Word is that a tonerite is nothing more than an aquarium pump.
..........
Here's what I know from having borrowed a tonerite from a friend for a month.
Guitar, solid wood accoustic, well played in by first owner, evidenced by fret wear up to the 5th fret and pickguard wear. I bought the guitar when it was 2 yrs old.
Played, it daily morning and evening practice session for another 2 years. Liked it, but always felt the low end was a bit muted.
Heard about using loud speakers to play music into body and help improve opening up. Tried it off and on for 2 years (all day sessoins while at work), didnt notice any improvment.
Friend offered a Tonerite for me to try. Googled and read up on it for a week before saying I'd try it.
Noted the aquarium pump references in my research. (My aquarium room, 5 tanks, is also my music room. (no low humidity issues)
The tonerite was about the size of an air pump recommended for 10 gallon tanks. The tonerite also sounded and felt the same. 60hz, simple line frequency driven vibrations. The tonerite has a mounting system that makes contact with all the strings, and transmits it's vibrations to the strings. So the 'treatment' is at least mimicking the massage that actual playing provides.
The level of felt vibration is much-much less than a back/neck massager, and about twice as strong as the felt vibrations on the guitar when sitting very very near a speaker, turned up louder than a person can stand.
While I had it, I also fashioned a similar mounting system to a spare aquarium pump i had laying around. A-B comparisions, Tonerite-pump, same-same. Sound, mearsured "note" on Korg tuner, and felt vibrations in various parts of guitar, back/top/neck/headstock, all the same as far as my uncalibrated ears and hands could tell.
Results; using the tonerite/pump as instructed for 3-5 (memory ?) days, the guitar sounded like i had just changed the strings, brighter, but more importantly to me, bass was fuller, crisper, certianly less muted. Now I have had that guitar 6 years, still a daily player, and notice I dont feel the need to change strings as often, because it soounds good longer. Just more alive.
On my Pono PT tenor, all solid Sapele, I tried my pump version, and think (?) that the sustain is better and it is a bit louder too.
Not scientific, I know. Just one man's observations and experiences.
Someone once said, that the wood in our insturments, was a tree all its life.
We have to be patient as we train the wood to believe it is now a music maker.
Play on....and on.....aaaaaand..........on.
