Official Luthiers Forum!

Just ran across this on Stew Mac's site ToneRite

I heard about vibratory treatments for acoustic and electric guitars for some time so this is not new, but this is the first time I've seen something that seems convenient. Anybody use this/heard of it?

Do you have to stick it in the garage to keep it quiet?

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I bought one of these in Healdsburgh in 2009. My intention was to try and loosen up a particularly tight OM. I won't say how that turned out, except to say that I just finished re-topping that instrument :p I haven't had occasion to try it on anything else.

I understand they have improved the product since then, although I don't know the differences.

http://tonerite.com

As far as the noise, it's not super loud. If there is other room noise, you likely won't notice it unless you are right next to it. I'd compare it to decent quality aquarium air pump.

_________________
Jim Hansen

Hey Billy

There was a bit of discussion about the TR a while back mate, check it out...

http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=28635&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=tonerite

Cheers

Kim

Interesting..... I always have music playing in my shop, at a pretty good volumn I might add (around 85db if I had to guess), with a decent size sub woofer as well. When working on closed boxes they usually vibrate a fair amount when I'm holding them (from the music...) I will often have the box closed up and exposed to the music (vibrations) for another 35+/- hours while working on the neck or other aspects. I'm often surprised by how responsive the guitars are when I pick them up and I have music playing in the shop....sort of like a tone right..... maybe.

So I say, keep the music playing in your shops while building. You're mood might be better and your gutiars might just open up all on their own while being built

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

But does the choice of music affect the tone of the finished guitar? If I listen to the wrong music, Metallica for example, I might make a dread that is better suited to heavy metal! Man...everything affects tone in the end.

_________________
http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

It works for playing too. I find that when I sit down to play and I just put on a Julian Bream cd or some such thing, I sound a lot better, assuming I don't tough the strings!

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I'm interested to hear what the guys with a ton of experience think, but . . . for me, it seems kind of gimmicky. I mean, I like StewMac--I've talked to some of the guys there and they are really kind, so I'm not going to say it seems like Snake Oil, but . . . it kinda seems like Snake Oil. Then again, I'm still working on my first build. What do I know.

_________________
Adam

I wouldn't expect a miracle from it. But who knows it might help with the break in period.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

As kids my friends and I always put our new Guitars on the stand right in front of our speakers.
I must confess, I still believe it will loosen up a new Guitar.

Scott

We'll never find out if they work,
but it certainly wouldn't hurt to use one.
I like to build with music playing in my shop,
I hear some player and think "maybe I could sell to this guy"!
Then I think about that while I'm building it.
Nothing's happened yet!

Since you brought it up, what is the schedule for finishing a guitar with Snake Oil?
Do you wipe it on, or spray?

_________________
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

One drop on the muneca every 2 or three chargings.

It's baaack. And how apropos! It's almost Halloween!

Mike

I purchase one after using a friends unit and they are not the miracle worker the web site says, but 3 days on a brand new guitar does loosen it up a little. I tried it on an older guitar and heard no difference after several days. I run it on my builds for the 3 days and it is like several weeks of heavy playing, which would be great it I had the time.

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Huhm! I thought the ToneRite vibrated the strings at concert pitch. That would be irritating!

Guitars really do open up with playing. A little vibration like an aquarium pump , I'm not sure that would make a huge difference.



Huhm! That thread went to a very dark place fast. "Women's panties on backwards playing football being runover with a Ferrari with an aquarium pump and a vibrator....."

This ones only gotten to french polishing with snake oil!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

It's take one of my new guitars ~10 days under string tension to develop a ~.050" belly. It's necessary to let this happen before I can do a final set up. With a tonerite it takes 2 days, instead of 10. I don't believe it will turn a bad sounding guitar into a good sounding one. Reguarding noise. It makes a small buzz. It vibarates the strings, but the way it fits they're muted. I use mine with the guitar on a wall hanger in my office. My wife and I watch TV in the next room with the door open.

A tonerite will also age strings a little. I hate brand new strings, so when I change strings on my personal guitars I tonerite them for a couple hours to break the strings in. I suspect people who hear a big difference in their guitar after using a tonerite are hearing the strings break in.

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Not having tried one my guess is that they won't make a bad guitar any better and they won't make a good guitar any worse.

Personally I like having my customers report back to me that they noticed the guitar open up over the first few months of play. That way they can open it up in their own style of playing. I'm not trying to suggest that a chicken pickin guitar will open any different than a chord thumping folk guitar but that they get to experience the interesting phenomenon themselves.

I listen to music always too in the shop maybe that does do something who knows.

As usual u'r right on the money Billy, much too dark, much too quick.... somebody should have worked in a mirror ball, a mauve crocheted singlet, 2lbs of lean beef mince and a pack of Peter Parsley's Virginia Slims with clove oil to balance things out a little..

Cheers

Kim

I made one.....the old "aquarium pump" approach. I do think it helps the guitar open up.

There are lots of opinions out there, & lots that think they do help, including some top builders (Bob Benedetto, Michael Lewis etc). In a poll I saw some time ago, of 77 respondents, 59 said they felt it either "moderately" or "dramatically" improved the instrument...FWIW.

_________________
Dave
Milton, ON

Has anyone used one of these?
Butt Shaker http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-388

Seems like a lot of money for what it is. I'm sure there are cheaper and more interesting vibrators out there....just don't try to google it at work

Seems like a very small amount of money for what it supposedly does.

Mike

I use it on new builds too. After three days I think you can do a setup that will last longer before it has to be tweaked. Jury is out on tone at least for me.

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I think there could be other ways of accelerating breaking in, maybe more effective. The Tarhead transducer may be a way towards that!

What I first saw used was this huge bongo like looking thing that shook the whole guitar like crazy. Timber Tech it's called. Lot of reports of that thing helping out too!



Here's a print out for Laurence Juber Taylor(one heck of a good guitarist BTW saw him about a year ago)


The straight line represents the frequency response at the peghead before the shaking; the jagged line shows the response afterward.

This was from an article in Acoustic Guitar magazine

I don't see a lot of Luthiers getting one for their shop


Kim! Will you shut up with your mauve crocheted singlet AGAIN!! Great! Great! You've taken up the textile arts! I'm happy for ya!

(Well....... maybe you could post a pic)

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I ran accross this a while back...I like the concept of actually plucking the strings. Seems that it would be closer to actually playing in a guitar.

http://www.theguitarseasoner.com/home.html