In case you have bought a cheap acoustic guitar, or you are planning to buy one, there are a number of things you can do to enhance its sound. While there are some decent and affordable guitars on the market these days, they are somewhat deficient in regard to tone and playability when compared to the more expensive brands. Fortunately, there are several affordable ways to make your cheap acoustic guitar sound better as listed below:  

Replace plastic components

If you have a guitar that cost you less than $200, most likely its pins, nut and saddle are made of plastic. Whereas plastic can still do the job, it is inferior when compared to other materials. Do some research in order to establish the tone you want. For instance, bone gives off a warmer, softer sound while brass has a bright, punchy sound. For less than twenty dollars you can buy a full set of bone pins,a nut and a saddle. This means that with some sandpaper and glue, you can upgrade your guitar sound in about one hour. Replacing the plastic nut with one made of synthetic bone or graphite eliminates the ping noise caused by the string sliding around in the slot. You can also upgrade even where your guitar does not have plastic parts. For example you can replace the ebony components of your guitar with bone.  

Change the Strings

The age and quality of the strings of your guitar play an instrumental role in its performance . Playing regularly with the same strings is akin to chewing a piece of gum that has lost its flavor repeatedly. If you play guitar daily, you need to put in new strings after every three weeks in order to get the best tone. It is also useful to do some research on your playing style. Find out the kind of strings that are used by other guitarists with a similar style to yours. When you use strings that fit your playing style, this will make a significant difference to the sound of your guitar. If you are beginner, it might be worthwhile to start out with steel or silk strings since they are easier on your fingers.  

Get better pickups

Obviously, this tip only applies to acoustic-electric guitars. Anyways, pickups are extremely vital when it comes to defining your sound. In case you are planning to use your guitar to perform or record music, you will need an electronic pick up to take the sound directly to a PA system or amplifier. Whereas it is possible to purchase a cheaper guitar that has pre-fitted pickups, the majority do not have them. Luckily you can get good-quality guitar pickup with a built-in tuner and tone controls for less than the cost of a new video game.  

Add more vibrato/tremolo springs for better tuning stability

Vibrato (or tremolo) springs help to counterbalance the pull of the guitar strings. After removing the back plate, check how many springs are securing the bridge in place. In case you only see two springs, adding one or two can improve the tone of your guitar.

Set up your guitar properly

Lastly,your guitar needs to be set up properly, whether it is expensive, cheap, new or old .This is particularly important for brand new guitars since a second hand guitar is likely to have been set up by its previous owner. Proper guitar setup entails adjusting things like the truss rod, bridge height and nut height.    

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