opening up

garyg

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Assuming that you have the right strings on a uke, how long should it take for a new (two months from construction time) Uke to "open up" ?
 
I think opening up is somewhat of a controversial issue. If you believe it happens (I do, just for the record) I think it really varies. Bracing, thickness of the wood, how much it's played, how hard it's played...too many variables to put a time frame on it.

Just play it an enjoy.
 
If you're waiting for it to "open up" for it to "start sounding good"... might have the wrong instrument :p
 
I second to just not think about it and play it lol. One day you're just gonna notice that you're instrument sounds "better". But to answer your question, I've had my Kanile'a for about 3 months now and it sounds noticeably better than when I first got it. So for my instrument, it took about 3 months, but it's still getting better so surely it hasn't reached the apex of it's sound quality.
 
For an insturment to fully "open up" it takes quite awhile. It actually takes place at the molecular level, and a combination of things. Things such as the finish fully curing (which lacquer can take a couple years to fully cure), the wood drying/curing (this is different than humidity), and the wood actually loosening up from playing. Some people will put their instrument by their stereo speakers so that the vibrations will affect the instrument.

Most instruments when they "open up" become warmer sounding. But each instrument will be different based on how it is built.

My favorite wood to show people how a guitar will open up is Adirondack. Adi will sound the worst when you first start to play it, and within 15-20minutes of playing you'll actually hear the instrument changing how it sounds :)
 
Also, use the whole fretboard. If you only use the first three frets, the soundboard won't be responding to higher frequencies. So you're only "opening up" lower frequencies. So later when you start exploring the fretboard, it'll sound different which may dissuade you from using those higher notes.

This is apparently a problem people have who buy Martin guitars from the 20s and 30s. They were only used for open chord strummings using the first five frets... people buy them today expecting an insanely good experience, and it sounds "meh" in the higher register.

Since different parts of the soundboard react to different frequencies... yeah.

But I'm assuming it's a solid wood, and not a laminate, that you have.
 
No offense to those who believe in the phenomenon, but there has never been any measurable evidence to support the "vibration=opening up=sounding better" theory. Without that evidence, it's anecdote and myth.

Certainly, instruments change over time - but there is no guarantee that change is a result of anything other than environment, and no evidence that it comes from "vibration frequency" or that it has any predictable impact on sound quality.
 
It takes a long time. If you play it constantly you may notice a slight difference in a bout 6mos. A couple years of frequent playing is more likely. 30 years will really do it. If you don't play it, it won't open up much. It might sound a bit better after many years of just sitting around, but not a whole lot.
 
What kind of uke ?
It takes a long time, send it to me and I will play it and let you know when it is opened up. :)
 
There was a service a few years back that would subject your instrument to vibrations for about an hour that was meant to simulate a few decades of playing. Apparently, it had its fans, but not enough to keep them in business.
 
There is a device called ToneRite, that is supposed to do that for you. I think about 10 folks here passed it around with some improvements, last fall. seach for the ToneRite thread.
 
I have had my Mya-Moe mango tenot for 3 months and I can definitely notice the difference between new and now. It simply resonates longer and it is slightly louder and sweeter sounding. Same strings. My gut tells me it is the finish curing.
 
harumph

Thanks for the helpful advice and to those of you who just urged me to "play it", why in the world would you think that I wasn't playing it or wasn't enjoying playing it? Curious the conclusions that people jump to. cheers, g
 
I'm with grumpy. I think some instruments do open up (in fact I had a cedar guitar that very clearly and obviously did in the first six months I owned it) but in my experience it's not something you can count on. As near as I can tell my Taylor guitar hasn't changed a lick over ten years of very frequent use. I think as oft as not "opening up" is actually more a reflection of an increase in the player's skill and or familiarity with the instrument than a significant change in the instrument itself.

I would never buy an instrument that didn't please me in the expectation that it would "open up" over time. it might, it might not. Who knows, it might even get worse. :)

John
 
I didn't jump to conclusions, I was just saying that you shouldn't worry about your instrument opening up. If it happens, just let it happen. If it's more psychological, as in associating your increase in skill with "opening up", then that's cool too. If "opening up" is proven scientifically, then I will apologize profusely lol
 
My Kamaka sat in its case unplayed from birth (October 2004) until I bought it in March. I thought it sounded great when I tried it out. It sounds MUCH better now. At first, the outer strings couldn't compete with the deep tones of the inner strings. Now all four are loud and proud. Same strings, same ukulele, vastly improved sound.

I'll be happy if science proves "opening up" is a myth. That would mean I'm a MUCH better player now than in March.
 
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