Do electric guitars sound better with age?

[phoenix]

I know acoustics do -- they "break in" and "open up" over time as the wood and finish loosen up from vibration. (I've been a very serious acoustic player for many years and am just recently getting back into electric playing.) I'm not sure, but it seems like my PRS HB2 is sounding better, since it was brand-new a few months ago. However, I also realize that there's less vibration going on there than with an acoustic guitar. Is the improvement in my HB2 my imagination or do electrics sound better over time as they "loosen up" from being played? Maybe this is more true of hollowbodies than solidbodies? Or not....

[aleclee]

I think they do. Consider it a breaking-in period.

[Big Mike]

I agree, as the wood seasons, and is more subject to vibration, I absolutley agree they get better. Particularly hollow guitars.

[Brian Scherzer]

I know acoustics do -- they "break in" and "open up" over time as the wood and finish loosen up from vibration. (I've been a very serious acoustic player for many years and am just recently getting back into electric playing.) I'm not sure, but it seems like my PRS HB2 is sounding better, since it was brand-new a few months ago. However, I also realize that there's less vibration going on there than with an acoustic guitar. Is the improvement in my HB2 my imagination or do electrics sound better over time as they "loosen up" from being played? Maybe this is more true of hollowbodies than solidbodies? Or not....
There are a couple of issues here. Although wood drying methods have improved over the years, wood will generally sound better as it ages, due to the wood drying out even more. Also, electronics are likely to sound clearer over time as the electric current builds a path through the wiring. In general, a good guitar will sound better over time, while poorly crafted instruments may not show much improvement.

On the other hand, in my opinion, the use of modern finishes lessens the improvement in sound that used to occur as nitro finishes would harden through the years. Most modern finishes are pretty hard to start with, so there is a limit to the improvement.

One thing to consider is that many people believe that "old growth" trees had better sounding wood than newer, smaller trees. I have no idea whether this is true, but I can tell you that briar tobacco pipes smoke cooler than newer briar pipes. There are so many variables that can effect sound that it is hard to tell what things are myths and what things actually help improve tone. I base the electronics improvement on the same things that you will find talked about in the high end audiophile conversations about things like speaker cables. The people considered most expert in building speaker cables or interconnects seem to be unanimous in agreeing that sending a signal through them over time improves the end sound. There appears to be little disagreement when speaker manufacturers mention that speakers need to be broken in to sound their best.

[Bill McDowell]

My opinion is a big "yes" on this one for well made guitars. The guitars just seem to resonate better as they age, and they certainly get "played in" so the neck, frets - smooth out.

Now - having said this, I had a 1979 anniversary strat that sounded and played just as horrible when I bought it in 1979 (my second year playing) as it did when I sold it a couple of years ago. Body sounded like it was made of wet cement.

[Dan O]

Now - having said this, I had a 1979 anniversary strat that sounded and played just as horrible when I bought it in 1979 (my second year playing) as it did when I sold it a couple of years ago. Body sounded like it was made of wet cement.
...I know this was a time that the editors of many guitar magazines call "the worst fender years," and perhaps this is why.


I also believe that guitars get better with age. If not for the sound, I like the 'broken in' feel of an old guitar (which is why i crave a '60s strat!)

[Brian D]

If they are well-built: yes.

If they are poorly built: no.

[tmoore]

yes. :)

[Buffalosix]

I don't think so. My parents always complained that my music was too loud!




:D

[jaycee]

The answer IS : yes. But only if you play them. Every time a guitar resonates, the vibration causes fractionation at the molecular level of the wood. I don't really know the technical specifics. After years and years it has a huge effect.

I read on another forum that a guitar tech built a machine that specifically can "age" the guitar. All it does is vibrate at certain frequencies. He said that he'd leave a guitar on there for a matter of hours and he could actually "read" the difference in frequency response with a meter, before and after.

He also suggested that if you want to hasten the aging process, all you have to do is lay a big stereo speaker on it's back, lay the guitar on it, and CRANK IT!!
He said that if you did it for a couple hrs. a day that you'd actually be able to hear a difference in a week or two and you wouldn't cause any damage to electronics or whatever. I've never tried it myself, but I trust this guys professional opinion.

[Brian]

Definitely yes, it has to be the guitar sounding better because its clearly not me!

[kev]

Yes. I have nothing to base my answer on other than my ears. I have a strat and 335 that both sound better to me than they did ten years ago. I also agree that the guitar HAS to be played. Ten years ago I wasn't gigging every week, hmmm, there it is, for me anyway.

[tmoore]

...Every time a guitar resonates, the vibration causes fractionation at the molecular level of the wood. I don't really know the technical specifics.
Dude! Anybody that can use the words 'fractionation' and 'molecular' in the same sentence is technical enough. :)

You know, word on the street is that Fender uses a vibrating machine on their relics, closet clasics and such. That seems to be the key to their superior vibe.

[phoenix]

So i'm not crazy! (or at least I'm not crazy in that way....) I've heard about the use of high tech vibrating machines on acoustic guitars. Some major players and respected makers swear that it really makes a difference. People attach all kinds of vibrating gizmos to acoustics. (The Con-Air massaging machine is the big thing right now for this -- they go for like $20-30 at K-Mart. You just have to be careful with the suction cups it attaches with as they can mar your finish...) It is amazing to me how much better my HB2 seems to sound now than when I got it -- fatter, more complex, more "3D." I didn't think that all the playing would make as much of a difference on an electric as it does when breaking in an acoustic, but now I'm convinced. Now if I can just figure out what I'll have to sell to get an old Strat.... :dude: