Acoustic guitar has a lot of key frequency ranges which each contribute different things to the overall tone. Adjustments in each and any one of these areas will yield a very different tone, not to mention correct (or cause) problems in the overall tone. As such, it’s important to understand the full frequency spectrum of the instrument. We’ll cover just that in this acoustic guitar EQ chart.
Acoustic Guitar Frequency Chart
First let’s take a macro look at the various frequency ranges of the acoustic guitar on this acoustic guitar frequency range chart.
This chart shows the full response of the acoustic guitar, from unnecessary/unwanted or inaudible noise below 80Hz all the way up to the top end, ever thinning string percussiveness:
A quick overview of each range:
Below 80Hz (Inaudible/Room Noise)
80Hz is the bottom end of the fundamental range of the acoustic guitar in standard tuning. We’ll recommend filtering this out in a moment when we get to the acoustic guitar EQ chart.
82-392Hz (Fundamental)
82Hz is the frequency of the open plucked lowest E string. 392Hz is essentially an octave up for the G string, so that warmth and body of the acoustic guitar is everything in that pocket, give or take.
300-600Hz (Boxiness)
You tend to get a little boxiness as you typically do around 500Hz or so, and acoustic guitar is no different.
600-2000Hz (Voice and Overtone Character)
A lot of the rich overtones of the acoustic guitar present themselves in the 600-2000Hz range. If the guitar’s tone is sounding a little hollow, a boost here can help.
2-5k (Presence)
2-5k is about presence and clarity. As always (and it’s worth mentioning), cutting that boxy range in the 400-600Hz section makes the overall tone sound clearer and brighter by not only removing the mud but by placing a greater emphasis on the remaining frequencies (subtractive EQ), including the higher end.
5-10k (String Character/Sparkle)
You start to hear the character of the strings themselves more in the 5-10k range. If you soloed 5k and started listening to the acoustic guitar as you moved higher and higher, you’d hear the tone changing from a fuller brightness to less perceptible notes themselves and more string transients.
Above 10k (String Percussiveness)
Continuing that idea, around 10k you’re starting to exclusively hear the percussiveness of the strings themselves.
Let’s apply this knowledge to actual cuts and boosts via our acoustic guitar EQ chart:
Acoustic Guitar EQ Chart
High Pass at 70Hz to Remove Noise
As I alluded to earlier, there’s nothing musical below 80Hz as this is literally the lowest frequency note on the guitar (in standard tuning).
Applying a high pass filter helps to filter out the noise and clean up the tone.
This also compliments the rest of our mix by giving more room to the instruments which need those frequencies to themselves (see my low end mixing guide).
We can be conservative by focusing on 70Hz to ensure that the low E isn’t getting thinned out at all, and you might want to go a little lower if you’ve got any kind of drop tuning on that E.
Cut/Boost at 200-300Hz
If you want your overall tone to be warmer, a small boost of 2-3dB works well in the 150 or 200-300Hz range.
Conversely, if you find that your tone is too boomy, possibly through poor microphone placement or recording technique (see how to record acoustic guitar), a cut here can get the tone under control.
I might recommend a dynamic EQ cut when trying to control boominess which isn’t always a constant. If the tone is TOO boomy and consistent, then you may need to re-record it altogether.
Cut at 400-600Hz to Remove Mud (Optional)
I typically like a small cut at 400-600Hz to both clean up the unflattering tones and likewise add clarity via the aforementioned subtractive EQ.
Once again, a dynamic EQ works well here to cut relative to the mud as some chords/notes are more guilty of this than others.
This keeps the EQ adjustments much more transparent by preserving more of the natural sound of the acoustic guitar.
This is a good time to mention the importance of opting for smaller but broader cuts and boosts over more drastic and surgical/narrow adjustments.
These both result in less phase issues and more importantly sound much more natural in affecting the overall tone of your acoustic guitar.
Boost at 1-2k for Fullness (Optional)
As I mentioned earlier, the 1-2k range affects fullness and can especially correct a hollow tone.
A small boost here can correct some hollowness which was a product of poor microphone placement or a bad recording room/environment by way of reflections.
Be careful in this range, as boosting too much here can sound “wonky” for lack of a better term. You know it if you hear it, and you can try applying a drastic boost to your acoustic guitar in this overtone range to hear that effect.
Boost Around 3.5k for Clarity
3-5k is where that clarity and presence of the acoustic guitar comes through, and as you can see from the above acoustic guitar EQ chart, I like a boost of 2-3dB to add some brightness and clarity to my tone.
Not all acoustic guitars will need this as some lean or favor more in the brighter/thinner area in general.
These guitars oftentimes benefit from some of that warmth and body boosting in the 200-300Hz range, or even having some saturation applied to them.
And, not to beleaguer the point, but clarity is also dictated on how the guitar was recorded.
If the neck of the guitar was favored more relative to the microphone, you’ll have a brighter and possibly thinner tone. If the bridge or (hopefully not) the sound hole was favored, you’ll get that bottom end heavy, boomier sound.
All this to say, don’t boost to boost. Try a small 1-3dB boost in the 3.5k area, then split test referencing the tone with that boost on then off.
Repeat this until you can determine a winner. This is a good time to reiterate the importance of having reference tracks on hand to keep your ears in context of what the goal is. Have a reference track with some acoustic guitar that you like the sound of to keep you focused.
(Small) Boost at 10k for Punch
The percussive sounds of the pick or even fingers against the strings manifests as you approach 10k and beyond.
If you want the acoustic guitar to assert itself more in the mix, apply a small boost at 10k to bring out more of this transient punch, or that initial sound of the acoustic guitar that is the strings to draw your listener’s attention to it, especially in a crowded mix.
Low Pass at 15-20k (Optional)
The string sounds thin and die out in terms of what we can hear as we approach 15k and beyond.
As such, you can apply a low pass filter to remove this inaudible noise if you like for a modicum of headroom and space for the instruments which, like the instruments on the low end, need this space to themselves like cymbals.
20k is the more conservative point, but it’s really dependent on what else is going on in the mix. If it’s a more open, sparser mix which might just be acoustic guitar and vocals, you don’t need to filter anything on the top end.
These adjustments should have your acoustic guitar’s tone sounding A LOT better, both on its own and in the mix. Plus you now have a better idea of what’s happening at each major frequency range on the instrument and how it impacts the overall tone.
Now that you’ve got the EQ straight, check out my complete overview on how to mix acoustic guitar from EQ and compression and beyond.
