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| When I got home after picking up the ToneRites I slapped one on my 1687 Reissue, the one I compared via short recordings to the original 1687 I'd just received over on this thread . Since I had a fresh recording of the RI just before the ToneRite treatment, I went ahead and recorded it right after the initial 72-hr recommended exposure.
Here\'s the clip . The exact same setup was used to record the "after" song snippet. See if you can tell which is after treatment, and which is before in the clip (I'm not saying yet). |
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Location: SoCal | Before and after, in that order..... |
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Location: Tennessee | I have no idea, but I do think I liked the way the guitar sounds in the first recording better. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I agree with Bobbo.
sidebar..
G8r.. your playing is abilitys are moving forward quite nicely. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | +3... To me, the first 'cut' sounded richer with more harmonics and longer sustain.
Keep in mind that I worked around jet engines for quite a while... |
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| Listened over and over. I'm just not hearing $150 worth of difference. Good playing, BTW. |
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Location: Michigan | If # 1 was after I have to get one of these. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | I really didn't hear THAT much difference. My friend Jay is here right now and he agrees with me. The first clip is a little bassier, but the second clip seems "clearer". Hard to tell over computer speakers, but I would save my $150 and do it the old fashioned way. |
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Location: Michigan | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
I really didn't hear THAT much difference. My friend Jay is here right now and he agrees with me. The first clip is a little bassier, but the second clip seems "clearer". Hard to tell over computer speakers, but I would save my $150 and do it the old fashioned way. I don't know Alison, I think the guy in the first clip plays much better than the other guy... |
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Location: Flahdaw | #1 seems warmer, #2 seems brighter. Somewhere between the two would be about perfect. |
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Location: Atlanta, GA. | i dunno G8r... they BOTH sound like Ovations to me!!! |
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Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by G8r:
The exact same setup was used to record the "after" song snippet. Was it recorded with a microphone (or two)? If so, a small change in the player's position or the location of the mic can make a difference.
Were the strings new for each recording session, or had they been on a while? |
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| 2 mics as described in the post where I compared the Original 1687 and the RI. The strings were the same as those used on the Original vs. RI comparison, which I put new on both guitars just prior to those recordings. I hadn't played the RI in the intervening 4 days since it had the ToneRite attached. I measured the distance to the mics prior to each recording; any change in position relative to the mics was no lesser nor greater than with the RI/original comparison recordings. I didn't touch the mixer or recorder in the days between making the RI/Original comparison recordings and this latest ToneRite Before/After recording with the RI.
I've spent 30 years in biomedical research - I'm all about eliminating variables and including as many controls as possible ;) |
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Location: Flahdaw | How about temperature, humidity, length of fingernails. Were you constipated, hungry, horny?
Did you have stress, a fever, gas, or toenail fungus? Lots of variables out there. |
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| Temp and humidity the same (I have gauges on the wall behind by guitars). Mood & physical condition - tired, as I'd spent most of the afternoon in an ER, comforting the Mrs and trying to entertain a 3 year old. Always have GAS. Fungus? We don't need no steenkin' fungus... |
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Location: Utah | New strings were installed prior to each test? I had been wondering if the device was doing something to age the strings, or vibrate off the crud, to make them sound better. But new strings installed after the vibe treatment would negate that.
I'm still a skeptic, but a lot of experienced folks have given it a good review. |
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| Originally posted by FlySig:
New strings were installed prior to each test? No. Only before the Original/RI comparison. I only played the 3 song snippets on those new strings before attaching the ToneRite. I may be caustic, but I'm nowhere near as corrosive on strings as is Temp. There was no crud on the strings after 3 min of playing. These aren't Elixers that sound like crap when you first put them on and get better (for a time) with playing. They're EJ16's. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by FlySig:
I'm still a skeptic      ... 
Rut roh... I think I see MM over yonder heading' dis way... 
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | I really didn't hear THAT much difference. My friend Jay is here right now and he agrees with me. The first clip is a little bassier, but the second clip seems "clearer". Hard to tell over computer speakers, but I would save my $150 and do it the old fashioned way. I have to say they both sounded quite good...O am not sure I heard that much difference and I hooked my laptop to some great speakers...I'm sure it will work but I still think on wood guitars it will work better...I have read the science behind the Adamas guitars and I am not sold on the fact they will open up significantly...if so why go to the trouble of assigning a top vibration number to the new ones (in the event of the older originals anyway)...but on a wood guitar I think it would definitely work...I'm just not hearing it on this...but Serge, your playing is really nice! Bravo!
NOW IFFY............ 
I think you're just green with envy... |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by MusicMishka:
...I have read the science behind the Adamas guitars and I am not sold on the fact they will open up significantly...if so why go to the trouble of assigning a top vibration number to the new ones (in the event of the older originals anyway)...
Interesting discussion from a few years ago ... the fundamental frequencies of a couple of original slotheads changed significantly over 30 years according to the laser vibrometer.
Laser Vibrometer Plots
As background, there was a slothead reunion at the factory and they ran laser vibrometer plots on them (same as they did on the OFC guitars). Compared to the original fundamental frequency assigned to each guitar, there is a fairly substantial change according to the data that we got from the owners. Check it out.
Of course, remember that ElginAcres performed with his slothead #43 every night for something like 8 years. |
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| OK, everybody, thanks for playing.
Moody (as always) got it - before and after in that order.
My impressions: after treatment the guitar sounded crisper and cleaner, without the mid-range muddiness reminiscent of a Martin dread. To me it sounds a lot closer to the Original 1687 to which I did the earlier comparisons.
Things to consider:
[list]
[*]As MusicMike pointed out, I'm not sure to how much "opening up" an Adamas top might be subject.
[*]I've had this particular guitar for nearly a year now and play it every day, so that in itself may have already significantly opened up the tone (as far as that goes with an Adamas).
[*]The ToneRite literature states that you'll achieve about 80% of final tonal change with the first 72-hr treatment, and additional exposure (albeit at lower power) will be needed to further expand the change.
[*]There is a noticeable difference in tone (at least to my ears, and to some others') before and after the initial treatment. Whether or not you feel that difference is significant or desirable is a matter of personal taste.
[/list]
I have a Larrivee in "new, unplayed" condition and I'm going to try it out on that. Personally, I don't regret the money I spent on the device. As always, YMMV.
Thanks, everybody. This has been fun.
Edit - Bobbo posted that interesting tidbit while I was was writing. I retract my first point above. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Just had an interesting discussion with Iffy on this very subject...Bobbo I remember that thread and the discussions...I know that there is a difference in my '78 #119 and '78 #189: the later has been played over the it's life of thirty year s and the former has not...while both sound very nice, to my ear 189 sounds fuller and richer...so yes, Adamas guitars will change over time to some degree but I contend that wood guitars will open more so early on...
but, whatever...I just like to play mine and experience the change from my own playing... |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by G8r:
Moody (as always) got it - before and after in that order. OK, so I purchased a high freq cat ma$$ager...
I have a feeling that KC won't appreciate it much... |
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| Originally posted by MusicMishka:
I just like to play mine and experience the change from my own playing... At my age, I don't have the luxury of waiting 30 years... |
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| Originally posted by G8r:
Originally posted by MusicMishka:
I just like to play mine and experience the change from my own playing... At my age, I don't have the luxury of waiting 30 years...
good mojo goes a long way!
plus you have all of the great minds and hands at Shands to keep you fit and ready for a long time more.
Regards, and Thanks for being around G8r!
Glenn |
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ToneRite - Before and After
