Improving resonance

[Bob Mc]

Over at the Martin board, folks have talked about replacing stock tuners with lighter open back tuners in an attempt to improve volume/tone/resonance/YMMV. I actually did this on a low end Martin (D2R) and although I couldn't switch back and forth to truly A/B the results, the guitar sounded fine afterwards.
Anyway, I prefer an electric guitar to be snappy and bright sounding unplugged; I think it sounds better amplified that way (again YMMV)
I am a fan of thin finishes for tone, but would lightening the weight of headstock improve resonance?
Or would loss of sustain be too great? I can remember folks adding brass to Les Paul headstocks and such in the day.
Food for thought more then anything else.

[robt57]

"loss of sustain be too great?"

Make me think about the arguments for the big Fender headstock, etc..
And the brass sustainer headstock add ons, as you posted... Wonder if this goes into 3 vs 6 saddle passion territory for argument... [as in 'a process of reasoning; series of reasons' argument]

I will hold off on my popcorn eating icon for now...

[neocaster]

I think the argument is definitely more relevant in a Martin forum. People will rub dirty underwear on their guitar if a talented enough player says it will improve their tone. The only real mojo is work. Miracles don't happen at crossroads, they happen in woodsheds, and they take years. I've seen plenty of data suggesting things like finishes and materials affecting the output on electric guitars. As a percentage, I think it's negligible when compared to the effects of style, pickups, amp and everything in between.

[Bob Mc]

The only real mojo is work. Miracles don't happen at crossroads, they happen in woodsheds, and they take years.

OK, say let's say I wasn't looking for mojo or miracles, but better tone form an unplugged elctric guitar, what would you're answer be?

[woodman]

i'm not too concerned about unplugged sound, but this works both ways for me, unamplified and amplified. of course, it's major surgery, not for the faint of heart. :::
...

[Al Nico]

Typically... going from heavy cast tuners to lighter vintage tuners will decrease apparent sustain and add a little woodier timbre to your unplugged sound. Whether that's better or worse, or relavent to you plugged in tone, is subjective at best.

[neocaster]

Me? Fatter strings, chambered body, solid contact neck-body (even flat surface, bolted firmly & uniformly) perfect action (little buzzes that amps cover up drive you crazy playing electrics unplugged), well cut nut and clean saddles. It may just be me, but I don't hear a whole lot of difference in solid body electrics from tuners, string trees, ferrules ot other things outside the effective length of the strings.

I hope my initial response didn't seem hostile. I'm in the "Plug in your electric" camp and while I sometimes play unplugged, I usually use a headphone amp because that's how I want my electrics to sound. That's just me and I'm not suggesting anyone else should think this way.

Edit (added): Woodman, what does that do? Add sustain? snappier attack?

[Bob Mc]

Thanks guys. BTW, my somewhat unpopular opinion about unplugged sounds was formed during my stint at a guitar shop where I swapped pickups and pots for about ten years. My very informal and highly subjective research led me to trying to predict "quality" of plugged sound by "quailty" of unplugged sound. I play rather clean and would test each guitar that way. Dead, dull lifeless guitars only got louder with new PUPs. (And Teles never do sound exactly like Les Pauls, no matter what a sales brochure says.)
I felt like telling most folks to return the PUPs and get a setup and new strings.
Anyway, thanks for humoring me.

PS
Woodman, what the heck is that?

[woodman]

Originally Posted by neocaster

Woodman, what does that do? Add sustain? snappier attack?

both, and more -- for me, it was like taking a blanket off the guitar's voice. you can find out about it here: TaipanTone ferrule blocks

[claudel]

Originally Posted by Bob Mc

Over at the Martin board, folks have talked about replacing stock tuners with lighter open back tuners in an attempt to improve volume/tone/resonance/YMMV. I actually did this on a low end Martin (D2R) and although I couldn't switch back and forth to truly A/B the results, the guitar sounded fine afterwards.
Anyway, I prefer an electric guitar to be snappy and bright sounding unplugged; I think it sounds better amplified that way (again YMMV)
I am a fan of thin finishes for tone, but would lightening the weight of headstock improve resonance?
Or would loss of sustain be too great? I can remember folks adding brass to Les Paul headstocks and such in the day.
Food for thought more then anything else.

I replaced the crummy stock tuners on my Martin LXME with a set of Gotoh Kluson replicas made for a Gibson that I had laying around.

They're noticeably more sturdy and heavier and I also noticed an increase in the resonance and liveliness of the guitar.

I also noticed a similar increase with an old Strat when I replaced the stock Klusons with Gotoh replicas that were a bit heavier.

I'd be hesitant to claim that it would work on every guitar, but I've had positive results on the ones I've tried it on.

OTOH, I have a parts Strat that has a thick poly finish and it seems to be quite resonant acoustically.

As always, YMMV

[tdowns]

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