Do electric guitars sound get better as they get played more?

[Si G X]

I used hear and read about this - only on acoustic guitars, that they get sound better as they get played more.
If that is true, would it be the case for electric guitars too? Or it doesn't make sense?

The biggest problem with this whole question is that 'better' doesn't really mean anything.

Lets just say a pickup has become less magnetic and become mellower sounding over time, if you like a mellow sound you might think it's 'better' but if you like a more aggressive sound with a lot of bite, you might think it sounds 'worse' as it gets older.

I don't even know what you mean when you say 'better' and there's a good chance that my idea of 'better' isn't the same as yours.

 

[Lowspeid]

Not a big deal, but sometimes if a guitar hasn't been played for months it doesn't seem quite as lively.
They come back to life pretty quickly with a couple of hours' play, though.

I've noticed that with my spruce-top acoustics in particular. It takes my Songbird Deluxe a couple hours of playing to really "open up" and produce all the glorious overtones and "richness" inside it if I haven't played it in a while. I also notice it gets considerably louder the more I play it.

My Electrics? Can't say. I've owned my '60's AO Tele since 2018 and it hasn't sat unplayed more than a day or two in that time. The rest of the electrics I've owned have come and gone pretty quickly (I'm pretty sure the '58 LP I picked up a couple months back will be with me 'till the grave).

 

[theleman]

What about the pickups? Do they get aged and change sound?

 

[bgmacaw]

What about the pickups? Do they get aged and change sound?

Materials engineers will tell you that a magnet's gauss will stay stable for a very long time unless exposed to powerful energy sources that can disrupt their magnetic field. Ack! What do those engineering geeks know about the mojo of aged pickups!

 

[Winky]

Our friend plays one of these professionally in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. I was asking about the idea of "vintage". She said these get worse with playing and with time, and that all professionals play new instruments. The opposite of the stringed instruments.

 

[tomasz]

I think they actually sound worst! Many people post extatic threads about new guitars they are getting, and then they are becoming number 2s, 3s and get passed on with time

 

[Winky]

I've noticed that with my spruce-top acoustics in particular. It takes my Songbird Deluxe a couple hours of playing to really "open up" and produce all the glorious overtones and "richness" inside it if I haven't played it in a while. I also notice it gets considerably louder the more I play it.

My Electrics? Can't say. I've owned my '60's AO Tele since 2018 and it hasn't sat unplayed more than a day or two in that time. The rest of the electrics I've owned have come and gone pretty quickly (I'm pretty sure the '58 LP I picked up a couple months back will be with me 'till the grave).

"I also notice it gets considerably louder the more I play it."

That happens to me, but it isn't the guitar. As I get set with the position and feel of the instrument, I get more confident, and play it more assertively. When I play it for the first time after a break, I'm more "timid".

 

[Nick Fanis]

would it be the case for electric guitars too?

No

Or it doesn't make sense?

No it doesn't.



They DO sound better if you set them up right though

 

[Nick Fanis]

a guitar hasn't been played for months it doesn't seem quite as lively

Than that's a GOOD thing since the whole idea of the solid body electric guitar is to be LESS resonant & lively in the first place

Les Paul’s “The LOG” Guitar, Circa 1939 - [Les Paul History]

Les Paul’s “LOG” Guitar 1939 is the guitar that came to bear the Les Paul name. The company at one point considered leaving its name off the guitar. LP History.

gear-vault.com

 

[Blue Bill]

Nope. You may, however, sound better, as you play more.

Exactly.

 

[teleplayr]

On an acoustic guitar YES, electric NO.

An electric guitar the natural wear on the necks finish makes a difference.

 

[radiocaster]

Do guitar forums sound worse the more posts you read?

 

[Weazel]

"Do electric guitars sound get better as they get played more?"​

Why yes. Yes they do.
You should be able to notice the betterness every other year of playing or so.

 

[darkwaters]

The more you practice, the better they sound.

 

[theleman]

My electric guitars seem getting better sounding as I keep adjusting the pickup heights, and actions and truss rods, and restring etc. They get better all the time. And once it has been set to the ideal or my favourite sound, it is just matter of playing more and practice, I suppose.

 

[theleman]

Here is some article about the similar topic on the website from Google Search.

Why Guitars Sound Better as They Age - Pro Sound HQ

Wondering why older guitars sound better than newer ones? Here's a guide to how guitars age and how this affects the sound.

prosoundhq.com

 

[FenderLover]

Reminds me of extraterrestrial life, always assumed to be more advanced than life here. Can't wait until they find a caveman situation somewhere.

 

[SonicBlueByYou]

I used to believe that age made a difference with electric guitars, but recent experience has made me question that. Other than possibly a 1953 Esquire owned by a friend, by far the finest telecaster I have ever played is a heavy relic CS 70th anniversary broadcaster made in November 2021. It unceremoniously kicked a 2006 Nocaster I had owned for years out of the #1 position.

I bought it new, and the honeymoon period is long over. It remains a very very special guitar.

And the finest Strat I have ever played? It left the Fender Custom Shop three months ago.

 

[tonfarbe]

I used to believe that age made a difference with electric guitars, but recent experience has made me question that. Other than possibly a 1953 Esquire owned by a friend, by far the finest telecaster I have ever played is a heavy relic CS 70th anniversary broadcaster made in November 2021. It unceremoniously kicked a 2006 Nocaster I had owned for years out of the #1 position.

I bought it new, and the honeymoon period is long over. It remains a very very special guitar.

And the finest Strat I have ever played? It left the Fender Custom Shop three months ago.

This only proves that a new superb guitar sounds better than an old mediocre guita.

 

[northernguitar]

Yes, yes they do.


#psychoacoustics