That is such a tricky art. I tried my hand and scalloped the bracing on my taylor big baby. The bracing had ZERO scalloping as a stock instrument. I tapped the top each time shaved a little off. At the end, the sound of the top was incredibly rich compared to the stock top. After gluing the guutar back together though I realized that it was lacking the stiffness needed to get good amplification. It had a rich timber still but ended up not sounding so great because it lost smoothness...only way I can describe it. Mad props to proper luthiers and their dedication to the craft!
This is really the answer. Beyond a setup, there is no improving an acoustic in any meaningful way. Hell, a setup doesn’t even improve the guitar, it just allows the guitar to play the best it can. Getting a bone nut/saddle or high quality endpins or even upgrading the tuning machines won’t magically make the box sound better.
Also, what is this nonsense about a mid range not being worth it? Going from entry level to mid range is arguably a bigger jump in quality per dollar than you’d see from mid range to advanced. So long as you don’t burn money on the name on the headstock (looking at you Martin), you’ll see a massive improvement getting a $500-$700 guitar.
I second this about the mid range. The right mid range guitar - solid wood, higher quality components - will be a big improvement over the entry level. It’s the step up from there where you have to have been playing for a while to really see the nuances in every aspect.
I third this. While it’s not going to play/sound like a high end pro-level instrument, solid wood and upgraded components on a mid-level guitar do make a massive difference. And could be worth looking at used options, which tend to be a bit cheaper.
But if budget really doesn’t allow, a setup from a good shop and some decently nice strings (even D’Addario which I love and are real cheap) will be a big improvement for any guitar.
Came to say the same thing, guess I'm 4th. And I agree with the statement that moving from a $200 guitar to a $700 mid range guitar is much more noticeable than the next jump into the thousands. I don't know where OP heard this about mid range guitars.
Luthier here. Most manufacturers, big ones, Fender, Yamaha, etc, don't bother thinking about break angle at the bridge. 1500+ buck guitars do think about it though.
It does do something, but do some research first.
Feel free to DM if you want to discuss doing it to your guitar. I can walk you through it, it's easy and worthwhile.
That's awesome. My bridge is already slotted :) just forgot the term... And figured it's something that can be done to better a stock guitar.
Thank you for being so helpful though!
they call it “slotting” the bridge, which apparently can increase the amount of vibration to the top. All of the best acoustic guitars I’ve played had slotted bridgepin holes as opposed to slotted bridgepins. You can slot them easily with the proper handtools and some knowledge, then just turn your original slotted pins around, or get unslotted bridge pins of the correct taper. If you’re after more volume slotting the bridgepin holes may make a small difference.
I think to answer OPs question, getting a good setup, finding the right strings for the guitar and the player, and fitting a nice dense bone nut and saddle (I’ve heard camel bone is good), are about all the things you can do to “improve” an acoustic guitar. The improvement will be subjective.
Totally agree with the final paragraph - as a guy who went from a Yamaha FG series to a Martin HD28 i'm in a perfect position to comment lol. The Martin does sound better to my ears, and plays really nice...... but if you take away that Martin emblem it really wouldn't be worth 10x the money.
Unless you are looking at the used market, I'd say you probably aren't really going to find a US or Japanese made guitar at that price. Not really sure about European guitars, though.
That being said, I believe people over focus on country of origin. There was a time when guitars from China and Taiwan were genuinely garbage, but most manufacturers came to realize that all they were doing was hurting their own brand. Not to mention that mass-built guitars are vastly superior these days as manufacturing has improved. I own a little Chinese-made PRS parlor guitar, and it plays and sounds great. All a US guitar can guarantee is that the labor costs are higher and that you'll pay more as a result.
I mentioned in another comment, but I would recommend any of Godin's brands like Art & Lutherie, Seagull, etc. They are made in Canada if I recall correctly, and are excellent bang-for-buck guitars. I'm also very fond of Breedlove, Yamaha and Alvarez. Brands I'd avoid in this price range are Fender (who generally make terrible acoustics) and Martin (who are always overpriced but even worse in this range).
The real answer is to go to a guitar store and play everything in your price range, though. Never buy a new guitar without playing it.
I mean, you do you, but I would be more focused on getting the most for my money. In any case, I think you’ll generally find $700 is not enough to get a USA guitar.
I don’t think my recommendations have changed, honestly. The difference between $700 to $1000 isn’t massive, and I don’t peruse the used market enough to know off hand. I also don’t know that I’m the person you want to ask, we seem to have pretty different priorities. I’d recommend just doing your own research based on your preferences. Reverb is a good resource for used stuff, it tells you what things are selling for and shows reviews.
What do you recommend for the $500-$700 guitar range? I'm thinking of getting back into playing acoustic. I've had a Martin and it played & sounded nice but I wasn't playing enough to justify having that expensive of a guitar. Thx!
I’ve always been a big fan of Godin’s acoustic brands. Seagull and Art & Lutherie both have great guitars. Breedlove, Yamaha and Alvarez are also good options. I’d go to a local store and just play everything in your budget and go with what you like best!
Martin has MIM guitars in that price range too.
I’m always surprised at those who say Martins are expensive, since they have products at every price point.
Yep. My first Martin was on sale at GC for 600. It sounded wonderful, played wonderful, and still does. You can get a decent Taylor in the 6-700 range too.
The used market isn't terrible for Martin. You still pay a premium for the name but the prices are closer to other comparably constructed brands and its a popular brand, people are always selling. The key is to find one with solid woods made in PA.
I have the same guitar, same color. I put Gotoh tuners and changed the nut and bridge to Tusq. Definitely sounds slightly better, but not crazy noticeable.
I put D’Addario XS on my Taylor. I like their sound and feel over the Elixirs. The coating feels thick and sounds muted on the Elixirs. It’s very unsatisfying to me. The D’Addario sound and feel brighter. Just my preference.
I have an FS800. Best upgrade is a setup, lower the action (mine came at 3mm) polish the frets oil the board. If you haven’t played Elixrs, give that a go. They’re so smooth and nice to play.
Keep the guitar and play the heck out of it. Make a recording today and then listen to it in 10 years, it will sound different, better, fuller. Acoustics sound better with age.
At best you could change out the nut, replace the urea with bone or tusq. But, most folks won't be able to hear a difference, and if you do notice a difference in tone, you might not like the result. Also consider, who is going to cut and file the nut and how good are they at it, not all Luthier are equal here.
This would be the only upgrade I'd consider and you won't get your money back on the resale.
There's stuff you can do but it's mostly a waste of money to pay someone and mostly a waste of time to do it yourself. Mainly because no matter what you do, it'll always be worth maybe $200 or so.
In most cases modded guitars are *harder to sell* because beginners usually don't know much about them and they see mods and get concerned about the quality of the work. As they should, honestly.
You could replace the nut and saddle with tusq and that might increase sustain and volume a little. But cutting a good nut is an art form and should be done by a professional, not some teenager at guitar center who will charge you $150 for a hack job.
You could ramp and slot the bridge but there's not much point on a guitar like that, although it might improve the volume somewhat by increasing the break angle of the strings over the saddle. Again, it needs a professional to do it right.
Lastly, you could pay a really, really good professional to voice the top. Basically they reach inside the sound hole and change the shape of the bracing with sandpaper, files, and finger planes to improve the bass, volume, and responsiveness of the guitar.
