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Old 05-14-2013, 02:18 PM
Aaron Smith Aaron Smith is offline
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 3,346
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Again, welcome to the forum! There are a number of things that you can do to your guitar, but understand that it won't fundamentally change the way the guitar sounds all that much. You might gain a 10% improvement, but you're not going to gain a 50% improvement.

In my experience of tinkering with guitars, here is a list of things you can do to improve the sound of your guitar. The list goes from highest impact per dollar/hour of work, to lowest.

1) Proper setup with a GOOD tech/luthier. Please note that they're not all good. Once you've found a good one, pay what it requires to make the guitar really right. It might be a simple truss rod tweak. It might be a full level/crown/polish of the frets, or even more work than that. Typically cheaper guitars require more work. It is usually worth it.
2) Experimentation with strings. Manufacturer and weight (light/heavy). The aforementioned setup should be done with the strings you plan to stick with.
3) Saddle replacement. Many prefer bone, and I do too. However, I think that a well-made saddle that fits the bridge properly is the biggest improvement, regardless of material.
4) Tuning machines. In addition to the obvious benefits of easier tuning, going to a lighter weight machine will make the guitar less neck-heavy and may have an audible effect.
5) Nut replacement. Most folks say that this doesn't make much of a difference; my experience has been that it can be at least as important as the bridge saddle, although I'm not exactly sure why.
6) bridge pins, etc. I've never noticed an audible difference, but other claim to. Fancy ones are purtier though.

When it comes to replacement parts... I have noticed very little correlation between the cost of the part and the improvement in sound. I have noticed a strong correlation between the care that is taken in fitting the part to the guitar, and the improvement in sound. So while money is important, time is really the asset that yields the most improvements.

By the time you're done with all this, you may be out $400-500. Your guitar is still probably not going to sound as nice as a J-45. So maybe a better plan is to just save up for the guitar you really want.
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