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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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While reading an +++ article +++ about Doc Watson I found this interesting comment about how to make an acoustic guitar sound better: Doc tried to extract the best-possible sound from all his acoustic guitars. As T. Michael Coleman recalls, Doc would place a small transistor radio inside a guitar—with the radio turned on to produce sound waves that could speed up the seasoning of the instrument. I've got to admit, I never would have thought of that! 
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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First of all, I'm going to listen to anything the Doc sez. There are many similar views on how to "break in" an acoustic guitar by playing and/or otherwise introducing vibrations into the soundboard. For example, some will park their guitar stand in front of a large stereo speaker and blast their acoustic with music non-stop. Who's to say? I personally believe that the aging/drying of the wood plays at least as large a role in improving tone over time as any vibration. But I'm no Doc Watson, so don't listen to me...
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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I've got to admit, I never would have thought of that! Me also. I don't play guitar so I only know a little bit about them, but that is a unique idea, for sure. I can also understand that it might just work.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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Doc was one heck of a guitarist.
I have found that the best way for my acoustic guitar to sound great is to have someone else play it!
Tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair:
1- Be old
2- Sit in a chair
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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I've heard that the vibrations of the guitar from the strings tends to move the molecules of the wood..... settling them like shaking a container of rocks or vibrating concrete to remove the voids. I seem to recall a number of gizmos through the years that would provide that vibration into the guitar.
Exactly how effective that was, and how effective a transistor radio would be, in regards to seasoning, is kinda sketchy. Yes, wood gets seasoned with the passing of time. Does the use and the vibrations add to that? I'm pretty sure it does. But when it all gets shaken out, I think the quality of the sound comes more from the initial woods used and the quality and design of the build as opposed to some after the fact "seasoning". The percentage of difference would be barely detectable at best, assuming one was using some sort of scientific method or tool to actually quantify and measure that difference. I'd really love to see the data on that.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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