Acoustic Guitar

How To Make An Acoustic Guitar Sound Better: Ultimate Guide

By · 21 min read

acoustic guitar | Sandy Music Lab

There are many ways to make an acoustic guitar sound better and many other ways to make them sound different. So, what are your options when it comes to improving the sound of your acoustic guitar? 

To make your acoustic guitar sound better, you can use a combination of techniques such as changing the strings, adjusting the action, applying EQ, compression, and reverb effects, and using proper microphone placement.

Ok, so now that we know a few of the basic ways to improve your guitar’s tone, it is time to go into more detail on the particulars. In this article, we’ll be showing you how to make your guitar sound better without having to buy a new one. Let’s get stuck in!

If you want to find out what my recommended guitar gear is, then here is what I recommend on Amazon:

How To Make An Acoustic Guitar Sound Better: Choose the Right Strings

This is a big one, so it is good to get it out of the way first. Once you have bought your guitar, few things will make a bigger difference to the tone than the type of strings you are using. How often you change the strings and how much you stretch them first will also have a big effect on the tone. Here are a few tips on how to choose the right strings to achieve the sound you are looking for:

Material

There are a surprising number of different materials you can get for acoustic guitar strings, and each one will have its own tonal characteristics. What kind of tone you will want will partly be determined by what style of music you want to play and the guitar you play. In this section, we’ll look at the characteristics of some of the most popular string materials and discuss which music genres they suit the best.

Steel or Nylon?

This is something you will have to decide before buying the guitar, so if you are reading this, you have probably already committed to either steel or nylon. Still, it is worth going through the differences. By far, steel-stringed acoustics are the more popular option and are likely the guitars being played on 99% of all your favorite acoustic tracks. It is worth noting that even bronze or nickel-wound strings are still ‘steel’ because the wire inside is made of steel. 

Nylon-stringed acoustics are also called ‘classical’ guitars because they are primarily used for playing classical music. The other major genre which utilizes them is flamenco. Unless you plan on playing either of these genres, chances are you are going to want a steel-stringed acoustic. Nylon-stringed guitars have a wider neck and are much easier on the fingers, so some recommend them as a first guitar, especially for children. We will be focussing on steel strings. 

Bronze

Bronze strings are one of the most popular choices around today. Again, these still count as ‘steel’ strings since the wire inside is steel. These gold-colored strings are known for their bright, lively tones and good corrosion resistance. They often work well on ‘dreadnought’ style guitars, like those made by Martin and Taylor. Any guitar with a ‘dark’ tone will work well for these strings since the string’s bright tone will provide a balance. 

Bronze guitar strings are often referred to as ‘80/20’ since they are composed of 80% copper and 20% zinc. Funnily enough, that actually means that they are made of brass, not bronze! 

Phosphor Bronze

Phosphor bronze strings produce a less bright but much more natural tone than bronze. Invented around 40 years later, phosphor bronze strings last a lot longer than their bronze counterparts. Another unexpected benefit is that, unlike bronze strings, phosphor bronze strings are more resistant to corrosion caused by sweat and oils on your fingers. These strings work well on a guitar with too much high end. 

Phosphor bronze strings have basically the same composition as bronze, although they are 93% copper rather than 80%. Plus, they have some phosphorus thrown in, hence the name! 

How To Make An Acoustic Guitar Sound Better: Choose the Right Plectrum

You may be surprised that which plectrum you use is such a big consideration. It’s just a piece of plastic, right? It is also the only point of contact between the player’s right hand and the strings. Which plectrum (or ‘pick’) you use can end up having a huge effect on the final tone of your performances and your level of comfort when playing. In this section, we’ll be looking at a few of the things to consider when choosing a plectrum that is right for your style. 

Thickness

The thickness of your plectrum will have the biggest effect on your sound. When it comes to acoustic guitars, you will generally want a thinner pick. Anything under around 0.45mm is considered super thin and will only be used for very delicate playing. Picks between 0.5mm and 0.85mm thick are considered thin to medium and are also popular choices among acoustic players. The picks on the heavier end of the spectrum are generally used for electrics. 

That being said, which thickness you use is really a matter of preference. Using a very heavy and stiff pick on an acoustic, for example, you will increase the bass and mids’ volume, giving your guitar a powerful, booming tone. A thinner, more flexible pick will give you more treble and will sound better when delicately played. Try experimenting with different thicknesses to find out which is most comfortable for you and which gives you the tone you are looking for. 

Shape

There are a few different shapes of guitar picks, and each will have its own purpose and benefits. As a general rule, picks with a rounder top will be better for strumming, whereas pointier picks will be good for playing single notes, for example, for solos. For example, Jazz picks are tiny and pointy, making them perfect for complex single-note melodies. Using the wrong pick shape for your style of playing can make things very uncomfortable!

