Waded into the controversy, bought a ToneRite

[dhanners623]

Yeah, I know some people will heave insults, will say snarky things like, "Why don't you just play the guitar," etc., but I ordered a ToneRite. Supposed to ship this afternoon. They said they're sending me the third-generation model.

 

And yes, I do play my guitars. A lot. But I liked the sound of the new Epiphone "Inspired by 1964" Texan so much that I wanted to see what it would sound like "broken in" and figured this would be a good opportunity.

 

I'll probably try it out on my '98 J-45, as well as a kit-built guitar I had built for me back in '05.

 

Frankly, with four guitars (I've also got a Republic steel-bodied duolian) I don't play all of them as much as I should. Some days I'm in the mood to play the Gibson, some days another guitar. And some songs sound better on a particular guitar.

 

In case anyone cares, I'll report back on my impressions after I've tried it out.

[albertjohn]

Good for you dhanners623.

 

Very interested to read of your impressions.

 

If you have a hard hat, keep it handy.

[Gilliangirl]

Stuff like this fascinates me. I'll be checking in with interest too!

[KL]

I've wondered about those things but never got round to buying one. Let us know what you think of it.

[MisterGibs]

Interesting for me too.

I don't play much on my guitars and your opinion will be interesting for me.

You know... Every time I pick one of my guitars I don't know what to expect. Will it sound good or will this one be "angry" that I did not play on yesterday (for example).

So tell us your opinion.

[Buc McMaster]

I bought one about a month or so ago. I like it.

[dhanners623]

And what was your experience with it, Buc? What do you felt it did for your guitar?

[Buc McMaster]

And what was your experience with it' date=' Buc? What do you felt it did for your guitar?[/quote']

 

 

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

[onewilyfool]

Look, if it doesn't work, do you have a girlfriend you can give it to????

[dhanners623]

I could tell you' date=' but then I'd have to kill you.

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

I'm not sure I understand. Or get the humor.

[Buc McMaster]

Some weeks back there I opened a ToneRite thread and was summarily dismissed as one that had bought the wrong guitar to start with.......if it didn't sound like you wanted from the beginning why did you buy it? That kind of thing. And so I stated in the thread that I would keep the results of my experiment with the device to myself. And so I shall. No harm meant to you, David.......honest.

[dhanners623]

I missed the earlier thread. Now I understand the comment.

 

That said, I would never criticize you (or anyone else's) guitar purchase. You strike me as the type of chap who would know what kind of guitar he wanted and would buy exactly what he wanted. And there's nothing wrong with getting a ToneRite to see if it expands the guitar's potential.

[MisterGibs]

However David,

I expect to tell us what is the result.

[suburude63]

I have had one for about a year now ! I like them and I do think they work. I have 3 "Adi" topped guitars which need time to warm up and open up. This works well but subtle . The longer its on the guitar the better.

[Jack6849]

I'd really be interested in a report. I have enough acoustics that it's hard to give each one adequate playing time to "break in" properly, which I assume this device is supposed to do. I can see the potential benefit.

 

A couple of questions that may have been previously covered elsewhere... How much does it cost? How is it used? (i.e. Does it go inside the guitar's soundhole? If so, any chance of scratching the finish or leaving a mark?) How often and for how long is its recommended use? Is there just one available on the market, and if not, which one has anyone had good results with?

 

Thanks for the help

Jack6849

[Gilliangirl]

Some weeks back there I opened a ToneRite thread and was summarily dismissed as one that had bought the wrong guitar to start with.......if it didn't sound like you wanted from the beginning why did you buy it? That kind of thing. And so I stated in the thread that I would keep the results of my experiment with the device to myself. And so I shall. No harm meant to you' date=' David.......honest.[/quote']

I must have missed that somehow? Anyhow, sorry that you had that reaction/experience. Are you sure you don't want to share your results with us?? I'm curious now.

