vibration in the entire guitar was way more obvious. The sustain was more noticeable and the projection of the sound improved.

Fun experiment, appreciate the honest hesitation. About the sparkliness of the Martin's tone: it might return with a new set of strings. And be gone again in a week just with regular use.

Bro drank the koolaid by the end.

@DylanTalksTone

6 ай бұрын

Not really. I’m not gonna use it again. lol I ruined it so….

How did you go a week without playing it???

I have one of these for guitar and one for mandolin. The guitar one never impressed me. But mandolins (mine especially) goes dead when I don't play it. I take it to a gig and I am fighting trying to get sound out of it for an hour if it wasn't played for a month or two. This is a consistent experience (And it is not because I am out of practice. I played the other all this time.) So I tried this and the issue is gone. I would highly recommend it for mandolin if you keep your instrument unplayed sometimes. Guitar, maybe...

Strings exposed to air for the week, then continued changes to strings with added finger oils/playing in of strings during a few/several days of playing after using device may have been a factor as well? And how much difference in tone, feel etc. if PLAYED a bunch during that week instead of using device? As pointed out, do you want to pay $150 and NOT play a new guitar for a week even if there's a tiny bit of "improvement", or just get into playing it? Individual tastes/budgets are factors for sure. Me? I'd rather spend that week with a new guitar vs. leaving it in the corner with a device. 😏

I'm already seeing that the links you posted for the device don't seem to work or take me to the device, plus I didn't hear any real difference that would make me run out and buy one.

folks tend to forget that weather plays a role in tone. Not only does humidity effect the wood it also has an effect on how sound travels through the air. Temperature also has effects, mostly on the metal parts of the guitar and especially the strings. Therefore there are going to be subtle changes in the tone of an acoustic guitar from day to day just because the weather is changing. So do I believe this device was responsible for the subtle changes in tone....maybe, but most likely not. Another thing to consider is that those vibrations will serve to age the strings as well, yet another factor in subtle changes in tone. Is this device worth the money?? LMAO NO!

Rik Barron convinced me on a pair of new Taylor Koa top guitars, and it does work. There was no doubt that they loosened up and were much better guitars after the fact.

My expectation would be that what it can do is replace several minutes of play to warm up an instrument before really being ready to jam. Down side of that would be that the player's still got to warm up! What I would not expect hours of simple vibration to do is replace years of chemical alteration of the wood and finish that only time can.

Watching the first part of the video, I believe it is going to be more of a gimmick because once an acoustic guitar changes due to age, it should be permanent and the process should not have to be repeated

Hello Dylan!!! I stopped by for a like and a comment. I'll have to check in later.

So, I have this small practice amp, a JOYO, and I noticed when I unplug my guitar w/o turning down the volume, and leave the 1/4 cord plugged in, the amp makes a really loud humming sound. This is not unique to this little amp, all amps make a lot of noise when cords are not attached to guitars! Anyway, I set my D-18GE in front of the amp moving from directly over the bridge to over the sound hole. The entire guitar is vibrating like crazy. I leave it going every night, all night in a basement bathroom. If I don't completely shake the guitar apart I hope to improve the sound. So far it's excellent and I didn't spend for a device.

I prefer to break in new guitars with my own playing and will put the bulk of my practice hours into the new guitar for the first few months. In the past I have broken them in by leaning the guitar against a stereo speaker and leaving moderately loud music playing all day while at work. I feel like this vibrator is the equivalent of putting a baseball into a new mitt then putting a big rubber band around it. Good stuff Dylan! Cheers!!

You could always just leave your guitar on a speaker with music playing for a week.

