Looking for something more spicy than your normal guitar tone? Check out these cheap and easy guitar tone experiments that are sure to put some spice back into your guitar playing!
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Experimenting with your guitar’s tone is an excellent way to vary your guitar playing. With these 5 easy guitar tone experiments, you’re bound to find some inspiration in places you didn’t think was possible.
From using an improvised dampener for your strings to a Koto converter, all of these tonal experiments are perfect for beginner guitarists or long-time players.
In addition to talking about guitar tone experiments, you’ll hear about TAC Family member Daniel M., a guitar geek who went from weekend strummer to certified guitar player after using the TAC Method.
After hearing Daniel’s story, you’ll get my rundown of acoustic guitar news you can use. We’ll be covering Tempest Guitars, started by Daisy Tempest from Tom Sands Guitars, how you can book Michael Watts to play in your home (virtually, of course), and a whole bunch of stuff on Jon Gomm!
As always, you can catch Acoustic Tuesday at 10 am every Tuesday in these four places:
Ok. So I was forced into trying new strings when I broke one while changing strings. My normal guitar store was not open on Sunday, so I had to run to the mall music store to get a set. Of course, they were out of the ones I normally use, so I tried a set of Ernie Ball strings. Actually, I like them.
Interesting suggestions, Tony. Onlyy one appealed to me, but I really liked the sound of Nashville tuning – may have to give that a try!
Question: you say to keep a guitar in Nashville tuning you should have one set up for that tuning …… what do you mean by that: change something on a “regular” guitar or buy one set up differently? Thanx – I am really enamored with this sound!!
Can’t believe you didn’t mention Tommy and his brush drum sticks
I found DADGAD early on and unlocked 70 songs.. I find that tuning so intuitive..i was writing songs straight off in it.
Drumsticks…wooden spoons would work I reckon.
There’s also an old trick blues players used to use, they’d weave a dollar bill into the strings..it creates a snare drum effect.
It does deaden some strings though so only certain strings ring, which again creates some interesting sounds. Depends how you weave it in.
These days we have these plastic pounds…bloody awful things..I do have a few dollar bills though…
Nut/saddle material can make a difference,I prefer bone but do have a couple with tusq ones on them.
Strings are an ongoing experiment until i find the ones that really bring a guitars tone out. I often mix different types as well to see what happens.
I have a classical, it was a cheapy..that had a bit of a dead high e once I lowered the action a bit.
Fine with a pick but I usually use my fingers..no nails.
I fixed that issue with a set of silver and blacks, it rings nicely now. If I pick the high e without muting the others they all ring, especially the bass ones..it sounds very like a bell and sustains for a long time. I use that sometimes. Ends a tune nicely.
String height can make a difference as well if they’re too high or low.
Another trick if you have a fairly new all wood acoustic (Not a cheaper veneered one) is to put it on a stand in front of a speaker and play fairly loud music through it. An all wood guitars tone improves the more it’s played due to vibrations going through the wood.
Vibrations from playing loud..ish music through it can give the wood a bit of a kick start so to speak and bring out a bit of that hidden tone.
Try not to annoy the neighbours too much though…
This will probably work with an electric as well, especially hollow bodied ones I guess. But then again they get all the vibration from the amp.
Just a few thoughts if it’s of interest to anyone.
I posted two comments, earlier and neither one is here – what happened?
Hey Tony,
Where can I get a “be nice and play guitar” hat like that?
Tony, I can’t believe it. You went through an entire episode without mentioning Molly Tuttle. Are you no longer her fan?
Just wondering.
Changing the tuning to play a song by the Goo Goo Dolls called “Name”. The tuning is mostly E, but its beautiful and it inspired me to continue to play the guitar and learn the song during my guitar rut, after I learned the song I left the guitar in that tuning and experimented on it and made my own little lick, my nephew (who produces music) heard me playing one day and recorded me on his producer program on his computer, we bonded some more through music… It was a great experience.