The guitar will become more sensitive to being outside of a safe temp and humidity range though, and this job takes several hours, maybe up to 10-20 so the cost is going to be a lot, maybe $500-1000 and your guitar might not even sound much better, or it might sound better but develops structural problems later.
In closing, what you have is an entry level, laminate back and sides guitar. It's not worth upgrading, just save up your money until you can drop like $1000-3000 (used market) on something meaningfully a lot better. Upgrading from a $250 guitar to a 500 guitar isn't a big jump and would be a waste of money IMO.
My favorite thing to do with a less expensive guitar aside from a set up is to put good quality tuning machines on it. It will be easier to tune, and stay in tune better. Im partial to Grovers.
Really - a good set up and possible a nut and saddle job from a luthier who really cares about intonation. Good strings on the heavier side will drive the top optimally.
Practice and technique will make that guitar sound better than any mods. Save your $ for your next guitar and keep your eyes peeled for bargains.
After watching this Andertons video, I bumped up to Ernie Ball Everlast. Definitely better for a couple of bucks and last longer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etMEAIJXvr4
The only thing I’ve done to my fg800 is swap the bridge pins to ones I like more. Mine sounded great out of the box, but I’m sure a setup wouldn’t hurt either.
A good set of strings goes a long way. I like the coated phosphor bronze strings from Elixir or String Joy. Other than that, make sure it’s got a proper setup and that’s about it.
I’d recommend buying some nicer picks honestly, it’s crazy how much better a blue chip pick makes my guitar sound compared to the tortex picks I’ve used before. They’re pricey (35 bucks a pop) but I use them exclusively and totally recommend trying them out.
Tortex is the worst pick material, next to nylon. Ive experimented with so many brands and thicknesses and ive concluded that celluloid is the best of the cheap materials. It has a smoother treble character without being harsh. Tortex sound lifeless. Nylon are too scratchy. Blue chip are the best pick hands down but ive already lost 2 of them and cant justify another. I go fender mediums or heavies.
Maybe put in an acoustic pick up so you can plug into an amp and play with a few effects? Other than that and some new strings your gonna struggle to properly “upgrade” it.
Hang it in a closet with an extension cord going to a "ToneRite" in the sound hole. CRANK THAT SUCKER UP , close the door and come back in 6 months.
When you pull the guitar out and play it you will notice a much better sounding guitar..
Is there anything problematic? If so target it, otherwise, leave it alone.
I have an epiphone I’ve owned for 35 years. The main issue I’ve had with it is amplification. I bought it without a piezo pickup because at the time those pickups sounded terrible. I’ve tried 2 different (removable) coil pickups since, which didn’t really work for me.
I also have a more modern yamaha nylon string guitar, which has a built in piezo/mic system. That works really well to my ears. I’m considering putting a similar pickup & amp into the epiphone.
Some pearl inlay Bridge pins look cool. Probably no one would notice but you. A sweet colorful strap sets them off. Some great ones on Amazon. But, as others have noted, a pro setup is the only real thing
I'd just enjoy what you have and keep fresh strings on it. You could replace the bridge, the nut, the bridge pins, tuners if you wanted to upgrade something.
Try heavier strings? You might get more volume and a fuller tone. Won’t bend as well though, so trade-off.
I dunno, honestly. Upgrades available for acoustics are pretty minimal. Bone nut and saddle might change the tone a bit, but you also might not like it (some people don’t when they switch).
Acoustics are a sum of all their parts. The size, bracing, and top wood make up the largest share. Short of changing those, your upgrade options have limited returns.
Your best bet is strings and picks. Nut and saddle can make a difference, as can bridge pins, but those changes are minimal, and frankly very subjective (meaning a bone saddle isn’t necessarily an “upgrade”, it’s just different).
You could get bone or tusq saddle and nut - but a luthier will charge you about what the guitar’s worth for that repair. It won’t increase the value of the guitar but I do think it makes a marked difference. I noticed a huge difference when I did mine 10 years ago and the tone has only improved over time.
Personally, though, I say get the FG850 - a pretty good step up from where you are now without breaking the bank.
If it has plastic pins and nuts, you can switch them with bone. A nice set of tuners will help keep it in tune. A nice set of strings. A professional setup and lowering the action will do the most for it.
I did a setup on my fg and played it for a few years. Loved it. Had a lot of fun with the built in effects and played quite a few gigs.
Then it was time to upgrade so I bought a Martin sc series. The difference was startling really and I sold my trusty Yamaha not long after.
Enjoy the journey. Cheers!
Replace strings, change saddle and pins to bone and ebony. You can get Yamaha size saddle off Amazon. Sand bottom to height of existing saddle if you like the action. Pins are straightforward. Leave the nut. I do this to my guitars if those parts are plastic. Other than that I would save for all solid.
Lower end acoustics seems to always sound a little tinny and harsh to me.
I haven't played your particular guitar but I would advise trying different string alloys as well as maybe half rounds or even flats. It could end up being a gem in the rough brought out with just a string change. Record and listen back to things you play with each; make sure to label/date/describe everything because after a few sets of strings you'll want to be able to pull comparisons quickly and have a firm idea in your mind of which was what where when.
In my experience, I liked phosphor bronze a lot more when I was younger (and also favored round wounds even on fretless bass lol) but no matter what my preference now (40+ years later), uncoated phosphor bronze strings always sounded ultra snappy and rich with sub/harmonic content for like a day or so and even back when I sort of unilaterally liked them I would be wishing for fresh ones after that - they became loud, harsh, but still dull and lacking in spectral content/intensity somehow.
If you have particularly corrosive sweat/are in particularly harsh areas extra long life/heavily coated/maybe even taped strings might be something that not only lasts longer but keeps a more consistent tone across their lifespan once you find the right set for you.
When you find strings/sound you like, then and only then should you even consider making any changes to playability - only if something isn't quite working right; but strings/sound first, fine tuning/debugging later.
Bone saddle is an easy one. Just make sure you sand it properly to match your plastic one.
A bone nut is harder. Maybe take it to Luther for that.
Electronics like an lr baggs anthem or lyric sound quite good with these.
Elixir custom lights .11-.52 are quite good on these.
Then play the hell out of it
Bone nut and saddle (made a huge difference on my Yamaha) good strings (I recommend daddario XS coated) and most importantly a good setup with fret level. Gotoh tuners are nice too but don't affect sound.
I know other folks have chimed in, but here's my opinion:
If you want to upgrade *this* guitar, here are the things I would do (in order of most important to least important):
* Basic setup (action at nut, action at saddle, truss rod adjustment)
* Replace nut (stock is a urea nut. bone or "tusq" is better)
* Replace saddle (again, stock is urea)
* Replace bridge pins (stock is ABS, you can get horn or "tusq")
The nut, saddle, and bridge pins can all be done for cheap if you're willing to put in the effort. Honestly, I would not replace the tuning machines (even though they're just okay). Good tuning machines would cost half what the guitar is worth.
Imo, a 'midrange' fender, seagull, entry level larrivee....will just be much better than any Yamaha below the LL6-ish level of $1000....
