Waded into the controversy, bought a ToneRite

[onewilyfool]

The thought of putting that thing on my guitar with uncertain results.....well, it just gives me the shakes....

[dhanners623]

The thought of putting that thing on my guitar with uncertain results.....well' date=' it just gives me the shakes....[/quote']

 

No, it gives your guitar the shakes....

 

I will say that of all the ToneRite threads I've read anywhere, I've yet to see anyone who said, "I put it on my guitar and it ruined it."

[onewilyfool]

Oh...I see how YOU took it....."shakes"......lol.....how un-intentional that was.....

 

I wonder if, after using the Tonerite, that you can play the Beachboy's "Good Vibrations" any better?????

[Spot]

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

 

..I've often thought this is being a flaw in the ToneRite manufacturers business plan - The darned think can be Rented Out!!!!!! As can a Vinyl Record cleaner' date='...two business ideas for ya'll..

 

 

[dhanners623]

Took the ToneRite off this morning and played the Texan. Although ToneRite recommends an initial treatment period of 96 hours, I worked the late shift last night when the 96 hours would've been up and just waited until this morning. So my initial treatment worked out to be 107 hours.

 

The short verdict: It worked. It worked really well. I'm glad I did it.

 

Again, the "test" guitar was a new "Inspired by 1964" Epiphone Texan. I was pleased with its sound when I got it and loved playing it. On some things, it could give my '98 J-45 a run for its money. But the more I played them side by side, the more I could tell that 12 years of aging had made a lot of difference in the Gibson. It just had more articulation and "presence," if that makes any sense.

 

This morning, the distance between the two guitars' sound isn't so far apart.

 

Now, the Texan is -- in the words of my wife who heard me playing this morning -- "richer and fuller." She's not a player, but before, she could hear (and noted) the difference between the Texan and my J-45. She commented on the sound right away.

 

There is a clearly discernible improvement in the definition of the notes, volume, bottom end and sustain. Volume and bottom end weren't big concerns because the guitar was decent -- even remarkable -- in those areas. But the definition and articulation of notes was something I was hoping the ToneRite could improve, and it worked some sort of magic on them.

 

I've always had trouble trying to describe a guitar's sound. I read "Acoustic Guitar" and other magazines and see writers who can give flowery descriptions of a guitar's tone as if they're a wine critic sampling the latest vintage. To me, a guitar's sound generally falls into one of two categories: Sounds I Like, and Sounds I Don't Like. I liked the Texan beforehand, but now I like it a lot more. But as I keep searching for some way to describe it, I keep coming back to my wife's simple and straightforward observation: "It sounds richer and fuller." That sums it up nicely.

 

There is added sustain, too. When I put the device on, the strings on the guitar were a couple of weeks old and I'd done a couple of gigs with the guitar. So if the guitar has this kind of sustain with old strings, I can't wait to change them. (But I will.) As I play it, there are notes that come out that didn't come out before.

 

The guitar has opened up quite a bit. There's more "oomph" to the notes, more resonance, more of a feel that the box is moving air. I would not have described its pre-ToneRite sound as muddy (there was some definition in the notes) there is a lot more definition now.

 

So yeah, I'm sold on the ToneRite. I can hear and feel the changes.

[zombywoof]

So is this the high tech version of placing your guitar in front of the drummer while he flails away?

[Jack6849]

To dhanners623:

 

I was looking forward to reading your review, and when I did, I was glad to find out that you saw (or heard) the results of the ToneRite treatment to be positive for your Texan. It seems I'll now have to wait until Father's Day to get mine, because when I explained to my family what the ToneRite was for, I was told that since they think I'm really "so hard to buy for", and since the ToneRite would make such an obviously cool gift for my wife and kids to get me.... Well.... See where this is heading?....

 

So.... now, since I'm under family orders, I must wait to hear any ToneRite results on the acoustic guitars in my collection, starting, I guess, in early June. Hopefully, those results will be as positive as the ones others have described. In the meantime, your report was most welcome. Thank you! Please let us know if you use the ToneRite again on your Texan, (or on any other guitar in your stable) and if the good results you've observed so far seem to be permanent. I'll be watching for your results.

