Are torrefied guitars better?
“It’s much easier to maintain an instrument if its top has undergone torrefaction,” says Benefield. “Once all of the moisture has been removed, the top is much less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity. “This is a crucial argument for building acoustics with torrefied wood,” according to Guitar.com.
Is a spruce top guitar good?
Overall, spruce will give you a clear, crisp high end for articulate notes, and a balanced base and mid response. Other top woods are mahogany, maple, and cedar. A laminate top doesn’t necessarily produce a bad sounding guitar.
What is a torrefied top?
Torrefaction, all in all, is the process of baking the woods used in the construction of the guitar, most often the top. This process is typically done with high-quality pieces of wood such as Adirondack Spruce or Sitka. The pieces of wood are placed into an oven or kiln and then heated to around 250 degrees.
Do spruce top guitars sound better with age?
Spruce ages beautifully, like fine wine. As the top stiffens and dries with age, the sound of a spruce top guitar will slowly evolve and mature.
Is torrefied wood harder?
The Vikings used torrefied wood because it absorbs less moisture so size and shape are more likely to remain consistent after it has been sawed and planed. In other words it’s stronger and more stable as well as being lighter, which means it’s equally well suited to shipbuilding, wooden flooring and guitar making.
What does VTS mean on Martin guitars?
The new Martin Vintage Tone System (VTS) uses a unique recipe that is based on the historic torrefaction system. The VTS acts much like a time machine in which Martin can target certain time periods and age the top/braces to that era.
Which is better mahogany or spruce?
Mahogany guitars sound smoother and warmer compared to spruce top guitars which sound brighter and more crisp. This is because mahogany produces more bass and mid-range emphasis compared to spruce which has more treble emphasis.
Is cedar or spruce top better?
Cedar tops sound full and voluminous
Cedar’s tone responds quickly and percussively to the player as well, making the sound quite different than the spruce top. This makes cedar-topped guitars especially popular with guitar students and beginners.
How do you age a guitar top?
How To: Age Your Guitar – YouTube
Why do old acoustic guitars sound better?
The Quick Answer. Older guitars often sound better than newer ones as they dry out over time which causes them to become harder leading to a more resonant tone with better sustain. The increase in age affects the tone more in acoustic guitars than electric ones.
Does Collings use hide glue?
It was never hide glue. Collings used fish glue on the Waterloos. The nomenclature then changed to “protein” glue.
What is VTS spruce?
The Sitka Spruce top features VTS (vintage tone system), this process allows the wood to be perfectly aged to vintage spec, both visually and sonically. The Mahogany back and sides look absolutely breathtaking and provide a beautifully deep, rich, and warm tone.
What is the best wood for guitar body?
Mahogany
Mahogany, mainly used in the acoustic world, for back and sides. It is the most commonly used hardwood because it’s relatively economical, durable, attractive, easy to work with and resonant. Mahogany became popular in guitars because it is attractive and cheaper to get than rosewood.
What does select spruce top mean?
In their parlance, “solid” spruce top means it’s made of solid spruce, while “select” spruce top means it’s made of laminated wood.
Which guitar top is best?
Spruce. This evergreen, found in northern temperate regions of the globe, is literally top choice: the ideal wood for the soundboard, or top, of an acoustic guitar.
Do cedar top guitars sound better with age?
Cedar tends to get even better sounding with age, as do many woods. Spruce on the other hand, is lighter in color, and a true hardwood.
How can you tell how old a guitar is?
For US instruments, the serial number will start with a letter. That letter indicates the decade. The second character will usually be a number. That number indicates the specific year.
How can you tell the age of a acoustic guitar?
How long do acoustic guitars last?
10 to 20 years
If you take good care of your guitar and have it maintained regularly, it can last from 10 to 20 years. This also depends on how much it gets used and the kind of treatment. If it gets gigged and tossed around a lot, this might have a negative impact on its lifespan.
At what age does a guitar become vintage?
In general terms, any instrument older than 30 years is considered vintage. However, the consensus among players is that the vintage status should be granted only to guitars built before 1980. The “antique” tag is reserved for instruments older than 100 years, which for now only applies to acoustic guitars.
How strong is hide glue?
Hot hide glues come in different strengths. A “gram strength” of 251 is commonly suggested for wood, but some folks like 315. (Be careful about using hide glues without a strength specification.) The higher the gram strength, the quicker the set.
What is Hyde glue?
Hide glue is made from animal hide (animal skin) and is often used in woodworking. It may be supplied as granules, flakes, or flat sheets, which have an indefinite shelf life if kept dry. It is dissolved in water, heated and applied warm, typically around 60 °C (140 °F).
What does VTS stand for on Martin guitars?
What is sitka spruce with VTS?
Which wood is best for fretboard?
The fretboard of traditional string instruments is mainly made of tropical hardwoods, such as ebony, Indian rosewood, African blackwood, and other precious woods that are characterized by a high density, high strength, and hardness, good wear resistance and dimensional stability, and a beautiful color [1, 2].