Any change was probably because the guitar was out of the case for a week

Dylan, perhaps you went into this test with a bias against Tone Rite? Here is my admittedly anecdotal experience with TR treatments: First off, using it to vibrate a guitar always takes several weeks to make a noticeable improvement. One week is not enough. I had a Martin Dread hog b/s, spruce top, all solid woods, that sounded glorious. Very responsive, resonant, and expressive. Probably so lively because it was VERY dry when I bought it from Guitar Center, but really sounded fantastic. The first winter, despite being well cared for, it developed some wicked cracks in the back AND the front! Martin was kind enough to replace the back and top under warranty. But I was crushed when the guitar was finally returned to me because even though it looked perfect, it sounded dead and felt very stiff. It was not as responsive nor expressive like it had been initially. I used Tone Rite on full power for about 4 weeks whenever I was not playing the guitar. Eventually the guitar opened up and sounded and felt lively like it used to. Big noticeable improvement. I've used TR on other Martin guitars that I have had work done on, like neck resets, refrets, etc. After repairs, they tended to sound and feel stiff. I have observed similar noticeable improvements from using TR. My experience is that it needs to be used on highest power for WAY longer than the instructions state. One week does not seem nearly enough. I doubt if all guitars will benefit to the same extent from TR. I doubt it can harm a guitar from extended use, and it probably reaches a plateau with improvement leveling off. I have found that it can bring out the potential of a quality guitar, but it can't exceed the inherent potential of any given guitar. I have not observed any deterioration of the strings from TR use. Also, I doubt a junk guitar will improve much if at all. If you play electric guitar, it may be helpful to have your other guitars on stands in proximity to your amp if you want them to loosen up,. They will vibrate sympathetically, and may achieve a similar loosening up that TR users notice. Lastly, to all the sceptics shooting their mouths off here: How many of you have actually tried TR for several weeks, yet have NOT observed improvement in your guitars? Or, are you just speculating based on NO ACTUAL EXPERIENCE? Reply here if you have. Vibrate on... Thanks!

Aging happens from huminty and temperatur chances and also sunlight. Vibration on the underside is normal for wood its under this condition from the first day.....

How about an “Even Tension Gauge” custom set?

I have quite a few acoustics, with that said, I notice if I keep playing the same guitar for several weeks, day in and day out, it seems to "open up, a little louder and a little sweeter", but then when it sits in the case for a few weeks without getting played, and I go back to play it , it seems to be a little tight, but opens back up after some continuous playing. Once again, what I hear and how I interpret what I am hearing is totally subjective. I think this could be one of those never ending discussions. Just my 2 cents, if a person likes the results from the Tone Rite, they should continue to use it treat their acoustics, if not, sell it. 😄

I have to disagree with you on this one. Years ago I bought a product called “Prime Vibe” and tested it on my then brand new Martin D-41 and noticed that after 100 hours of treatment the guitar sounded sweeter and more rounded. The principal on mine is much the same but this one is a tiny amplifier with two special speakers. You play music through it and the sound will go through the guitar wood but with different frequencies all the time corresponding with the music you play. This will soften the guitar over a range of frequencies. It is like the story I heard about this guy that inherited a cheap guitar from his uncle. His uncle had been an active member of the Salvation Army and had used the same guitar all these years. The guitar was bad if he tried to play some sofisticated jazz cords but was extremely good on the typical Salvation Army cords like D,G,A,E and C. I read that Eddie Van Halen used to break in new guitars by placing them right in front of the speakers during concerts. At the time I bought my device I remember Korg had a thing with a similar approach as yours have. I recorded the sound of the guitar before and after the treatment and was convinced there was a difference. I also noticed that the guitar became loader after the treatment by 5 decibel. The treatment should work on other instruments made out of wood as well.

Did you do anything to mitigate or take into account leaving strings expose for a week?

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

They are Stringjoy Foxwoods. They are the best coated strings on the market. The humidity in the room is 50%. The temp is 70 degrees. What “elements” do you speak of. It doesnt rain in my living room 😂

@jeffralston450

7 ай бұрын

@@DylanTalksTone lol yeah elements was the wrong way to word it so I edited it. I mean if the strings are coated, that’s the best way to take that out of the equation! Interesting! Personally I never liked coated strings, but man that guitar sounds good either way you slice it!

I’d want a controlled chamber that cycle barometric pressure, humidity levels, UV exposure and thermal variation. Vibration only doesn’t account for these factors.

Sounds like the strings are a week older to me. I think more than “played in” the more accurate study is “aged in” meaning slow change in humidity, opening of wood at a cellular level, Crystallization of glues and such.

I think they work better on bass guitars and maybe that's because ~60hz is a great frequency for bass. You could DIY it for like 1/10th the price though.

Some people i know just put their new guitars in front of stereo speakers to vibrate the guitar and they say this breaks them in.

I had one of these in for review and while it did seem to help it is not as effective as the tone traveler IMO.

See "Effect of vibration treatment on guitar tone: a comparative study" by Stanford/UC Berkeley researchers. Taylor, Martin, Collings guitars. 348 hours "treatment" by the tonerite. No measured frequency effect. And in double-blinded listening tests, experienced players couldn't pick which guitar had been treated from the matching guitar which hadn't. Also see Weldert's "Sound enhancement of musical instruments by 'playing them in': fact or fiction?" for a broader perspective on whether there is any real science to the "playing in" effect for acoustic instruments. Experiments on this issue need to be done properly. The manufacturer does not appear to have done any such studies. As a player like Dylan with a single guitar, if you think that single guitar might have changed over a week with the tonerite, how do you know that wasn't just natural evolution of the guitar ? You would need to have at least one matched pair guitar that wasn't treated, to compare to. Did you leave the same strings on when you played it again after a week ? Strings age in their frequency response early on in their strung-up life. If you're just going on playing the same single guitar before and after such treatment, then you already know that the guitar has been treated. You're not blinded. That influences your perceptions. What about the role of auditory memory and habituation ?

