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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | I apologize if this is a repeat question, but I didn't see an answer doing a quick search...
There's been a lot of discussions lately about wood top Ovations "Opening Up" after many years. Although I'll bet a lot of it depends on humidity, storage habits, etc., is there a general timeframe when you can expect to hear a difference in sound? When should I expect the spruce top on my Elite to begin to open up? Its a 6768, 1994 model if that helps. Sounds great and always has, I'm just curious if it perhaps has already begun opening, or if it takes 20 years...just curious. Definitely seems to sound fuller than it did, but it could just be me...
On a related question, will the spruce laminate on my Mill-CB undergo a similar transformation, or will the CF prevent the wood from breathing? |
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Joined:
April 2011
Posts: 97
Location: Marlton, NJ | I think it depends on how much you play it, but 20 years sounds like a long time (unless you don't play it much).
Try one of these to speed the process:
http://tonerite.com/guitar/vmchk |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Once a guitar is made, I believe that it will "open-up" within a week of playing.
The more you play it, the more it will mellow.
If you have an old guitar in storage for awhile, it will open-up again after a week of playing.
If you have a twenty year-old guitar and you play it regularly, it has opened-up.
What kind of change are you expecting?
If it "Sounds great and always has" I think this might be as good as it gets. |
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Joined:
February 2008
Posts: 747
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Once a guitar is made, I believe that it will "open-up" within a week of playing. I saw a vid where some luthier from Godin was saying that once a guitar build is completed it opens up at an astonishing rate more or less right there while you're playing it.
I expect the mellowing process takes some time though as it was it about 20 years before I started liking my 1621-4 and now it's my main guitar.
One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was not buying that mint condition one you had for sale awhile back so I'd have a spare to get me through my declining years...lol |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Thanks for the input all. Suffice it to say I love the guitar, and it has a nice deep and full sound, so that's all I need!
One of my Uncles has an early 70's Martin D-28 that I think is a prime example of this phenomenon. Not a huge fan of the Ms, but this thing sounds unbelievable next to newer Martins -- absolutely no comparison. I wonder if the 40 add years of armpit sweat have made the difference (we call it "Stinky Wizzletooth" for a reason). :D |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15677
Location: SoCal | You call the guitar that or your uncle? |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I saw a show with James Taylor where he was giving an interviewer a tour of his guitar vault. JT was asserting that you can wear out a guitar after a while - there comes a point where a guitar loses its sound from too much play. So there's that side of the argument. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | there comes a point where a guitar loses its sound from too much play 
I doubt Willies self styled and misplaced epaulet would support this contention. Trigger must have 2x4 bracing.
And we worry about lacquer cracks on our O's. |
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Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | eh... I think that one's just a tad over-opened-up! |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Opened up with a sledgehammer perhaps... |
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When will an Elite "Open Up"?
