Bill Dutcher – Modern Acoustic Guitarist

I remember when I first started driving a car and tinkering with its’ engine to make it perform better.  Bigger tires, air shocks, bigger fuel injectors, hi-test gasoline, etc…  my Dad called these “go-fasters”!

Well…there are some little “tweaks” you can do to “hot-rod” your acoustic and I’m here, today, to share those with you!

Bone Saddle and Bone Nut:  Most mid-line production guitars come with a plastic saddle and nut.  Replacing them with bone will dramatically improve the tone.  Bone is much more dense than plastic and helps transmit the vibrations much more effectively.

Wooden Bridge Pins:  Mid-line production guitars usually have plastic bridge pins.  Replacing them with wooden pins will again, increase the sound and sustain.

Tuning Machines:  A majority of my original compositions are in open tunings and I’m constantly changing the tunings, according to the song I’m playing.  I’ve been a big fan of locking tuners since their development and I HIGHLY recommend them.  These type of tuners eliminate the need to wrap the string several times around the string post.  This is where slippage occurs.  Locking tuners enable you to pull the string all the way tight to the point that once locked down, you’ll only need to turn the tuner a few times to bring the string into pitch.

“Wanna See My G-String”?  Don’t get any crazy ideas!  What I’m talking about is the G-string of the guitar!  Most sets of acoustic strings use a .024 or .026 wound string for the G-string.  Try using a .022 guage instead.  Yes, this means you’ll have to buy one when you buy a set of strings but after swapping it out you’ll be amazed on how much easier it is to bend notes on that string!

Custom String Gauges:  Alot of manufacturers offer custom gauge sets of strings.  Try using the bottom three strings from a set of medium guage strings and the top three strings from a set of light gauge strings.  You’ll have the best of both world’s!  You’ll have a nice fat low-end for your chords and you’ll have the ease and comfort of being able to bend the high notes on the top three strings.

Have Fun!

It amazes me at the advances in electronics for guitar players.  Adding effects to your sound not only adds color but also can inspire you to play different, as well as come up with new ideas.  While many of today’s traditional f/x units are geared for electric guitar, don’t be afraid to try these devices with your acoustic guitar. If you’re going to delve into adding these to your sound I would first recommend buying a compressor pedal.  It’s great for controlling the dynamics of your playing and can be used to smooth out your sound.  It can also be used as a volume boost to make your solo’s jump out a bit.  Time-based effects such as delay, chorus and reverb pedals add color and dimension to the sound.  There’s no rule-of-thumb that if it’s “designed for electric it won’t work on acoustic”.  USE YOUR EARS!  If it sounds good, use it!

Distortion pedals are great for electric guitar but are somewhat problematic when trying to use them on acoustic guitars, depending on what type of pickup you use.  If you wish to try one, it will work best with a magnetic sound hole pickup or an under-the-saddle piezo type pickup.  You’ll have to experiment!  If you have a microphone in the guitar, forget it.

Get out there and try as much of these as you can.  Chances are you’ll find something that sparks your interest! Read more »

Proper care and maintenance of your acoustic guitar is essential in making sure it lasts a lifetime.  A big issue I deal with out here in Arizona is the humidity level, or lack of humidity.  When I lived back in Ohio I had no problem with making sure my instruments had enough humidity….sometimes I had too much.  Out here in Arizona during the summer months the levels can get down as low as 5%!  There are some tricks you can do to make sure your instruments don’t dry up and shrivel away. Read more »

So you’re heading to a destination and want to bring your guitar on the airline flight.  We’ve all heard the horror stories ranging from complete and utter guitar annihilation to theft, but there are some secrets to ensure that your prized possession gets off the plane in one piece.  First of all you want to Read more »