Tone Rite Review: Is Guitar Break-in A Myth?
Can You Break Your Guitar In Or Is It A Myth
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Originally posted by UCUMBIYslSt3wQgJwWrDP5dQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9tSMGRKJ70
I am aware I used the wrong guitar in the sound clips ???????????????? whatever … the results were still the results.
Interesting video, Dylan. I (electrical engineer and Guitar Amp Tech) agree with much of what you say except for one part. I disagree with your assessment that being simple is somehow a negative. Would a mass of SMD technology packed inside it impress you more? I believe its methodology is more significant than its technology. I'd like to try it on a 335 style guitar, but I am concerned that the magnetic field it creates could compromise the pickup magnets. Did you notice if there was any shielding inside the Tonerite enclosure?
Tonewoods season and "open up" naturally with age. The question is does subjecting the wood to vibrations accelerate the process? The specific hypothesis here is "Does this device change the tone of the guitar to make it sound more "played in?"
The experiment as performed in this video yields no conclusive results because it fails to account for all the variables.
The way to properly conduct this experiment is to have a control, a guitar that is used "normally," and a baseline. Assuming the recording setup and finger technique can be duplicated easily, there are three variables that need to be measured: A: unplayed, B: played normally, and C: broken in using the device.
You'd need three D-28s fresh from the factory, A, B, and C. Preferably you want three guitars that came off the line in succession, or at least made on the same day. Right out of the box, play the same test licks on all three in a controlled studio environment with a brand new pick and fingers (taking note of the length of your nails). Note any minor differences in the initial tone of each guitar compared to the others, because there will be some. The test should consist of open strum and first position cowboy chords at 3-5 different volumes, barre chords up the neck, scales, and soloing licks.
Put the device on guitar A and set it aside for a week, two weeks, whatever your experiment duration is. That's the experimental. Then play guitar B normally for that same period of time, and keep an accurate log of how much time it's played. This is the control. Set guitar C aside and don't touch it for that time. This is the baseline. Store all of them in the same area in the same way (on a stand, hung up, whatever).
At the end of the experiment duration, play the same test using a NEW pick of the same guage, and with fingers (ensuring fingernail length is the same) on each guitar in the same space, using the same mics, DAW interface, EQ, etc. Even make sure you're wearing the same clothes. Only then can you have a reasonably accurate comparison. It would also be useful to see a graphic frequency spectrum analysis comparing before/after overtones.
Nerdy overkill? Yup. But of you're gonna do it, dime it. ????
ok guys – I actually bought a fish tank pump, plugged it in and taped it to the guitar….DOES EXACTLY THE SAME THING. HAHAHAHHAHA. 15 bucks. Vibrates. Changes the soumd of the guitar after a week. For 15 bucks… well… you CANT complain.
The inside of that looks just like the inside of an aquarium air pump????????
Could you look at an EQ in the DAW of the 2 recordings and compare them that way?
I hate this so much. I want the tone to be genuine so that when my great grandson plays it he is hearing my son and I.
I think it may help open up a new instrument, but it’s not worth $150 for simple ,cheap electronics . $25-$50 would be more reasonable.
A waste of time. And, if there’s no real noticeable difference… it’s a waste of time of money.
Talk about a useless video. The device is probably useless but the guy can't even show us the before and after of the same guitar. Kind of ruins my opinion of all your videos, can't be sure anything is what you tells it is.
Very nice of you to open it up. I got a Chinese copy of this and just got it on my D-18 at full, it's been 5 hours and it plays less stiff. Will report in a week but I feel I've saved up 90% on the same thing. Let's see if it does something
The strings we're maturing plus placebo effect plus habutuation plus positive ecpectations. If someone would have treated your guitars during your supposed absence the same way, would you really have had realised some significant differences?
Snake oil and bullshit Designed to separate you from your money
I'm in the camp of just play it. Whether the tonerite works or playing loud music to vibrate it works, that's great, but I suspect you purchased the guitar because you already liked it. Play it enough and it will open up in time.