 

(Say, maybe I could buy myself the ToneRite now, and then the family could just order me a new guitar from Bozeman for Father's Day.... Hmmm.... Yes.... That might work.)

 

For someone who's supposedly "so hard to buy for", I sure don't seem to have much trouble buying for myself.

 

Thanks,

Jack6849

[Buc McMaster]

Glad to ear you had a good result on the Texan! Further treatment may or may not produce more results, but hey, it can't hurt to buzz it further!

[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' date=' 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. [/quote']

 

Here's the link: http://www.acousticguitar.com/gear/advice/vibration.shtml

[MisterGibs]

Reading all this stuff I start to think about one Tonerite for my friends M-R GIBS and GALE.

And I will buy one for sure.

Thanks for the helpful information!

[albertjohn]

Yes. Great info and opinions here. I too am intruiged by the gadge.

[Rockbl]

I've used my ToneRite on 2 or 3 guitars now and have found that it markedly increases their resonance and enhances their inherent tone. After using it, when I strum a single open chord, the sound is louder, pulsating and richer in overtones and sustain.

 

As it says in their instructions, the ToneRite will not AGE a guitar -- only the passing of years can do that-- but it will give it a much more "played-in" sound.

 

It was definitely worth it for me.

 

Rockbl

[KenRosier]

And' date=' 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.

 

[/quote']

 

 

 

There is a logical explanation for this. Believe it or not there ARE other things that influence an instruments playability other then string action (nut, saddle, fret and neck shaping and adjustments). There are certain tonal characteristics that cause players to play in a specific way. The more experienced the player the more of a roll the tonal characteristics play. For instance, a guitars dynamics have a HUGE impact on how we play. If and instrument has a very wide “dynamic range” we don’t have to work as hard to produce the same outcome. We are able to accent notes and melodies with much greater ease thus making the perception of the instrument much easier to play. In some cases a very dynamic instrument will also inspire a player to explore new possibilities and alternate approaches in regards to style. I have a large instrument collection so I have experienced this many times. A guitars “volume” will also have a perceived impact on playability. A player may be able to perform with much less effort on an instrument with increased volume. This is often perceived as a more “playable” guitar.

 

I just recently read and interview with Clive Carroll in one of the guitar magazines this month where he talked about how he always travels with a particular acoustic guitar amp that he uses onstage every night as a monitor. The reason for this is because he used to just have the venue sound engineer give he a stage monitor for foldback with his guitar and mic in the mix. The problem was that the level was always different. Some nights it was too loud, some night it was too low and sometimes just right. What Clive discovered was that on the nights when the monitor was low he would tend to “overplay” to compensate and his performance would lack dynamics. On the nights when the monitor was too loud he would underplay. He overcame this problem by traveling with his acoustic guitar amp to use as a monitor and setting the gain the same every night. This is a great example of the impact that volume and dynamics can have on ones playing and/or perception of your guitars playability.

 

I hope you find this helpful.

 

Cheer,

Ken

[KenRosier]

Perhaps the most striking change is the sustain - the thing just rings out loud and clear' date=' 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.

 

[/quote']

 

 

There is a logical explanation for this. Believe it or not there ARE other things that influence an instruments playability other then string action (nut, saddle, fret and neck shaping and adjustments). There are certain tonal characteristics that cause players to play in a specific way. The more experienced the player the more of a roll the tonal characteristics play. For instance, a guitars dynamics have a HUGE impact on how we play. If and instrument has a very wide “dynamic range” we don’t have to work as hard to produce the same outcome. We are able to accent notes and melodies with much greater ease thus making the perception of the instrument much easier to play. In some cases a very dynamic instrument will also inspire a player to explore new possibilities and alternate approaches in regards to style. I have a large instrument collection so I have experienced this many times. A guitars “volume” will also have a perceived impact on playability. A player may be able to perform with much less effort on an instrument with increased volume. This is often perceived as a more “playable” guitar.

