Crossing over : acoustic to electric

[guitapick]

1: How many folks here play both acoustic and electric guitars?

 

+1.

 

2: Do you employ a different technique for each?

 

Depends on the tune. I'm mainly a fingerpicker on acoustic. On electric, I use sharkfin picks for funk and rock, medium regular pick or fingerstyle for jazz.

 

3: Do you find one easier to play than the other?

 

Acoustic comes more naturally on a consistent basis because I've been doing it much longer. When I'm in practice with both, though, it doesn't matter which. I remember that it took awhile to get used to listening to the amp instead of the guitar when I first got into electric. Got LOTS looser once I got that into my head. Things do get tougher if you have to deal with more than a few pedals, though.

 

4: Which one do you think suits you better?

 

If I could snap my fingers and have an ideal electric/acoustic band sitting in front of me like I can my solo acoustic guitar whenever I want, I'd say both. There's things you can get with one that you can't with the other. But, seeing as most of what I do now is solo acoustic...I guess that's my instrument of choice and it suits me better.

 

5: which artists do you try to emulate with each instrument?

 

I've stopped trying. Wish I had more time to do copies...but I stick to originals, lately. My main influences have been a bunch of classical guitarists, Kottke, Renbourn on acoustic. Hendrix, Beck, Page, Clapton, SRV, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and the guys that played with James Brown for so long on electric. I also love Vai and Satriani...though I haven't tried to play any of their stuff. They're like modern day Paganinis.

 

Finally, for those folks who I've seen here and over at the EG forum, I'd like to ask a question: how does the "atmosphere" over there compare to here at acoustic forum? I feel that it's a little more laid back here but I get the impression that they think there's nothing but geexers over here.

 

EG's definitely more aggressive...as is the music. But it's absolutely nothing compared to the SSS Political Forum. I got spanked there pretty good, today.

[bbrunskill]

1: How many folks here play both acoustic and electric guitars?

Yeah, I do.

 

2: Do you employ a different technique for each?

Yes! I play the crap out of my electrics. I use a relitavely hard nylon pick (1mm)held backwards for lead or riffs and I spin it around the right way for strumming. I use 10's on a Fender Mustang.

On the acoustics, I use a soft nylon pick (.60) and I play very gently, letting the guitar doing the work, not me.

I use a Cole Clark Fat Lady with 11's for nomal tuning and a Fender Dread for alternate.

 

I've got two pedalboards, one little one with a tuner, compressor and delay/reverb for the acoustic and a bigger one with a couple of distortions, a wah, tuner, delay and a volume pedal for the electrics.

 

Check out my playing at www.myspace.com/quarterlinemusic

 

3: Do you find one easier to play than the other?

I much prefer playing acoustic, but I have been playing electric longer.

 

4: Which one do you think suits you better?

With the style of music I play, I have to have both. And both suit me. My personality can be either serious or fun within minutes, and I think my playing reflects that.

 

5: Which artists do you try to emulate with each instrument?

With electric the Edge, Jonny Buckland and Jon Foreman. With acoustic I just do my own thing. I play at a youth church so it's a bit like covers, you try and nail the parts in every song.

[martingibson70]

This is a topic that I have asked about in here a number of times and have gotten a ton great advice from the likes of Hud/Kwak/Jasmine/CLDPLY. I'm glad to return the favor.

 

I have so much to say about this topic because I have struggled with this for years. I'll try to be brief.

 

1. After many instructional DVD's, tons of practice, and years of weekly lessons, I am nearly as competent on the electric as my acoustic.

 

2.The biggest adjustment I make when going electric is my right hand string muting. As you said, amps/electrics compound mistakes that you can cover for acoustically. This especially important for bending. Right hand muting also plays a role in my slide playing. So, your finger style approach should address this. Works for Mark and Lindsey.

 

3. It is a different beast that generates a different product, so my objective and approach changes. All of the pitfalls of the electric mentioned in #2 about noise is directly related to the benefits the instrument offers in: sustain, vibrato, bends, hammers, pulloffs, etc.

 

4. I am close to playing each with the same degree of effort.

 

5. Electrically influences are Hendrix/Page/ George Harrison/ Lindsey B./ Santana

 

6. Electric forum vibe is like Grand Central. It's hard to hang there. Also, there is such diversity in genres and ages that you can never tell what kind of response you'll get.

 

One final thought, I started enjoying and excelling on electric when I stopped expecting my electric to sound and feel acoustic.

[martingibson70]

I've plugged this instruction series before, so here it goes again. Since you mentioned Mark Knopfler:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Guitar-DVD-Learn-To-Play-Dire-Straits-x2-DVDs-NEW_W0QQitemZ7423395823QQihZ016QQcategoryZ31211QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

This link to an ebay auction is for a great Dire S. DVD. Expensive but well worth it.

