Electric or Acoustic guitar?

[Guest Anonymous]

I don't know why, but I can't get into playing electric. I'm mainly an acoustic player, it feels much more like an "Instrument" to me, anyone else feel this way?

[carguy]

Originally posted by CollegeDJ I don't know why, but I can't get into playing electric. I'm mainly an acoustic player, it feels much more like an "Instrument" to me, anyone else feel this way?

 

 

Yup.

[Theboat]

I think electric got a "sound" all to itself - It echos rebellion, while Acoustic music is calm and flowing like a river. At least that's what I think.

[kwakatak]

I play both and since I approach playing each differently I consider them to be two completely different instruments. It's not so much a matter of one techique having more "lead" mannerisms or the other having more "rhythm" mannerisms so much as just having a different "voice".

All told though, I consider myself to be an acoustic player who dabbles in the dark arts of playing electric.

[ESL94]

I think that they both have there place. I play both as much as I can, but lately I have been playing a lot more with my acoustics. I have also been spending more & more $ on my acoustic rig than electric rig. I have put off buying another electric guitar and amp, to buy two more acoustic guitars.

[Rada]

I listen to electric stuff more, but I don't feel as at home with a strat as I do with my acoustics.....

[Elderling]

I spent the last three years feeling that way, until yesterday, when I figured out how to properly strum an electric. I prefer acoustic most of the time, but the electric guitar really is an entirely different instrument--more versatile, if harder to play well (don't jump on me, it's the truth).

[Rada]

Yeah, I definitely have NOT mastered strumming an electric.....

and I do completely agree that it's an entirely different instrument, but I do not agree that it's harder to play

[Queequeg]

Even my electrics are acoustics (Gretsch 6120, 6122JR hollow bodies, and an Eastman archtop).
Acoustics just feel more... "organic" to me.
in fact, I'm eating one now.

[yjsays]

I play both and enjoy both very much. Playing electric actually made my acoustic skills better.

The thing with an electric guitar is that you can't see it as an acoustic. Like everyone here said, it's a differnt type of voice. You'll have to listen and practice with the electric, like it's something new. You'll learn things quicker considering you know acoustic, but still takes time to learn. I've played acoustic for 9 years and electric for less than 1 year, I feel like I'm still learning alot from electric. Have fun.

Now only if I can learn how to play a 12 string...

[kwakatak]

Strumming on an electric takes practice but when I play rhythm on my electric I approach it from the standpoint that "less is more". This has been especially appropriate since I started playing in a group with 3 acoustic guitars who often complain that I'm too loud, even if I'm as low as I can possibly go.

[exhaust_49]

Originally posted by CollegeDJ I don't know why, but I can't get into playing electric. I'm mainly an acoustic player, it feels much more like an "Instrument" to me, anyone else feel this way?

 

 

I've been debating with this same issue. I have one acoustic (S&P) and one electric (strat) and for some reason I just can't get into playing the strat. I think it's because an acoustic vibrates more (it feels more alive) than an electric. Despite this I'm gonna get a les paul that is very resonant and keep it in it's case just incase I need it. I do play some electric riffs that I just can't play on the acoustic because of either the bout at the 14th fret or just the higher string tension.

[min7b5]

I gave up electric guitar about five years ago. I almost never look back.

Focusing on one thing has definitely moved the ball down the field for me.

Though I always like to joke that that while the fun begins when amplifying an electric guitar, it often ends when amplifying an acoustic.

[Gretsch Fan]

I do mainly acoustic now and I like it better. I have developed more by playing acoustic. You cannot hide sloppy play like you can on an electric. Electric will always be there but it is seconded by the acoustic sound IMO. Even my electrics are all full hollowbodies now so they are nothing like the Strat or LP.

[compsonheir]

Originally posted by Gretsch Fan I do mainly acoustic now and I like it better. I have developed more by playing acoustic. You cannot hide sloppy play like you can on an electric. Electric will always be there but it is seconded by the acoustic sound IMO. Even my electrics are all full hollowbodies now so they are nothing like the Strat or LP.

 

 

not only can you not hide sloppy playing, but good tone production is even more your responsibility on an acoustic. far more of that role is fulfilled by your equipment when you play an electric, which i find unnerving.

[DenverDave]

Originally posted by kwakatak I play both and since I approach playing each differently I consider them to be two completely different instruments. It's not so much a matter of one techique having more "lead" mannerisms or the other having more "rhythm" mannerisms so much as just having a different "voice". All told though, I consider myself to be an acoustic player who dabbles in the dark arts of playing electric.

