Okay......Tonerite

[Buc McMaster]

I have ordered one of these little vibrate-the-hell-out-of-your-guitar devices and should have it in-hand by the end of the week. All I've read on the Tonerite has been positive and I figured it was time to see what all the fuss is about. Just this weekend I was marveling at the tone of my SJ200.......big, rich, smooth, sweet and with loads of sustain. The guitar is 4 years old now and really coming into it's own. But I've always been a sucker for gadgets and the Tonerite seems to live up to it's claims of tonal improvement. For those of you have "toned" your guitars, are you impressed with the results? Is it something that made you say "wow!" or was it a subtle change? After I make use of the thing I'll post my impressions and results.

 

ps.........why are Tonerite threads so dispised?

[bkharmony]

why are Tonerite threads so despised?

 

Because there are a lot of them and there's no way to actually answer the question empirically, so they go on forever.

 

That said, I had a ToneRite experience and I haven't really spoken about it, so here goes. I borrowed a ToneRite from a kind forum member here (thank you Sir), and tried it on two guitars:

 

1) Taylor 114.

 

This was really just to be sure that it wouldn't explode my guitar. The 114, if you're not familiar with it, is a solid Spruce top with Sapele back. The back is slightly rounded and doesn't have any bracing. It's a loud, loud guitar, and I suppose one might say it lacks a certain character of tone.

 

Anyway, I threw the ToneRite on there for 3 or 4 days and there was little to no change. Like I said, this guitar is already loud, and I consider it "opened" up. The ToneRite really did nothing for it.

 

2) Custom Shop Red Spruce Adi/Mahogany J-45.

 

I've had this guitar for maybe 6 months now, and my main frustration with it is how tight that Adi top is. It takes a good 20-30 minutes of rigorous playing to even start to get to the real potential of the guitar. And as it's my 3rd or 4th option, I just dont play it much. (I should mention at the time it had the stock Tusq saddle and Colosi bone pins)

 

So, I set the ToneRite on it for the recommended 72 hours. I took it off, played it, and it sounded louder, but deader. I've read where some folks say the ToneRite kills your strings, so I changed them and what I got was a totally different guitar. No more chugging along to open up the top. The thing is open, loud and responsive. My friend called it a cannon. Lots of overtones.

 

Now, my only regret is, the tone is not nearly as focused as it once was. Perhaps this is just how it would've been after another 5/10 years of playing. I'll never know. But the ToneRite really changed it. I added a Colosi FWI saddle later, and so with that, the bone pins, and the ToneRite treatment, it's a really playable guitar now. Big, open, complex tone, and easily the most responsive guitar I've ever touched. You can really get some dynamic range out of it. I kinda miss the old tone, but this is better. Much more "useful." I was going to throw the gadget on my J-200 next, but you know, I like where that guitar is, and I think I'll just let it be.

 

So my experience: Yes, ToneRite works - on some guitars. It changes the tone, but just keep in mind you don't really control what you get.

[dhanners623]

A repairman/master luthier I know in the Twin Cities -- who runs the repair shop at one of the Upper Midwest's premier guitar salons -- says the Tone-Rite does indeed produce results. And he told me that a fairly well-known local player who tours internationally bought one and used it to "open up" a new guitar and raved about how good a job it did.

 

I've been thinking about getting one because, hey, it's a guitar toy and people I trust say it produces results. It's not going to turn a plywood guitar into Clarence White's D-28, but it does appear to help a guitar reach a good measure of its potential.

[Buc McMaster]

Here is a Tonerite results project that seems very well organized and has something more than "I think it sounds better" data for specific guitars. Overall, the device gets good marks and seems to be a plus for most players and instruments.

 

Collings Forum Tonerite Testing

[maninblack]

So far I've used one on my Guthrie SJ, my J-150 and my Hummingbird. I went full speed for 1 week solid on each. All 3 instruments certainly gained volume. The Guthrie SJ (the heaviest build) got louder and more refined. The J-150 (already fairly light and broken in) got MUCH louder and less refined. The Humminbird TV (the newest of the bunch) just got a little louder with no other changes.

 

There is no question that it alters the sound of the guitar. To what degree of permanence or tonal quality is up for debate. I brought the J-150 out after it sat in its case for a month and it had essentially returned to its pre-tonerite tone and volume. I was glad, as it was to brash fresh off the machine. The Guthrie has quited down too as a result of its owner's neglect. This disappointed me as the tonerite seemed to really open her up. The hummingbird seems to have retained the benefits, thought it benefited the least and gets played the most.

 

I want to try it on an adi top next. I am going to do 2 days at a lighter speed, then increase the intensity for another 2 days, then bring it back down to a low setting. Then I'm going to play it for a day and start the whole cycle again if needed. In my limited experience with the device I'm thinking lower settings over longer time might be the way to go. I'm concerned I risk losing complexity on the full power setting.

