What can we do to affect tone on acoustics?

hessodreamy · October 2022

If there’s some tonal aspect of my acoustic I’m not happy with, what are the things I can do to affect it, and in what way?

I figure choice of strings, choice of pick, how close to the bridge you strum for starters, but I’m struggling to get into my head exactly what the change is (especially with strings where it’s hard to A/B). Or some other aspect of technique?

My current guitar (epi inspired hummingbird) I’d kinda like a more polite top end and a less busy/clunky mid range. But really I’d like to get my head around the whole issue.

I’m sure there are things I can change that don’t require a new guitar!

Supportact · October 2022

Hard to tell what the issue is in your specific case, but the thing that makes the biggest difference for me is trying a different plectrum. Happily this is also, in general, relatively cheap. I keep various plectrums, different materials as well as thicknesses.

Also another thought, could you try recording the guitar and listening back? I find a recording can help me to hear stuff i can't hear when I'm concentrating on playing.

digitalkettle · October 2022

Practice! (sorry

)

malcolmkindness · October 2022

This is probably not the answer you want, but tone is mostly in the hands of the player.

I have been playing guitar for almost 60 years and when I was a teenager I was considered lucky to have a guitar at all. There was very little choice of strings, capos etc, all the things we take for granted now. With no Internet, people developed their own style of playing with what was available.

Nowadays I have several high end guitars and two cheapies that I use for gigging and travel and whichever guitar I play, I sound like me. Keep experimenting and I'm sure you'll figure out how to produce a tone you are happy with, there really is no simple answer.

Lestratcaster · October 2022

Acoustic players can be very heavy handed when strumming which then takes away the texture and dynamics of the pick esp when alternate strumming. That ice-picky thing you can get is being too aggressive with the right hand (assuming you play right-handed). Changing pick gauge can help you as mentioned above tone is in the hands of the player. Detuning the guitar can give a more mellow sound and less treble attack, D standard sounds quite moody and dark.

Winny_Pooh · October 2022

Very little aside from strings (Daddario EJ are a basic ref point, Newtone masterclass the best IMO) or changing a synthetic saddle to bone (more treble).

Your tonal issues are probaby just the guitar itself, I'm not a fan of Epiphone acoustics

Leaving out rosewood as is acooped in the mids and brighter up top, here's some nice mahogany guitars:

If you want a similar feel with a smoother top end and just Better, then perhaps a J45 style like an Eastman E10ss. A D18 style by Furch or Larivee will do similar with a bit more clarity and string tension.
If you want much smoother top end then a mahogany Martin 0015 or D15 or Taylor Ad27 (fab guitar) but the midrange will change too.

ToneControl · October 2022

play in front of a wall or window

drill a sound port into the top left side of the guitar

run a Tonerite on the guitar for a few days

try 80/20 strings to brighten it up

more · October 2022

There is a long list of things that will affect the tone, including the room your in . Here are a few you might be interested in . String gauges and types of windings . Medium gauge strings will have more volume and a better tone than light . 80/20 bronze has a brighter tone than phosphor bronze. Round core is more resonant than hex . Right hand position , picking hand. Closer to neck will have a darker , warmer , softer tone than closer to the bridge . It is complicated to explain how to use the pick in different ways . You need to experiment to adjust tone and volume . The same can be said of the left hand . It takes a lot of practice to get a clan or rich sound .

roberty · October 2022

ToneControl said:

play in front of a wall or window

And after all, I'm in front a wall...

*gets coat*

*leaves*

thomasross20 · October 2022

malcolmkindness said:

This is probably not the answer you want, but tone is mostly in the hands of the player.

I have been playing guitar for almost 60 years and when I was a teenager I was considered lucky to have a guitar at all. There was very little choice of strings, capos etc, all the things we take for granted now. With no Internet, people developed their own style of playing with what was available.

Nowadays I have several high end guitars and two cheapies that I use for gigging and travel and whichever guitar I play, I sound like me. Keep experimenting and I'm sure you'll figure out how to produce a tone you are happy with, there really is no simple answer.