 

I just recently read and interview with Clive Carroll in one of the guitar magazines this month where he talked about how he always travels with a particular acoustic guitar amp that he uses onstage every night as a monitor. The reason for this is because he used to just have the venue sound engineer give he a stage monitor for foldback with his guitar and mic in the mix. The problem was that the level was always different. Some nights it was too loud, some night it was too low and sometimes just right. What Clive discovered was that on the nights when the monitor was low he would tend to “overplay” to compensate and his performance would lack dynamics. On the nights when the monitor was too loud he would underplay. He overcame this problem by traveling with his acoustic guitar amp to use as a monitor and setting the gain the same every night. This is a great example of the impact that volume and dynamics can have on ones playing and/or perception of your guitars playability.

 

I hope you find this helpful.

 

Cheer,

Ken

[KenRosier]

It's so interesting to read this thread and compare it to others about the same subject' date=' elsewhere. In some other threads on other sites, the conversation is downright sceptical, scornful, and even disrespectful to those who believe the claims made by ToneRite. Here, even the sceptics have an open mind, and non-believers are respectful of their peers' beliefs. More interestingly, most here are enthusiastic about the possibility that ToneRite can speed up the breaking in process. And it's not like our Gibsons don't already sound great, and we were just waiting for something to come along and fix them...

 

This forum may not be the biggest, but it's the best, IMO.

 

As for me, I see no reason why the ToneRite shouldn't work as claimed. I may order one myself, and see if it does something to some of my guitars. Lord knows they don't get enough individual playing time, so maybe it will help them somewhat.

 

I tell you what, between Jinder's rave review of his new Blues King, and this thread about the positive effects of the ToneRite, I have to hide my checkbook! No wonder the manufacturers all sponser forums. What effective advertising!

 

Red 333[/quote']

 

 

I couldn't agree more. FYI, I took the plunge and received my ToneRite for guitar yesterday. It has been running for 24 hours now on my Taylor NS72-CE. I'm goinf to give it 72 to 96 hours for the initial period so I will get back to everyone with feedback on the outcome. I have a very large instrument collection and many of then are rarely if ever played so the whole concept of this is very appealing to me. Because the NS72-CE has a ceder top, I am not expecting the best results as ceder is a softer wood and doesn't require nearly the aging or "breakin" that other woods require. This is the reason that I decided to start with this instrument. If I can notice a difference on this one after the first use period, then I would expect great results on my other guitars. I will let everyone know what the outcome is.

[KL]

So does the tonerite unit have to be in contact with the bridge of the guitar as well as the strings?

Is there any risk of damaging the finish . . . for example by the rubber parts of the tonerite vibrating in direct contact with the guitar finish? I'm just wondering about this. We all know how contact with stands etc can cause damage to (especially nitrocellulose) finishes, and this device is constantly in motion. So if it is in contact with the finish it could cause damage. Any experience with this or any comments?

[onewilyfool]

That guy from the BeeGee's used one of these on himself....and look what happened to his voice!!!!

[Hall]

I read as much as I could. May have missed. Any risk to electric guts on acoustic?

[Jack6849]

Thanks Ken. I'll be interested in your opinion of the ToneRite's effect on your guitars. As you say, sometimes seemingly subtle changes can have a monumental impact on our perception of a guitar's playabilty. Point well taken.

 

Jack6849

[MisterGibs]

Thanks Ken,

please share the info when you get the results.

This is a very interesting topic for me ;-)

[larryp58]

That guy from the BeeGee's used one of these on himself....and look what happened to his voice!!!!

 

Wiley strikes again! Too funny!!!

[KenRosier]

So does the tonerite unit have to be in contact with the bridge of the guitar as well as the strings?

Is there any risk of damaging the finish . . . for example by the rubber parts of the tonerite vibrating in direct contact with the guitar finish? I'm just wondering about this. We all know how contact with stands etc can cause damage to (especially nitrocellulose) finishes' date=' and this device is constantly in motion. So if it is in contact with the finish it could cause damage. Any experience with this or any comments?[/quote']

 

 

Answered Questions and ToneRite Performance Review

 

So… as I mentioned in my previous post, I took the plunge and purchased the ToneRite for guitar. First let me try and answer the questions that were posted above. According to the manufacturer’s instructions, the tonerite unit does not have to be in contact with the bridge of the guitar. The instructions tell you to place it “near” the bridge. Also, no part of the unit actually comes on contact with the finish of the instrument so there is no chance of damage. With that said, I can tell you that I am currently experimenting with the unit actually resting against the bridge as I feel it will produce better results in a shorter period of time. I have carefully evaluated this and have absolutely no concern of damage from contact because of the nature of the vibration and the material that the feet are constructed of. I would comfortably trust it on a $10,000 guitar. As far as the risk to nitrocellulose finishes, I would only see this as a potential concern if the unite were placed in a way that it did actually rest on the bridge and it were left there for weeks to months at a time. Weather the unit was turned off or on would not make a different in this example.

