I imagine this’ll be contentious, but.... Tonerite

GavRichList

I stumbled across this in a Mornington Crescent kinda way, and it’s definitely got me curious; billy bullshit soaked in snake-oil, or something in it?

https://www.tonerite.com/products/guitar-tonerite

JD50

Ha ha ha..... this is a joke right?

GavRichList

JD50 said:

Ha ha ha..... this is a joke right?

You’d think, wouldn’t you. 

Its so ridiculous that I kinda think it must work, or they’d have been laughed out of town 

Trude

If you believe that playing an acoustic guitar a lot helps open up the sound (many people do, myself included), then it stands to reason that this would have a similar effect. It vibrates the top as much as you'd get from playing big chords, and it can do it 24/7 for as long you want.

Strangefan

Queue the phrases "just play it" "snake oil" etc and then find the same people arguing over period correct plastics and hide glue

SteveRobinson

I just take my guitar to gigs and stand near the speakers for the same effect.

ICBM

I haven’t tried this device, but exposing a guitar to constant vibration definitely makes a difference.

mbe

Best not use that with a cedar top. They rarely improve with age and the tone tends to deteriorate with age. That's why you hardly ever see vintage classical guitars for sale.

Dominic

Yamaha has a whole factory process for their high end stuff that works in this way

WezV

Try one - you might be surprised.   I mean, you don;t need to buy the thing, just keep your guitar  close to a load speaker as much as you can

you know how speakers need a bit of breaking in... so do guitars, especially acoustic ones but electrics are not totally immune


Ever noticed that old well played guitars sound better than old untouched ones?  

IvisonGuitars

These have been around for years haven't they?

gringopig

.

thermionic

Plenty of anecdotal evidence but little in terms of measurable scientific results from what I can find. Part of the problem is that people test it on guitars they’ve owned and played for many years. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a difference when applied to a brand new guitar, but then again I suspect you’d get the same results by strumming it daily for a month.

interstellar

I used these a while back on a Collings i had, hard to know if it made much difference, but maybe thats the famously rigid Collings,  i always try and have my acoustics near the speaker of my Swart and get some extra vibrations that way.

Worth a try though as they have been around for quite a few years now, and they are very cheap 2nd hand when they do crop up.  

rossi

Is it a sex toy ?

Jez6345789

I bought one and been happy enough if you are just gigging one or two guitars then you probably don’t need them but like me you have a dozen or so knocking around that fall in and out of favour worth a punt you can definitely hear a difference is it better probably but it is different. Certainly improved a few of my solid top budget acoustics .

vale

rossi said:

Is it a sex toy ?

that was my first thought. just buy a vibrator & rechargeable batteries from the poundshop.
set variable speed to the year of your choosing & tuck it under the strings before bedtime.

olafgarten

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but if you vibrate an acoustic guitar it makes a lot of noise, I don't think this would work unless you have a soundproofed room to keep your guitars in. 

Trude

olafgarten said:

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but if you vibrate an acoustic guitar it makes a lot of noise, I don't think this would work unless you have a soundproofed room to keep your guitars in. 

Nope - it mutes the strings, so all you hear is a low buzzing. 

guitars4you

ICBM said:

I haven’t tried this device, but exposing a guitar to constant vibration definitely makes a difference.

I've heard stories about players who will leave an acoustic on a guitar stand, by the hi-fi speakers to keep the top 'vibrating'

Violin players talk about it all the time - keep the top vibrating and let it be surrounded by sound if you are not playing it

ToneControl

it makes a big difference
I bought one after buying a guitar from someone who had used one on it, and  seeing that Ivor Mairants rotate one through their stock

I think a better solution would be a transducer with a variety of frequencies more similar to guitar playing, but nevertheless, it makes a big difference