I bought an exciter speaker for $20 and played music though my daughters violin for 2 weeks straight. So Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, Pearland etc "broke in" her violin. Night and day difference..
I did the math.
14 days X 24 hours per day = 336 hours
That's just shy of play an hour a day for a year. The other part is, we play say 1 hour, and the violi or guitar n is back into the case. With this, the instrument is out all day and night, with music exciting it, the water shedding rate / descant rate of much faster. So it is faster aging of an instrument. My guess is that it just gets your instrument to it's final form faster. If you have a crap instrument, morning will help. If you have a nice instrument that will mellow and get sweeter, then yes it'll help.
Think amplifier..
I got one used on Amazon for cheap. It works. I broke in my d15m with it, and it made a considerable difference.
I think that this is simply another piece of junk manufactured in CHINA, to take money out of the U.S.A. and other places around the world and designed to help us fill our LANDFILLS!
As you mentioned Dylan, the improvement in the tone of a well-made, solid top acoustic stringed instrument, is due mainly to the relatively damp wood of the new guitar losing water and drying out over time. This makes the top thinner, the internal bracing lighter and the body of the guitar more resonant.
In my opinion, the improved tone is due to the decrease in humidity of the wood, not any sound or other vibrations that have passed through the wood. Therefore, I believe that this vibrator is a scam! ????
The lose in brightness could have come from wear on the strings? Think the best test would have been new strings in the beginning and new strings in the end, them compare. You played the guitar it seems a lot thru out the week. I notice brightness fall off on my acoustics from day to day as the strings wear, or even a tone change from hour to hour of playing.
Wouldn't want it touching the bridge and vibrating it,, might cause it to loosen..
You talk too much and show too little!!
Using external vibration to break in guitars definitely works. I have my own method of doing that, but I use more than only 60 cycle hum. I had a similar experience with reduced high end frequencies. To me it actually worsened one of my guitars.
To me it's another lesson of don't fix it if it ain't broken.
Dylan……loose the glasses. You look goofy in those.
The Tone Traveler device looks like a better version of this, but $300, so I guess it depends what you want? Me, I want the feel of the guitar to be broken in, I want the guitar to loosen up and feel it’s best
I love that because you don’t hear a difference “anybody who says they can is lying”. I heard and felt a difference with mine, and compared recording and could head an immediate difference. And I’m not lying.
It isn’t about the overall sound, it’s more about the way the notes blend together and the resonant feel, to me.
Also- you still haven’t learned the most important lesson of playing guitar? Anything that makes the player more confident is going to come out in the playing.
Scientifically if you think that a top vibrating that much for that long isn’t doing anything on molecular level- you’re misinformed. The top and bracing are connected and act like a diaphragm.
I will say this- you will notice the effect of these devices on cheaper guitars more so than you will on a martin d-28 with scalloped bracing.
Dylan is always gonna have his own confirmation biases just like any of us- but if people out there are interested in one of these types of devices I say go for it- it isn’t gonna make your guitar sound worse- that’s for sure. And it’s cheap.
I bought one and used it on many acoustic guitars in my collection. My impression…it had very little or no effect on my 50 year old, broken in guitars. Where I was truly impressed, was with newer guitars. You are right, the 'jangly' high end was transformed to a richer, more responsive sound that sounded more 'broken in' and older. The biggest effect was on my 1992 Martin D-28. I didn't play it much because I have 5 guitars on my wall that I prefer….so according to a local luthier, it fell asleep. I put the tone rite on it for a week and the result was impressive. Is $150 bucks a lot for what looks and sounds like a $20 aquarium pump? Yup. Does it work? Yes, it does. I just ordered a $12.83 replica on Ali Express…that price sounds much better but, we shall see.
I just purchased the Tone Traveler because I can use it on all my acoustic guitars as well as my mandolins. We'll see, but sound waves makes more sense to me than just vibrations. And it does make sense that playing and woods vibrating would open up the sound a little bit. Otherwise, the best genius money grab since the Pet Rock!
How about an “Even Tension Gauge” custom set?
forget about using tonerite, just play your guitar regularly and enjoy the process of opening up your guitar.