[KL]

Yes I remember the original thread on this subject. The bottom line as far as I understand it most guitarists (me included) are always searching for THE tone. Certainly for me the reason I have so many guitars is because of the perpetual search for THE sound. Every time I get a new acoustic I think, and hope, that I've found the one. But then at some point I come across yet another guitar than sounds better, and so the search continues. I don't have a problem with people trying things out to try to improve the sound of their instruments. There was a time when people thought the idea of having a solid body guitar that you could plug in to an amplifier to play was mad.

[woodlands52]

I bought a ToneRite about a month ago. I put it on my latest purchase: a Martin D-18V. Per the instructions, I initially left it on the highest setting for about 80 hours. This guitar was already a cannon, what with the forward-shifted scalloped bracing, so I didn't really notice a marked improvement in the loudness, as was suggested by the manufacturer that I could expect. So I put it next on my played-in HD-28, set on the lowest setting. Now this time I did notice that the trebles, and even the mids to a lesser degree, seemed more pronounced than before the application, so that the guitar seemed more balanced. I had thought it sounded fine before, but the extra "sparkle" just really rounded it out very nicely. Next I will put it back on my 18 on low setting and leave it for a week or so and report back.

[dhanners623]

I'd really be interested in a report. I have enough acoustics that it's hard to give each one adequate playing time to "break in" properly' date=' which I assume this device is supposed to do. I can see the potential benefit.

 

A couple of questions that may have been previously covered elsewhere... How much does it cost? How is it used? (i.e. Does it go inside the guitar's soundhole? If so, any chance of scratching the finish or leaving a mark?) How often and for how long is its recommended use? Is there just one available on the market, and if not, which one has anyone had good results with?

 

Thanks for the help

Jack6849[/quote']

 

Check out http://tonerite.com/ and most of your questions will be answered. The thing wedges between the strings and touches the top and bridge. I doubt it would have any impact on the finish. They recommend 72 hours for the initial "treatment."

 

It seems to me the key thing to remember -- and ToneRite seems upfront about this -- is that the results are going to vary from guitar to guitar. It's not going to turn a plywood-topped Esteban into Clarence White's D-28. But it strikes me as something that can help bring out a guitar's potential, something we do every day when we chose a particular set of strings, a particular material for our bridge pins/nuts/saddles, etc.

[Dove Histronic]

It's not going to turn a plywood-topped Esteban into Clarence White's D-28.

 

No, it won't ---- unless you also add Bob Colosi pins.

[onewilyfool]

No' date=' it won't ---- unless you also add Bob Colosi pins.

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

 

LOL

[Buc McMaster]

A couple of questions that may have been previously covered elsewhere... How much does it cost? How is it used? (i.e. Does it go inside the guitar's soundhole? If so' date=' any chance of scratching the finish or leaving a mark?) How often and for how long is its recommended use? Is there just one available on the market, and if not, which one has anyone had good results with?[/quote']

 

Ordered direct from the manufacturer the unit is $149 plus shipping. It has three "feet" of what appears to be closed cell foam, very dense, that wedge between the strings and hold it firmly suspended above the top at the bridge. The backside of the feet contact the saddle - again, closed cell foam that does no harm to the instrument. Tonerite recommends an initial treatment of an uninterrupted 72 hours (3 days), with best results obtained after at least two 3-day sessions. Though there may be other makers, Tonerite has but one model for guitar and the current offering is the third generation fo the device. There is no other device for this purpose that has the high profile of the Tonerite.

 

Naysayers be damned! I found that after intalling it on the guitar and activating the thing, the device could be pressed tighter to the saddle and manuevered a bit to make best contact. The objective is to get the unit into a position where it is nearly silent in operation. It will emit a hum to varying degrees (assuming the same setting) depending on how it's positioned. The quieter the sound from the unit, the more vibration is being transmitted into the guitar. There is no string noise, as they are damped by the closed cell foam.........just a very quiet hum that you cannot hear from 10ft away.