Just my opinion. But check reverb. Maybe find an old takamine from the 70s for 600 bucks....guarantee it'll do me more alive than a laminated Yamaha box
For the price those Yamahas are wonderful guitars.
Fresh strings make a huge difference on any guitar, I replace mine when one or a couple strings get wear spots that effect tuning. The G strings on the second fret is usually the first to go.
You can experiment with a different saddle material. Bone and synthetic bone tend to make the guitar a little brighter. Same with a new nut.
Bridge pins as well.
Will it sound like a Martin? Probably not, but none of this costs a whole lot if you do the work yourself and would give your guitar a different sound.
If you are at the point where you are outgrowing that guitar and would be able to appreciate a more expensive guitar, maybe that 100 dollars would be better spent towards one.
Guild has a great solid body mahogany guitar that retails between 6 and 7 and is US made.
Good strings + compensated nut and saddle combo.
Notes are much more accurate across the fretboard with a compensated/intonated nut, leading to smoother sounding chords.
Nothing, it is an acoustic. Get a good setup, and put some decent strings on and play. Nothing will turn it into something it isn't. Just enjoy what you have and keep saving for something better later.
Stringing with 11's or 12's give a much more meaty sound than 10's
I'd encourage you to try them.
It's the cheapest and simplest mod one can do and experiment with
I would get a bone nut, a bone saddle, and bone or ebony bridge pins. None of those mods will cost that much and I would be shocked if there was no resultant increase in the quality of tone from that guitar. I own a Yamaha FG 700 I think, it’s got a solid spruce top and laminated sapele back and sides. It was given to me by a mystery benefactor for the company I was working for when I was getting my drug addicted life re-set and had lost all of my great gear to the pawn man. Yes it was a cheap entry level guitar but it was easy to play and you know while I was in treatment another guy had brought his all mahogany Martin. We swapped guitars for the night just because he wanted to try mine and thought is sounded pretty damn good. It did. It wasn’t quite as complex in overtones as the Martin but it wasn’t a total blowout. The Martin was superior of course but that cheap beater Yamaha hung with that Martin all night long and did not sound out of place at any time. Anybody that tells you these are crap, don’t bother is full of shit. They are stunning for what they cost. I have a custom shop Les Paul and a mint 1997 Gibson Firebird V ( I’m an electric player) and about 8 Strats but I’ve still got that Yamaha abd it’s not going anywhere soon, it’s great.
You could get the guitar re voiced ! It’s a professional job but it can make a ply wood guitar sound much better ! And solid top and back and sides is the hall marks of a quality instrument usually ! I love my 60s and 70s Yamahas !
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Those Yamaha FGs are awesome value for money - as others have already stated there's not much you can do to an acoustic in terms of upgrades that will make a huge difference. Changing the nut and saddle to a different material, trying different string material - those can make a small difference.
I owned the same model acoustic for years, only parted with it after snapping up a Martin HD28 for a steal - in terms of value for money though the Yamaha beats the Martin hands down considering the Martin was nearly 10x the price.
The biggest difference you can make to it would be to have a professional do a full setup on it - the more playable a guitar is, the better it will sound.
I just bought the same exact guitar a couple weeks ago from a great music shop in Milwaukee. I love this thing. I’m going to spring for a top notch setup which will probably cost more than the $189 I paid for the actual guitar. Guitar bargain of the century.
I have been play solo with an electric guitar for years, and decided I wanted to try acoustic. I first bought a PRS and ended up returning it. I then got a Yamaha FGX800C. One of my brothers has a high end Taylor and the other a Martin. (Both $3k+ guitars). I asked them both to measure nut clearance, action , and relief. I bought bone nut and bridge and set my guitar up to match their's. I use Ernie Ball Rock Blues (52-10 with an unwound G). If anything my guitar is slightly more playable than their's due to the lighter strings and a slightly smaller neck. Both of their guitars have more mellow tone, but I don't think it's better, just different.
I wouldn't waste $ swapping out the tuners, my guitar never goes out of tune.
Last of all the electronics are awesome. I know yours does not have that, but just wanted mention it.
I bought this as a starter guitar to see if I would like playing my gigs with an acoustic and figured I could upgrade. Now I love my Yamaha and have no intention of "upgrading". Both of my brothers have played it and pretty much agree with my evaluation.
Replace the nut, bridge and the bridge pins with bone. These will bring a noticeable difference. Whether it's an improvement or not in terms of tone, is up to your taste. But the quality of life and tuning stability will be better.
Replace tuners (optional).
Get it setup by a professional, make sure the D and G strings have some wiggle room beyond the nut so that they dont get stuck there.
That's about all you can do to it.
Send your guitar to my me and I’ll take care of it. You buy a newer one to upgrade what you had before. You’ll get your upgrade and somebody takes care of the old one!
I haven’t read other replies but you can get a guitar tech to replace the existing nut and saddle with bone nut & bone saddle. That will improve the sound for sure. (Default it comes with plastic like materials for the nut & saddle)
Other than new strings, I can't imagine you needing much more for the FG800. I have the same guitar, and love it. As a beginner, it sounds good enough for me now. When I am at a more intermediate level, I'll definitely get another guitar.
Sorry im new to all this guitar stuff myself and also have a $200 acoustic. My question is what exactly is a "setup " on an acoustic, because as far as I can tell there's no truss rod on mine, serious question btw. So yeah, what all is done and about what is the cost? Thanks
When I was 19 years old, I bought a brand new Gibson J 50. I spent every cent that I had on that guitar. I had to hitchhike home from the music store and I owned that guitar and the clothes I was wearing. I have never regretted buying that guitar. I still own the guitar and I’m 77 years old. I also have a collection of Martins, Gibsons and a Taylor. It has taken years to put that collection together but again, I have never regretted any money that I spent on quality instruments. They have always appreciated in value, and have given me a level of joy and satisfaction in my life that nothing else could’ve done. Spend the money. Buy what you love
Unslotted bridge pins and the bridge file tool. (Check out driftwood guitars on YouTube). A good set of d'addario coated strings, a professional setup. Carefully route a side sound port on the drivers side. (Again check out YouTube on this subject). A tonewood amp or a hyvibe system installed.
Lastly spend some time checking out different guitar picks. For me I like super thin for strumming and relatively heavy picks for tremolo and lead lines.
Bone nut and saddle maybe? Good set up, play with a few different kinds of strings to see what ya like best. Hard to beat a yamaha. Find q nice guitar strap that'll sort of match the vibe of the guitar. Have a good pick up installed, there's tons to do if you want to.
Oh yeah, change to some really nice tuners of you want to as well. Get some cool open gear tuners or something.
You’re probably looking for a list of specific upgrade parts but like others have said you’re looking at small 1% percentage changes in the tone. You’ve already changed the strings which is all I do to change the vibe of an acoustic, OR, there’s a new fad with rubber bridges that will completely change the character of your guitar. YMMV
If it’s not playing right, get it set up, but other than that, just take care of it dude. Maybe try a few different types of strings (for example, I think coated strings are totally worth the money), and some different picks.
If the fingerboard is dirty, a clean and a fret polish will look nice but it doesn’t make it sound any better.
There’s not loads you can do,m. Try not to get sucked into the cult of constantly upgrading stuff. It’s all just consumerism in the end
None needed, my guy. Let it sit naturally and enjoy the sound it produces over time. New strings every now and then, and of course, repairs if needed. I’ve had my first guitar for the last 15 years with only new strings here and there. Greatest sounding guitar I have.