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!!!! I couldn’t find it!!!!

Adding my 2 cents No one will convince me this thing works. You cannot speed up time. Wood changes over time. But I guess it can’t be disproved and we each have an opinion which is what makes the world go round.

My take is its not effective. What i feel is that as you play a guitar with the intent to make it sound as good as you can get it to sound, you learn how that guitar responds to your touch and finger placement. In effect you are learning that particular instrument. Keep playing and thinking about your technique.

I didn't understand where was exact part of video before and after. All songs was different. You use 2 different guitars. What is the point? How I can even try to find any differences when I don't now what is what and where to look?

@DylanTalksTone

6 ай бұрын

See pinned comment

@Arwndr

6 ай бұрын

@@DylanTalksTone Yea, thanks! )

Not sure I'd put that on my 2017 D-28 to make it more vintagey tone. And it's $144 on Amzn.

If it's supposed to replicate 100 hours of playing in a week,, a piece of wood in a new environment could possibly change an instrument in a week more than 100 playing , also adding 100 playing could take several months which would definitely change a guitar so I do think if it's not bullshit it's at least overpriced. A lot of guitars just go dead over time losing overtones so who even knows if "breaking it in" is even better?

I'm not sure why you felt there needed to be something fancier in there. It's about what I was expecting. My guess is that it will help the new joints in a new guitar settle. But I also don't think it's going to make it sound like the guitar would after the wood ages 5, 10 or 20 years. I'm sure the wood and glue will shift from the vibrations on a new guitar. However, I also don't think it's the same as changes in temperature and humidity cause to a guitar from years of the wood expanding and contracting from those changes. It's probably no different than just playing the guitar for 100 hours.

Okay, , , just reached the 7:42 mark and this is gettin' exciting. Basically a sceptic here, BUT ! , , keep a tiny crack open. Now a cold glass of rosé and further with the film. . .

@Ziraffe2

Ай бұрын

Now what the hec is the other guitar doin' there. And what's what !? Plus if you can't remember your own guitar, you haven't played it enough. In all respect I wonder if you have the pro-level to make this tests. It takes serious skills'n'focus.

that device reminds me of my aquarium aerator haha!

My first impression was that it looked like an aquarium air pump. After you opened it, It is an aquarium air pump. Not sure how much that thing costs, but generic aquarium air pumps are cheap.

It's a wooden instrument, some changes occur just from atmosphere conditions. A subsonic cycle hum tool sounds foolery to me. Age and playing an instrument has always made an instrument more stable and could bring out more character. Just a thought.

I think it's a placebo effect, without using a scope to see the frequency response and if there is a quantifiable change. The fact that it sits on the strings and not the body, I highly doubt it would have any change to a guitar. If it was mounted to the body to vibrate the top, then I think it could create a change. I think vibrating the strings, could be be the change you're hearing. If you changed the strings, I bet it would be right back to where it was. It's wearing in the strings, it's not affecting the sound of the actual guitar. That's my opinion.

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

Um….. it sits against the bridge and vibrates the entire guitar.

@Medicated1

7 ай бұрын

@@DylanTalksTone Ohh ok, it looked like it just sits on top of the strings. It can cause some affect then, kind of the same as leaning a guitar into a speaker enclosure and playing music for a few days. (the old way of doing this)

did you just put an extra 100 hours in the strings? restring it and see what happens.

My take away: not worth buying. If you need more sophisticated testing, go ahead. I don't. "It kinda does a thing" perfect evaluation. I really like the Breedlove. I love that you had a look inside. No dremel though. Thanks for posting.

