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#1
04-20-2012, 04:08 AM
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Increase Guitar Volume?
Hi All -
I have a wonderful SCGC Sinker Redwood/Mahogany OM that I posted about earlier - it is a tribute guitar to my dad and it has great meaning to me. As I play it more now, I would like to see if there is a way to get a bit more volume and punch from the guitar. It is a wonderful sound as is; mellow, warm, woody. But, a little louder I would also enjoy. I have had it strung with lights; always 80/20s - Elixirs, Martin SP and D'Addario. I am wondering if a set of light mediums might drive a bit more volume and.....well, this is where I would welcome ideas from the AGF  Thanks, all!
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Hope. Love. Music. Collings|Bourgeois 
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#2
04-20-2012, 04:33 AM
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Presuming you're talking about totally acoustic -
All I can suggest, as well as agreeing that light mediums should theoretically increase the volume a bit, is to play a bit nearer the bridge perhaps. That should allow you to be a bit more forceful with your playing to get an extra bit of volume, and also it will increase the attack and bring out the higher frequencies - which will give your songs more 'punch'. I'm not totally sure about those ideas, ...but worth a try I'm sure you'll get some more replies with more advice.
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http://www.chrismooreacoustic.com
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#3
04-20-2012, 06:08 AM
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If you have a really flat neck and/or really low action, increase the relief or raise the action slightly. At first your guitar will play a little harder, but you'll get used to it quickly....and it will be much louder. Sometimes just increasing the neck relief will increase the volume quite a bit.
If you increase the action, don't use a shim; make another saddle 
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#4
04-20-2012, 06:39 AM
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I don't know if you only strum the guitar, but if you fingerpick, fingerpicks can add a lot of volume. I play with fingerpicks and a thumbpick regularly. If you have not already tried them, or already use them, they will make a big difference in how loud you can get. Just an idea.
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#5
04-20-2012, 06:43 AM
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...or get a pickup system and small acoustic guitar amplifier.
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My music: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAyeTunes
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#6
04-20-2012, 08:34 AM
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Play in a smaller room.
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#8
04-20-2012, 09:15 AM
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Quote:
Fatter pick, play more over the sound hole. Thicker strings may give more volume and at the same time make the sound more muddy or the action harder to play. There are always trade offs...
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Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…
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#9
04-20-2012, 09:21 AM
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I'll take another approach and suggest that while you can adjust ultimate, clean volume to a certain extent, most of the limitations on volume are built into the guitar and will not be fully overcome. Strings, picks, and technique will possibly help but may not be able to get you where you want to be.
All things being equal, attempting to play my cedar topped Avalon at the same volume as my adirondack topped Bourgeois will only yield sonic mush.
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#10
04-20-2012, 09:22 AM
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A set of Dean Markley Cryrogenic acoustic strings will bring more pop to a dull guitar than any other string I have tried in the last 45 years. A perfect weight are the #2033 strings (11-52). If you want to add a little zing or perk an old dull or cheap guitar these do the trick.
Blues
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#11
04-20-2012, 09:59 AM
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how about a Planet Wave O-Port? What do you guys think of those? Is that the kind of volume you're looking for?
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2014 Martin D28 1935 Sunburst 2015 Martin 000-15SM Play everyday!
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#13
04-20-2012, 04:37 PM
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The redwood top is certainly going to be a limiting factor as to how much input the guitar can handle, and what the output can be.
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Larry Pattis on Spotify and Pandora LarryPattis.com American Guitar Masters 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists Steel-string guitars by Rebecca Urlacher and Simon Fay Classical guitars by Anders Sterner
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#14
04-20-2012, 04:59 PM
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if you want to experiment with strings and you play fingerstyle try thomastik Pearse folk strings
they are made differently and they are louder because of that they are pricey and you love them or hate them
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#15
04-20-2012, 05:19 PM
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If you already like the Martin SP strings, try the Light-Mediums (4150, etc.). They added volume to my Larrivee OM-09 and I could hardly tell they were of a higher gauge.
Also, yes, I've also noticed (I think) that adding just a little relief to the neck can make a discernible difference in volume, but you have to do it in small amounts otherwise you also notice a change in feel/playability. Also, some strings sets have naturally higher output. For example, DR Rares are pretty loud, DR Sunbeams much quieter IME. EJ16s somewhere in between. Also make sure your saddle is truly flat on the bottom. Good luck! I've gone through this and it can be very frustrating. JD
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