Quick heads-up: This post contains affiliate links to gear sites like Amazon, Reverb, and our other partners. If you buy something through these links, I get a small piece of the pie to help keep this blog running, but it doesn't cost you a penny extra!
New pickups get recommended as the first guitar upgrade in almost every forum thread about improving tone. They are not. Pickups are the last upgrade you should make — not because they do not matter, but because everything before them matters more and costs less.
These are the upgrades that actually change how a guitar plays and sounds, ranked in the order worth doing them, at prices that make the math easy. Most of the parts are available new or used on Reverb, and a decent local tech can install them for reasonable labor costs.
Upgrade One: Locking Tuners
This is the upgrade that makes the most immediate, noticeable difference for the least money. Locking tuners hold string tension at the post so the string cannot slip during playing or string bends. The result is a guitar that stays in tune dramatically better than it did before — not a little better, noticeably better.
Grover Rotomatic locking tuners and Hipshot locking tuners are both reliable options in the $40 to $60 range for a full set. On most guitars they drop in without modification. The difference is obvious the first time you play after installation.
Typical cost: $40–$70 for a full set.
Locking Tuners (Grover / Hipshot style)
Best for: Any guitar that goes out of tune during bends or aggressive playing
The single highest-impact, lowest-cost upgrade most players can make. Immediate improvement in tuning stability.
Upgrade Two: A Bone Nut
Most production guitars ship with a plastic nut. Plastic nuts bind under string tension, which causes tuning instability, and they do not transfer vibration as cleanly as bone. A properly cut and fitted bone nut improves tuning stability, sustain, and open-string tone at the same time.
This is the upgrade techs recommend most consistently because the improvement is real and the cost is low. If your guitar goes out of tune regularly and the tuners are fine, the nut is the next place to look.
Typical cost: $30–$60 in parts and labor combined.
Upgrade Three: Better Bridge Saddles
On Stratocaster-style guitars in particular, the stock bent-steel saddles are a known weak point. Upgrading to block steel saddles or compensated brass saddles improves intonation accuracy and sustain. The difference is more noticeable on the wound strings, but the overall improvement in how the guitar plays in tune across the neck is real.
Typical cost: $25–$50 for a quality set.
Upgrade Four: Shielding the Cavity
Single-coil pickups hum. That is their nature. You cannot eliminate it entirely without changing the pickup design, but you can reduce the noise significantly by shielding the pickup and control cavities with copper tape. A roll of copper shielding tape costs about $10–$15 and the process takes an afternoon. The noise floor drops noticeably, especially in environments with electrical interference.
Typical cost: $10–$20 for materials.
Bone Nut + Basic Hardware Upgrades
Best for: Players who want better tuning stability, sustain, and playability without changing pickups yet
Bone nut, better saddles, and cavity shielding deliver real improvements at very low cost before you ever touch the pickups.
Upgrade Five: Pickups (Last, Not First)
After the tuners, nut, saddles, and shielding are done, if the guitar still does not sound the way you want, then it is time for pickups. At that point the guitar is playing and staying in tune correctly, so the only remaining variable is the tone source itself. A pickup swap on a well-set-up guitar with good hardware is genuinely transformative. A pickup swap on a guitar with a bad nut and loose tuners is an expensive way to avoid solving the real problem.
Recommended Order and Budget
- 1. Locking tuners — $40–$70
- 2. Bone nut — $30–$60
- 3. Better saddles — $25–$50
- 4. Cavity shielding — $10–$20
- 5. Pickups (only after the above) — $60–$150+
Doing the first four upgrades usually costs less than a single set of mid-range pickups and improves the instrument more than most players expect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheap guitar upgrade for tuning stability?
Locking tuners combined with a properly cut bone nut. These two changes solve the majority of tuning problems on production guitars.
Should I change pickups first?
No. Fix the hardware that affects playability and tuning first. Pickups come last.
How much does a bone nut cost installed?
Typically $30–$60 total depending on the tech and whether you supply the nut blank.
Does cavity shielding really help?
Yes with single-coil guitars. It will not eliminate hum completely, but it meaningfully lowers the noise floor in most environments.
Can I install these upgrades myself?
Locking tuners and shielding are doable for careful beginners. A bone nut and saddle work are usually better left to a tech unless you already have experience.
Final Recommendation
Start with locking tuners and a bone nut. Those two upgrades deliver the biggest improvement in how the guitar actually plays for the least money. Add better saddles and shielding next. Only after the instrument is stable and quiet should you consider changing pickups.
Most guitars become noticeably better instruments once these simple, inexpensive hardware upgrades are in place.
For more guitar improvement and buying guidance, see:
- What a $500 Guitar Budget Actually Gets You
- Best Guitar Pickups That Transform Your Tone
- Guitar Gear Guide: Everything You Need
- Used Music Gear Complete Buying Guide
- Fender Stratocaster Buying Guide
Follow Phantom Power Gear on Pinterest for more gear tips and recommendations.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.