What's going to happen to my S320A?

[morgs]

I'm relatively late to playing guitar seriously, and this is my first "quality" guitar.

It's also my first Spruce top (I've always been drawn to Cedar for some reason!)

I hear of guitars "opening up", but when is that likely? Years? Months?
I know it depends on circumstances like where/how the guitar is kept/stored/played, but in general; when have you guys found your sound "changing"

I've had the guitar for about 6 weeks now, (about 3 months old from completion) by the way!

morgs

[Loki]

Opening up and improving is not merely a function of the passage of time but is directly linked to the amount of playing time logged on the instrument, so with out knowing your programme there can't really be a time frame.

The same as developing as a player actually -- were it simply a matter of age I would be a helluva player by now.

One thing I can assure you of, which you mightn't have entirely 'got' yet is that your S320a already sounds a whole lot better than most guitars ever will!

[morgs]

Thanks Loki. I know what you mean. I made my first visit to a guitar shop since I bought the guitar from Avalon (I haven't got GAS, I just wanted to compare)

I came away after about 30 mins grinning from ear to ear. I'd picked up some VERY expensive guitars to have a play, and whereas I might have been taken by a good quality Martin once upon a time, the neck just didn't feel good at all.

I know you get used to what you play most, but I have to play all manner of beaten up guitars in my day job, so I'm used to being versatile.

The Avalon neck is just fantastic, and possibly my favourite thing about the guitar (and that's saying something!!!)

The supplied strings (Jim told me what they are, but I've forgotten) are just about coming to the end of their life. It was my first experience of coated strings, and I didn't really like the feel. I'm going to replace them in a week or so for some Newtones (recommended by a fellow Avalonist)

morgs

[Loki]

The supplied strings are D'Addario EXP, not bad strings at all & a very practical choice for Avalon to use - but like you coated strings are not a big personal favourite.

I hope you like the Newtones, I have long meant to try them but seem to have settled on D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EJ16 as favourite on regularly played instruments and Elixir 12-53 Nanowebs on less often visited ones

[morgs]

Thanks John.

Good advice about the Newtones, you've probably saved me a few quid there!

I like to leave my guitar "out" (as in out of its case) as much as possible so that I can pick it up regularly, but with a very interested 5yr old son, I've got to be careful.

The upside of putting it back in its case, however, is that wonderful waft of rosewood when you bring it out!!!

morgs

[Lentin]

Many years ago, when I was 17, I used to leave my guitar out of the case, even when going to bed at night.
At that time it was a Framus 12 string (burnt some years later in a fire at a friend's home).
One night, my father got into my bedroom, didn't see the guitar and it fell down, suffering a huge and bad crack.
Now, every time I stop playing, I clean it a bit and always put it into the case and close it.

About opening, I don't know what the others do. I simply play it, and it becomes a time when you get really familiar with the shape, the frets, the sound, its soul.... So, you make it sound better.
And it's true that the guitar gets more 'full' sound (I don't know how to say it in English). In Spain we use to say that 'the sound gets more body'.
And it only depends on how long you spend playing it.

Enjoy

[morgs]

I put a set of Newtone Masterclass strings on my guitar tonight!



I know I'll have to change them often (I go through strings like mad), but at around a fiver a set, I'm willing to do it!!

They've done nice things to the sound of my nice guitar, and they feel much lighter too. Do they have a low tension?

Anyway, thanks to those who pointed me in the right direction!

Did we get a definitive Avalon answer about recommended oils for fretboards? Jim?

[morgs]

String update!.

The Newtones sounded great for the first week or so, but they quickly went off. I'm partly to blame because I go through strings quicky, (acid hands!) but I don't think they could cope with me retuning. I spend quite a bit of time going from standard to double dropped D, and DADGAD (I know, I know, I should probably plan my playing a bit more, but I like to go off on tangents!)

Tuning became an issue, and I was struggling to keep them in tune.

I had a gig coming up and couldn't rely on them as I had to detune mid set, so I bit the bullet and paid a £££ in my local music shop for a set of nanowebs.

In contrast to the factory fit strings, these seemed a bit slippy rather than the yucky sticky feel. That quickly passed, and they have held their own for the last three weeks. Quite bright, but I don't "love" them.

seems I haven't found my string yet........

[Butz]

Hi Morgs,
and just to confuse us even more, nanos come in 3 or 4 different metal combinations!! My own preference is Phosphorous/Bronze, it seems to have a more 'woody' tone. By the way, phosphorous is.... "a highly reactive, poisonous element that glows in the dark"... That explains everything!!