 

The entire guitar vibrates.......except the strings. I ran my fingertips over the whole guitar, top to bottom, and found that there were areas that did not have the buzz. And they were symmetrical in placement. A small area just outside the soundhole and slightly toward the fingerboard did not vibrate at all, but another half inch further into the upper bout buzzed away. There were 2 areas on the sides that did not move, on either side of the pinched waist of my jumbo 200. I must assume these "dead" areas where due to bracing at those points. I thought it was interesting and I'm sure that different guitars have different "dead" areas.

 

I let it run for 3 days initially. I had just restrung the guitar with DR Sunbeam mediums prior to the treatment and played them in for perhaps 3-4 hours, knocking the "brassiness" off them. New strings seem to calm down after a few hours. The initial 3 day treatment produced a subtle change in the mids to my ear. My 200 has always had very strong mids and the ToneRite settled them into the overall tone of the guitar.......a bit more balance. I played the thing for a couple of days, ingraining it's sound into my head as best I could, then hooked it up for another 3 day session. Bear in mind I have but one instrument, so I would sit and watch her buzz, touching here and there from time to time.......just to stay in tune with the guitar. Yeah, I know.......don't go there, okay?

 

After the second 72 hour session the mids have further settled into the mix and the low end has tightened up and become more focused. The string to string balance is much improved......noticeably so. The overall sound of the guitar is very "present" and focused. Single notes played over the length fingerboard are very volume balanced. Bar chords are very tight and punchy and seem much more similar in tone to open chords than before. Perhaps the most striking change is the sustain - the thing just rings out loud and clear, single notes and chords. My 200 now has much improved balance, sustain and punch. And, inspite of logic to the contrary, I swear it is physically easier to play after the sessions. How this can be I do not understand. The action is unchanged yet there is a marked improvement in playability. Go figure.

 

Yes, for my SJ200 Western Classic the Tonerite treatment was a good thing......a very good thing. As stated on their site and in other forum postings, results vary from one guitar to the next. My experience may not be yours. The principle of the device is sound: make all the various species and cuts of wood in an acoustic guitar vibrate as a whole unit......settle them into each other so they function (e.i. vibrate) as one. Certainly this is at least part of the magic of 50 year old instruments, and just as certainly there are other factors that contribute to the magic as well that the Tonerite device does not address. We all want the best from our guitars. We search for the string set that sounds the best.....we change the nut, saddle and bridge pins trying to pull every ounce of tone from them. We experiment with various picks and string attacks. The Tonerite is another tool some of us employ, reaching for nirvana. Not for all, I know, but I have never been one to disregard anything off hand that holds the possibility of improving the sound of my instrument.

 

Pardon my longwindedness............but you did ask for it.

[nodehopper]

Hey ....would any of you ToneRite owners be willing to rent yours out for a couple weeks?

 

I really only have one guitar that I would love to try the ToneRite out on. My CJ-165 takes heavy playing to open up if it has been in the case for more than a few days. I am wondering if a couple sessions with a ToneRite might help solve this issue or at least make it wake up more quickly, but for one guitar it is kinda cost prohibitive.

 

How long does the effect of the ToneRite last? Is the effect permanent?

 

If anyone would want to rent theirs out I would be glad to pay for shipping and add maybe $20 bucks for rental fee. At least then if it worked I could make the decision to eventually buy one.

[dhanners623]

I appreciate the reply, Buc. It is both insightful and helpful, not to mention inspirational. I've heard about the playability thing elsewhere. I think there are a lot of things about our guitars that most of us laymen can't explain, but we know the feel of our guitars as well as we know anything. So yeah, I believe you.

[nid2007]

Sounds very cool to me...father's day gift request maybe?

 

A few years back I read an article about a big machine that was built to vibrate acoustics...the article is probably on the net somewhere still. I called up the company, but they were not longer doing it. Jackson Browne was singing the machine's praises on the difference it made on a Bozeman-made Smeck of his.