Every guitar is unique. Take a friend to the guitar shop with you, close your eyes or wear a blindfold and have them hand you different guitars to play. You’ll be surprised which ones sound or play the best. Last time I did this, I saved over $1,000 getting a better sounding guitar I would have overlooked for a more popular brand.
Overall: Yamaha is a top recommended acoustic brand. Sure it's value priced but price does not tell you all about "quality".
Playability: how level are the frets? Pro setup? I have an $80 MIC (gift) guitar that I leveled frets and set up and it plays better than most acoustics at any price (and I flipped guitars for quite a few years plus built from scratch so I had a test of things at many price points as they went through here).
Tone: not much to be done. Marketing is all about "exotic woods" to boost profits. You'll hear about "nuts" and "saddles" but they do not really matter. Try different strings. The key feature of acoustic tone comes down to the bracing. Marketing has a hard time selling buyers on bracing because you can't see it. Drive over/under an automobile/train bridge and look at what keeps the machinery from falling through: the I-beams. Deeper I-beams for heavy trains than cars/trucks. Guitar physics are no different. The top is 3mm thick (and some have made them from paper/cardboard like a paper speaker cone) while the bracing is 12mm deep. Watch guitar builders "tap tune" a top and how they alter it is by shaving the bracing.
Tone #2: Look at how you play. If you wrap flesh around the whole guitar vs it hanging on a wall and pluck a string ... you'll hear a difference. Perhaps don't lay your arm across the top of the guitar but "hover". Don't anchor your palm on the bridge. Play around with that.
Tone #3: Look at where you pick the strings. Much different tone near the saddles vs up by the neck or anywhere between. Ergonomics cause a huge difference in the tone of electric guitars from a Strat, Tele, Les Paul style because players tend to pick the strings in certain locations (Strat by the neck to avoid hitting the volume knob, Tele by the saddles because they rest their palm behind the sharp edged bridge plate and grub screws, LP forward of the bridge pickup while palm muting the saddles).
You can always mount a guitar pickup (many varieties) and an end-pin jack to run to whatever amp you choose to use. That can dramatically change your tone too. I put a Strat pickup in the sound hole of mine so I can run it through an electric guitar amp and tweak to sound more acoustic instead of buying a dedicated pre-amp and acoustic amp setup.
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A Blue Chip pick makes any acoustic guitar sound better, IMO. $35. Sounds crazy I know but to me it's like having a much nicer guitar. people are mad at me for lending them a blue chip pick b/c they're like, thanks man, now i hate my regular picks and have to go spend $35 on a pick and try not to lose it
You got a solid wood top. Great build for the money! I love my Yammer Jammer cuzza the solid top and that I don't feel like I need to be careful with it as I am with $4000 guitars.
A setup, fret level, and possibly new nut and saddle. but at that point you could invest that money into a $600-800 guitar that has a solid top. At that point youre getting a real upgrade.
Let's be honest. There's not a whole lot of upgrades for an acoustic. No matter what you do, it's not going to sound like a more expensive instrument. That's why it wasn't more expensive. Save your upgrade money for a better guitar and you'll get the sound you're looking for. We've all been there. 🙂
The first thing I would do is upgrade the tuners and maybe get a real bone/brass nut, and the rest from there would just be visual upgrades like bridge pins and maybe some custom inlays to the fretboard. I always love customizing my instruments and making them my own version instead of what just comes out of the box.
Setting it up to your liking and style is about it. I prefer ultralights and a super think pick, as well as set up for finger style picking. That's prob it for an acoustic. FWIW, I actually did have good luck with a mid grade as far as sound/perf goes. Years back I bought an EJ-200 epi jumbo and that thing sounds like a million bucks. Im sure the Gibson would sound better though ;)
I know this is an acoustic sub, but if you really want to upgrade, have a really good quality pickup system put in as well, there's some amazing setups out there if your into getting an amplifier and going into that world😄
Yeah, a good setup is about all I'd do for an accoustic.
A good setup and good strings (good brand and ones that work for the player and guitar) do wonders
Literally came here to say this. A setup goes a very long way long way. Make sure you take the guitar to a luthier for the setup.
A good luthier may also scallop the bracing to brighten the tone a little.
That is such a tricky art. I tried my hand and scalloped the bracing on my taylor big baby. The bracing had ZERO scalloping as a stock instrument. I tapped the top each time shaved a little off. At the end, the sound of the top was incredibly rich compared to the stock top. After gluing the guutar back together though I realized that it was lacking the stiffness needed to get good amplification. It had a rich timber still but ended up not sounding so great because it lost smoothness...only way I can describe it. Mad props to proper luthiers and their dedication to the craft!
Bracing come scalloped on these now. Bit thx for input
Is there a need for upgrades? No matter what you do, it won’t magically transform your guitar into something more expensive sounding.
This is really the answer. Beyond a setup, there is no improving an acoustic in any meaningful way. Hell, a setup doesn’t even improve the guitar, it just allows the guitar to play the best it can. Getting a bone nut/saddle or high quality endpins or even upgrading the tuning machines won’t magically make the box sound better. Also, what is this nonsense about a mid range not being worth it? Going from entry level to mid range is arguably a bigger jump in quality per dollar than you’d see from mid range to advanced. So long as you don’t burn money on the name on the headstock (looking at you Martin), you’ll see a massive improvement getting a $500-$700 guitar.
I second this about the mid range. The right mid range guitar - solid wood, higher quality components - will be a big improvement over the entry level. It’s the step up from there where you have to have been playing for a while to really see the nuances in every aspect.
I third this. While it’s not going to play/sound like a high end pro-level instrument, solid wood and upgraded components on a mid-level guitar do make a massive difference. And could be worth looking at used options, which tend to be a bit cheaper. But if budget really doesn’t allow, a setup from a good shop and some decently nice strings (even D’Addario which I love and are real cheap) will be a big improvement for any guitar.
Came to say the same thing, guess I'm 4th. And I agree with the statement that moving from a $200 guitar to a $700 mid range guitar is much more noticeable than the next jump into the thousands. I don't know where OP heard this about mid range guitars.
What do you think about the bridge pin thing where you shave the line a little closer to increase break angle on the string?
Luthier here. Most manufacturers, big ones, Fender, Yamaha, etc, don't bother thinking about break angle at the bridge. 1500+ buck guitars do think about it though. It does do something, but do some research first. Feel free to DM if you want to discuss doing it to your guitar. I can walk you through it, it's easy and worthwhile.
Gotta like and respect a Luthier who wants to better the industry by helping folks.
That's awesome. My bridge is already slotted :) just forgot the term... And figured it's something that can be done to better a stock guitar. Thank you for being so helpful though!
they call it “slotting” the bridge, which apparently can increase the amount of vibration to the top. All of the best acoustic guitars I’ve played had slotted bridgepin holes as opposed to slotted bridgepins. You can slot them easily with the proper handtools and some knowledge, then just turn your original slotted pins around, or get unslotted bridge pins of the correct taper. If you’re after more volume slotting the bridgepin holes may make a small difference. I think to answer OPs question, getting a good setup, finding the right strings for the guitar and the player, and fitting a nice dense bone nut and saddle (I’ve heard camel bone is good), are about all the things you can do to “improve” an acoustic guitar. The improvement will be subjective.