 

On the Tonerite’s low setting the device seems to oscillate at a very low frequency (I’m guessing 5-10 Hz) that is then modulated as you turn the dial clockwise. Doing so also increasing the vibration level and produced harmonic overtones that are blended with the fundamental frequency. Once you have a chance to experience this you quickly realize that actually “playing” a guitar produced way more wear and tear then the ToneRite will ever do, meaning; it couldn’t be any safer on your loved instrument.

 

I have a collection of around 60 guitars out of 88 total strings instruments (6&12 string guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, etc). I decided to first use the ToneRite on my 2003 Taylor NS72-CE nylon stringed guitar. As mentioned in my earlier post, I wasn’t expecting substantial changes in this guitar because of its cedar top. Cedar is a very soft wood and doesn't require nearly the "breakin" or play-in that other woods require meaning it doesn’t change nearly as much over time. This is the reason that I decided to start with this instrument. I figured, if I can notice a difference on this one after the first use period, then I would expect great results on my other guitars. I ran the tonerite for a total of 96 hours (4 days) for the initial treatment. During the 4 day period I modified the harmonic setting three times as follows:

 

Day 1-2 = Tonerite turned fully up

Day 3 = Tonerite on a very low setting

Day 4 = Tonerite on a low to medium setting resting on the bridge.

 

According to the manufacturer the lower settings typically produce a more “sweetened” or “balanced” sounds and higher setting typically produce an increased volume in the instrument. Keep in mind that all instruments will react differently.

 

After the 4 day treatment I took the guitar for a test drive. The nylon strings on this guitar have not been changed in 6 months but it also does not receive much play time. There was a subtle, but noticeable difference in the overall tone of the guitar. Keep in mind that this guitar has always had great tone so it’s hard to improve upon that. . I quickly noticed that the guitar sounded a bit warmer and a fuller than before. Were I really noticed a difference was in the punch or presence of the instrument. Single notes and runs really seem to be fuller and much more “punch” then before. It’s hard to say for sure but there may be a bit of increased dynamic range as well.

 

I have to say that I’m quit pleased with my first ToneRite experience, especially considering the fact that it’s a Cedar top guitar. I nixed doing a second treatment on the NS72-CE since I’m so eager to use this on my 2003 Taylor 714CE-LTD. Monday night I started the ToneRite on the 714 at the lowest possible setting. I am now getting ready to increase the level just slightly. Since this guitar has not evening been played in a year, I most likely will run the first treatment for at least 5 days. I will keep you posted on the outcome.

 

Happy playing everyone!

Ken

[Jack6849]

Thanks Ken.

 

I'll be watching for your steel-string results, on this thread or perhaps another, if you prefer to start a new one. All ToneRite results are of interest to me, particularly when they include the manufacturer/model of the subject guitar, the ToneRite settings utilized (intensity and duration), and the user-perceived results of those variables. Subjective or not, I'm interested in the opinions of all who try the ToneRite. Once Father's Day gets here, I intend to start my own research project in earnest on my Gibsons, Martins, and Goodalls. I think it'll be a good time.

 

Thanks again,

Jack6849

[Hall]

I read as much as I could. May have missed. Any risk to electric guts on acoustic?

 

Sorry to bring this up again, but it seems important to, at least, me. Is there any risk to the workings of an acoustic with a bridge pickup, preamp, volume & tone controls, etc. ?

[onewilyfool]

Wiley strikes again! Too funny!!!

Larry....I'm just trying to shake things up a little......everyone gets so SERIOUS when talking about Tonerites, and bone nuts, and such......whatever floats your boat is fine with me....