The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #76

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    Quote Originally Posted by citizenk74
    It seems to me that the "breaking in effect" from playing music with an instrument must be greater than the "loosening up effect" of the application of more or less random vibrations. Musical tones are composed of multiple, arithmetically related frequencies. Random vibrational energy cannot duplicate that. Twenty or thirty years of harmonically related frequencies are bound to have an effect.
    Hi Cit’74,

    “Related frequencies” are in absolutely no way whatsoever “bound to have an effect” based on anything except the possible desire that they would.

    The minuscule amount of actual study of the subject (vs. imaginative description) suggests that very high amplitude and duration of vibrations are remotely, almost, possibly able to have some measurable effect. And that that there is NO reason whatsoever to associate this effect with improved (vs. somehow possibly “changed”) tone. And why does this never, ever result in reported deterioration of “tone”?

    Put a scope on a mic’ed acoustic (or the output of an electric arch top) sometime. You will see the overwhelmingly highest amplitude comes from the atonal transient vibrations in the attack. There is a secondary (far lower) peak at the resonant peak frequency (or in some cases, frequencies) of the instrument.

    Any actual study of this has never associated the harmony of the vibrations, vs. a lack of same, to have any bearing whatsoever.

    This discussion is about human perceptions of human values of subjective human interpretations of human experiences. That is also what music is, which is absolutely fantastic in my human opinion.

    The need to associate invented concepts to add an illusion of objective fact to this seems remarkably odd.

    If someone feels that their guitar sounds better the more they play it, that is great. I want to hear the music.

    The pseudo-science, not so much.

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  3. #77

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    If players/collectors/owners enjoy feeling great about their instruments and associate improved sound based on playing, well that is hard to beat as an experience.

    I do not at all get the need to then synthesize concepts to explain this. It closes the opportunities for improved understanding.

    We all learn more all the time, on the whole. But there are periods of remarkable regression mixed in there. Those are regrettable periods.

  4. #78

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    Just read these words from Pat Metheny in another thread, then remembered this "playing in" thread: "For me, kind of the most important thing with any guitar is how much it’s been played. If you play somebody’s guitar that’s five years old but they’ve played it 18 hours a day, it’s going to have a thing going on that the guitar that’s never been played from 1932 will not have".

  5. #79

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    I am not the believer of the breaking in thing. However if an instrument was resting for years or more in different temperature and humidity, I can imagine it needs to accomodate for even a few days to a normal room temp and humidity before it gets in shape.

  6. #80

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gabor
    I am not the believer of the breaking in thing. However if an instrument was resting for years or more in different temperature and humidity, I can imagine it needs to accomodate for even a few days to a normal room temp and humidity before it gets in shape.

    I am not a believer in the theory either.
    I can imagine that a guitar that was resting for years sounds better because it rested.

  7. #81

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    My experience with instruments has been that playing them does open them up, and makes a noticable improvement in how they sound. I can hear this even in electric guitars. Most musician friends tend to agree.

    Probably one part of it is the player getting "in tune" with the instrument better, as hours and days pass. You fine tune your playing and really start to get as much tone as you can out if it. But the guitar plays a big part also. I have about 20 guitars, and every now and then months will pass and I'll gravitate towards a few different ones, so this process of breaking in a guitar is very familiar to me.

    Since moisture and temperature can play such a big part and totally transform how a guitar sounds under various conditions, I have no problem believing that vibrations and playing has an effect too.

    Whether player or guitar, the end result is the same. You will sound better on it as you spend time with the instrument..

  8. #82

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alter
    My experience with instruments has been that playing them does open them up, and makes a noticable improvement in how they sound. I can hear this even in electric guitars. Most musician friends tend to agree.

    Probably one part of it is the player getting "in tune" with the instrument better, as hours and days pass. You fine tune your playing and really start to get as much tone as you can out if it. But the guitar plays a big part also. I have about 20 guitars, and every now and then months will pass and I'll gravitate towards a few different ones, so this process of breaking in a guitar is very familiar to me.

    Since moisture and temperature can play such a big part and totally transform how a guitar sounds under various conditions, I have no problem believing that vibrations and playing has an effect too.

    Whether player or guitar, the end result is the same. You will sound better on it as you spend time with the instrument..

    Hi, A,
    And, to those who are listening, the words above are written by a very accomplished, creative musician that has achieved mastery of his instrument as is attested by his excellent musical postings. Play live . . . soon--I hope? . . . Marinero

  9. #83

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    How 'bout some blues??? Thanks, Alter.
    Play live . . . Marinero