Which do you prefer and why?
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Which do you prefer and why?
I can actually hear the difference in the comparisons I've experienced. And to my ear it's a pleasing difference - a deeper tone.
Plus - just based on my opinion, and nothing else - I'd have to think that torrefied or roasted wood may be more stable and less prone to humidity changes. Again, just my opinion based on nothing.
The one thing that’s apparent is the torrefied’s are loud I have 2 Red Diamonds and both are loud.
I think I’ve only played 1 torrefied top mandolin and couldn’t really tell a difference at the time. The room was noisy, so it wasn’t a fair evaluation. I guess I’ll vote for what I’m familiar with, but we all know that it comes down to the individual instrument in your hands at the time.
Among the torrefied guitars I’ve played, especially mahogany topped, the difference can be pretty striking—greater volume and more pronounced attack, with many—if not all—of the characteristics of much older wood. We in the stringed instrument community have a lot of angels dancing on pinheads much of the time—subtleties of bracing design, fingerboard wood, latitudes and moon phases of cut spruce, etc. And maybe these do all yield audible differences to sensitive ears, but from my limited experience, torrefaction is a much bigger departure. Not for everyone of course, some have reported gluing issues, a builder’s experience with flexing may be thrown off, etc. Some of us even like the cottony tone of soft young spruce. But I expect the use of torrefied wood to increase because of the qualities it can impart.
I don’t care at all what the top is as long as it’s a ‘normal’ tone wood. I’ve never heard anyone comment after hearing a particular material that they finally heard subtitles in the tune they’ve never heard before.
I have heard that comment regarding a players skill.
Ymmv
I own several of each. There are tonal differences, especially in the all torrified. You get a little more volume and the top end and mid range tone is sweeter. Same model mandolin, same woods, same builder. That's the only way you are going to get a real side by side comparison.
I also think the attack response is quicker. You don’t have to work as hard to play and get the volume you want. My 2 cents.
I bought my two newest mandolins a Pava A4 and a MT2 with T-Tops for all the reported benefits listed above, without ever hearing one. And from my experience so far everything is true. I've pretty much bought new my whole life so I know green and at 65 yrs. I wanted instant mature. I don't know if that's the case but the tone and volume out of both these mandolins is BEAUTIFUL. As far as 50 years from now ? , let me know if we meet up sometime.:mandosmiley:
the torrified I worked with was very brittle hard to work with
I don't care one way or another, as long as it sounds good to me! I've heard great with both terrified and regular lumber in guitars and mandolins.
I have played both torrefied and non-torrified guitars and mandolins. Hard to say if the differences were due to the wood or the instrument, since I have never had two identical (or even similar) instruments, one torrefied and one not, side by side to compare. I know what sound I like and what I don't like, and I have found both in both. 🤷
It's easy to generalize, but hard to get specific. I never liked mahogany for guitars; it just didn't have the sound I liked. It was rosewood family or koa all the way. Then I tried a H&D all sinker mahogany 000, and bought it on the spot.
I just think the actual instrument and the sound/tone is more important than whether the wood has been heated/treated. If you are trying to decide which you want, try both and get the one you like more. If you are having an instrument built, talk to the builder about what you are looking for, and see what he/she says about getting that sound.
This is waaaayy beyond what anyone is looking for in a poll, but the soapbox was handy, so I thought I would use it.
I like Torrefied instruments a lot. I find though that the biggest difference is when they are new, and it's always the volume of new Torrefied tops that stand out over natural tops (for me). After a few years of being played, and letting a natural top open up though, it becomes harder to tell the difference. In my opinion.
Available affordability , for me ..:whistling:
I've never played a torrefied guitar but have played both torrefied and natural of the same brand mandolin, I heard no difference that made any impact on me so I stayed with natural. I've listened to videos with headphones on of guitar comparisons and still hear no difference...I don't have a preference or good hearing