Getting The Most Out of Your Acoustic Guitar

The other day I saw an add in a music catalog for an acoustic guitar. It had brazil wood, a cool dual mic/pick-up system, and mother-of-pearl inlays. It cost $8000.00. Oh, wouldn't it be nice.

A lot of us don't have 8 large sitting around. I know I don't. The reason these guitars cost so much is because they sound great. The record impeccably well, too.

In a perfect world, I guess we would all have access to a really expensive acoustic guitar for when we need a great sound for a recording. Thankfully, there are some things we can do to our not-so-great guitars to help get the most out of them.

Personally, I've been recording with sub-standard guitars for most of my life. I had a really nice acoustic guitar once but some asshole stole it from me after a late night in Greensboro. Another asshole, namely myself, was dumb enough to leave it in my car for an hour while I went to my guitar tech's house to "rest my eyes." That's another story all together.

If you aren't happy with your acoustic guitar, try the following all important tips. I think you'll notice an improvement.

Tip #1: Get your guitar "set up."

The best $50 - $75 you can spend on your acoustic guitar is getting it "set up" by a luthier. The best luthier I've used is Mark Kane in Cary, NC. He works out of Fat Sound and has his own shop in the back. Getting your guitar "set up" will have the intonation set as well as balance out any sort of fret buzz or otherwise quirky problems that will hinder the performance of the guitar. A lot of guitars that have a "factory set-up" are a little off.

Tip #2: When you change your strings, let your guitar breathe for 24 to 48 hours before recording.

Although guitar strings are made out of metal, they do stretch quite a bit once they are newly installed. The stretching process can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, even if the strings are "locked." Studio time costs money. If you change your strings an hour before your session (like many people do) you will spend more time in between takes tuning. The time adds up. Save money. Let your guitar breathe.

It's also a good idea to strum on the strings a bit during the breathing period. Just not so much that you deaden the strings. 10 to 15 minutes after installation should do.

Tip #3: Use a thin pick.

It's a good idea to have an arsenal of guitar picks when you go to record. A thin pick, if you can stand it, will provide a little extra zing that may not be native to your guitar. Some guitars are just plain dull. Try a thin pick next time your sitting around the house strumin'. You'll notice more high end in your performance.

Tip #4: Tune in between each take.

No matter how in tune your guitar is or how stretched out the strings are, recording is a precise science. You should always check your tuning between takes. And, no the producer isn't trying to take more studio time away from you. It really is that important. An in-tune guitar is always more pleasant than an out-of-tune one.

Tip #5: Use correct mic placement.

Please don't place the microphone right over the sound hole. The preferred location for a microphone is between 10 and 12 inches away from the 14th fret pointed near the sound hole. Placing the mic right over the sound hole will kill a guitar's inherent brilliance. It's also a very boomy sound. Live sound settings sometime call for placing a dynamic microphone over the sound hole, but you really should be using a condenser mic for the acoustic guitar. Dynamic microphones and ribbon microphones are good in certain circumstances and are rare uses. There are exceptions.