How to Fix a Bright Sounding Guitar
Modern design, better building materials and advancements in electronics make today's guitars capable of producing a wide array of tones sure to please most players. But in some cases the guitar may possess a very bright twang that is undesirable in certain types of music, such as heavy rock or metal. While every guitar possesses a certain tonal characteristic, players turned off by an overly bright sound can remedy the situation.
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Instructions
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Plug in the guitar and set the volume on the amp and the guitar to a moderate levels. Locate the tone controls on your guitar.
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Adjust the guitar's treble tone knob. The more you turn it down, the less treble or brightness will dominate the guitar's tonal output. Continue to adjust the knob while playing a few notes or chords until you've reached an acceptable level of brightness.
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Turn the bass knob up as you turn the tone knob down. This will help diminish the brightness by adding more bottom end or warmth. Adjust the bass knob until you've achieved a desirable balance between treble and bass. The same bass and treble control scheme is present on most amplifiers, so adjust those knobs as well.
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Turn the screws located on each string saddle of the bridge to bring the strings closer to the guitar's pickups. For guitars with two-part bridges, lower the main bridge -- the one closer to the pickups -- by turning the screws on either side. This will beef up the sound, especially on lower notes. You'll also need to adjust the truss rod in your guitar's neck. If unfamiliar with truss rod adjustments, have a knowledgeable technician perform this step.
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Tips & Warnings
Try using a heavier-gauge strings to produce more bottom end and dull the brightness.
In some cases, switching pickups to a brand or model that produces thicker output may help solve the problem.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
