BeeLectro

Years ago on an acoustic guitar forum I said I could hear the difference between plastic and wooden bridge pins, and started a controversy. So this guy shows up with all kinds of equipment for analyzing sound and does all kinds of tests comparing plastic and wooden bridge pins. He comes back with the results and says yes, there is a sonic difference between plastic and wooden bridge pins and it falls within the range of NORMAL HUMAN HEARING. The best forumites are the ones that tell other people what they can and cannot hear, what they should and should not think, etc. Edit: Freeman Keller did the pin tests.

The brass bridge pins on the Storia 3 have a big effect on the tone. Don't lose them !

Eastman Orchestra comes in several models under $1000. And I've heard good things about Yamaha red labels.

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Garthman, Also, the tonal aspect one would listen for is how the body resonates. The body will still resonate the same regardless of the age of the strings, as long as the same gauges are always used. Discerning what the strings are doing vs what the body is doing can sometimes be problematic.

They used to say playing a guitar causes it to open. And some people would leave a guitar on a stand in a room with a loud stereo playing for several days. I think that's all bs. I'm a witness that it does happen, although I have no proof. It's just time that does it. After a while they loosen up and get accustomed to the tension and the guitar shape they've been made into. Wood and glue are both somewhat flexible. Add 100 pounds of tension and the whole thing distorts. No wonder you'll see some finish separating at the neck/heel joint after a while. The real proof for me came when I custom ordered an OM from CFM. At first I wasn't completely happy with it, the balance of bass mids trebs was too heavy in the bass. It's much more even now, which I think is pure luck. I'd never recommend anyone custom order a CFM, no telling what it'll end up sounding like. Hearing. I suppose that's a valid argument. But I think we grow accustomed to our handicaps.

As for preference changes, mine haven't changed. One guitar that does it all doesn't exist. Having a selection is nice. My preference in regards to this OM-21 definitely changed.

It was at a shop I frequent, close to home. I go there when I'm bored. When new guitars arrive I notice them, maybe try them out. I tried the 000-18 when it first arrived and didn't think much of it. Two and a half years later, out of pure boredom, I asked the clerk if I could play it again, I bought it that day. Edit: I asked the clerk if it was the same 000-18 as had arrived two and a half years earlier. He checked the arrival date. I'm certain it's the same guitar.

Both. I have a CS-OM that sounded pretty good when new, but sounds incredible now, and can almost double as a dreadnought. It changed a lot over time. OTOH, I had good luck buying a 000-18 that had hung in the shop for over 2 years. It hasn't changed at all since I bought it. The "opening up" happened while hanging in the shop. As for the guitar in topic of this thread, my preference changed. So, instead of selling at a loss, shopping, spending more money, I decided to give modding it a try.

I sanded some off the other back braces, with more good sonic results. My goal this time was to see if I could make open D louder. So I tapped around on the back to try and get an idea where it would most likely be sympathetic to that range. It worked. It also brought out other frequencies around that range, but nothing detrimental. I'm starting to believe these things are overbuilt for the sake of the lifetime warranty. I'm also convinced a luthier could "tune" a guitar body after it's been built. Some special tools would be required, and maybe some kind of analytical software, or just a good set of ears. Oh, I also reinforced the sides of this guitar just below the waist, visible in one of the pics. This was done several months ago. My theory is CFM is making the sides too thin, and they tend to vibrate at annoying frequencies. I've done this mod to another CFM, a 16 series in another thread, with good results. This reinforcement may help channel energy to the back. I'm okay with the consensus thinking I'm nuts. I think forums tend to find issue with those who think for themselves and don't ride the bandwagon. This guitar is sounding wonderful. Pics.

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