Whether you have an expensive acoustic guitar or a second-hand one, there are many ways to improve the tone of your instrument. Even if your guitar is maintained properly, there are some inexpensive ways to get the best performance out of your instrument.
Improve Your Guitar Tone With These Tried Methods
Here are 6 ways:
Add New Strings
One of the most common reasons what an acoustic guitar doesn’t sound its best is probably because the strings are too old and need to be replaced urgently. It is important to note that strings have a limited life span and have to be changed regularly to ensure that the guitar stays in tune. Preferably learn to change the strings of your guitar on your own rather than taking it to the local repair store.
Some factors like body sweat or heavy usage of the guitar may speed up the process of damaging strings. Therefore, adding new strings is the best way to give your guitar a new life! Also, don’t forget to keep at least two spare strings at home, in case you need to replace them.
Clean Your Acoustic Guitar
Taking care of your acoustic guitar by cleaning it regularly is an essential aspect of maintenance. True, guitar players are known for not being the kind of clean people. However, A clean acoustic guitar will sound better than the one that is dirty with sweat and moisture. It is important to use some good guitar cleaner and polishing cloth, to ensure your guitar is clear of dust, sweat, and oil, etc.
Another important part of the guitar that reeks of uncleanliness is the fingerboard. While some people keep their built-up finger gunk as a source of pride, it really is gross and should be cleaned up every time you change your strings.
Not only is it a borderline health code violation, but an excessive build-up of grease, sweat, and oil from our fingers will also dampen the sound of the strings and decrease the life of a new set of strings drastically. So, keep your guitar clean and it will help you get efficient sound.
Proper Setup is Essential
acoustic guitars sound brilliant when their geometry is right. This essentially means that you should ensure all the setup points are adjusted and balanced properly. Whenever possible, get your guitar professionally once a year, so that you get adequate satisfaction from its sound.
Upgrade the Nut and Saddle
The Saddle is one of the most crucial parts of your acoustic guitar. This part helps in transmitting the vibration of the strings to the top part of the guitar. The saddle will have a bearing on the sound of your guitar. If necessary, it’s better to upgrade the saddle at least once a year. The Saddle can be of any material. Besides, the Nut of your guitar plays a role in the tone.
Upgrading the Nut will help to improve the sound of your guitar and enhance the overall response. Another important way to improve the tone of your guitar is by adjusting the guitar action, which is the distance between the top of the fretboard to the bottom of the strings, which helps in the intonation of your instrument.
Check the Humidity
If you own a guitar, it is important to understand that humidity affects guitars greatly. Hence, monitoring the humidity of the location of your acoustic guitar is very essential to keep your guitar in good working condition. If you have an expensive guitar, then humidity and temperature are more likely to affect it.
Remember, different parts of the guitar are glued together and when the weather is dry, the parts shrink due to dryness, and it ultimately causes the guitar to tighten up. The guitar also fails to vibrate efficiently. If possible, try using guitar humidifiers to keep your guitar safe.
Check and Upgrade the Bridge Pins
Every acoustic guitar consists of Bridge Pins which adequately secure the strings tightly. Though small, these pins definitely have an impact on the vibrating function of your guitar. Hence, it is good to upgrade from using plastic pins to say rosewood.
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