Material

Which material your pick is made of will also have a significant effect on the tone! While picks used to be made from turtle shells (although they were commonly incorrectly referred to as ‘tortoiseshell’), this practice has now been banned to protect vulnerable turtle populations. Here are the pros and cons of some of the less cruel materials. 

Nylon

Nylon is perhaps the most popular choice and has been since the early days of rock and blues, which gives the tone a vintage feel. Of course, as mentioned above, nylon picks can offer a huge number of different tones depending on the thickness of the pick. Most nylon picks have raised lettering, which gives them extra grip. If you are the sort of player who is always dropping their pick, then nylon might be the right material for you. 

Celluloid

These picks were designed to replace the ‘tortoiseshell’ picks of old, which is why the pattern on them often looks like a tortoiseshell. They are generally much stiffer than nylon, making them perfect for electric guitars and certain acoustic playing styles. They are generally described as having a ‘snappy’ tone with lots of high ends. They have also been described as ‘flappy’ due to the flapping sound you can sometimes hear when strumming with them. 

Wood or Metal

Less common materials for picks include wood and metal, both of which will be much harder on the strings than the more common plastic alternatives. Naturally, both wooden and metal guitar picks will be very stiff and will not have any give at all. Wooden picks produce a unique warm tone, whereas the tone of metal picks will be more aggressive and chunky. Both will be more difficult to use than plastic picks, so these are not recommended for beginners. 

How To Make An Acoustic Guitar Sound Better: Upgrade Your Pickups

There are a few different types of pickup, and each one will make the guitar sound better when played through an amp, PA, or interface. This section only applies to electro-acoustic guitars, which are acoustics that can be plugged into sound systems. Changing the pickups is a great way to improve the sound of your acoustic without having to buy a new guitar. Here is some background on the types of pickup and how they affect the tone of the guitar:

Magnetic Pickup

This is the type of pickup that is also used on electric guitars. They use magnets to detect the vibration of the strings, which means they do not pick up the resonance of the body of the guitar. That makes an acoustic with a magnetic pickup sound quite a bit like an electric guitar. (Question: Can Electric Guitars Be Wireless?). You will need to do some work on the signal with EQ if you want this to sound like a natural acoustic guitar, but these are still a popular and convenient option with small amounts of feedback (You may also enjoy: How To Make Your Acoustic Guitar Sound Better In Audacity).

Magnetic pickups often sit in the front of the ‘soundhole,’ making them the easiest pickups to remove and replace. 

Piezoelectric Pickup

This is the most common type of electro-acoustic pickup. They use piezoelectric crystals to detect the pressure created by the vibration of the strings. They tend to sound a bit more natural and bright than magnetic pickups. They also have a great dynamic range, meaning that the harder you play, the louder it will get. However, that means that you often have to use compression on piezo pickups to stop the highs being too high and the lows from being too low. 

Another drawback of piezo pickups is that they require professional installation, unlike magnetic ‘soundhole’ pickups. 

Internal Microphone

This option will give you the most natural sound since a microphone picks up both the vibration of the strings and the resonance of the body of the guitar. The major drawback of these types of pickup is that they are very prone to feedback. The other drawback is that they are the most expensive of the three types of pickup listed here. However, another benefit is that they are better at picking up the percussive elements of your acoustic playing. 

Internal microphone pickups are also quite difficult to install. It is not recommended that you attempt it at home unless you already have a good understanding of woodwork and soldering. 

How To Make An Acoustic Guitar Sound Better: Upgrade the Saddle/Nut

At the point where the strings meet the body of the guitar, there is a block of wood supporting the strings called the ‘bridge.’ On top of the bridge is a small strip of plastic, bone, or ivory, which the strings actually sit on. Since this is the bit that actually transfers the sound from the strings to the body of the guitar, which material you use makes a big difference to the tone. The saddle is also a part that can be easily replaced, so it is a good way to improve your tone.

There is another similar part where the strings meet the head of the guitar, and this is called the nut. This serves a similar function, is made of the same materials, and is also easy to replace. 

Plastic 

This is a common material, especially in the cheaper models of acoustic guitar. Plastics absorb a lot of the energy of the vibration of the strings, meaning that you get less volume and clarity from a plastic saddle or nut. Basically, the only reason why you would choose a plastic saddle or nut is for budget reasons. If you have a plastic saddle and nut, then replacing them with another material will be an amazing way to improve the sound of your acoustic guitar. 

Bone

Bone is a big step up from plastic and is the high-end option of choice. It actually doesn’t cost that much more! You can get a plastic saddle for about $15, whereas a bone saddle will only cost around $25. Many guitarists consider bone the ideal material for saddles and nuts since the material is great for transferring the vibrations from the string to the guitar’s body and produces a tone that is hard to beat! 

Ivory

This is definitely the most expensive option, despite not being objectively much better than bone. The two materials transfer the