This was funny for me to watch, I’ve used a Tonerite for years. The change you noticed was the dulling of your new strings, making it sound warmer. Does it make a slight improvement? Yes but I only use it when it’s time to change strings on a guitar.
Okay, , , just reached the 7:42 mark and this is gettin' exciting. Basically a sceptic here, BUT ! , , keep a tiny crack open.
Now a cold glass of rosé and further with the film. . .
I had one of these in for review and while it did seem to help it is not as effective as the tone traveler IMO.
I have to disagree with you on this one. Years ago I bought a product called “Prime Vibe” and tested it on my then brand new Martin D-41 and noticed that after 100 hours of treatment the guitar sounded sweeter and more rounded. The principal on mine is much the same but this one is a tiny amplifier with two special speakers. You play music through it and the sound will go through the guitar wood but with different frequencies all the time corresponding with the music you play. This will soften the guitar over a range of frequencies. It is like the story I heard about this guy that inherited a cheap guitar from his uncle. His uncle had been an active member of the Salvation Army and had used the same guitar all these years. The guitar was bad if he tried to play some sofisticated jazz cords but was extremely good on the typical Salvation Army cords like D,G,A,E and C.
I read that Eddie Van Halen used to break in new guitars by placing them right in front of the speakers during concerts.
At the time I bought my device I remember Korg had a thing with a similar approach as yours have. I recorded the sound of the guitar before and after the treatment and was convinced there was a difference. I also noticed that the guitar became loader after the treatment by 5 decibel. The treatment should work on other instruments made out of wood as well.
The guitar might have been acclimating to your environment and after a week it "did a thing" but works have anyway. Maybe take some clips now and do the experiment again and put the tracks on a scope and really see if a change has occurred. See if you can rig something to give you more consistent strumming tension to make it more accurate. From an engineering stand point the device should do next to nothing to alter the sound unless you threw full force into the sound board ????
What can this device do that about 100 hours of spirited playing couldn't do? I think I'll just play my guitars and enjoy the tone journey. Not to mention, I believe the natural aging of the wood and lacquer have more to do with vintage tone than anything else.
This is interesting Dylan. I've always had a bit of curiosity about these, but at the price point, it's been very hard to pull the trigger.
But i actually found through eBay a version that is much cheaper, so I'm giving that a shot. It'll be interesting as I'm using it on a solid wood guitar I built. I guess we'll see how it goes.
The idea has been around for decades.
Folks used to, in the days of living room stereos,leave the radio on, and put the guitar in front of a speaker.
It works!
Thank you for exposing it for the snake oil it is.
With brand new strings on the first recording and then brand new strings on the guitar after the ‘treatment’, would it STILL sound warmer?
I’m going to say no
But if you’re comparing strings that are now 100 days older …
It’s bollocks
I didn't think it's worth $150 at all…. However, when you but a grand he guitar, it isn't going to be as open as it's going to be….. You could literally put a speaker with a tone generator on your guitar to vibrate it…. Or put it right next to a speaker and play music all night for a week or two…. And depending how little your guitar is opened up You totally could hear a difference….. But…. This technology is a gimmick… Just Play your guitar a lot….. Go ahead and vibrate it on the speaker or something for a couple weeks when you sleep and you'll probably open up the guitar a bit.. if you're in a hurry to open it up.
I've been placing a Bose Soundlink speaker down on the strings of my new Eastman E20D, Martin d-28 Style guitar with a non torrified adirondack top. I was playing pink noise on loop from an old phone for two weeks straight while I was on vacation – volume about 65db. Afterward it was a great sounding guitar, with the strings still intact, neither the bracing nor the frets had come loose, and even the screws on the tuners and strap holders were still tight. My cat said it sounded glorious.
Your playing was so different. It doesn’t suffice to play de same song but to repeat same playing as much as possible. And, btw, just little, tiny bits, like one chord, one scale, even one note. And then listening back to the samples in a quick A/B fashion, instead of whole chunks of a song where the ears have time to sleep on (adapt on). Common sense.
Just play the damn thing ✌️????✌️
How did you go a week without playing it???