Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Torrefaction...what does it add? Snake oil or magic potion?


Jinder

Recommended Posts

Oooooh, we had a lot of talk about this when the wave started - recommend you to look up the pages.

The Board even had a whole squad that converted to fried Birds back then. The discussions flew hot and passionate.

 

I've tried a handful of these. Birds, a 200, a couple of J-45's and a Martin D-35 (plus more), , , and they all offered what you'ld expect =

Dryness, lightness, fast response, a very lively rather clear, but also slightly more porous voice.

 

You of course already have checked them in the cans on the Tube - and as an experienced musician thus listener probably got your clues by now.

But you have to go out and feel them face to face - it'll tell you the rest and what you need to know. Eeehh, 'cept one thing, which was up in the previous debates also :

 

How will it age ?

Will they over-open, will the respective components grow older under different conditions and kind of end up out of sync - and will that have a quality of its own.

Things got pretty deep when they were under the spotlight - the scientists here began to talk about wooden structures and the poets babbled.

 

Good fun - Exciting theme

 

Em7, your description of terrified guitars is brilliant. I wish I could have said that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We may find out tomorrow. My wife wants to go check out a 1967 Martin D-35 12 at a store about 1 1/2 hours down the road. Personally I have rarely played a Martin D-35 that did not sound like a turd with strings (sorry, the poetic side of me is coming out) so I am not expecting much. The place though is also a Bourgeois dealer among others so I may just be able to get my hands on a terrified top guitar.

 

How did the D35-12 test drive turn out, Zomb? Did you get your mitts on anything Torrified?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like a six-string turd, only louder and muddier.

Yeah, ok. That was funny, Old Cowboy- I guess we, and 'Woof, had that one coming. (and I was just going to guess it to sound like crap)

 

Actually, there is getting to be quite the cottage industry taking '60's 12-string Martins, usually/hopefully with some sort of severe damage to their tops, and converting them to a 6'er. The cost is in the thousands, but it's customized to the player, and a way to make an old brazilian Martin slightly more affordable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, there is getting to be quite the cottage industry taking '60's 12-string Martins, usually/hopefully with some sort of severe damage to their tops, and converting them to a 6'er. The cost is in the thousands, but it's customized to the player, and a way to make an old brazilian Martin slightly more affordable.

 

That's an interesting proposition, given that the 12-string versions are typically less than half the cost of a comparable D-28 from the same period. That only makes sense if you want to keep it forever, of course, and all you're really saving is the Brazilian back and sides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did the D35-12 test drive turn out, Zomb? Did you get your mitts on anything Torrified?

 

We are heading over there Tuesday. They do have a couple of Bourgeois with the terrified top. Need to try and compare one to a similar model without the toasted top. I am also wanting to give an early 1990s Martin D-28 with a Morado Rosewood (whatever the heck that is) body and old growth Englemann top they have in. Thing is this guitar has the "P" neck. Translation = skinny butt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been playing my torrefactified j45vintage quite a lot since my last post on this thread, and i must say that it seems to have turned a corner so much for the better- i like it as much now as my 46 sj, with my martin hj-38 running a close third. Having never previously owned a j45 or a toasted top, i cannot say if it for the better, instead just that my j45v example is a fine one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Hi all,

I'm intrigued by torrefaction...baked wood, basically. I gather the baking advances the curing process and dries the tonewoods, causing the sap in the wood to crystallise in the same way as age does in vintage instruments.

 

I've not played one of the baked Gibsons, but I recently played a little torrefied Ibanez parlour guitar, modelled after the old Washburns et al from the early 20th century. It was terrific-light, punchy, dry and stacked out with mojo for spooky blues or celtic stuff. Only £300ish too...I was tempted. Having said that, I didn't have a non-torrefied example to compare it with.

 

So, my question is, what do YOU think/hear/find that it adds? Does anyone have a baked guitar and a similar non-baked example who can get down to the nitty gritty and describe the tonal variations between the two?

 

I'm really interested to hear your thoughts.

Hello Jinder,

You're intrigued by torrefaction & you're not the only one. Since you're interested to hear different thoughts, i will do my very best to expose my opinion to you. Torrefied models are supposed to give you the sound of a 40 years old instrument regarding the sonics & they would have a special look from a purely visual point of vue as well (please see the torrefied Hummingbird spruce top round the saddle area for instance, just as pictured on the Gibson website). To be perfectly honest with you, i must tell that i'm rather frightened by torrefaction: what would happen to torrefied guitars later? i mean: today in 2018 they sound terrific and why not, but what would happen within ten or twenty years from now in 2028 or 2038? What about cracks on the top for instance and that kind of things? Vintage guitars are fragile aren't they: i'm afraid that the same truism would apply to torrefied ones whatever their sound. This is the reason why i prefer recent models: i'm so happy & feel safe with my 2017 Hummingbird and she's definetely not torrefied, but she sounds terrific to me & that's what matters the most.Hope this helps. Sincerely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vintage guitars are fragile aren't they: i'm afraid that the same truism would apply to torrefied ones whatever their sound. This is the reason why i prefer recent models: i'm so happy & feel safe with my 2017 Hummingbird and she's definetely not torrefied, but she sounds terrific to me & that's what matters the most.Hope this helps. Sincerely.

As you probably know we have been discussing this back and forth. Highly intriguing it is.

 

And yes, vintage guitars are fragile for different reasons, , , but then again they don't explode.

A lot of them survive and make it through the decades only to sound better and better.

Think violins fx - many old fiddles are treasured like royal jewel shrines.

Okay, most are repaired/stabilized/modified on the journey and the same can be said about vintage acoustics.

But treat them nicely and they'll make it Ok. Believe me I know.

Still the many Q's about torrefied tops (and fx braces) hover in front of us.

As mentioned in post #2 the sync between fried and un-fried components is one of them.

 

Glad you dig your Bird. They are incredible creatures, , , and different. An exciting combo.

Did you choose a Standard ? , , , and how about a few pics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...