vinylguy wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 11:43 am
..and back to the subject of getting Acoustic guitars to open up: What I have found with any new guitars I have bought is to leave them on a stand in the sun for a few days as this seems to help the top to age. Often you can also notice the colour of the top wood getting a more honey like colour. The tone gets warmer and the guitar sounds less compressed when you play it. I often find new guitars to be tight and dead sounding. With my older and more well played guitars they actually seem to come alive in your hand as you get stuck into them almost like a living breathing animal.
Am not sure if all this holds true for Mahoghany top guitars though. Theres a theory about that a hog guitar needs to be at least 50 years old before it gives it best.
Do you think that the logic of this is that acoustic guitars reach an optimum and that it'll therefore at some stage pass? I recall John Williams saying something along those lines.
It is definitely believed to be true by some classical players, that a guitar reaches its peak around 20-30 years, then declines. There could be some truth in it, acoustic guitars are under a lot of strain, such a big soundbox.
However, some of the best acoustics I’ve played have been really old, 50+ years. Go figure...
Conway wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 12:44 pm
That mahogany Martin you had from the early 1950s sounded incredible, Mr Oleg!
indeed, it did. I don't have that one any more, but it went to somebody on here. My only current mahogany-topped guitar is a newish Taylor GC mini, and that sounds really nice too. I think it is mostly down to how well made the guitar is, and after that comes wood type.
I think that they probably get to a large percentage of where they are going to get to and then the changes are incrementally smaller. Play time is also important as is the style of playing. Light fingerstyle isnt going to help much here I suggest ! I have also noticed that my oldish guitars sulk a bit when left in their cases unplayed and take a wee while to come out of their shell when you play them again.
vinylguy wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 1:20 pm
Havent heard that 20/30 year rule before. All my acoustics are over 50 years old so I suppose that means they are stuffed and worthless LOL
Reading about all these old acoustics you guys own/owned, I was thinking that is pretty cool to have guitars around 50 years old... then I remembered that I bought my old Fender acoustic because it was made the same year as me... and I'm 47...
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.
Danger Mouse wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 3:26 pm
Reading about all these old acoustics you guys own/owned, I was thinking that is pretty cool to have guitars around 50 years old... then I remembered that I bought my old Fender acoustic because it was made the same year as me... and I'm 47...
Hah, we're the same age! Anyway, what's this Fender acoustic of which you speak? Can't recall seeing it on the forum...
Danger Mouse wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 3:26 pm
Reading about all these old acoustics you guys own/owned, I was thinking that is pretty cool to have guitars around 50 years old... then I remembered that I bought my old Fender acoustic because it was made the same year as me... and I'm 47...
Hah, we're the same age! Anyway, what's this Fender acoustic of which you speak? Can't recall seeing it on the forum...
Oh it's nothing special, one of those "real guitarists should own at least one acoustic guitar" purchases. It has done the 5 strings, sat in the corner covered in dust thing for many years, although I did clean it up and chuck some new strings on it a couple of months ago. It's a F-95, if that means anything.
I'll take some photos of it when I'm home.
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.
vinylguy wrote: ↑Sat May 08, 2021 1:20 pm
Havent heard that 20/30 year rule before. All my acoustics are over 50 years old so I suppose that means they are stuffed and worthless LOL
I think you're right. I'll give you a tenner for them.
