J-35 Finding Its Voice

[Bozz]

I have a new J-35 that was built about 90 days ago. It has had what I considered to be exceptional tone from day one, but over the last week or two there has been a remarkable increase in volume and projection. I have had numerous guitars over the years and have never heard one suddenly open up like this one. I'm not sure if it has to do with the glues and finish curing, or perhaps it it just needed a little time to adjust to a different environment. At any rate, it has been a startling improvement. Has Anyone else experienced this with their Gibsons?

[duluthdan]

Maybe its just drying out, getting used to the fact tha its there.

[j45nick]

Every time I change strings or clean out my ears.......

 

Seriously, I have guitars that seem to change tone significantly when I pick them up again after playing other guitars, but aural memory is a very tricky thing. Did you change anything? new pick? new strings? Anything at all? Change in temperature/humidity? I know that changes in humidity can have significant impact on tonal character and volume, as can the other things mentioned.

 

In cases like this, I tend to look for exogenous factors.

[DRC]

My nearly yr-old J-35 has opened up but not 'suddenly' or to the extent you're presenting. Various strings have made quite a difference in tone, volume, projection, etc, so just wondering... did you change strings prior to noticing this sudden improvement? The Gibson extra light 80/20s that are shipped with the J-35s pretty much suck, and just about any different light gauge string would make it sound better. I've been using Martin M540, M535, and D'Addario EJ16, and it sounds amazing. Just put a set of Martin Retro lights on it a couple days ago and sounds even better.

 

DC

[mountainpicker]

My Eastman ET5-SS, an LG-2 copy, went through a dramatic opening up/change over the course of a half an hour while I was playing it one night. I would describe the occurrence exactly the way as the OP. I'd add that the nuance, the quality of the note, increased simultaneously. That was at about 9 months though. My J-50 has never had a real opening up to my ear, at least not startling. The bass was the last aspect to mature and when it kicked in its addition made the whole sound just rock. Anything's possible I guess. Isn't it fun?

[Bozz]

I have to agree that the Gibson Masterbuilt 8/20's that came from the factory left something to be desired. I didn't wait long before changing them out. I have been using D'Addario EJ16 lights and the current set has been on 3-4 weeks. I don't believe the change I am hearing is related to the current set of strings. But it wouldn't be the first time if I am wrong.

[DRC]

Hey TD...

 

EJ16s definitely sound much better on the J-35 than the Masterbuilt 80/20 extra lights. Give the Martin Retro lights a try. My J-35 has never sounded better.

 

DC

[IanHenry]

I have a Yamaha AC3M that I bought new about 12 months ago. I collected it from the shop on a Friday, and by the end of the weekend it had improved to an unbelievable extent! I think this is only true of solid wood guitars and not laminated ones because laminates are basically "posh" plywood, which is, to a large degree a Man made product and is designed specifically not to alter or change in any way.

 

Ian

[littlejohnny]

I actually experienced the same thing with my H'Bird TV which I bought early this year. One day I took it from the wall to strum a chord and thought, wtf, what happened here??

 

At the same moment my wife entered the room and asked me, what I did to the guitar that it is so loud. I did really nothing, did not even play it for two days and last string change was about three weeks ago.

 

I think its all part of realizing that its not a tree anymore and like others said, its a characteristic of solid wood guitars.

 

But isn't it great when an already great sounding guitar gets even better? I really dig it!

[Bozz]

Hey TD...

 

EJ16s definitely sound much better on the J-35 than the Masterbuilt 80/20 extra lights. Give the Martin Retro lights a try. My J-35 has never sounded better.

 

DC

 

Thanks DC. I'll definitely give the Martin Retro lights a try.

[E-minor7]

I think its all part of realizing that its not a tree anymore and like others said, its a characteristic of solid wood guitars.

 

But isn't it great when an already great sounding guitar gets even better? I really dig it!

 

It sure is - a terrific and enchanting theme to be around.

 

First the thing finds out it's no longer various trees cut to strange pieces of wood.

 

Then it realizes it's now a guitar, , , , and finally that it actually belongs to you. . .

[zombywoof]

To paraphrase Leo Kottke - some days my guitars sound great and others like they have an armadillo stuffed inside of them.

[Phelonious Ponk]

I capoed off, released string tension, pulled the pins, installed my soundhole pup, then put it all back together and brought it back up to standard the other day, and my OJ lost its voice. Went dead of me. I thought for sure I was gng to have to change the strings before their time, but within 24 hours it was back to normal. I don't know what causes these things--barometric pressure,lhumidity, mood...who knows. But realistically, I know it's a lot more likely that it's me or the strings than the wood suddenly changing. Lovely, romantic notion,though.

 

P

[E-minor7]

I capoed off, re But realistically, I know it's a lot more likely that it's me or the strings than the wood suddenly changing. Lovely, romantic notion,though.

 

Ears and what happens between them play an enormous role, but I like to think the guitars react to fx weather and seasons as well.

 

Wouldn't be able to set up a scheme though. .

 

But yes, the dear creatures have souls. . .

[rustystrings]

I've gotten two brand-new (non-Gibson) guitars in the last few years and I noticed this with both of them. The cedar-topped Seagull S-6 sounded thin and trebly and weak the first couple of hours I had it - then suddenly the mids and the lows were there, and it was on its way to being an astoundingly good, surprisingly Gibson-esque guitar.

 

The voice-finding moment with my Kremona Fiesta FS classical was even more pronounced. I got it marked way down due to a nasty side crack, which I hastily repaired (maybe someday a real luthier will fix it properly), after stalking it for months because (1) it's all solid wood and (2) it has the most beautiful looking soundboard I have EVER seen in my life (Carpathian Mountain Spruce!). I set to work on dialing in the action, which was crazy high out of the box. I had some buyer's remorse, because it seemed dull and lifeless - but I was in, committed, and so I carried on with the setup. Sometime AFTER I had changed out the stock strings, somewhere a few hours after I had gotten the nut slots where they needed to be and the bridge saddle shaved down to where the action was right for my sloppy faux-bossa nova playing ... somewhere in there all of a sudden the guitar just WOKE UP. As in, suddenly out-of-nowhere, this-guitar-wants-to-eat-a-D-28-AND-a-banjo-for-breakfast LOUD. The treble-bass balance came a little later, though that is probably as much me learning this particular guitar as it is the guitar developing.

 

Interestingly enough, I did NOT have that sudden moment with my J-45, which I also bought new. It sounded pretty good from the start, but warmed up and opened out steadily over the first couple of years - then again, it hung on the wall of a Guitar Center for at least a month before I took it home.

[MissouriPicker]

Interesting thread-------I took my J60 to a gig tonight. It is a very loud and projecting guitar. Not anymore than what I've come to expect from it, but tonight was different. Strings are a couple months old. Could have been the environment of the restaurant. As I was sitting there just warming-up a little before I plugged in I was thinking its voice sounded pretty strong. Then a guy walked-up to me and said "What Gibson is that? I can hear it all the way out to the lobby."........I think guitars are affected by all kinds of changes in weather, walls, room materials, indoors or outdoors, etc. and if the changes are favorable a good guitar gets even better. A new guitar is affected by the same things, plus it's opening up and the whole instrument is getting used to the vibrations of the top, neck. Enjoy! You've likely got a super instrument.