[guitapick]

One final thought, I started enjoying and excelling on electric when I stopped expecting my electric to sound and feel acoustic.

 

Exactly. I miss mine, lately, though. Been concentrating on getting a solo act back together for gigs. Takes up a lot of time.

[dadgad7]

I have a similar dilemma, having difficulty playing my Strat after years of concentrating on my acoustic.

 

I also fingerpick, and do it on electric too! ala - Knopfler !

 

my trouble is the middle pickup on my Strat.

 

My fingernail always hits the pick-up and drags, or worse yet - breaks !!

 

I've tried lowering the height, only ot find I've screwed up the tone of the instrument.

 

I keep thinking I should be playing a gutar with 2 humbuckers to avoid the problem, I've played Les Pauls and they work extremely well with my right hand, but I don;t like Humbuckers damn it!

 

I love the sound of weak single coil Strats!

 

don't really know what to do, so I usually pick up the acoustic and shelve the Strat!

[Mikeo]

I play both electric and acoustic and have numerous instruments. I flat pick a bit and do some finger picking. I kind a think in terms of the texture of the song and what tones I want.

 

Electrics use a lighter gauge string usually, well on mine I use 10's, my acoustics 12's, easy bends and better sustain, cause your using an amp too.

 

The amp the eletric is played through and the guitar you choose will make all the difference in the world.

 

Other things to thionk about are gains, tubes, and effects pedals.

 

 

It limitless

[guit30]

The Dynacomp is not the best compressor pedal, tried one, I've heard the Keely is the best, TC Electronics and BBe both just came out with compressor pedals.

Behringer has a clone pedal for 19 bucks

Jim

[kwakatak]

Actually, I'm starting to think that an attenuator may be the way to go now.

[JasmineTea]

Jeez, whatever happened to guitar+cord+amp?

[Dave W.]

 

Originally posted by JasmineTea Jeez, whatever happened to guitar+cord+amp?

 

 

They made the cord and amp from wood, hid them inside, and called it an acoustic;)

[zeke27]

I play both acoustic and electric and also bass guitar.

I love electric because the possibilities for expression with effects are endless. Acoustic is more subtle, and in the right hands very expressive. But it's hard for me to play loud, get sustain or be psychedelic with acoustic.

 

I finger pick and strum on the acoustic, use a flat pick w/ the electric. I use fingers or a pick on the bass.

 

I find the electric easier to play than the acoustic, and the bass easiest of all.

 

The bass suits me because I enjoy the power it has to move a song. I'm just not that good on acoustic to be a force. (I can't get all my fingers to work in sync) I can play electric for hours with the right backup or ensemble.

 

I'd love to emulate Jorma on the acoustic, Santana on electric, and and John Paul Jones on bass. Someday I will.

 

I'm a refugee from the SSS forum. You guys here seem almost quaker in your reasoned and sensible appoach to discussion in comparison. The folks on the EG forum seem obsessed with the gear, which I completely understand.

[Queequeg]

 

Welcome Zeke.

 

If you park your electric for 30 days and concentrate on acoustic, you will forget that you ever found it difficult to play.

Bending acoustic strings (3 or 4 @ a time; the whole fingered chord position), while perhaps not rising to the level of psychedelia, is a very soulful thing that nothing else I have found in this life can emulate. start high up on the neck and soon you will be able to bend an E or A chord in the first position.

[Burningleaves]

 

Originally posted by kwakatak So without further ado, I'd like to post a few questions to you guys: 1: How many folks here play both acoustic and electric guitars? 2: Do you employ a different technique for each? 3: Do you find one easier to play than the other? 4: Which one do you think suits you better? 5: which artists do you try to emulate with each instrument? Finally, for those folks who I've seen here and over at the EG forum, I'd like to ask a question: how does the "atmosphere" over there compare to here at acoustic forum?

 

 

 

1. I play both. I also "dabble" with a Classical acoustic and an electric bass.

 

2. Yes. Though the dif' techniques crosses in places.

 

3. I find it easier to do some things on electric compared to acoustic (and vice/versa).

 

4. If I am playing my own stuff/ solo then I could make either work. If I am doing a band "thing" then electric all the way.

 

5.I listen to alot of dif' kinds of music. Some I like to play and some I just listen. Some I like to listen to and play I dont try to emulate anyone in particulare but my playing is def' "roots" orientated. The more primitive the better. You can hear a few dif' people here and there when I play. When I first started out on electric I used to sit in my room and play off/ with three Muddy Waters tapes : "UNK" in Funk, Hard Again and King Bee. I dont think anyone would know that though if they heard my playing, but it's in there.

