MAKE YOUR ACOUSTIC GUITAR SOUND BETTER | Acoustic Tech Tips Part 2 | Lesson

Electric guitarists are thoroughly spoiled when it comes to customising the sound of their guitars. Pickup changes, pedals, amps, modelers… is it any wonder so many guitarists spend more time fiddling with their gear than actually practicing?
But what about acoustic guitars? Surely an acoustic guitar sounds the way it sounds and that’s that, right? Well, not so much. Even ignoring the plugged-in sound of your acoustic (we have another lesson on that!), there’s plenty you can do to make your acoustic guitar sound it’s best.
Technique considerations:
First of all, let’s address the human element. How you play your guitar makes a huge difference on the tone. If you’re resting your arm on the guitar’s soundboard, you can expect it to sound a little dead, since the top needs to vibrate freely to produce the guitar’s best tone. Then there’s the way you pick the strings - your pick angle, the position along the string’s length, how hard you hit - all of these can have a big effect on your tone, and should be considered before you change anything else.
Picks:
On to the gear then, and we’re going to start with the thing that actually strikes the string (unless you’re playing fingerstyle of course!) - your pick. Different thicknesses, shapes and materials not only play differently, but they sound different too! A thin nylon pick will have a much different sonic signature than a stiff Ultex pick for example. Likewise, two picks of the same shape and thickness can sound very different - for example, an Ultex jazz III will have a very pronounced “chirp”, while the same pick made from Tortex will be relatively “chirp-free”. Even how worn the pick is can make a big difference, so it pays to experiment.
Strings:
Next up, the strings on your guitar can make a huge difference to your tone. We all know that dead strings sound rubbish, but it goes much further than that. There are three main considerations to make here - gauge, material and coating.
String gauge:
There’s a common thought among guitarists that bigger always equals better with string gauge, but that’s definitely not true. Firstly, the best string gauge is the one you can play your best on. But if you want to use string gauge to adjust your tone, you can expect a little more roundness and a more pronounced thump out of heavier strings, while lighter strings usually sound brighter, lighter and more snappy.
String material:
Probably much more important than string gauge is string material, and the two most common materials are phosphor bronze and 80/20 bronze. The former sounds full, rich and balanced, while the latter is brighter, zinger and more focused. As you’ll hear in the video, material has a much bigger impact on tone than gauge, so choose wisely! For poking through a mix with maximum authority, 80/20 bronze is the way to go, but for a richer, deeper tone, reach for phosphor bronze.
Coating:
Lastly, coating can make a huge difference to the way a string sounds. Elixir were kind enough to provide us with two different coatings - their thinner “nanoweb” coated strings and the slightly thicker “polyweb” coated strings. Even with the same material and gauge (12s in 80/20 bronze), the tone was profoundly different. The “nanoweb” set sounds bright, clear and zingy, while the “polyweb” has a warmth that’s reminiscent of a nylon string guitar, along with greatly reduced finger noise.
So if you’re finding yourself dissatisfied with the sound of your acoustic guitar, try some of the suggestions in this lesson. You’ll likely find the perfect tone for your personal style, and it’s way cheaper than buying a new guitar!
Are you an uncoated string player? Now is the time to try Elixir Strings’ NANOWEB Coated acoustic guitar strings. A featherweight coating protects your strings from tone-killing elements like corrosion, dirt, oil and sweat.
NANOWEB Coating delivers distinctive phosphor bronze warmth and sparkle together with extended tone life. End result - your strings sound and feel fresher for much for longer.
For more information, click here: www.elixirstri...

[@jdemail9574]

Jesus God what fantastically clean playing in that intro.. I’m no slouch on the guitar and I bow to that playing - great tone, speed, and licks.

[@petecrush]

Thank you, interesting to hear the sound changes possible with the various string and pick options, and learnt about pick angles for the first time.

[@jeffmullen8436]

Thank you sooo much. Surprised there aren't a lot of videos about this stuff. Get the views man!

[@louieo.blevinsmusic4197]

Thank God I already learned to play with my arm resting gently on the top/side. I don’t think I can relearn anything else after having to relearn traditional Travis pickin’ as I learned to fingerpick by learning Elliott Smith’s techniques.

[@Guitar-pro-lk]

10:04bro stole all the elixir packs for this video. 😅

[@bighes100]

Bridge pins affect the tone slightly also... ebony, bone etc better than plastic for sure.

[@papagaio1696]

Your guitar has an astonishing sound. Wich model?

[@Unplugged704]

Thanks for the tips! What model Taylor and mic is that?

[@sydh-b3771]

I have this odd idea of getting a cheap acoustic, blocking the main hole and drilling a speaker shape on the lower part, where a steel pan would sit on a steel guitar? Would it work? I want the sound to be very bass-y lol

[@Guitar-pro-lk]

😂🤣🤣😬🆗🤣

[@estebanvelasquez1390]

Super bien

[@vishnus3889]

Fantastic

[@billybudd45]

Taylor sounds great

[@cugir321]

That acoustic does not sound full and rich.....thin bottom end. This stuff most of us know.....I want to know how to make an average guitar sound rich and full.....great bottom end. The closest I've come is with Elixirs or D'addario XS. I don't like Taylors because many lack the bottom end fullness. A great Martin will have it....even a great Yamaha L series....LL16, LL26 and up. Not all of them are great including the MARTINS.

[@lwoklidfr]

how to make your acoustic guitars sound better? then learn how to play one and reach expert level.

[@justinkrann7406]

Step 1 buy a Taylor

[@NishantMankarRocker]

😂😂

[@GabrielT17511]

Martin is bettet

[@davidwilliams7552]

Or A Furch.... they are like an innovative boutique Taylor!