 

I know nothing beats playing it in by hand and pick, but life is short and I have too damn many guitars. If a product can help speed it up I am always interested.

[BigKahune]

The anecdotal evidence is interesting. But for me, without data from controlled, double blind testing, with reproducable results, I wouldn't use the product on one of my guitars and take a chance of ending up with a sound I don't like (which happened to at least one person in the survey Buc pointed us at).

 

The question for me is, if you don't like the sound of the guitar to begin with, why buy it?

 

In the case where you have a guitar with sound you aren't happy with, why not sell the guitar and find one with sound you like?

[ajsc]

I'm with you BigK, I bought my guitar's because, I liked them already!! If they sound better in the coming years, that's great.

If I had guitars I didn't care for, I sold em!!

[Buc McMaster]

The question for me is' date=' if you don't like the sound of the guitar to begin with, why buy it?

 

In the case where you have a guitar with sound you aren't happy with, why not sell the guitar and find one with sound you like?[/quote']

 

In principle, I agree. As pleased as I am with the sound of my guitar as it is, I see no conflict with seeking to improve it further if it is possible. Hence the addition of new saddles, nuts, pins, etc. to guitars to pull the best possible tone from them.

 

It's like my Dodge Magnum SRT8. Yep, it's got a HEMI under the hood and runs like a scalded dog right off the lot. But hey, I can add a cold air intake, a new exhaust system and a plug-in custom tune and gee whiz I've got about 40 more horsepower to wrestle with! Same thing. It's great now, but it could be better. That's my expectations of the Tonerite.

[DonCarlos]

Glad to hear positive statements about this type of device.

 

Instead of spending $149 couldn't you just attach a massage vibrator of some sort and accomplish the same thing? Just wondering if anyone has tried that?

[DonCarlos]

I know that this could be a door for all sorts of off color remarks and suggestions about vibrating devices......so have at it........... but I was really wondering if anyone has tried something else?

[maninblack]

There are too many options for off color jokes, so I will bypass the temptation altogether.

 

The concept of speeding the opening process by vibration has been around forever. I've heard of people leaving transistor radios in the case or leaning their acoustics up against the hi-fi. The science seems obvious in terms of volume. But tone and volume are two totally different things. They even have different knobs on an electric.

 

Regarding improving your guitar's tone or selling it and finding one you like better. Maybe its just me, but I have bought plenty of guitars on looks alone. Some turned out to be less attractive to listen to - - so that left me with a choice. I've sold a few of them, but I've improved many more. Not to appear shallow but I always consider matters of physical appearance. A good looking high-end guitar can usually be coaxed into a great sounding guitar too with some effort/investment. (changing component parts, new setup, playtime, tonerite, etc).

[onewilyfool]

These Tonerite posts seem to always shake things up........

[BigKahune]

... As pleased as I am with the sound of my guitar as it is' date=' I see no conflict with seeking to improve it further if it is possible. Hence the addition of new saddles, nuts, pins, etc. to guitars to pull the best possible tone from them. ... It's great now, but it could be better. That's my expectations of the Tonerite.[/quote']

 

Fair enough. But, I would point out that the changes you talk about are reversible changes - all very nice. Some I've done myself on various guitars

 

A possible irreversible negative change to the sound or structure is what puts me off.

[Paul E]

There has been a long running post on the Tonerite on the UMGF. It has mainly been very positive. One guy bought one and rented it out among a bunch of members, this kept the over al cost down and some got to try it without spending alot. There are some custom builders who use it before they ship their guitars out. So it may have some merit.

I guess it's like trying to find the perfect strings for your guitar, you'll never know unless you try.

[suburude63]

Got one ! It works modaratly well ! :- Works best on Adi tops ! and Violins

[pohatu771]

I think the issue some people have with the Tonerite is the same issue they have with pre-worn guitars.

 

They had to use the guitar for decades to get it to sound or look that way, and they don't want other people to be able to look or sound the same way without doing the work.

 

Another theory I have, which is probably even more accurate, is that people are opposed to doing anything non-traditional. Musicians like to have things a certain way, and for the most part, we're happy never changing those ways. I'm surprised with how much progress music has made with the way the musicians cling to the past.

 

Maybe I'm bitter about it... I just don't see why other people care so much about what other people do with their own instruments.

[onewilyfool]

These Tonerite posts always have a certain "vibe"

[Modac]

couldn't you just attach a massage vibrator of some sort and accomplish the same thing? Just wondering if anyone has tried that?

 

Oh yeah.... a few years back, a whole bunch of knuckleheads bought vibrators with suction cup attachments. Only problem was, the plastic that the suction cups were made of reacted badly with the finishes of some guitars....and they left ugly scars on them. I think they call that "passive mojo".

[mooboo]

These Tonerite posts seem to always shake things up........

These Tonerite posts always have a certain "vibe"

Haha.. Now that's funny!

[onewilyfool]

These Tonerite posts always make me a little jittery.....