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Electric Guitars "Opening Up"


SteveFord

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I have a 2019 Les Paul Gold Top with the P90s and 50s neck.

I see why nobody bought it, the thing weighs about as much as a Harley frame and was just totally dead acoustically - it was like the sound just died as soon as you strummed it.  Plugged in it's just great.

I've been playing it on and off for a few weeks and now the sound actually escapes the body.  I think it just needed some playing time to perk up.

Obligatory guitar porn:

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I think the phrases "open up", "opened up", and "opening up" are pseudo-technical terms for that point at which a guitar player has become used to and enjoys and likes the sound of their guitar.  It sort of generalizes something we all do, makes it seem like something more than it really is.  "I like it a whole bunch now" is probably more accurate, but harder to legitimize.

rct

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12 hours ago, rct said:

I think the phrases "open up", "opened up", and "opening up" are pseudo-technical terms for that point at which a guitar player has become used to and enjoys and likes the sound of their guitar. 

When it comes to electrics, I think you make a solid point.

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3 hours ago, IanHenry said:

I once read an article about Yairi guitars  (made in Japan and mostly classical) where they leave completed guitars hung in a room playing music to them, apparently to make the wood understand it was now a guitar!

 

The first thing they do to a baby when it's born is whoop it's butt so it now understands it's a baby...

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Is it chambered? Maybe not if it's that heavy.

Back when Les died, I was gigging an ES339 and felt bad because I didn't own a Les Paul at the time, so I bought a wine red Studio in his honor, and I needed a write off.  It's chambered and is loud unplugged, it's actually a great guitar. I think it's an 07/08, it was NOS. Les himself was a fan of the chambering.

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13 hours ago, rct said:

I think the phrases "open up", "opened up", and "opening up" are pseudo-technical terms for that point at which a guitar player has become used to and enjoys and likes the sound of their guitar.  It sort of generalizes something we all do, makes it seem like something more than it really is.  "I like it a whole bunch now" is probably more accurate, but harder to legitimize.

rct

I think that's it.  I'll get stuck on one or two guitars for awhile & one amp. my ear gets accustomed to hearing that combination. it's familiar & comfortable .  

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40 minutes ago, Murph said:

Is it chambered? Maybe not if it's that heavy.

Back when Les died, I was gigging an ES339 and felt bad because I didn't own a Les Paul at the time, so I bought a wine red Studio in his honor, and I needed a write off.  It's chambered and is loud unplugged, it's actually a great guitar. I think it's an 07/08, it was NOS. Les himself was a fan of the chambering.

I believe that is a 2019 50s Standard with P90s, they're not weight relieved.

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Not chambered, it's close to 10 pounds.

I actually did put my first Firebird VII next to a speaker for a few months and it helped it collect dust, I don't think it did anything else.

The VII I have now was super stiff feeling when I first got it, it just needed around 1000 hours of playing time to beat it into submission.  That one is really loud unplugged.

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2 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

Not chambered, it's close to 10 pounds.

 

that's a bit on the hefty side   you should put my 95 standard on your shoulder sometime

It's +11 lbs.  Gets pretty heavy during a session,  but plugged into one of my Marshalls, it's like a Hammer of the Gods

 

I dig this one tho.. gold top  P90s,, Delish!  

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2 hours ago, SteveFord said:

Not chambered, it's close to 10 pounds.

I actually did put my first Firebird VII next to a speaker for a few months and it helped it collect dust, I don't think it did anything else.

The VII I have now was super stiff feeling when I first got it, it just needed around 1000 hours of playing time to beat it into submission.  That one is really loud unplugged.

I am noticing this "submission" on an ES-335, very stiff and hard-sounding at first. The more I play, the better the sound seems to get. My thinking was, it is all psychological and just having to learn to listen to it properly. But on an LP Standard, the sound seemed super great immediately the first time I played it. (Both were new guitars with a great initial setup.)

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I think a solid body can "open up".  Hard to prove, but I've had some that seem to become more resonant with time.  This one while not a solid body has a back, sides and center block carved from one chunk of mahogany, then a carved maple top glued on.  It definitely got better and better over the years.

mADYOwv.jpg

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2 hours ago, duane v said:

To me solid body electrics always sound like crap to me acoustically. 

I have to agree with this,  I'm also not the least bit interested in how it sounds unplugged, that is not why I'm buying it.  I'm also not at all interested in how it sounds in the store, that's not where I'll be playing it.

rct

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On 2/15/2023 at 4:30 PM, rct said:

I think the phrases "open up", "opened up", and "opening up" are pseudo-technical terms for that point at which a guitar player has become used to and enjoys and likes the sound of their guitar.  It sort of generalizes something we all do, makes it seem like something more than it really is.  "I like it a whole bunch now" is probably more accurate, but harder to legitimize.

rct

I agree… And doing a good Set up & putting a new set of Strings on your new or used Guitars..

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