Wednesday, October 12, 2011

PrimeVibe -Guitar Seasoning


There is a new product on the market called PrimeVibe Instrument Seasoning Device. If you have ever playing an old guitar you know that a well played guitar seems to have a better feel and sometimes tone. Not to say that all old guitars play or sound well! So there is always someone out there that will try to help us gain this wondrous tone without having to wait 40 years. Enter PrimeVibe. PrimeVibe is a tool that seasons your guitar when you attach it's two transducers onto the body of the guitar for a duration usually greater than 100 hours. When attached you will notice a gentle vibration of the instrument. The PrimeVibe reminds me of the ToneRite. This is a link to an article I wrote about the ToneRite.

Attaching a quantitative analyzable value to the final tone results of these tools subjective to the listeners ear. Do the tools work? Yes. Do these tools improve tone? Only you can determine if the guitar tone has improved because it is a subjective sound description. Meanwhile, I'll stick to buying well made instruments, trusting time, and my ear. Sure is fun testing though!

For those interested in further reading on this subject - click anywhere on this sentence.

Interesting data based on health monitoring of a composite plate.

Tools - National Instruments.

Link to Primevibe @ facebook

Guitar Pickup Technology - DiaForce film!



Scientists at Fraunhofer have tested a thin film that could replace your pickup or pickups as we know them. Fraunhofer Institure for Surface Engineering has engineered a 10 um (micrometer) sheet of film called DiaForce which when applied to a guitar tailpiece, can record string tension with absolute precision and convert the data into a digital signal. Scientists hope the technology could eventually replace the magnetic pickup. The Fraunhofer site is an excellent site for technology of all shape and size. Click here to visit Fraunhofer!

DiaForce is comprised of amphorus carbon and is piezoresistive. The results are interesting because algorithmic codes can be written based on the data.  As we go forward I believe the digital interface will be crucial to the success of this material and ultimately test the feasibility, especially to the discerning tone connoisseurs. At this time; I doubt Lindy Fralin, Lollar, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio,  or any manufacturer will cease production of their stock pickups in fear of the purported next generation of pickup. However, it would behoove them to stay current on material science and emerging technologies.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

RIP Bert Jansch


Too many great people are passing this month. There are brighter days ahead!

Bert Jansch! I cannot help but think of Bert whenever I hear Paul Simon, Neil Young, Jimmy Page, and Johnny Marr to name a few.
One of Jimmy Page's hero's, Bert Jansch. A modest man with immodest talent.
This song is great!

RIP Bert!

RIP Steve Jobs

Innovation = Steve Jobs
"Stay hungry and stay foolish" - Whole Earth Catalog