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Posts: 3651
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Years ago, in probably an earlier Life; I was told not to consider purchase of Ovation guitars, because they don't "age". Well, common sense (admittedly, sometimes an oxymoron) would indicate any organic material in the instrument would change character over time, so the original premise would appear flawed. I can attest that my ancient 1111 sure has mellowed over the past 10 years I've owned it. The CS255 seems to be getting a bit more subdued and resonant with my advancing decrepitude. May be my own auditory capacities changing, to be sure! But, "never argue with someone's delusional system- just gets 'em pissed!"
More on point in this mental meandering might be the notion that the comparatively newer models, with carbon-fiber composites, might not exhibit similar change properties.
So, OK, all you afficionadoes & closet acoustical engineers can now hold forth on this subject!!! |
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Location: Lafayette, Louisiana | Hello, my 1981 Ovation Adamas is just as awesome now as when I got it in the spring of 1981. It has been played outside in below freezing temps, to 100 degree weather. I play at alot of different churches, and most of the time I don't even have to tune with the keyboard, it just holds tune so well. In fact, I can't think of a more reliable and tough guitar. If I had an all wood guitar of the same value, I surely would be worried about it. But I don't worry about my Adamas. It just does everything well, and is built like a tank. A pretty tank I might add! |
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November 2002
Posts: 3651
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Paul, thanks for your response. However, my query was centered on the issue of sound quality and resonation change over time. I surmise one of our collective attractions to these instruments IS their durability. Whether their tonal character changes over time, related to construction materials and techniques, was my original gambit. |
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Posts: 170
Location: The Shop | It is fairly possible for a guitar to change its tone with years, considering that the top is just a piece of wood that can dry out(even though they are quite dry to start)it can pick up moisture then dry agian. You know swell and then shrink.
I dont think that it could change as much to say that it doesnt sound as good as new. We have guitars at the factory that are 15 years old that sound better than ones that are 2 days old.
The composite tops are a more stable top, but are also alot more money. They also have a completely different sound.
Happy playing |
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November 2002
Posts: 3651
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | OK, I apologize for flailing a deceased equine unmercifully, but.....do the composite top guitars change tonal character over time? THANKS! |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Aside from the ones Bill and/or Sam have, I have one of the oldest composite-top guitars made. I'd also seen/heard/played it since it left the store new (even before I owned it).
I'd have to say that "no" there isn't any appreciable improvement or degradation in the overall sound of the guitar as it got older. I did find however over years of playing/living with it, you develop an overall "appreciation" (if you will) for the sound of the guitar, so in a sense it does sound "better", but not because of any physical "aging" of the components and/or materials. (I seem to remember going down this rant before on a previous post earlier this year, so I'm gonna "bail" now.)
I honestly think that it's way too soon to be even having this discussion. The oldest instruments in question are themselves less than 30 years old. If there ever IS a change in the sound of these guitars, we won't see them in our lifetime. Better to ask to ask my daughter's grandkids when they pull my SlotHead out of their attic.
That reminds me, . . . . I need to stash a half dozen or so sets of strings in a vacuum-sealed jar! |
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June 2002
Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | Translating what what said - I think over time our hearing gets worse as we age. So we "think" our old guitars sound better than they did 20 years earlier.
By the way, I have been meaning to speak to my wife about "Age & Gravity Conundrum".
Dave
[ December 20, 2002: Message edited by: Standingovation ] |
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Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Dave you're right about hearing deteriorating as part of the aging process. Once we're in our 20's we tend to lose on average around 1KHz off the top end every 10 years. If a person is past 40 and has spent their life going to gigs, playing in clubs, playing drums or electric guitar or worked in heavy industry, that situation is made much worse and they'll be lucky if they can hear much over 14KHz. I've been wearing hearing protection for 15 years, even for acoustic gigs. There's tons of good-sounding noise filters available for a few dollars, so there's no excuse not to. I use custom-made in-ear filters that cost around £150. I have one set for band gigs that give 25dB attenuation & another set for acoustic gigs & studio work that cut by 15dB, Best money I ever spent.
I'd guess the composite tops will change very little, if at all, over time.
[ December 20, 2002: Message edited by: Paul Templeman ] |
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Location: NJ | ". . . whudt he say? . . . ." |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | He said get some earplugs... |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . . huh? . . . " |
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Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | G-E-T S-O-M-E E-A-R P-L-U-G-S
Geez, it's like trying to talk to some non-english speaker! :rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | ". . . que? . . . " |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | youse gotta pudit inyer ears. |
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November 2002
Posts: 3651
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Thanks, Guys (I think). I was speculating the hearing loss thing at the outset of this query. I guess the Age & Gravity Conundrum is a non-issue, in any functional sense (for guitars, not guts). We still need deepbodies, though!! |
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Age & Gravity Conundrum