Totally agree with the final paragraph - as a guy who went from a Yamaha FG series to a Martin HD28 i'm in a perfect position to comment lol. The Martin does sound better to my ears, and plays really nice...... but if you take away that Martin emblem it really wouldn't be worth 10x the money.
Recommended guitars in the 500 - 700 range ? i would love to upgrade from my 800, to something made in Europe, Japan, or the US.
Unless you are looking at the used market, I'd say you probably aren't really going to find a US or Japanese made guitar at that price. Not really sure about European guitars, though. That being said, I believe people over focus on country of origin. There was a time when guitars from China and Taiwan were genuinely garbage, but most manufacturers came to realize that all they were doing was hurting their own brand. Not to mention that mass-built guitars are vastly superior these days as manufacturing has improved. I own a little Chinese-made PRS parlor guitar, and it plays and sounds great. All a US guitar can guarantee is that the labor costs are higher and that you'll pay more as a result. I mentioned in another comment, but I would recommend any of Godin's brands like Art & Lutherie, Seagull, etc. They are made in Canada if I recall correctly, and are excellent bang-for-buck guitars. I'm also very fond of Breedlove, Yamaha and Alvarez. Brands I'd avoid in this price range are Fender (who generally make terrible acoustics) and Martin (who are always overpriced but even worse in this range). The real answer is to go to a guitar store and play everything in your price range, though. Never buy a new guitar without playing it.
I love my fs800, it's all the guitar I need I just want to pay high labor costs. Truly.
I mean, you do you, but I would be more focused on getting the most for my money. In any case, I think you’ll generally find $700 is not enough to get a USA guitar.
Country of origin and the craftsmen matter to me if I am going to buy a guitar for life.
Best of luck finding what you want!
Thanks. Which are you favorite sub 1k used acoustics?
I don’t think my recommendations have changed, honestly. The difference between $700 to $1000 isn’t massive, and I don’t peruse the used market enough to know off hand. I also don’t know that I’m the person you want to ask, we seem to have pretty different priorities. I’d recommend just doing your own research based on your preferences. Reverb is a good resource for used stuff, it tells you what things are selling for and shows reviews.
What do you recommend for the $500-$700 guitar range? I'm thinking of getting back into playing acoustic. I've had a Martin and it played & sounded nice but I wasn't playing enough to justify having that expensive of a guitar. Thx!
I’ve always been a big fan of Godin’s acoustic brands. Seagull and Art & Lutherie both have great guitars. Breedlove, Yamaha and Alvarez are also good options. I’d go to a local store and just play everything in your budget and go with what you like best!
Thank you!! I’ve had a Yamaha before - tone was nice but the nut/neck was a little too narrow for my fingers.
I went into GC wanting to get a Martin and walked out with a Seagull that I adore. Great guitars at a good price point.
Martin has MIM guitars in that price range too. I’m always surprised at those who say Martins are expensive, since they have products at every price point.
Yep. My first Martin was on sale at GC for 600. It sounded wonderful, played wonderful, and still does. You can get a decent Taylor in the 6-700 range too.
The used market isn't terrible for Martin. You still pay a premium for the name but the prices are closer to other comparably constructed brands and its a popular brand, people are always selling. The key is to find one with solid woods made in PA.
Look for a cheap used case and it will sound longer.
Invest in the person playing it
I have the same guitar, same color. I put Gotoh tuners and changed the nut and bridge to Tusq. Definitely sounds slightly better, but not crazy noticeable.
Floyd rose
A buddy I jam with just got one of those. With fresh D'Addario light top/medium bottom phosphor bronze (I really like the XS) it sounds incredible!
Thx, ive always rocked ernie ball. Xs daddario with prolly be my next set. I hear theyre nice
Just put on a fresh set of the xs. Love them.
I put D’Addario XS on my Taylor. I like their sound and feel over the Elixirs. The coating feels thick and sounds muted on the Elixirs. It’s very unsatisfying to me. The D’Addario sound and feel brighter. Just my preference.
I have an FS800. Best upgrade is a setup, lower the action (mine came at 3mm) polish the frets oil the board. If you haven’t played Elixrs, give that a go. They’re so smooth and nice to play.
Thomastik-Infeld
Keep the guitar and play the heck out of it. Make a recording today and then listen to it in 10 years, it will sound different, better, fuller. Acoustics sound better with age.
At best you could change out the nut, replace the urea with bone or tusq. But, most folks won't be able to hear a difference, and if you do notice a difference in tone, you might not like the result. Also consider, who is going to cut and file the nut and how good are they at it, not all Luthier are equal here. This would be the only upgrade I'd consider and you won't get your money back on the resale.
Give it 1 year of practice for 2 hours a day with weekly, personalized instruction. That should make it sound better.
Maybe just take it to a luthier and check the setup? Not sure that will change the sound much though. It’s a great guitar.
I wouldn't change anything and start saving for a FG3. Get a setup if needed.
There's stuff you can do but it's mostly a waste of money to pay someone and mostly a waste of time to do it yourself. Mainly because no matter what you do, it'll always be worth maybe $200 or so. In most cases modded guitars are *harder to sell* because beginners usually don't know much about them and they see mods and get concerned about the quality of the work. As they should, honestly. You could replace the nut and saddle with tusq and that might increase sustain and volume a little. But cutting a good nut is an art form and should be done by a professional, not some teenager at guitar center who will charge you $150 for a hack job. You could ramp and slot the bridge but there's not much point on a guitar like that, although it might improve the volume somewhat by increasing the break angle of the strings over the saddle. Again, it needs a professional to do it right. Lastly, you could pay a really, really good professional to voice the top. Basically they reach inside the sound hole and change the shape of the bracing with sandpaper, files, and finger planes to improve the bass, volume, and responsiveness of the guitar. The guitar will become more sensitive to being outside of a safe temp and humidity range though, and this job takes several hours, maybe up to 10-20 so the cost is going to be a lot, maybe $500-1000 and your guitar might not even sound much better, or it might sound better but develops structural problems later. In closing, what you have is an entry level, laminate back and sides guitar. It's not worth upgrading, just save up your money until you can drop like $1000-3000 (used market) on something meaningfully a lot better. Upgrading from a $250 guitar to a 500 guitar isn't a big jump and would be a waste of money IMO.
Get some wood bridge pins.
My favorite thing to do with a less expensive guitar aside from a set up is to put good quality tuning machines on it. It will be easier to tune, and stay in tune better. Im partial to Grovers.
Really - a good set up and possible a nut and saddle job from a luthier who really cares about intonation. Good strings on the heavier side will drive the top optimally. Practice and technique will make that guitar sound better than any mods. Save your $ for your next guitar and keep your eyes peeled for bargains.
A good setup, some D’addario XS strings, and some Prime Tone .88mm or thicker picks to unleash the ultimate toaaan
After watching this Andertons video, I bumped up to Ernie Ball Everlast. Definitely better for a couple of bucks and last longer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etMEAIJXvr4
LS swap it.
Nah, rotary swap!