Love this reply and very true

bertie · October 2022

ToneControl said:

play in front of a wall or window

if you're talking about playing at home (and not gigging specifically) then what @ToneControl says is spot on

two places I find really good, top of the stairs facing the wall, and in our "bay window" - its more a recess with window seat as our walls are 2 foot thick, makes a superb "sound chamber"

sev112 · October 2022

malcolmkindness said:

Nowadays I have several high end guitars and two cheapies that I use for gigging and travel and whichever guitar I play, I sound like me.

Might I ask what you get from your various guitars? Reason I ask is that I have a cheapie acoustic, a good acoustic, and I have been recently tempted by a high end acoustic a beautiful hand made thing. Common sense says stick with my good one; dreamer says splash on the new lovely one,

Gassage · October 2022

Different picks.

Those massive perspex ones can sound great in some applications.

markj · October 2022

When I bought my HD28 I auditioned quite a few string makers and gauges. It's like changing pickups in an electric guitar!
I found quite a difference in tone in the different manufacturers.
My fav when i had the guitar were Curt Mangans PB.

CoffeeAndTV · October 2022

Totally agree with these, the room where you play is so important.

The picks, I use primetones.

Where you pick in relation to the soundhole.

I’m sure if you’ve played the guitar a lot recently is important. Unless it’s your ears that have grown accustomed to the sound.

LastMantra · October 2022

Flat wound strings? I put some semi-flat (forget what they're called) ones on mine which aren't as "scratchy" sounding. Possibly a little mellower/warmer too but not a massive difference.

I used to like soft picks for acoustic strummage but when I recorded it and listened back I really didn't like the frappy percussive sound so I started using a hard pick which I found gives you much more control, after a bit of practice.

sev112 · October 2022

Tune down a semi tone

malcolmkindness · October 2022

sev112 said:

malcolmkindness said:

Nowadays I have several high end guitars and two cheapies that I use for gigging and travel and whichever guitar I play, I sound like me.

Might I ask what you get from your various guitars? Reason I ask is that I have a cheapie acoustic, a good acoustic, and I have been recently tempted by a high end acoustic a beautiful hand made thing. Common sense says stick with my good one; dreamer says splash on the new lovely one,

Sure, let me explain, It's all to do with the string spacing and the neck. I realised over the years that I like and play best with a wide, fat neck and wide string spacing at the saddle. I have two guitars made for me to my specs, and two high end Martins which are close. The cheap guitars are the same, one perfect and one close enough considering its other advantages.

It's a shame really, because when I go into a guitar shop there are usually none that suit my requirements. For me playability comes first, if the guitar is not comfortable then it really doesn't matter how good it sounds.

I hope this helps.

sev112 · October 2022

Thanks. For electrics (a different approach) I felt a guitar had to look pleasing, had to feel/play well, and sound well acoustically - electronic sounds would be controlled by amp and pedals.
But for acoustic it needs to play/feel and sound good, and then looks might be secondary, but not too secondary.

So I concur that the feel / playability is key

Tannin · October 2022

1: throw away your pick and learn to use your fingers. There are lots of small changes you can make with different picks, and by using the pick in different ways, but the game-changer is switching to fingers. It opens up a whole different world and it's a wonderful place. (Will this fix your guitar? Probably not really. But it's a bloody good thing to do anyway. And it will help with the guitar too.)

2: Change your strings. Most tonal issues of the sort you describe can be substantially addressed by selecting the right strings. There is absolutely no point in saying "switch to phosphor bronze" or "use DR Sunbeams" without knowing what changes you are looking for, and also what strings you have on now.

Assuming that you have the most common sort of strings as your starting point, 12 gauge hex core phosphor bronze, then yes, there are some things that we can do.

(a) If by "a more polite top end and a less busy/clunky mid range" you mean that the high strings (the plain steel ones) are shouty and the middle strings busy, that's one thing. Call it Case A. Or do you mean that the overall strummed sound is harsh at the top and unpleasant in the middle? Call that Case B.

