why has playing nylon killed playing electric for me.?

[wu ming]

I have played nylon strung guitar for a while now, but yesterday I picked up a friends electric strat guitar to play and.....Ugh! I hated the sound of it.

 

The loud noise and the lack of being able to express any feeling, like I can with nylon just put me right off.

 

Has this happened to others here.?

[Kap'n]

Playing electric guitar can be as expressive as an acoustic.

However, the techniques are completely different.

Playing an acoustic with electric technique sounds crappy too.

[andy thompson]

Fast electric rock used to motivate me when I was younger but a true man of the road turned me on to Bert Jansch about 3 years ago, having him play to me on an old fishing boat all night stuck with me, I now have an acoustic which Iam slowly learning, maybe its an age thing but I would never contemplate playing electric.

[Stackabones]

The gutbox IMO is a bit more intimate than an electric or even a steel-string guitar. Though all of them are just guitars, each one has its own ways of expressing certain feelings. Some of that transfers between them, some of it doesn't.

[Johnny66]

Fast electric rock used to motivate me when I was younger but a true man of the road turned me on to Bert Jansch about 3 years ago, having him play to me on an old fishing boat all night stuck with me, I now have an acoustic which Iam slowly learning, maybe its an age thing but I would never contemplate playing electric.

Bert Jansch will turn anyone's head around. I became obsessed with him 3 years ago, and in learning a lot of his material from 1965 to the early 70s, I've probably never been a better player.

[riffmeister]

The gutbox IMO is a bit more intimate than an electric or even a steel-string guitar. Though all of them are just guitars, each one has its own ways of expressing certain feelings. Some of that transfers between them, some of it doesn't.

Well-said.

And I like them all!

[zenbu]

I have to switch to electric at night just to keep the wa in the household...not to mention the neighbors. sometimes played through headphones sometimes unplugged.

[andy thompson]

Bert Jansch will turn anyone's head around. I became obsessed with him 3 years ago, and in learning a lot of his material from 1965 to the early 70s, I've probably never been a better player.

How did you manage to do that? All I can find are tabs, (which I have been told vary with accuracy) and I want to be able to read music. If I had a song book "tinkers blues" would be the first I would learn

[Hudman]

In my opinion, the electric guitar requires a much lighter touch. I disagree that the electric guitar is less expressive than a nylon or steel string acoustic. You can be just as expressive or more so on an electric guitar ( think Jeff Beck, SRV, Jimi, etc, etc). You need to get a handle on the subtle differences in technique.

 

I abandoned the electric guitar almost 2 years ago. I don't miss it one bit because my steel string acoustics and nylon string Yamaha keep me happy.

[Johnny66]

How did you manage to do that? All I can find are tabs, (which I have been told vary with accuracy) and I want to be able to read music. If I had a song book "tinkers blues" would be the first I would learn

 

 

The Jansch Mother Lode (for tabs):

 

http://home.comcast.net/~fingerstyleguitar/index.htm

 

Probably 80% are very accurate - but what really matters is attempting the stuff (along with developing your ear by listening closely to the recordings). The best place to start is the very first album, which is challenging but covers an incredibly wide range of techniques that Jansch refined as he went on. His songs are so full, in the sense of being so exhaustive of the acoustic guitar's potential.

 

Once you have the right tuning, the solo nature of Jansch (albeit with Renbourn accompanying - although you can pan your speakers to silence him given the nature of the early recordings) provides amazing fodder for solo acoustic guitar players. Also, the recent DVD 'Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning' provides confirmation of some of the above TABS. Here's an example (a cover of 'Blues Run The Game'):

 

[YOUTUBE]zbg1i6t9p6w[/YOUTUBE]

 

And a much younger Bert (the oft-removed 'Black Waterside' clip!):

 

[YOUTUBE]hkX7Q2J7k48[/YOUTUBE]

 

Unfortunately, there's no Pentangle material on the Net, although I've managed to work out most of the first album. Just attempting all this stuff will put anyone well ahead in playing fingerstyle.

[jtjpilot]

I have played nylon strung guitar for a while now, but yesterday I picked up a friends electric strat guitar to play and.....Ugh! I hated the sound of it. The loud noise and the lack of being able to express any feeling, like I can with nylon just put me right off. Has this happened to others here.?

It's all personal preference really. I personally can't stand the sound of Nylon, It makes me wanna puke. However, some can't stand the sound of steel string guits....

[RizinRico]

well you dont like a strat (or that strat) but maybe a gibson 125 or a les paul or a.... each guitar has its own voice. flat top archtop nylon parlor dread etc when that individual voice is speaking to you then it is truly a remarkable moment esp if you are the one that is giving that git the opportunity to communicate.

[MattSkibaIsGOD]

well you dont like a strat (or that strat) but maybe a gibson 125 or a les paul or a.... each guitar has its own voice. flat top archtop nylon parlor dread etc when that individual voice is speaking to you then it is truly a remarkable moment esp if you are the one that is giving that git the opportunity to communicate.

 

 

+1. I have never found an electric guitar with a voice I liked (or an amp for that matter); but that doesn't change the fact that there are electric players who's tone I love, like Gary Moore, David Gilmour, Scott Gorham, etc.

 

I agree with the OP though that the nylon string guitar (acoustics in general too) are beautifully expressive instruments. I made the switch and I'll never go back.

[Sisyphus2]

isnt it about just getting a fresh start sometimes - the nylon strung guitar opens up new territory - keeps creativity and interest alive.

[Dave W.]

I move around a bit too. Been playingt my Tele lately, unplugged, because I am playing early in the morning when the house is asleep. I like them all, acoustic mostly, but just listen to BB King and you find it's all good.

[Stackabones]

Been playingt my Tele lately

The Tele has the same relationship to electrics as the gutbox has to acoustics.

imo

[DADGADammit]

If I could play the nylon string in the rock band I'm in, I would But, thats not a reality haha. I barely ever play the electric unless I'm trying to write a solo or learn something that only sounds right on the electric.

Otherwise, I'm playing my classical. I started playing classical music, mostly because I learned all the scales, chords, progressions of regular blues/rock playing the electric and steel string and got really really bored with it. I dabbled in alternate tunings which kept me entertained for a long time (actually it still does, just not as much). Then I was given a Julian Bream CD and I started listening to John Williams too. I've been hooked on the classical ever since. There's also an absolute endless amount of music to learn too!!

[Brokepick]

I played a lot of electric guitar in younger days. I enjoyed it and did pretty good with it. I got rid of the electrics some years ago and went through a period that I didn't play any.

Since I'm playing a lot more now, I thought I would try an electric again. I bought me a nice little Mexican Strat and tried to do some of the stuff I used to do. I don't know what has happened, but I just didn't get along with that Strat. I sold it. I don't think I'll fool with an electric any more.