I'm a skeptic to begin with so it takes a lot to "prove" something where so many variables intersect. First, I believe that sweet aging of a guitar has multuple factors; wood curing, environmental factors like severity of seasonal changes, and playing. IMO, wood resins need to crystallize to achieve that crisp, while warm tone. That takes time and is difficult to accelerate while enhancing it in musical way. Sure, if you throw it in a kiln it will crytallaize fast but I'm guessing not in a musical way. Sound vibrations are physical. I wonder if a guitar aged for years yet played severely out of tune that entire time would result in that sweet singing tone we're all looking for. Another variable that was not mentioned was string age. I bet that guitar vibrator accelerates the aging of the strings. We all know that newer strings have that tinny top end but once strings are broken in, they sound less tinny and warmer (Sorry about the use of the "warmer" descriptor). All the old timer 335 players mention how they hate to change strings on their 335s because it takes so long for the strings to normalize. Anyway, thats my few cents to add to this convo.

pet store aquarium pump would do the exact same if you think it does something.......

maybe the strings just got older thus reducing the brightness. Aliexpress has the same product, unbranded, for $12

What can this device do that about 100 hours of spirited playing couldn't do? I think I'll just play my guitars and enjoy the tone journey. Not to mention, I believe the natural aging of the wood and lacquer have more to do with vintage tone than anything else.

Amazing psychological marketing! It creates just enough doubt in the mind of the guitarist and the price is sort of low enough that lots of them will probably sell and nobody can ever really say for sure if much if anything has happened. Genius!

@DylanTalksTone

6 ай бұрын

Exactly

I would want a unit that vibrate each string in a an open chord

I think its very possible that the rolling off of the brightness after a week+ was due to the strings being more broken in than anything else. I could be wrong, too, but that's the thing with tests like this: there's so many factors to consider, and only so much you can solve for. Personally, I think it's snake oil but I can see how the theory behind it makes *just* enough sense to sell these things. For $150 though, you could get another guitar. Just sayin'. \m/

The guitar might have been acclimating to your environment and after a week it "did a thing" but works have anyway. Maybe take some clips now and do the experiment again and put the tracks on a scope and really see if a change has occurred. See if you can rig something to give you more consistent strumming tension to make it more accurate. From an engineering stand point the device should do next to nothing to alter the sound unless you threw full force into the sound board 😂

I don't think the "apparatus" is supposed to be anything special - it's a vibrator, which as far as I figure is supposed to replicate strings vibrating. That's about it. Does it do anything? Likely not. I think a lot of this stuff is in our heads rather than actual differences. Brightness was from new strings...and I'll get crushed for this, but to me Martins don't sound like anything special. There, I said it.

Having heard for years that it takes wood 20+ years to forget it is a tree and learn to be a guitar, it is possible that frequent sound stimulation could accelerate ageing of the wood. I don't suspect it would have such a strong effect on 'torrified' wood. The gradual caramelization of proteins and other changes as wood ages can do a lot to tone and projection as we know. All of my guitars hang on wall hooks, acoustic and electric. I have 3 guitars over 50 years old and were decent or better to begin with and have gotten MUCH better. Another never that good to begin with, has not really improved. 3 modern Martins hang there as well and they are aging nicely too. When I play I can often hear the acoustics talking back to be, resonating both voice and instrument. I can't help but think that the vibration will work in the same way as playing them, so to some extent they all get played when I play one. When I crank up on some electric blues, I know they are singing back loud and strong. I don't think I would spend money on a gadget to hang on the guitar and make sound/vibration. I would just put it in front of a speaker and play music. BUT, You may need some break-in on the instrument. Some instruments take a while to get the feel for and I consider that part of my personal break-in.

I would check the TUNING each day as it will most likely have an effect on STRINGS as well.

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

It was in tune after a week

@pccougar895

7 ай бұрын

Thanks Dylan that's good to know and love your channel.@@DylanTalksTone

With brand new strings on the first recording and then brand new strings on the guitar after the ‘treatment’, would it STILL sound warmer? I’m going to say no But if you’re comparing strings that are now 100 days older … It’s bollocks

cool let's see!

Biggest sound change I've experienced with an acoustic was to rehydrate a dried out one. Boxey cheap sounding to rich. The investment in a hydrating device with a built-in hygrometer ($10-15USD) was worth it.

Check out the Tone Traveller. Better than the Tone-Rite. Almost as good as the Prime Vibe.

I love that because you don’t hear a difference “anybody who says they can is lying”. I heard and felt a difference with mine, and compared recording and could head an immediate difference. And I’m not lying. It isn’t about the overall sound, it’s more about the way the notes blend together and the resonant feel, to me. Also- you still haven’t learned the most important lesson of playing guitar? Anything that makes the player more confident is going to come out in the playing. Scientifically if you think that a top vibrating that much for that long isn’t doing anything on molecular level- you’re misinformed. The top and bracing are connected and act like a diaphragm. I will say this- you will notice the effect of these devices on cheaper guitars more so than you will on a martin d-28 with scalloped bracing. Dylan is always gonna have his own confirmation biases just like any of us- but if people out there are interested in one of these types of devices I say go for it- it isn’t gonna make your guitar sound worse- that’s for sure. And it’s cheap.