Case A. You can't change the sound of the top two strings - all brands use plain steel and while they are not (as some people claim) "exactly the same", they are very similar. So what you do in change the wound strings so that they are in balance with the plains. There is a bit of trial and error involved. Knowing what you have on it now is the starting point.

Case B. Three possibilities come to mind. (i) Counter-intuitively, brighter strings can balance this out. Yes, it sounds crazy but it often works. Full-on 80-20 brass is probably not such a good idea, but a set of bright standards in phosphor bronze can work wonders. GHS Americana would be my go-to, or maybe Curt Mangans or Newtones. (ii) Well-worn brass strings have a clear, mellow sound that is hard to beat. The only thing is it takes at least a month of playing to reach that mellow place. (iii) A softer string with plenty of weight (i.e., lower tension but not lighter) changes your tone significantly, and in the sort of direction you are thinking about. Any of Dogal round core, Pyramid Western Folk, DR Sunbeams, Galli LS, Santa Cruz Parabolic.

DavidR · October 2022

I think you're probably more than halfway there @hessodreamy ;

Any individual acoustic, however nice, does not contain within it an infinite number of tones. I know you do not want to, but once you've tried all the alterable things - strings, picks, attack, capo, where you play, electric amplification - you made need to go on a journey for a new guitar. They're not called tonewoods for nothing!

A few things that I can't see have been mentioned yet. Monel strings (less bright and can seem a little more complex than other strings). Try lowering all your strings a semitone (sometimes works by bringing frequencies closer to the resonant frequency of your soundbox). Fingerpicks (very different sound but can be difficult to master initially).

It can take years to get (or find) the tone you're looking for. And can happen by accident sometimes. A bloke in a shop just strummed a mahogany guitar he was bringing me as he walked the guitar over once, and I was smitten!

Tone is so individually subjective. Keep at it!

Soupman · October 2022

If the guitar is still new, it may open up as it's played in. If it's an orange box, sell/trade it for something else - but go round the shops & try out stuff in your price range. When you find 'the one' that suits you, you'll know.

Mellish · October 2022

I'm with @DavidR about going on a journey for a new guitar.

What boxes do we need to tick when in-store? Body shape and size, neck profile, nut width, woods, and some of us are attracted by looks. But in addition to all of that, don't we have a tone box to tick?

guitarjack66 · October 2022

bertie said:

ToneControl said:

play in front of a wall or window

if you're talking about playing at home (and not gigging specifically) then what @ToneControl says is spot on

two places I find really good, top of the stairs facing the wall, and in our "bay window" - its more a recess with window seat as our walls are 2 foot thick, makes a superb "sound chamber"

Two foot thick walls? You could invite a brass band to play and the neighbours would still be oblivious to it. My walls are like crepe paper so have to play at my Mum's end of terrace. An electric and headphones is high on my list.

Mellish · October 2022

But if you want to experiment with tone on your existing guitar...

Nut/saddle materials
Bridge pin materials
Strings (pb, 80/20, monel)
Picks

Hope you find the, tone you're searching for.

bertie · October 2022

stand on your head and play with your feet.

takes some practice but well worth it in the end

roberty · October 2022

Fill it with cement, route for a humbucker

guitarjack66 · October 2022

In my case,let somebody else play the guitar!

Smellyfingers · October 2022

I know it’s been said but how hard and how deep to hit the strings can affect tone massively.

What I would do is pick a single chord, then temporarily forget my usual strumming technique. Then I would experiment with many different angles of attack(if using a plectrum) as well as different velocities, as well as varying between brushing and deeper plucking.

Basically with sole focus on the strum, just try many different methods until I hit on the best tone. Sounds complicated and longwinded, but it could be quite fun and doable/findable in one session,

ToneControl · October 2022

Also, other ways to change the sound:

try different plectrums
grow your nails longer, or cut them shorter
have acrylic nails fitted

chickenbonejohn · October 2022

Stop listening to the guitar, start listening to the music you are making. It won't make the guitar sound better but it might help make you and others around you happier. I know this isn't the answer that you want to hear.

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What can we do to affect tone on acoustics?

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