Kilns, Wood, Nuts and Moisture and unplugged resonance

[Guest HRB853370]

Hey All,

 

Just got a PRS DGT this week and noticed how much more acoustically resonant it is than my H150. Actually met Paul tonight and he had some interesting things to say about building guitars. He had a really cool demo where he had a piece of wood that had been dried and treated for maximum resonance and would toss nut blanks onto it to show how they resonated. The plastic nuts were absolutely lifeless. The bone nut sounded great and his nut that he uses with brass or something like that IIRC sounded even better. Looking at my H150, not sure but it looks like it's a plastic nut?

 

Then he talked about how his woods are dried to 7% moisture for months, obsessively and that other makers were over 10% on average when he took them apart. Now I'd imagine that's usually a stock fender or gibson he's talking about. How carefully are Heritage woods selected and how dry are they from the kiln? Anybody know if they're obsessed with making their woods resonate better at certain moisture levels?

 

It seems that one of the major things people talk about in older instruments is that they've had time to "dry out" and that's why an old 59 burst is the most resonant guitar ever...

 

I think I would like to find a way to help my H150 resonate better. Is there a way to dry it further if it's over 10%? Maybe a bone nut would help?

 

Any guitar that is 55 years old will have had time to dry out and be resonant as ever!

 

So cool you met Paul Smith!

[Guest HRB853370]

There's a joke in here somewhere about nuts, moisture and resonance

 

but I won't go there

Smart move.

[Guest HRB853370]

Remember that the nut is only in the action when you are NOT fretting a string. The bridge is in the action 100% of the time, so that would be the first place to look for improving sustain.

 

I don't know if drying the wood will really accomplish a lot as the wood with tend to breathe over time and absorbs moisture. Typically acoustic guitars are humidified to prevent them from drying out which can cause splits and cracks to develop. A solid body with a polyester or UV cured finish will block the transmission of moisture. Nitro will allow moisture to migrate through the finish, although it's a very slow process. An old guitar that has been in a humid environment for 50 years won't be at the same moisture content that it was when it was made.

I disagree totally Rich. This NUT (Slammer) is in the action all the time when fretting strings. Not that it matters as I suck.

[tsp17]

I disagree totally Rich. This NUT (Slammer) is in the action all the time when fretting strings. Not that it matters as I suck.

good one Will.

[Kuz]

I own four 150s, a DGT, and an AL D.... They all sound different and have their own character. Where the 150s can be compared apples to apples, and the two PRS guitars can be compared apples to apples... I don't see how you can compare a single cut 24.75" stop tail TOM guitar (150) to a double cutaway 25" scale term equipped guitar.

 

BUT we can compare them in saying they both are great playing and sound guitars..... But different sounding for sure.

[Jmundell]

I own four 150s, a DGT, and an AL D.... They all sound different and have their own character. Where the 150s can be compared apples to apples, and the two PRS guitars can be compared apples to apples... I don't see how you can compare a single cut 24.75" stop tail TOM guitar (150) to a double cutaway 25" scale term equipped guitar.

 

BUT we can compare them in saying they both are great playing and sound guitars..... But different sounding for sure.

PRS does indeed have a 24.5 TOM guitar with PAF style pickups wound on a Leesona 102 winder. I'm not a big fan of the 58/08. Too big/round/warm for me. Now, I might end up getting an SC58 and throwing some 59/09's in it but no longer en lieu of my H150.

 

However, this video shows it just doesn't have the CHARACTER of a true LP design, despite it's likely superior construction quality and tonewoods etc:

[Kuz]

PRS does indeed have a 24.5 TOM guitar with PAF style pickups wound on a Leesona 102 winder. I'm not a big fan of the 58/08. Too big/round/warm for me. Now, I might end up getting an SC58 and throwing some 59/09's in it but no longer en lieu of my H150.

 

However, this video shows it just doesn't have the CHARACTER of a true LP design, despite it's likely superior construction quality and tonewoods etc:

 

I am aware that PRS makes a short scale Single Cut 245 (I briefly owned one along with the original PRS Single cut 25" scale), my point is you can not directly compare a trem equiped 25" double cutaway to a short scale stop tail TOM single cut 150..... it least you can't compare them in tone, they are two different beasts.

 

But again they both are great and both have different applications in which they excel.

[JeffB]

 

I am aware that PRS makes a short scale Single Cut 245 (I briefly owned one along with the original PRS Single cut 25" scale), my point is you can not directly compare a trem equiped 25" double cutaway to a short scale stop tail TOM single cut 150..... it least you can't compare them in tone, they are two different beasts.

 

But again they both are great and both have different applications in which they excel.

Even the 245 isnt comparable after a certain point. Kind of same take on similar theme but two different out comes.

After a certain point its pointless comparing brand against brand and better to judge a guitar on how you both get on together.

Ive never thought of PRS and Heritage as competitors in the same market place.

As an example, I sold a 245 and an H150 to the same guy on the same day. He liked them both for different reasons. So he took them both. I still have dibs on the H150.