I remember when I first started driving a car and tinkering with its’ engine to make it perform better.  Bigger tires, air shocks, bigger fuel injectors, hi-test gasoline, etc…  my Dad called these “go-fasters”!

Well…there are some little “tweaks” you can do to “hot-rod” your acoustic and I’m here, today, to share those with you!

Bone Saddle and Bone Nut:  Most mid-line production guitars come with a plastic saddle and nut.  Replacing them with bone will dramatically improve the tone.  Bone is much more dense than plastic and helps transmit the vibrations much more effectively.

Wooden Bridge Pins:  Mid-line production guitars usually have plastic bridge pins.  Replacing them with wooden pins will again, increase the sound and sustain.

Tuning Machines:  A majority of my original compositions are in open tunings and I’m constantly changing the tunings, according to the song I’m playing.  I’ve been a big fan of locking tuners since their development and I HIGHLY recommend them.  These type of tuners eliminate the need to wrap the string several times around the string post.  This is where slippage occurs.  Locking tuners enable you to pull the string all the way tight to the point that once locked down, you’ll only need to turn the tuner a few times to bring the string into pitch.

“Wanna See My G-String”?  Don’t get any crazy ideas!  What I’m talking about is the G-string of the guitar!  Most sets of acoustic strings use a .024 or .026 wound string for the G-string.  Try using a .022 guage instead.  Yes, this means you’ll have to buy one when you buy a set of strings but after swapping it out you’ll be amazed on how much easier it is to bend notes on that string!

Custom String Gauges:  Alot of manufacturers offer custom gauge sets of strings.  Try using the bottom three strings from a set of medium guage strings and the top three strings from a set of light gauge strings.  You’ll have the best of both world’s!  You’ll have a nice fat low-end for your chords and you’ll have the ease and comfort of being able to bend the high notes on the top three strings.

Have Fun!