"In Sound We Trust" FOLLOW-UP

[crashcup]

Have you ever noticed that a tune you're playing sounds better on guitar "A" than guitar "B?"  And THEN have you noticed that a few days later that same tune sounds better on guitar "B" than guitar "A?"   Or is it just me???


The advice is "trust your ears" when selecting a new guitar--but can you? Really? I know, I know:  "Everything is a compromise." But the implication is that if my appreciation for the tone/sound of my guitar(s) can change from day to day, then how can I trust my "appreciation" of a guitar's tone/sound when trying to select a new one in a store?

Hi Drock!

I play fingerstyle and had a chance to play a 514ce LTD with Granadillo at a local Taylor dealer last week.  You're absolutely right, the tone jumps out at you and rings for days.  I loved the tone, but the continued "ringing" crescendoed into growling overtones that just hung there while the melody moved on.  And that's why I decided against purchasing it. 

I really tried to talk myself into ignoring those overtones/continued ringings, but I compared it to three other high-end Taylor grand auditorium guitars.  The 514ce LTD's  bright ringing tone blew the other guitars away, including the coveted 814ce, but I just couldn't get past the continued ringing.  It was like playing the piano with the sustain pedal pressed all the time.

"Tone" is an individual, subjective and elusive quality.  Compromise is the best we can hope for in the pursuit of the "perfect" tone.  The tone of the 514ce LTD will stand out in my memory as being the most bell "like" in my experience.  Absolutely stunning.  I just wish there were some way to dampen/throttle down the resultant overtones.

If you'll pardon me for quoting myself (twice), my recent guitar-purchasing experience shed some light on the above topic and I thought it would be useful to share.

The first quote questions one's ability to judge tone given that our capacity to judge it may be impacted by a number of factors.  The second quote shares my experience soon after the first quote. 

Before going to the guitar store I had read about and private messaged several people about their experience with the 514ce LTD with Granadillo and Cedar.  My "research" informed me that the guitar has a beautiful, bell-like tone but that because of the characteristics of Granadillo (which is used to make marimbas and xylophones) the notes don't decay as quickly as other woods and the sustaining characteristic of this wood could tonally interfere with fast or "dense" arrangements.

The Granadillo was the first guitar I played at the store, and, as noted in the above quote, the tone just blew me away.  But I could not get past the sustaining overtones. 

None of the other guitars I played had enough tonal distinction to justify purchasing another guitar, and the dealer did not have any cedar-topped guitars or an 814ce 12 fret.  So he called the Taylor factory that day and ordered them into his stock for me to try [WOW!  Great Dealer!!].  He called to inform me they had arrived on Wednesday and I was back at his store on Thursday.

Sadly, neither the 512ce 12 fret, or 514ce spoke to me. I guess I don't appreciate mahogany.  It's not bright enough for my ear and style of playing.  And the 814ce 12 fret wasn't sonically distinct enough from my current guitar inventory to justify purchasing.  So what did I do?  I picked up the 514 Granadillo again and it just sang to me.  [Interesting side note: Granadillo is referred to in Central America as "La madera que canta": The wood that sings."]  But I still could not let the "overtones" issue go.

Then the Taylor-trained guitar tech and the store owner both said something that clicked:  "When you play a new guitar you need to suspend your preconceptions." And the reason that clicked is because of the thread above, regarding factors that can affect your judgment of tone.

So, instead of fixating on the overtones I had read and heard about, I focused on the bell and chime-like tones and truly enjoyed the whole tonal experience.  I bought the guitar and can honestly say that it is my absolute favorite.  The others have their places, but this guitar is a standout. 

There aren't many of these guitars available, so this isn't about promoting it.  I'm simply offering advice to those who do a whole lot of research before they purchase a guitar: It's important to be informed but overthinking can interfere with one's aesthetic/musical judgment.

Offered for your consideration--

Cheers!

Bill

[tedtan]

I picked up the 514 Granadillo again and it just sang to me.  [Interesting side note: Granadillo is referred to in Central America as "La madera que canta": The wood that sings."]  But I still could not let the "overtones" issue go... I bought the guitar and can honestly say that it is my absolute favorite.  The others have their places, but this guitar is a standout.

I'm glad to hear that you ended up buying the one that spoke to you, and I'm sure that you'll find ways to use those overtones to your advantage as you get to know your new guitar. But you may not always want them, so I'll point out that you can mute the strings that you don;t want to continue ringing with the sides of your fretting fingers, your unused fretting hand fingers, and the the fingers and palm of your picking hand. This isn't something I see a lot of acoustic players do, but electric guitar players rely on this technique to prevent uncontrolled howling, squealing feedback and I find that it transfers over to acoustic nicely for situations where sympathetic vibrations are not wanted.

[Epic Audio]

Also, keep in mind, before a guitar reaches the point of opening up, such as when it is new, it tends to sound bright and feel tight. This is why manufacturers of fine wooden instruments (including guitars, violins and pianos) often let their wood age for decades before using it. It is also why good vintage guitars often have a tone and resonance that cannot be built into a new guitar. The theory is the wood fibers are tight and compressed when the guitar is new. The wood fibers in this condition are good for the strength of the tree but not good for tone. Over time, as the guitar is played, the vibration loosens and decompresses the wood fibers allowing them to move and resonate more, resulting in what is known as the guitar opening up. Some tone woods, like koa, will change dramatically from when they are new to when they open up. My experience is that it takes about 200 hours of playing time to get a guitar to fully open up. This is also dependent on the environment the guitar is kept in. Some people will but guitars in front of speakers and play music into them to open them up. There are also devices specifically made for this purpose. In my opinion, in almost all cases, a guitar sounds better (richer, warmer, evener, more musical) once it fully opens up. I actually think the opening up process is always ongoing and why well maintained vintage instruments often have an amazing resonance.