[nagukush]

Hi All

I understand that Solid-Tops are made of Solid-Wood and Laminate-Tops have Plywood used as their Tops. But I recently read that Solid-Top Guitars "MATURE" with age. That is they sound better with time, Rite???

1. I just wanted to know why this happens, does the Guitar-Wood undergo any
Physical Change, which makes it Vibrate better ???? Does this happen to Laminate-
Tops too????

2. A Guitar which has solid-Top and Laminate back and sides is good enough????

Thanks and Lots of Care
Kush

[slejhamer]

Here is what Seagull says about aging:

Aging
How about this? You buy a new TV and it's great but it keeps getting better the more you watch it! Okay, that's not likely to happen with your TV but it will happen with your solid top guitar. A solid top vibrates much more freely than a laminated (plywood) top. This results in richer tone, better dynamic range and better balance of tone. Not only does a solid top sound better initially, over time the vibrations from playing the guitar result in the top vibrating more and more freely. This phenomenon is called 'aging' which means that the more the guitar is played, the better the guitar will sound. It is important to remember in order for a guitar to age it must be played. A guitar left in its case for 5 years will get older, but it will not 'age'.

And this is from Acoustic Guitar mag, a bit more technical:

The reasons for the improvement have to do with subtle changes in the stiffness and flexibility within the cellular structure of the wood, as well as the hardening of resins within the cells themselves. Also, the finish ages, changing the flexibility of the surface of the top. With lacquer, the most common finish on guitars, the finish film loses plasticizers, making the finish more brittle over time. These changes usually take many years. In the final analysis, it seems that the major change is to the wood itself, with the top leading the way as the major tone-producing element.

We know that guitar tops vibrate in distinct patterns at different frequencies; some areas (nodes) hardly move, while other areas move in and out dramatically. These Chladni patterns, named for the first researcher to do a scientific study of plate movements, are predictable and have been the subject of intense study for disciplines ranging from lutherie to rocket science (really!). It is not a stretch to see that as a guitar is played, certain nodal patterns are continually flexed and thus loosen up while other areas move little and get stiffer. Those patterns are "set" as the wood ages and the cellular structure takes on a certain memory of the vibrational frequencies most often encountered.

So yes, the wood does change over time, and more so with play.

[nagukush]

Hey Mitch !!!!


Thank you so much for the wonderful articles. They really answered most of the doubts I had in my mind. Thanks again for caring pal

Kindest regards

Kush

[Ultimate Garage Band]

The key thing here is you have to play the guitar; it's not just sitting in a case 'time', it's playing time. That's what moves the top.

[mcknett]

So if I continue to play as poorly as I do now, I'll eventually sound better without necessarily improving

[Ultimate Garage Band]

You got it!!! The note might be wrong but they'll sound BETTER!!!

I should also mention that I don't consider laminate tops the scurge of the earth the way some players do. They have a place in this world and fit a few niches quite well and better than solid tops.

[mcknett]

Thanks for the...uh...encouragement.

[Donna Matrix]

I remember reading somewhere that Taylor have a machine that they strap their (guitar) bodies to and it vibrates really fast in order to 'pre-age' them. It could have been an April fool thing, but I definitely read it!

[Ultimate Garage Band]

I don't know about shaking but you can, to an extent, 'exercise' the top of your guitar by keeping it on a wall hanger or stand in a room where you play your stereo at a 'healthy' volume. The stereo speakers can move enough air to get the air in the guitar body to respond and move.

[seagull]

The only time I played with a group who were playing really load in someones basement, my guitar was vibrating all over the place. Really surprised me, I had no idea without playing the guitar, it would still vibrate.

[nocat]

Hmmm.... I wonder if a solid body electric is affected by this process...!?!

[nagukush]

I read this to somewhere, "Put the Guitar in front of the speaker system, when ever listening to music, and in a few weeks it'll sound more beautiful" Is it true UGB ???

Thanks and Best regards

Kush

[Ultimate Garage Band]

No, electrics are not affected the same way.

Yes, loud speakers can improve the tone of your acoustic by 'exercising' it.