The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum-New guitar tone question. (2024)

So now that I've been playing Martins for a little while I'm starting to notice a trend. It might be in my head but it seems like new guitars have this quality where the notes are very direct and immediate, like they just want to jump out.

I remember mine being like that new, but now when I go to a shop to A-B them my guitar has better tone and is fuller sounding, but it doesn't have that quickness or notes flying out as powerfully.

Is this my ear or is that a product of new tight guitars? I did notice they keep their try room at 42% humidity, and my room usually hovers in the really low 50%.

I think I have a pretty darn good HD-28 but the quickness on new guitars is very tempting. Maybe I should have gotten a Standard D28 and non-scalloped braces.

Is there a way to find out on a new guitar if it is really or will be better, or am I just being a greener grass player?

Thundermtn wrote: ↑

12:46 PM - 2 days ago

So now that I've been playing Martins for a little while I'm starting to notice a trend. It might be in my head but it seems like new guitars have this quality where the notes are very direct and immediate, like they just want to jump out.

I remember mine being like that new, but now when I go to a shop to A-B them my guitar has better tone and is fuller sounding, but it doesn't have that quickness or notes flying out as powerfully.

Is this my ear or is that a product of new tight guitars? I did notice they keep their try room at 42% humidity, and my room usually hovers in the really low 50%.

I think I have a pretty darn good HD-28 but the quickness on new guitars is very tempting. Maybe I should have gotten a Standard D28 and non-scalloped braces.

Is there a way to find out on a new guitar if it is really or will be better, or am I just being a greener grass player?

So you mean that it has lost some projection? I think there are many variables, humidity, strings/gauge, saddle, pins, setup and I also think the newer HD28's have changed a bit in the construction, so if yours is an older model that could also be a factor.

“A guitar sounds its best right before it cracks.”

Not saying that’ll happen here, but this is why we have our “bad guitar season is here” thread going. Some guitars are finicky, some just don’t give a crap. Personally, I find that a good 15-20 mins of driving the guitar in any humidity range with a heavy hand makes for a much more enjoyable jam sesh.

It's only a couple years old, loss of projection is an excellent description.The guitar still sounds good though.

I just had it checked out too. Relief and action are right where they should be. No loose braces, it looks like they may have wicked some glue into the back of the bridge on the low E side but it is a very small amount. I can't slip paper under it anywhere.

They did take the saddle down some, action is now .099-.100, but that's down from .118-.119. The guitar new was nearly flat at their 42%. In my house at 51% and a lot of playing time total belly has increased to 12/64.

Thundermtn wrote: ↑

12:46 PM - 2 days ago

So now that I've been playing Martins for a little while I'm starting to notice a trend. It might be in my head but it seems like new guitars have this quality where the notes are very direct and immediate, like they just want to jump out.

I remember mine being like that new, but now when I go to a shop to A-B them my guitar has better tone and is fuller sounding, but it doesn't have that quickness or notes flying out as powerfully.

Is this my ear or is that a product of new tight guitars? I did notice they keep their try room at 42% humidity, and my room usually hovers in the really low 50%.

I think I have a pretty darn good HD-28 but the quickness on new guitars is very tempting. Maybe I should have gotten a Standard D28 and non-scalloped braces.

Is there a way to find out on a new guitar if it is really or will be better, or am I just being a greener grass player?

See Also

The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum-New Collings Hill Country guitars

A lot of that is the product of new strings.

Jason

(not to be confused with the guy in the hockey mask)

DM3MD wrote: ↑

2:22 PM - 2 days ago

“A guitar sounds its best right before it cracks.”

Not saying that’ll happen here, but this is why we have our “bad guitar season is here” thread going. Some guitars are finicky, some just don’t give a crap. Personally, I find that a good 15-20 mins of driving the guitar in any humidity range with a heavy hand makes for a much more enjoyable jam sesh.

Rosewood guitars always seem to sound better in the winter, presumably because they are a bit drier. Mahogany IME doesn’t vary as much…

Jeff
Current: 1949 0-15 | 1959 D-28E2A Conversion | 1992 J12-40| 1994 000C-16| CS-21-11 Past: 1976 D-28| 1988 D12-18| 1993 D-16 H 93| 2002 HD-28

I think some guitars have a quicker response than others. I mean how quick the note blooms from the guitar after the initial attack. Id say in general, smaller guitars have a quicker response than larger ones. which makes sense because there is less wood to get moving

In my experience, notes seem to jump off smaller guitars more quickly. Play a dread against a parlor and you will likely hear the difference. Small guitars seem more snappy to me and many times more responsive to a lighter touch

New strings add an edginess and clarity to any guitar. As the strings get played in, that will go away somewhat and the guitar's true colors will start to show. Little adjustments to action (with a change in saddle height) and also relief (via a truss rod adjustment) can also affect your guitar's responsiveness. Sometimes after getting your action or relief adjusted, you can tighten an adjustable truss rod just enough to fully engage the nut to the rod (taking out any slack) and get a little of the zing back.

Humidity can seriously alter the apparent resonance and punch and response of a guitar - as already mentioned, the more humid summer season to my ear favors mahogany guitars whose naturally brighter EQ allows them to hold an edge (literally) in a wider variety of humidity levels. My rosewood guitars are definitely more resonant in the drier months. Depending on the aggressiveness of your air conditioning, you may find you can use your A/C or a dehumidifier in the damp spring/summer to achieve a humidity level that makes all your guitars happy.

Tony

As David Drucker says, "Nov shmoz ka pop..."
My cure for GAS - my wife asking, "Which one(s) are you selling to get that?"
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tonguy wrote: ↑

7:27 PM - 1 day ago

New strings add an edginess and clarity to any guitar. As the strings get played in, that will go away somewhat and the guitar's true colors will start to show. Little adjustments to action (with a change in saddle height) and also relief (via a truss rod adjustment) can also affect your guitar's responsiveness. Sometimes after getting your action or relief adjusted, you can tighten an adjustable truss rod just enough to fully engage the nut to the rod (taking out any slack) and get a little of the zing back.

Humidity can seriously alter the apparent resonance and punch and response of a guitar - as already mentioned, the more humid summer season to my ear favors mahogany guitars whose naturally brighter EQ allows them to hold an edge (literally) in a wider variety of humidity levels. My rosewood guitars are definitely more resonant in the drier months. Depending on the aggressiveness of your air conditioning, you may find you can use your A/C or a dehumidifier in the damp spring/summer to achieve a humidity level that makes all your guitars happy.

This is a great post. While most people definitely know the changes in volume and responsiveness with action/saddle adjustments, most often will overlook that changes to your guitar’s relief will affect the responsiveness as well.

I read (some place) that adjusting a truss rod is similar to adjusting the belt on your pants. Yes, you can go a little tighter and your pants fit, but it’s uncomfortable. The same holds true, in my experience, where some guitars like a little less relief and some just want to loosen the belt a notch or two and let it breathe.

There’s a YouTuber named “twoodfrd” who is a Canadian luthier who once said, “ANYTHING you do to a guitar will affect its tone. Whether that’s perceptible to your ear remains unknown.”