What Makes Some Electric Guitars Sound So Much Better Than Others? - 3 Reasons
There's no doubt about it, some electric guitars sound excellent while others just don't. Could there be a reason for this and are there some points to consider when thinking about buying a new model? Here are my 3 reasons why an electric guitar sounds great.
1. The first port of call will be the wood. Good quality hardwood much like the mahogany used on a Les Paul Model or the alder as made use of on Stratocaster guitars can certainly produce a huge difference. Of course there are various other exceptional hardwoods that sound great but be careful of some low-cost, laminate bodies. The most impressive sounding electric guitar bodies and necks are usually the ones made from a single piece of wood, instead of 2 or 3 piece constructions. This seems to benefit the sustain however it will set you back more for this luxury. Remember also that the quality and density of the wood has an effect on string vibrations and sustain.
Top quality fretboard wood such as maple, ebony or rosewood is additionally an area to be aware of as lower priced hardwoods made use of here can spoil the sound.
2. Now on to the guitar pickups. These are definitely very important as substandard pickups on an otherwise great guitar can completely trash the sound. Some cheaper mass-manufactured guitars end up getting cheaper mass-produced pickups. If you want good sounding pickups you will want a set that came from one of the primary producers or one of the smaller, outstanding boutique makers. Pickups from these suppliers are put together with good quality materials and plenty of attention. Many of them make use of the old school winding methods of the 1950s, which can't be said for a lot of the low-cost pickups that come out of the Far East.
3. The guitar's hardware is the next area to cover. Cheap brass bridges and lightweight machine heads do not help the sound in any respect. There are plenty of guitars on the market with very poor quality, low priced hardware spoiling the sound. Check this out or else you will be upgrading your guitar's hardware before you know it. You may also want to look for the nut located at the top of the guitar fretboard employed to seat and distribute the strings. If this is low-priced plastic it isn't a good sign. Bone, graphite or an advanced polymer material will work far better.
So there are my 3 reasons why a guitar sounds excellent. Needless to say there are the tiny little additional points for example a good guitarist and a good sounding amp!
About the Author
The author has performed with various bands over the years and owns a variety of electric guitars. He loves to tinker with his instruments and for an improvement in sound he highly recommends visiting: http://www.tubguitarpickups.co.uk for excellent replacement guitar pickups.
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