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Aging Strings On Different Guitars


Victory Pete

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I put all my acoustics in their cases 2 months ago. Today I pulled out my J-45 Custom and my SJ-200 1938. The J-45 Custom was lively and fun and the SJ-200 1938 was dead and boring. Same strings same age. My theory is that the J-45 can tolerate older strings better because it has less string tension and the top is braced lighter.

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I put all my acoustics in their cases 2 months ago. Today I pulled out my J-45 Custom and my SJ-200 1938. The J-45 Custom was lively and fun and the SJ-200 1938 was dead and boring. Same strings same age. My theory is that the J-45 can tolerate older strings better because it has less string tension and the top is braced lighter.

 

Jumbos don't do old strings well. Too much top to set in motion, and the reduced resonance of old strings chop the top end and upper mids off. Smaller guitars get funky with old strings, jumbos just die off...but with new/played in strings...😍

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Jumbos don't do old strings well. Too much top to set in motion, and the reduced resonance of old strings chop the top end and upper mids off. Smaller guitars get funky with old strings, jumbos just die off...but with new/played in strings...😍

 

This has been my experience--and theory, too.

 

Another jumbo/slope difference I've observed is--my maple/sitka j100j loves to live outside of its case, but my adi/hog j45 gets dull. The former has to wake up a bit if it's been in the case for a bit, whereas the latter wakes up all perky when I open the lid.

 

I know it could be the wood or even the strings, but something tells me the reason for this might be in the build (bracings, shape).

 

Anyone else observe case-related behavior differences? (This summer, the humidy conditions inside have been steady and perfect indoors, so that variable has been consistent.)

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No, dead sound is dead sound.

Just what is dead sound ??

If you don't know then I think you need to have your ears checked.

So will I, , , and you too, who knows.

 

Though I see what you mean, I tend to believe things aren't that simple. Of course most of us know when a guitar fades out and gets kind of sour.

But when exactly that point is reached is relative from person to person and instrument to instrument.

The squares here fx simply sound so right and so much 'themselves' as time goes by.

I don't like new strings much and some of the guitars around seem go on 'forever' with old bronze.

This new angle came to me after discovering scalloped and light bracing.

The way they respond is so different from the bulkier earlier acoustics and it sets a whole other game.

 

Has to do with the vibes of the wood. The lighter constructions give access to more vibration, which again shows other dimensions in the guitars.

They come to theír right in another freer way and that allows them to reveal secrets the heavier boxes inhibited. What a revelation it is.

 

Imagine a set of old lights (12-54) on a vintage J-45. They'll bring the dry characteristics forward in the absolutely right manner.

Will the strings be dead – perhaps. Will the sound – no way.

 

Then imagine the same highly nuanced old slope with overcoated strings more or less covering up the genuine voice of the creature.

 

Combinations of factors like these go on and on. One have to listen'n'feel to get it right, , , and 1 man's ceiling is another man's floor.

 

Look at Grateful Dead, , , didn't they name themselves after the virtues of totally jaded strings - puristic non-vain insightful sages as thew were. .

;-)

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So will I, , , and you too, who knows.

 

Though I see what you mean, I tend to believe things aren't that simple. Of course most of us know when a guitar fades out and gets kind of sour.

But when exactly that point is reached is relative from person to person and instrument to instrument.

The squares here fx simply sound so right and so much 'themselves' as time goes by.

I don't like new strings much and some of the guitars around seem go on 'forever' with old bronze.

This new angle came to me after discovering scalloped and light bracing.

The way they respond is so different from the bulkier earlier acoustics and it sets a whole other game.

 

Has to do with the vibes of the wood. The lighter constructions give access to more vibration, which again shows another dimension in the guitars.

They come to theír right in another freer way and that allows them to reveal secrets the heavier boxes inhibited. What a revelation it is.

 

Imagine a set of old lights (12-54) on a vintage J-45. They'll bring the dry characteristics forward in the absolutely right manner.

Will the strings be dead – perhaps. Will the sound – no way.

 

Then imagine the same highly nuanced old slope with overcoated strings more or less covering up the genuine voice of the creature.

 

Combinations of factors like these go on and on. One have to listen'n'feel to get it right, , , and 1 man's ceiling is another man's floor.

 

Look at Grateful Dead, , , didn't they name themselves after the virtues of totally jaded strings - puristic non-vain insightful sages as thew were. .

;-)

 

 

A friend of mine sold his dads 1957 Southern Jumbo to another friend of mine. At one point unplayed strings that I had put on a few months before were unequivocally dead, no pulse, nadda, sounded terrible. New strings were put on and it was resurrected, lively and bright sounding.

 

 

 

 

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A friend of mine sold his dads 1957 Southern Jumbo to another friend of mine. At one point unplayed strings that I had put on a few months before were unequivocally dead, no pulse, nadda, sounded terrible. New strings were put on and it was resurrected, lively and bright sounding.

 

There you go then

Case solved

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Step off the roof.

Take a hit...

Exhale.

That has nothing to do with Gibson Forum. That's the Photobucket product that you choose to use, or not use. They changed their policy. It's a photobucket issue. Many of us have dropped our PB accounts a while ago because of this policy. There are many free options out there. IMGUR is one.

 

 

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Thx - I'm in.

But how do I move the pics over here ? , , , tried the different copy-options.

Sounds like you're looking to do a bulk move of all pics to imgur? 'Not sure on that part; however, I'm still able to view my Photobucket albums, find the pic I'm looking to use, download to my computer, and drag that file to imgur's "add images" box. Also- most of those pics at Photobucket were screen captures, and they're still on the "all my files" view (Mac), and just drag to imgur from there.

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On imgur, select "images" from the drop-down tab near your i.d., find your uploaded image your want to share or edit, clicking on that brings up the edit/share. Choose "direct" (right column on that page) tab which automatically copies it to your clipboard, then the usual insert image button here on the board reply box.

 

m0Whmgd.png

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