Guitar Upgrades: Where to Start

People usually start the upgrade conversation with pickups. Fair enough, but it is the wrong starting point. Here is the order that actually gets you the most instrument for your money, whether it is an electric, a bass or an acoustic.

Start with a setup, not a purchase

The single biggest upgrade you can do costs nothing in parts. If the guitar is playing its best and it is intonated properly, it makes a huge difference, more than any bolt on part will. Take it to your local shop, get it dialled in, and only then start thinking about bells and whistles. If you are not sure what yours needs, that is what our setup assessment is for.

Electrics: the electronics are where the money went

I am a big fan of buying lower line models and upgrading the electronics. The bodies and necks on something like a Squier are good chunks of wood, built well and pumped out consistently. The electronics are where the corners got cut. Upgrade the pickups and you have done the second biggest thing possible for the quality of the instrument, and the result rivals higher end models without the higher end price. Some electrics are three, four, six grand. You guys decide if that is necessary, you let me know.

While the soldering iron is out, look at the pots. Alpha pots typically are not the greatest quality, so swapping them alongside the pickups gets you more bang for your buck. If the guitar came with CTS pots, which are the industry standard and what Mexi basses and guitars often ship with, leave them alone, there is no need. On the bass in the video, the plan is both pickups, all the pots and the input jack, and dialled in with a setup it will be an amazing instrument for considerably less than buying new. It is also a good example of the bring your own parts conversation, because the owner supplied the pickups and we supplied the electronics behind them.

The nut: the Ferrari with wooden tires problem

It blows my mind, but you can spend four to six thousand dollars on a guitar and it will come with a plastic saddle and a plastic nut. I like to tell my clients it is like driving a Ferrari with wooden tires. Bone is the standard for density, and anything that helps the instrument resonate helps the tone. Most factory nuts are Corian or Micarta, a little better than plastic but still soft. A bone nut also wears slower, so the strings do not saw into the slots, and once it settles you are good for many years.

Acoustics: bone matters even more

On an electric, the pickups do a lot of the heavy lifting, so the nut is a nice to have. On an acoustic it is a huge part of the sound. Put a bone nut and saddle on a guitar that came with Corian and you will find it reverberates noticeably more, more mids, more treble, more bass, the whole guitar comes back to life. We see beautiful J-45s come through with plastic nuts and saddles, and it is one of the most common and most worthwhile upgrades there is.

Tuners

Vintage tuners were often geared 6:1 or 8:1, which is clunky to tune with. Modern tuners run 18:1 or even 21:1, much finer control. For vintage instruments there are great options that look period correct but are geared high, they cost a bit more because they are aged, but they can be amazing. The Harmony Sovereign in the video has upgraded tuners and it makes a real difference day to day.

Adding a pickup to an acoustic

If you want to plug in, LR Baggs and Fishman both make quality undersaddle systems. The technology lives in the endpin jack, so there is very little drilling, the existing strap button hole just gets enlarged slightly, and the volume and tone controls sit inside the soundhole. Systems with onboard preamps mounted in the side of the guitar exist, but that means cutting a hole in the instrument, and most owners of high end guitars rightly do not want that. It is rarely needed.

Common questions

What is the single best upgrade for any guitar?

A proper setup with the intonation dialled in. It is the biggest difference you can make to how a guitar plays and sounds, and it does not require buying a single part.

Are expensive pickups worth it on a cheap guitar?

Often, yes. Bodies and necks on budget instruments are frequently good wood built consistently, and the electronics are where the cost was cut. Upgrade the pickups and pots and a lower line guitar can rival models several times the price.

Do I need to replace the pots too?

Check what is in there. Alpha pots are typically not the greatest quality and are worth swapping while the soldering iron is out. CTS pots are the industry standard, and if your guitar came with them there is no need to change them.

Why does a bone nut matter?

Bone is dense, and density helps the instrument resonate. On acoustics especially, swapping a plastic or Corian nut and saddle for bone brings back more of everything: more mids, more treble, more bass. Bone also wears slower, so the strings do not saw into the slots the way they do with soft materials.

Thinking about upgrades and not sure what is worth it on your guitar?

Bring your instrument into the shop during opening hours, no appointment needed. Assessments are free and we can usually do them while you’re here, so you leave knowing exactly what it needs. Hours and directions are on the contact page.

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