They do go to sleep

[Moldstar]

Originally Posted by printer2

If a guitar takes some time to wake up it should be easily capture in a recording. I just searched for a recording, could not find one. Not sure what that says.

Right, I am generally a skeptic of all things people exhort because people are generally very unreliable witnesses to things. I notice the same 'phenomenon' but I think it is just our ears getting used to how the guitar sounds again. Guitarists swear on their mother's grave about the sounds of tonewoods, but when you run an experiment using actual repeatable protocols, people, pros and amateurs alike, cannot reliably determine what wood is what, and their answers are generally no better than random chance. I love to change my mind when presented with proof. This is my opinion. It is not a verified truth.

[gitaryzt1985]

If you think about it, wood is made of fibers that probably can get stiff when sitting for periods of time. And, wood soaks up water so you have to think that perhaps the water in the cells of the wood redistributes or something when vibrating. I believe it.

I am no scientist or physicist, but it makes sense.

[jseth]

I have three really wonderful guitars... a 6 string, a 12 string (both hand-made) and an older Gibson electric guitar. At nearly 73 years, I don't play nearly as much as I have in years past - I mean, I play everyday, pretty much, but it's been a long time since i had a 6 or 8 hour playing day!

I swear that my guitars "sulk" when they don't get played! They can get sort of "pissy" about being neglected... I often have conversations with them about how great they are and that I know I've been neglecting them, but I have NOT forgotten them!

My 12 string, in particular, seems to hold a grudge longer than the other two! But, they all come around fairly quickly after a few minutes of serious play time...

[jmat]

Most of my guitars sound more or less the same most times. I have one that seems to want some play time to get to full resonance. I can even feel it as the body will vibrate more after some energy has been put into it. Who knows.

[Fishermike]

I think it mostly has to do with our memories/expectations of what a particular guitar sounds like vs. what it first sounds like to us after not having played it for awhile.

After a short period, that dissonance disappears and there is once again agreement between what we think a guitar sounds like and what it actually does sound like.

That would also explain why this is true whether or not our ears have already woken up by playing another instrument.

[Moldstar]

Originally Posted by Fishermike

I think it mostly has to do with our memories/expectations of what a particular guitar sounds like vs. what it first sounds like to us after not having played it for awhile.

After a short period, that dissonance disappears and there is once again agreement between what we think a guitar sounds like and what it actually does sound like.

That would also explain why this is true whether or not our ears have already woken up by playing another instrument.

I agree with Fishermike. I do know wood structure changes over time, as water leaves and cells crystallize, that is a science fact, and that would likely change the sound of the guitar. But if you believe guitars wake up or don't wake up, I guess who cares, to each their own.

[davidd]

This thread proves that superstition and the belief in the irrational is still very much a part of the human DNA.