 

 

.......I think the acoustic forum is a bit more "laid back" compared to the Electric one. Plenty of decent folk to be found on either. Though the electric forum can come across as being a bit "Bi-Polar".

[kwakatak]

Originally posted by zeke27 I'm a refugee from the SSS forum. You guys here seem almost quaker in your reasoned and sensible appoach to discussion in comparison. The folks on the EG forum seem obsessed with the gear, which I completely understand.

 

Funny you should mention Quakers, being that I'm in Pennsylvania. I can recall passing a few Amish buggies when I used to ride my bike outside of Penn State's main campus. The whole area is spread out and laid back but there was still plenty of nightlife and live music just off campus.

 

Good times!

[Blackwatch]

Originally posted by kwakatak

 

So without further ado, I'd like to post a few questions to you guys:

 

1: How many folks here play both acoustic and electric guitars?

 

2: Do you employ a different technique for each?

 

3: Do you find one easier to play than the other?

 

4: Which one do you think suits you better?

 

5: which artists do you try to emulate with each instrument?

 

Finally, for those folks who I've seen here and over at the EG forum, I'd like to ask a question: how does the "atmosphere" over there compare to here at acoustic forum?

 

_________________________________

 

I don't hang out here much but I'm going through a bit of a time right now as I'm picking up my electric after playing my acoustic and acoustic resonator for years . I play out quite a bit or had been and feel quite comfortable with the acoustics and the Tele has been hard to get back into. I'm also feeling less than proficient on it enough to start taking lessons again and that has been humbling.

 

As far as technique, yes I play quite a bit different on the acoustics. I'm a singer/songwriter and the acoustics are for accompaniment where as the Tele is for leads and such. I also play a lot of slide on a Regal resonator, which doesn

[guitapick]

Everytime I'm asked about influences, I keep forgetting about this guy; Rosenberg (sp?). I've got his "Rosenberg Trio" cd and he's just incredible. It's one thing to be fast...another to be thinking and playing fast.

 

The guy's great.

[Rickkkk]

Hi Kwakatak et al ...

 

This is my first post. I feel that it is a good place to start since I can relate to the questions initially asked by Kwakatak. I am sort of a multi-instrumentalist, personally: competent at several things, expert at nothing. My main instruments are guitar and piano.

 

So as far as the acoustic / electric thing, yeah, I play both constantly. I'm in a band and I play keyboards about 75% of the time with them, guitar (both electric and acoustic) most of the rest of the time , with a little mandolin, harmonica, accordian from time to time.

 

I approach the electric completely differently from the acoustic guitar. I find the electric requires a much lighter touch because of the lighter strings and sensitive action - too much pressing down and you go sharp ... Also, the range of styles I may play on the electric varies more than the stuff I do on acoustic. Electric may find me playing distorted Stones riffs or liquid-like Sultans of Swing ... Acoustic is more either a solo thing (I'm a folkie at heart - heavily into Dylan, Irish and English folk ...), singing a song, or with the band, adding that acoustic sound to certain songs.

 

As to which is easier to play - I would have to answer neither, in my case. To me, different songs call for different instruments and that's about it.

 

I guess if I had to answer, I'm probably a little bit more confortable on the acoustic just because I've been playing it slightly longer and more often than the electric. As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, however, I'm competent at several things but expert at nothing. One of the main things that drives my interest in playing with a band is getting to play a variety of instruments and singing.

 

I can't rightfully claim any influences when it comes to instrumental prowess, however my tastes tend toward the above-mentioned folk stuff on acoustic and stuff like Kinks, Stones, Velvet Underground, Richard Thompson, Dire Straits on electric.

 

Have fun with it -

 

Ciao.

 

Rick

[exhaust_49]

Originally posted by kwakatak 1: How many folks here play both acoustic and electric guitars? 2: Do you employ a different technique for each? 3: Do you find one easier to play than the other? 4: Which one do you think suits you better? 5: which artists do you try to emulate with each instrument? too.

 

I play fingerstyle and I flatpick on each. The only difference is on the electric I don't fret or pick nearly as hard. 12's on acoustic, 10's on electric.

 

Electric is much easier to play than acoustic, but the acoustic sounds so beautiful.

 

I think it depends on the frame of mind I'm in to pick one that suits me better. If it's late at night and I'm pretty tired, after a glass of baileys I'll reach for the acoustic. If I'm full of energy or going to a party to play, the electrc is comming with me.

 

I try to emulate which ever artist wrote the song I'm playing. It could be Angus Young, Randy Bachman or whoever else.