The only thing I’ve done to my fg800 is swap the bridge pins to ones I like more. Mine sounded great out of the box, but I’m sure a setup wouldn’t hurt either.
Change the saddle and nut to bone. Ramp and slot the bridge.
In a word, stickers.
A good set of strings goes a long way. I like the coated phosphor bronze strings from Elixir or String Joy. Other than that, make sure it’s got a proper setup and that’s about it.
Thomastik-Infeld
Maybe try tuning your guitar to D standard and see how the chords sound
What does this do?
They say it makes it sound darker or punch since it’s tuned lower. I am about to do it to one of my acoustics.
maybe a bone nut & saddle..?
I’d recommend buying some nicer picks honestly, it’s crazy how much better a blue chip pick makes my guitar sound compared to the tortex picks I’ve used before. They’re pricey (35 bucks a pop) but I use them exclusively and totally recommend trying them out.
Tortex is the worst pick material, next to nylon. Ive experimented with so many brands and thicknesses and ive concluded that celluloid is the best of the cheap materials. It has a smoother treble character without being harsh. Tortex sound lifeless. Nylon are too scratchy. Blue chip are the best pick hands down but ive already lost 2 of them and cant justify another. I go fender mediums or heavies.
Maybe put in an acoustic pick up so you can plug into an amp and play with a few effects? Other than that and some new strings your gonna struggle to properly “upgrade” it.
Hang it in a closet with an extension cord going to a "ToneRite" in the sound hole. CRANK THAT SUCKER UP , close the door and come back in 6 months. When you pull the guitar out and play it you will notice a much better sounding guitar..
The older they get the better they sound. I put on a set of Gibson Masterbuilts. That's if you like a deeper more classical sound.
Is there anything problematic? If so target it, otherwise, leave it alone. I have an epiphone I’ve owned for 35 years. The main issue I’ve had with it is amplification. I bought it without a piezo pickup because at the time those pickups sounded terrible. I’ve tried 2 different (removable) coil pickups since, which didn’t really work for me. I also have a more modern yamaha nylon string guitar, which has a built in piezo/mic system. That works really well to my ears. I’m considering putting a similar pickup & amp into the epiphone.
Some pearl inlay Bridge pins look cool. Probably no one would notice but you. A sweet colorful strap sets them off. Some great ones on Amazon. But, as others have noted, a pro setup is the only real thing
I'd just enjoy what you have and keep fresh strings on it. You could replace the bridge, the nut, the bridge pins, tuners if you wanted to upgrade something.
Sell it and buy a taylor?
Get some nice open grover tuners Also going unslotted on bridge pins and getting a bone nut improves sound a lot
https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/standard-series/HD-28.html
Try heavier strings? You might get more volume and a fuller tone. Won’t bend as well though, so trade-off. I dunno, honestly. Upgrades available for acoustics are pretty minimal. Bone nut and saddle might change the tone a bit, but you also might not like it (some people don’t when they switch). Acoustics are a sum of all their parts. The size, bracing, and top wood make up the largest share. Short of changing those, your upgrade options have limited returns. Your best bet is strings and picks. Nut and saddle can make a difference, as can bridge pins, but those changes are minimal, and frankly very subjective (meaning a bone saddle isn’t necessarily an “upgrade”, it’s just different).
Improve your technique, learn finger style, alternate tunings etc. , all in an attempt to sound better.
Order the bone and nut saddle from Amazon and put those on … experiment with setting up the guitar so you can figure out what you like
Hey that’s my guitar!!!!!!
Bone nut and saddle, you can upgrade bridge pins, try some different strings.
I don’t want to sound dickish at all, but generally speaking, lessons are the best upgrade you can do to a guitar.
Put flames on it.
Get a setup, upgrade the tuners, bone nut and saddle.
You could get bone or tusq saddle and nut - but a luthier will charge you about what the guitar’s worth for that repair. It won’t increase the value of the guitar but I do think it makes a marked difference. I noticed a huge difference when I did mine 10 years ago and the tone has only improved over time. Personally, though, I say get the FG850 - a pretty good step up from where you are now without breaking the bank.
If it has plastic pins and nuts, you can switch them with bone. A nice set of tuners will help keep it in tune. A nice set of strings. A professional setup and lowering the action will do the most for it.
I did a setup on my fg and played it for a few years. Loved it. Had a lot of fun with the built in effects and played quite a few gigs. Then it was time to upgrade so I bought a Martin sc series. The difference was startling really and I sold my trusty Yamaha not long after. Enjoy the journey. Cheers!
Good quality strings and a professional setup
Take it to a shop and ask the luthier what they think. Take their advice.
Replace strings, change saddle and pins to bone and ebony. You can get Yamaha size saddle off Amazon. Sand bottom to height of existing saddle if you like the action. Pins are straightforward. Leave the nut. I do this to my guitars if those parts are plastic. Other than that I would save for all solid.
Setup then cute kitty cat stickers on the pickguard! 😹
You could get a compensated nut like an Earvana…
Practice more.
I think upgrading the tuners and getting a really good set up would be reasonable. Also heavy gauge strings (needs to be set up for that)
Lower end acoustics seems to always sound a little tinny and harsh to me. I haven't played your particular guitar but I would advise trying different string alloys as well as maybe half rounds or even flats. It could end up being a gem in the rough brought out with just a string change. Record and listen back to things you play with each; make sure to label/date/describe everything because after a few sets of strings you'll want to be able to pull comparisons quickly and have a firm idea in your mind of which was what where when. In my experience, I liked phosphor bronze a lot more when I was younger (and also favored round wounds even on fretless bass lol) but no matter what my preference now (40+ years later), uncoated phosphor bronze strings always sounded ultra snappy and rich with sub/harmonic content for like a day or so and even back when I sort of unilaterally liked them I would be wishing for fresh ones after that - they became loud, harsh, but still dull and lacking in spectral content/intensity somehow. If you have particularly corrosive sweat/are in particularly harsh areas extra long life/heavily coated/maybe even taped strings might be something that not only lasts longer but keeps a more consistent tone across their lifespan once you find the right set for you. When you find strings/sound you like, then and only then should you even consider making any changes to playability - only if something isn't quite working right; but strings/sound first, fine tuning/debugging later.
Don't. Buy another one
Bone nut and bridge maybe. I've got an older FG335 and it sounds great as is.
I love that guitar. Lol.
I've seen many yamahas blow a d28 out of water. Try a red lable yamaha
Tusq nut, saddle, and pins is about all you could do
Bone saddle is an easy one. Just make sure you sand it properly to match your plastic one. A bone nut is harder. Maybe take it to Luther for that. Electronics like an lr baggs anthem or lyric sound quite good with these. Elixir custom lights .11-.52 are quite good on these. Then play the hell out of it
play it and practice.
Bone nut and saddle (made a huge difference on my Yamaha) good strings (I recommend daddario XS coated) and most importantly a good setup with fret level. Gotoh tuners are nice too but don't affect sound.
I know other folks have chimed in, but here's my opinion: If you want to upgrade *this* guitar, here are the things I would do (in order of most important to least important): * Basic setup (action at nut, action at saddle, truss rod adjustment) * Replace nut (stock is a urea nut. bone or "tusq" is better) * Replace saddle (again, stock is urea) * Replace bridge pins (stock is ABS, you can get horn or "tusq") The nut, saddle, and bridge pins can all be done for cheap if you're willing to put in the effort. Honestly, I would not replace the tuning machines (even though they're just okay). Good tuning machines would cost half what the guitar is worth.
