First post - New M-25 owner

[F312]

Welcome, and that is sweet. I checked one out a few months ago at Jimmy Wallace Guitars and I was impressed.

Ralph

 

[Jaroboni]

Welcome, and that is sweet. I checked one out a few months ago at Jimmy Wallace Guitars and I was impressed.

Ralph

That's cool. Honestly, I didn't get to try this one out before I ordered it. I had played a new M-20 a couple months prior and took a leap of faith that it would be as good (knowing I had a return policy to fall back on if it wasn't). As it turns out, it's better than the one I played!

 

[HeyMikey]

Hi and welcome Jarboni! The very first thing that caught my attention when I saw your guitar was the burst. I love it! It is perfect for the hog top. As one of the newer members on this forum I will tell you that it’s like one great big family here. You came to the right place!

 

[Jaroboni]

After playing for several hours a day over the past week, I'm afraid the M-25 honeymoon might be starting to wear off a bit. This guitar is just so "tight," for lack of a better overall term. While it has pretty sounding mids, the lows and highs are both really subdued. In fact, the guitar overall just sounds very bottled up. Of course I wasn't expecting it to be anything resembling a cannon given its body size and materials, but the lack of projection and sustain is discouraging. No matter how much energy I put into my playing, the guitar seems to swallow most of it up and give very little back.

Not giving up yet, but starting to wonder how much it will open up and whether I underestimated the effect that the concert-sized, all-hog body would have on its tone.

 

[F312]

Put some new strings on it.

Ralph

 

[davismanLV]

Well, that's disappointing!! I was really revved about this guitar. The only thing missing was a cutaway. I think from everything I've read that I'm probably not a mahogany top guitar person. Spruce is more my tone range I think. Especially on a smaller size guitar you need the punch that is spruce. I still love looking at it though......

Like Ralph says.... SLAP some NEW STRINGS on that puppy and see what happens. Possibly try one of the sets of bluegrass style strings that have medium lows and light highs. With that mahogany top possibly try D'Addario EXP 14's. That's the 80/20 Bronze coated strings with medium lows and light highs. See what you think then.

 

[Jaroboni]

Well, that's disappointing!! I was really revved about this guitar. The only thing missing was a cutaway. I think from everything I've read that I'm probably not a mahogany top guitar person. Spruce is more my tone range I think. Especially on a smaller size guitar you need the punch that is spruce. I still love looking at it though......

Like Ralph says.... SLAP some NEW STRINGS on that puppy and see what happens. Possibly try one of the sets of bluegrass style strings that have medium lows and light highs. With that mahogany top possibly try D'Addario EXP 14's. That's the 80/20 Bronze coated strings with medium lows and light highs. See what you think then.

Thanks for the suggestion. Yeah, it's beautiful to look at - and also feels and plays great. It's light as a feather and the neck profile is absolutely perfect. Perhaps a string change will wake it up.

 

[F312]

I don't know what strings that model comes with but it may be some type to get a tone that goes with a hog top. I had Monel strings on a guitar I bought new and was not a very good sound for rock and roll.

Ralph

 

[Jaroboni]

I don't know what strings that model comes with but it may be some type to get a tone that goes with a hog top. I had Monel strings on a guitar I bought new and was not a very good sound for rock and roll.

Ralph

Stock strings are:

D'Addario EXP16 - Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 - .053)

 

[F312]

Those should be good, maybe they're old already ???

Ralph

 

[Jaroboni]

Those should be good, maybe they're old already ???

Ralph

I doubt it. They're only a couple months old. I think it's probably the guitar.

 

[F312]

Two months old is very old for some, just broke in for others.

Ralph

 

[davismanLV]

When was the guitar built? Is it actually a two month old guitar? I've bought new guitars that were almost 2 years old when I got them. Those strings were shot by then, but this is a newer model, right??

 

[Jaroboni]

When was the guitar built? Is it actually a two month old guitar? I've bought new guitars that were almost 2 years old when I got them. Those strings were shot by then, but this is a newer model, right??

Yes, the guitar itself is only a couple months old.

 

[midnightright]

See, it may (or may not) have something to do with having been a tree up until only a little short while ago. However, one thing that would go a long way in giving you some reassurance & peace of mind, is if you’ve been down this similar route, or path before (e.g. A new Martin 00-15, or something or other similar. The brand new 000—15m I’d gotten from Gruhn’s a few years back was absolutely exceptional (& still might be the most comfortable guitar I’ve owned - which is something also to consider; as it makes to me actually quite a big difference in the amount of time I’m able to play it...). And it opened up incredibly over the next couple to few years: and then like an extreme idiot, I sold it! What was explained to me by them was that the mahogany top, being a stiffer wood (than spruce) can sometimes temper this process, that said, the most dramatic improvement rapidly occurs in the beginning — it was also alluded to that it is rather desirable for it to be “stiffer” in the beginning (though I have no idea why?). Anyway, some more food for thought — clearly you’ll know best - & I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[HeyMikey]

The other things to try are tuning down one or two half steps, and a casein pick (I like Charmed Life)

 

[Coop47]

Welcome! - that's a gorgeous guitar.

Stock strings are:

D'Addario EXP16 - Coated Phosphor Bronze Light (.012 - .053)

I just got a fairly new Guild with those on it, and couldn't wait to change them to EJs. Made a huge difference.

 

[davismanLV]

The other things to try are tuning down one or two half steps, and a casein pick (I like Charmed Life)

I'm glad that Hey Mikey brought it up, and that's a great idea. Lower the tuning a bit. It gives it a different sound and it can be fun to play like that. Also, if you play in any alternate or open tunings, try those as well. Whenever a guitar I've purchased new or even one that's been in standard tuning for a long time, I just switch it up. Not only does it sound different to you it makes the guitar resonate differently and after years of being subjected to so many different tunings they tend to sound better and believe it or not, they become more versatile. Give it a try, see what you think.

 

[hansmoust]

I remember a pic in Han's great Guild book of Al playing a D50 that just got finished.

It was a D-35, but that's not all that important!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[bobouz]

Of course there are endless variables in playing styles & what tone appeals to you, but fwiw, on one of my small bodied guitars, a switch from D'Addario PBs to Martin Retro monels completely changed the tone (and in a good way). I typically use PBs on most of my acoustics, but every once in a while doing some string experimentation can shine a whole new light on a guitar.

I wouldn't give up on that little beauty until you've at least tried some 80-20s & monels.

Hope it comes to life for you!