@DylanTalksTone

16 сағат бұрын

Maybe it’s a situational thing. I have a pretty Keen ear for this stuff, and I don’t see it, but a lot of people do.

@WithCarePlz

4 сағат бұрын

@@DylanTalksTone i have perfect pitch so music can often be torture for me. I notice every single little microtonal thing. It took me a long time to be kind to myself playing. That being said. If you slap one of them badboys onto an Epiphone or something- brother it’s gonna knock your fn socks off the difference it makes in feel and sound both. As far as a Martin D-28- you can get a great one or a just good one- but they’re all pretty fn spectacular guitars. Yours sounds a bit stiff to me, no freaky. Your D-28 factoring in youtube compression and hearing my martin and others- yours has sort of a tight almost banjo-esque sorta thing going. But it will break in. I don’t mean that it literally sounds like a banjo. I mean that it sounds like a pretty d-28 but with a tight banjo quality. It needs to be beaten on. I would hate play that thing for a while and toss it around. Bang it into a few door jambs. Make sure the finish is scratched up on the front and back. I’m kidding. And I’m not. Funny story. I’ve had some way more expensive martins than I have now, and played a ton more. And it’s hilarious what the 2 best sounding Martins I’ve ever played are. #1 My lovingly road worn 2006 JC-16RE Aura. Solid spruce Top, solid east indian rosewood back and sides, striped ebony fretboard and bridge, jumbo cutaway. The way it sounds makes me do near-constant stink face when I play it. It’s an absolute cannon but the highs swirl around like a fender amp or something lol. It’s a ringer and cannon all in one. #2. I’m not kidding fellas hear me out. The #2 best sounding Martin I ever played wasn’t even a martin. It was a 1980 Takamine martin knock off. It was an F-360. Not even the F-360S solid. It’s laminate. But through some sort of freaking physics hack and aging all those years in the dry winters of Upstate NY- it sounds better than my D28/35 did by a mile. It’s a freak. I swear to god I know somebody’s gonna say they have that Takamine but the solid wood one- and they’re gonna think there’s sounds better. I’m telling ya’ll this thing sounds better than my buddy’s Collings 😂 Idk if somebody took it apart and sprinkled magic dust in it or what. It was $200 used 😂 Edit: I forgot I wanted to add- for anybody curious as to this device- put your acoustic in front of your big cabinets while you play electric, or put them in front of subwoofer for home theater system or stereo systems. It will do the exact same thing if it spends hours and hours there. Playing them firmly does the same thing- but doing it with sound waves saves wear and tear. If you don’t think focus sound waves pulsing on a guitar top will loosen it up- you’re overthinking things with a skeptic mind. An acoustic top oscillates like a speaker does. The sound waves from these devices make the top physically move up and down- loosing up the bracing and top. It’s the same principle as a torrified top. You can be skeptical of science but don’t be a flat earther lol

Your playing was so different. It doesn’t suffice to play de same song but to repeat same playing as much as possible. And, btw, just little, tiny bits, like one chord, one scale, even one note. And then listening back to the samples in a quick A/B fashion, instead of whole chunks of a song where the ears have time to sleep on (adapt on). Common sense.

This reminds me of the methods used to speed up the whiskey/bourbon aging process. Nice idea, but the results aren't great.

The new tone wood problem lol

The Breedlove seems to sound much better, regardless the device imho.

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

That guitar is really fantastic. I’m glad to have them both

Just play the damn thing ✌️🎸✌️

I didn't think it's worth $150 at all.... However, when you but a grand he guitar, it isn't going to be as open as it's going to be..... You could literally put a speaker with a tone generator on your guitar to vibrate it.... Or put it right next to a speaker and play music all night for a week or two.... And depending how little your guitar is opened up You totally could hear a difference..... But.... This technology is a gimmick... Just Play your guitar a lot..... Go ahead and vibrate it on the speaker or something for a couple weeks when you sleep and you'll probably open up the guitar a bit.. if you're in a hurry to open it up.

I must admit I love people contradicting themselves to the guitars they purchase lol new is good smashed up to shit is good priceless 😂

@DylanTalksTone

7 ай бұрын

What is contradictory about liking more than one thing? It’s called being open minded.

is the treatment reversible? what if it made your axe sound worse! I would use my fish tank pump and do the same thing,lol