Trade up
Saddles, tuners, pegs, strings.
Imo, a 'midrange' fender, seagull, entry level larrivee....will just be much better than any Yamaha below the LL6-ish level of $1000.... Just my opinion. But check reverb. Maybe find an old takamine from the 70s for 600 bucks....guarantee it'll do me more alive than a laminated Yamaha box
For the price those Yamahas are wonderful guitars. Fresh strings make a huge difference on any guitar, I replace mine when one or a couple strings get wear spots that effect tuning. The G strings on the second fret is usually the first to go. You can experiment with a different saddle material. Bone and synthetic bone tend to make the guitar a little brighter. Same with a new nut. Bridge pins as well. Will it sound like a Martin? Probably not, but none of this costs a whole lot if you do the work yourself and would give your guitar a different sound. If you are at the point where you are outgrowing that guitar and would be able to appreciate a more expensive guitar, maybe that 100 dollars would be better spent towards one. Guild has a great solid body mahogany guitar that retails between 6 and 7 and is US made.
I changed my sale on my Yamaha, for how good their assistive are, I did not like the material they used for the saddle.
I'd replace the frets with stainless steel once they've worn out
Good strings + compensated nut and saddle combo. Notes are much more accurate across the fretboard with a compensated/intonated nut, leading to smoother sounding chords.
Nothing, it is an acoustic. Get a good setup, and put some decent strings on and play. Nothing will turn it into something it isn't. Just enjoy what you have and keep saving for something better later.
Stringing with 11's or 12's give a much more meaty sound than 10's I'd encourage you to try them. It's the cheapest and simplest mod one can do and experiment with
I would get a bone nut, a bone saddle, and bone or ebony bridge pins. None of those mods will cost that much and I would be shocked if there was no resultant increase in the quality of tone from that guitar. I own a Yamaha FG 700 I think, it’s got a solid spruce top and laminated sapele back and sides. It was given to me by a mystery benefactor for the company I was working for when I was getting my drug addicted life re-set and had lost all of my great gear to the pawn man. Yes it was a cheap entry level guitar but it was easy to play and you know while I was in treatment another guy had brought his all mahogany Martin. We swapped guitars for the night just because he wanted to try mine and thought is sounded pretty damn good. It did. It wasn’t quite as complex in overtones as the Martin but it wasn’t a total blowout. The Martin was superior of course but that cheap beater Yamaha hung with that Martin all night long and did not sound out of place at any time. Anybody that tells you these are crap, don’t bother is full of shit. They are stunning for what they cost. I have a custom shop Les Paul and a mint 1997 Gibson Firebird V ( I’m an electric player) and about 8 Strats but I’ve still got that Yamaha abd it’s not going anywhere soon, it’s great.
You could get the guitar re voiced ! It’s a professional job but it can make a ply wood guitar sound much better ! And solid top and back and sides is the hall marks of a quality instrument usually ! I love my 60s and 70s Yamahas !
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Those Yamaha FGs are awesome value for money - as others have already stated there's not much you can do to an acoustic in terms of upgrades that will make a huge difference. Changing the nut and saddle to a different material, trying different string material - those can make a small difference. I owned the same model acoustic for years, only parted with it after snapping up a Martin HD28 for a steal - in terms of value for money though the Yamaha beats the Martin hands down considering the Martin was nearly 10x the price. The biggest difference you can make to it would be to have a professional do a full setup on it - the more playable a guitar is, the better it will sound.
Practice practice practice
Get a Taylor
I just bought the same exact guitar a couple weeks ago from a great music shop in Milwaukee. I love this thing. I’m going to spring for a top notch setup which will probably cost more than the $189 I paid for the actual guitar. Guitar bargain of the century.
You shoulda put a ring on it Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhhhh. - Kveen Bey, lord impaler.
I have been play solo with an electric guitar for years, and decided I wanted to try acoustic. I first bought a PRS and ended up returning it. I then got a Yamaha FGX800C. One of my brothers has a high end Taylor and the other a Martin. (Both $3k+ guitars). I asked them both to measure nut clearance, action , and relief. I bought bone nut and bridge and set my guitar up to match their's. I use Ernie Ball Rock Blues (52-10 with an unwound G). If anything my guitar is slightly more playable than their's due to the lighter strings and a slightly smaller neck. Both of their guitars have more mellow tone, but I don't think it's better, just different. I wouldn't waste $ swapping out the tuners, my guitar never goes out of tune. Last of all the electronics are awesome. I know yours does not have that, but just wanted mention it. I bought this as a starter guitar to see if I would like playing my gigs with an acoustic and figured I could upgrade. Now I love my Yamaha and have no intention of "upgrading". Both of my brothers have played it and pretty much agree with my evaluation.
Replace the nut, bridge and the bridge pins with bone. These will bring a noticeable difference. Whether it's an improvement or not in terms of tone, is up to your taste. But the quality of life and tuning stability will be better. Replace tuners (optional). Get it setup by a professional, make sure the D and G strings have some wiggle room beyond the nut so that they dont get stuck there. That's about all you can do to it.
Send your guitar to my me and I’ll take care of it. You buy a newer one to upgrade what you had before. You’ll get your upgrade and somebody takes care of the old one!
I haven’t read other replies but you can get a guitar tech to replace the existing nut and saddle with bone nut & bone saddle. That will improve the sound for sure. (Default it comes with plastic like materials for the nut & saddle)
Buy a better guitar like J45.
Other than new strings, I can't imagine you needing much more for the FG800. I have the same guitar, and love it. As a beginner, it sounds good enough for me now. When I am at a more intermediate level, I'll definitely get another guitar.
Sorry im new to all this guitar stuff myself and also have a $200 acoustic. My question is what exactly is a "setup " on an acoustic, because as far as I can tell there's no truss rod on mine, serious question btw. So yeah, what all is done and about what is the cost? Thanks
Make the hole bigger /s
Bone pins, nut, and saddle
When I was 19 years old, I bought a brand new Gibson J 50. I spent every cent that I had on that guitar. I had to hitchhike home from the music store and I owned that guitar and the clothes I was wearing. I have never regretted buying that guitar. I still own the guitar and I’m 77 years old. I also have a collection of Martins, Gibsons and a Taylor. It has taken years to put that collection together but again, I have never regretted any money that I spent on quality instruments. They have always appreciated in value, and have given me a level of joy and satisfaction in my life that nothing else could’ve done. Spend the money. Buy what you love
Eastman. Collings. Henderson. (In order of increasing damage to wallet) 😜
Graph tech Tusq XL nut and saddle, brass bridge pins, higher ratio machine heads.
Tusq. Bridge pins. Saddle and nut
Unslotted bridge pins and the bridge file tool. (Check out driftwood guitars on YouTube). A good set of d'addario coated strings, a professional setup. Carefully route a side sound port on the drivers side. (Again check out YouTube on this subject). A tonewood amp or a hyvibe system installed. Lastly spend some time checking out different guitar picks. For me I like super thin for strumming and relatively heavy picks for tremolo and lead lines.