+1

I play about half and half on electric and acoustic. I love both instruments and I also approach the playing of both differently. I don't think I could choose one over the other if I had to. I also tend to like groups that have blended both sounds into their music - groups like Toad the Wet Sprocket or Jars of Clay, or the Beatles for that matter...

[dave251]

I've struggled with this dilemma my whole life. Spent years on one, then the other. Made a living playing electric guitar in the roadhouses, and won awards playing acoustic flattop at folk music festivals. So it eventually came down to trying to design a guitar for BOTH worlds.

acoustic+electric=three

Of course, the design is always changing, always evolving. The above recording was done using one instrument for all three voices. First the "acoustic" voice in the left channel, followed by a slightly crunchy rhythm in the right, and then the lead line follows. All three were recorded with a flat eq, and the ONLY change from one to the other was done through pickup switching on the guitar. Amp used is a Fender Pro Jr. that has been modified with a larger cab to house an Eminence Beta 12LT speaker. I did turn the amp up slightly for the lead line.

In the photo below you can see the guitar(on the left) I used. Strung with 11-14-18p-32-42-52 nickel wound strings.



Yes, acoustic IS more difficult to play, if not from anything else...to play cleanly, and with dynamics. I do however, find it very easy to draw good tone from an acoustic. The electric, on the other hand, has a myriad of choices...including literally hundreds of amp designs, once you have your electric guitar in your hands. So it's a bit of a bear to find THAT one tone....I wouldn't say one is easier than the other, just different, requiring a completely different touch sensibility.

[Singin' Dave]

Over the past couple of years, I've gone from mostly acoustic to mostly electric with one of my bands. I'm finding the electric to feel a bit foreign at times...

I'm interested in everyone's specific examples/thoughts on how you play differently on an acoustic vs. an electric. Tell me how you'd play the SAME SONG differently using the two instruments. Maybe I can learn something....

I'll get it started. For example, playing acoustic rhythm, I find myself strumming more 1st position, open chords and using more strings to voice them. I also tend to let the chords ring a bit. Playing electric rhythm on the same song, I'm more likely to play barre chords up the neck in a more syncopated fashion, usually picking only 2-3 strings in a strum. 1st position open chords sound a bit out of tune more often on my electric....

To restate, How (specifically) do you guys change your playing of a same song using your electric vs. an acoustic?

[smokiee]

kids nowadays go for electric cos its been glorified by mtv with new bands coming out like lemmings (great game btw hehehh).. somebody should write to mtv and ask for more acoustic influenced show.. give us old folks a chance will ya..

when they interviewed richie sambora on their acoustic album 'when this left feels right" (from a magazine) he said that out of tour, he almost exclusively play with an acoustic. it is the best way to write a song and to get inspiration. the feel, smell of the acoustics does that to you. whenever u got an idea.. just reach out for the acoustic.. nothing to plug in, no reverb/bass/treble to set...

if anyone of you is an audiophile then you will know that vinyl/record beats cd players of the same price or 2 times more expensive hands down! cos with a vinyl its pure analog sound just like our voice, theres no digital mumbo jumbo in between. thats why a lot of time/money has been spent perfecting the DAC (digital to analog controller) cos people want to hear the true sound of the artist as he/she is, not laced with digital enhancement. but thats in another forum

the point is if you like electric, go for it and same goes to acoutics. you couldn't play Laiho's (children of bodom) riffs with an acoustic and playing cavatina with an electric just doesn't sound right.

we all know jimmy page is a great player with Led Zep.. try to listen to songs like going to california or bron -yr-aur stomp then you'll see he's a great acoustic player too. people always miss that for some reason.


so just play your guitar and be happy bout it.. cheers

[Kap'n]

Electric guitar and acoustic guitar are two completely different instruments, tuned the same.

I play both, but alternate as to which one gets the most play time.

[Tony Burns]

get one of each and stop belly aching !

[kwakatak]

What about archtops? JT has brought them up from time to time and I recall playing one once upon a time; not quite acoustic, no quite electric. Good, but different.

[eor]

eor is so very both. i play the electric acoustically, and the acoustic electrically. my skills from one bleed into the other.

love,
eor

[dramey]

I recently picked up a Larrivee L-03. I haven

[SupernovaN2310]

I love them both. If, somehow, I had to choose between the two, I'd go acoustic. I started on an electric and have invested thousands and thousands of dollars in electric guitar gear (amps, guitars, pedals) and in fact, my three electrics are my gibson les paul, gibson custom shop non reverse firebird and an epiphone sheraton that i modded, but I'd still choose my $120 Ibanez V70. Acoustic is where my heart is at.