• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,914

Topic: Guitars opening up??

How many members believe that a guitar "opens up" or improves with age??

Personally I believe they usually do.... Over time the sap dries out and crystalizes allowing for freeier vibration, etc. but why's it always supposed to be a positive change?  I was just sitting here (shaping a saddle for an acoustic bass) wondering why you always here of guitars improving but no one ever says, "Well it used to sound good until it opened up and the tone died...." Over time the woods change, the glues continue to dry, everything settles in, but why does that always seem to be for the best??   I guess it doesn't really matter but the thought was bothering me so why not post it smile

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

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  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: Guitars opening up??

I don't know either, but I've always been told that the all wood guitars sound better with age.  I don't think it is something we will notice over time because the change is gradual.

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I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • tandm3
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • From: Florida Panhandle
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 421

Re: Guitars opening up??

I've been fortunate enough to experience the phenomena myself.  I have a 28 year old Ovation and a 37 year old Guild.  I would pit the tonal quality of either of these guitars against their modern cousins with no regrets or fears.  Its a fact. If its a quality built instrument, it only gets better with age.

Now available in 5G !
  • G S E
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Detroit Lakes , Mn , USA
  • Registered: 2008-01-30
  • Posts: 330

Re: Guitars opening up??

Hi All ,
   Have to agree with tandm on this , I have a 44 yr old Guild and a 62 yr old Gibson in my collection and I would also put there tone against their more modern counterparts knowing which would win .........
                              Jerry

" Just reading the lyrics , it's hard to hear the song , but if the words tug at the heartstrings......it's enough for now........... "
  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: Guitars opening up??

My 1960 Gibson 330 electric has fine lines that have formed in the clear finish.
A wise guitar repairman told me never to repaint that guitar because the hairline cracks are letting the tone out from the wood and repainting would seriously dull the guitar's sound until the finish cracked up again. He was right. Only guitar polish occasionally goes on that old Gibson.

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

tubatooter1940's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: Guitars opening up??

I've always heard the same. I can't tell for sure if any of mine sound any better than the day I bought them. I do however, find myself falling more in love with my strat every session. I think it would be easy to confuse your own improving ability with the guitars improving tone. I do think that I can pull more of that classic strat tone out of it today than back in 95 when I bought it. So its 14 years old already. Is that too soon to open up? I know the strats now have a polyurathane finish and used to have a nitrocellulose finish. The nitro finish would crackel like tubatooter's 330, but I don't think the poly does that.