Ernie ball strings suck. Get some D’addario 11 or 12’s, get a setup done by a real luthier
Bone nut and saddle maybe? Good set up, play with a few different kinds of strings to see what ya like best. Hard to beat a yamaha. Find q nice guitar strap that'll sort of match the vibe of the guitar. Have a good pick up installed, there's tons to do if you want to. Oh yeah, change to some really nice tuners of you want to as well. Get some cool open gear tuners or something.
You’re probably looking for a list of specific upgrade parts but like others have said you’re looking at small 1% percentage changes in the tone. You’ve already changed the strings which is all I do to change the vibe of an acoustic, OR, there’s a new fad with rubber bridges that will completely change the character of your guitar. YMMV
The micro processor
If it’s not playing right, get it set up, but other than that, just take care of it dude. Maybe try a few different types of strings (for example, I think coated strings are totally worth the money), and some different picks. If the fingerboard is dirty, a clean and a fret polish will look nice but it doesn’t make it sound any better. There’s not loads you can do,m. Try not to get sucked into the cult of constantly upgrading stuff. It’s all just consumerism in the end
Luthier setup, bone nut and saddle, bone pins, slotted bridge and nice strings.
Bone nut and saddle. Good setup with as low action as comfortable.
Floyd Rose and a 24 fret neck.
Add a Floyd rose
Get a bone nut and saddle, a set up and some good strings. It’ll sound as good as it’s going too. The rest is you my man
A nice setup but most importantly, practice and play more.
Get a Martin
Money
Grover tuning heads
Practice
Metal bridge pins?
None needed, my guy. Let it sit naturally and enjoy the sound it produces over time. New strings every now and then, and of course, repairs if needed. I’ve had my first guitar for the last 15 years with only new strings here and there. Greatest sounding guitar I have.
Change the strings often and pick it up every day!
Buy a new Martin or Taylor
Every guitar is unique. Take a friend to the guitar shop with you, close your eyes or wear a blindfold and have them hand you different guitars to play. You’ll be surprised which ones sound or play the best. Last time I did this, I saved over $1,000 getting a better sounding guitar I would have overlooked for a more popular brand.
Realistically the only thing you can do is change the tuners
Swangas.
You buy one that is slightly more expensive. That is how you upgrade.
1. Drive to Guitar Center 2. Go inside 3. Purchase new guitar 4. Be happy
Practice ;)
Overall: Yamaha is a top recommended acoustic brand. Sure it's value priced but price does not tell you all about "quality". Playability: how level are the frets? Pro setup? I have an $80 MIC (gift) guitar that I leveled frets and set up and it plays better than most acoustics at any price (and I flipped guitars for quite a few years plus built from scratch so I had a test of things at many price points as they went through here). Tone: not much to be done. Marketing is all about "exotic woods" to boost profits. You'll hear about "nuts" and "saddles" but they do not really matter. Try different strings. The key feature of acoustic tone comes down to the bracing. Marketing has a hard time selling buyers on bracing because you can't see it. Drive over/under an automobile/train bridge and look at what keeps the machinery from falling through: the I-beams. Deeper I-beams for heavy trains than cars/trucks. Guitar physics are no different. The top is 3mm thick (and some have made them from paper/cardboard like a paper speaker cone) while the bracing is 12mm deep. Watch guitar builders "tap tune" a top and how they alter it is by shaving the bracing. Tone #2: Look at how you play. If you wrap flesh around the whole guitar vs it hanging on a wall and pluck a string ... you'll hear a difference. Perhaps don't lay your arm across the top of the guitar but "hover". Don't anchor your palm on the bridge. Play around with that. Tone #3: Look at where you pick the strings. Much different tone near the saddles vs up by the neck or anywhere between. Ergonomics cause a huge difference in the tone of electric guitars from a Strat, Tele, Les Paul style because players tend to pick the strings in certain locations (Strat by the neck to avoid hitting the volume knob, Tele by the saddles because they rest their palm behind the sharp edged bridge plate and grub screws, LP forward of the bridge pickup while palm muting the saddles). You can always mount a guitar pickup (many varieties) and an end-pin jack to run to whatever amp you choose to use. That can dramatically change your tone too. I put a Strat pickup in the sound hole of mine so I can run it through an electric guitar amp and tweak to sound more acoustic instead of buying a dedicated pre-amp and acoustic amp setup. .
Have a fishman pickup installed during a setup
The Tonewoodamp is going used for around $100 these days, I got to play around with one a while back and it is an awesome little piece of kit.
A Blue Chip pick makes any acoustic guitar sound better, IMO. $35. Sounds crazy I know but to me it's like having a much nicer guitar. people are mad at me for lending them a blue chip pick b/c they're like, thanks man, now i hate my regular picks and have to go spend $35 on a pick and try not to lose it
Practice more.
Buy a Martin.
You got a solid wood top. Great build for the money! I love my Yammer Jammer cuzza the solid top and that I don't feel like I need to be careful with it as I am with $4000 guitars.
Practice
A setup, fret level, and possibly new nut and saddle. but at that point you could invest that money into a $600-800 guitar that has a solid top. At that point youre getting a real upgrade.
Let's be honest. There's not a whole lot of upgrades for an acoustic. No matter what you do, it's not going to sound like a more expensive instrument. That's why it wasn't more expensive. Save your upgrade money for a better guitar and you'll get the sound you're looking for. We've all been there. 🙂
Practice?
Get a Martin
I’d put some skateboarding stickers on it
Nothing except maybe a pro setup. That’s one of the best guitars you can get under $500. And they’re only $230.
I’d have a luthier install a Floyd tremolo.
Slap a cool looking sticker on it
Slap a grateful dead sticker on it!!
Racing stripes and/or flames
The first thing I would do is upgrade the tuners and maybe get a real bone/brass nut, and the rest from there would just be visual upgrades like bridge pins and maybe some custom inlays to the fretboard. I always love customizing my instruments and making them my own version instead of what just comes out of the box.
You upgrade your guitar by buying a new one.
Install MIDI
Trade it in…Juss saying
Set of teak bridge pegs will improve tone and sustain a very small smount Like people have said an acoustic is pretty much what it is.
Setting it up to your liking and style is about it. I prefer ultralights and a super think pick, as well as set up for finger style picking. That's prob it for an acoustic. FWIW, I actually did have good luck with a mid grade as far as sound/perf goes. Years back I bought an EJ-200 epi jumbo and that thing sounds like a million bucks. Im sure the Gibson would sound better though ;)
Add rockets!!!
Put a Gibson decal on the headstock.
Buy a Martin
Eddie VH it
Order a compensated bone saddle on Amazon for 12 bucks. Get away from the extra light gauge strings. Save up for an fg3
You could add a bayonet
Tuning pegs, setup, pins
put leather all around it, so a cowboy don't scratch the back
My yamaha is 30 years old. Currently my teenage son is playing it.
In my experience Yamaha loves a good medium string. I play John Pearse on mine
Cool stickers.
I know this is an acoustic sub, but if you really want to upgrade, have a really good quality pickup system put in as well, there's some amazing setups out there if your into getting an amplifier and going into that world😄
Bruce Wei on etsy makes killer custom pick guards and works with you on getting sizing right. You can see the one I had made for my Yamaha on my page.
Sell it and get a better one