Does anyone else not gel at all with acoustic guitars?

Kamil Kisiel

Kamil Kisiel

Power User
A local shop is having a fiscal end of year sale, as well as a Taylor factory sale. I went there this afternoon after work and tried out every Taylor that they had on display, from the lowest end to the highest. I also tried a bunch of Martins. They all left me feeling lukewarm at best. I like the sound of acoustic guitars and I want to use some of it in my music, but nearly every one I try is a firm "meh" either from a sound or playability standpoint or both. I can't get excited about any of them. On the other hand if I pick up a nice electric with a good neck I can't put it down and can play for hours even at the shop... I've yet to find an acoustic that results in a similar reaction.
 
I think I might have to stick to that. I've got a JP6 with piezo and also a Godin A6. Maybe I just need to seek out more acoustic guitar IRs for my Axe-FX...
 
I don’t like the thicker strings, I don’t like the potential (aka always) feedback, I don’t want to hear the guitar itself at my quiet gigs, it puts my right hand farther forward due to the body size, it’s bigger to carry, I don’t like the single fundamental tone/sound all night. *shrug* it works where it works, but I don’t like or need it and I don’t take gigs where they want the typical “brown acoustic” look.
 
But the truth is:

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I think a player’s attitude toward acoustic guitar depends mostly on what he started with. If he started on acoustic and then picks up an electric, he’ll marvel at how eay it is to play, and at the powerful new things it can do, but he’ll he disappointed when he discovers that it can’t go to the sonic places that an acoustic guitar can.

But if he started on electric, he’ll be challenged by the added effort it takes to play acoustic, and many will never even experience the sonic rides that an acoustic guitar can take you on.
 
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I have like 18 electric guitars and 1 bass at home. And one stringless old acoustic somewhere in the basement. It needs fixing but I just can't be arsed. Like Rex said, I started on an electric and that's my thing. Acoustics, meh, that's for hippies. :D

Fun thing, I was at my guitar building class yesterday, working on new electric goodies, and most of the builders there build acoustic guitars. And I learned a new curse word from them. It's called Taylor. Seriously, if you wanted to rile up those guys all you had to say was I like Taylors.
 
My experience with acoustics is that they generally take quite a bit longer to break in (whether that's mostly mental I don't know) than electrics. I've had a great Taylor for a few years now and it's slowly feeling easier to play as time passes. It's definitely heavier lifting to get a pleasing sound from, at least compared to my electrics. I love the sound and end result, though.
 
Rex said:
I think a player’s attitude toward acoustic guitar depends mostly on what he started with. If he started on acoustic and then picks up an electric, he’ll marvel arrow eay it is to play, and at the powerful new thinks it can do, but hell he disappointed when he discovers that it can’t go to the sonic places that an acoustic guitar can.

But if he started on electric, he’ll be challenged by the added effort it takes to play acoustic, and many will never even experience the sonic rides that anacoustic guitar can take you like on
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Think you pretty much nailed it. And I feel the same way, always have a acoustic out on a stand or hanging off the wall.

chris said:
I don’t like the thicker strings, I don’t like the potential (aka always) feedback, I don’t want to hear the guitar itself at my quiet gigs, it puts my right hand farther forward due to the body size, it’s bigger to carry, I don’t like the single fundamental tone/sound all night. *shrug* it works where it works, but I don’t like or need it and I don’t take gigs where they want the typical “brown acoustic” look.
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For live playing yeah piezo is probably the best way to go and truth of the matter sounds pretty good in that context. Recording/tracking, no have to use the real deal (and in a studio has to be microphone or in my case prefer two).
As for the heavy strings, I only use 13's ;)

Muad'zin said:
I have like 18 electric guitars and 1 bass at home. And one stringless old acoustic somewhere in the basement. It needs fixing but I just can't be arsed. Like Rex said, I started on an electric and that's my thing. Acoustics, meh, that's for hippies. :D

Fun thing, I was at my guitar building class yesterday, working on new electric goodies, and most of the builders there build acoustic guitars. And I learned a new curse word from them. It's called Taylor. Seriously, if you wanted to rile up those guys all you had to say was I like Taylors.
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??????
Info please I need to know.
I only have one Taylor and love it to death, plays great/sounds great/, the neck is a rock, barley have to adjust the truss rod.
 
Muad'zin said:
Fun thing, I was at my guitar building class yesterday, working on new electric goodies, and most of the builders there build acoustic guitars. And I learned a new curse word from them. It's called Taylor. Seriously, if you wanted to rile up those guys all you had to say was I like Taylors.
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I’m not sure what their particular objection is, but some old-school luthiers are offended by the fact that Taylors have bolt-on necks.
 
Electric player here also. I keep thinking someday the perfect acoustic may arrive but haven't found it yet. I wish that new fender tele-acoustic thingy was 1k less and I'd give it a try. Just not into acoustic enough to justify 2k.
 
Playing an acoustic makes you a much better musician, as well as a better guitarist. This is coming from a dyed in the wool metal head and exclusive axe fix player too btw. Playing an acoustic forces you to learn a lot about composition, phrasing, melody, rhythm, and songwriting, vs just focusing on effects and the like. All the best guitarists I know or have ever seen on heard have mastered the acoustic guitar as well. I even recommend everyone start out on acoustic regardless of where they want to wind up, so they can learn a lot about music before getting lost in the general wankery that most electric guitarists get stuck in.
I’ve been playing for 30 years, and have spent as many if not more hours playing acoustic as electric, and it has made me a much better musician than had I just only touched an electric.
 
6L6C said:
??????
Info please I need to know.
I only have one Taylor and love it to death, plays great/sounds great/, the neck is a rock, barley have to adjust the truss rod.
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Rex said:
I’m not sure what their particular objection is, but some old-school luthiers are offended by the fact that Taylors have bolt-on necks.
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Their general consensus was that Taylors just sound meh. That they lack warmth. I wouldn't know as I don't touch hippie wood, but that seemed to be their opinion. Take it with a pinch of salt if you want too, it's just the opinion of half a dozen middle aged men. Personally I found it hilarious, even more so after encountering this thread.

Musikron said:
Playing an acoustic makes you a much better musician, as well as a better guitarist. This is coming from a dyed in the wool metal head and exclusive axe fix player too btw. Playing an acoustic forces you to learn a lot about composition, phrasing, melody, rhythm, and songwriting, vs just focusing on effects and the like. All the best guitarists I know or have ever seen on heard have mastered the acoustic guitar as well. I even recommend everyone start out on acoustic regardless of where they want to wind up, so they can learn a lot about music before getting lost in the general wankery that most electric guitarists get stuck in.
I’ve been playing for 30 years, and have spent as many if not more hours playing acoustic as electric, and it has made me a much better musician than had I just only touched an electric.
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I play acoustically.

Every time when I pick up my electric and not plug it in. :p:D That's how I compose my songs. It's usually only after I've discovered a good riff playing like that that any amp or axe comes into play. And there's nothing wrong with focusing on effects. Because that can lead to some cool stuff too. That's how most U2 songs are created, and they're the biggest rock band in the world. Even bigger if Bono weren't such an obnoxious git most of the time.

If anything I don't spend way enough time playing with effects at all, as most of my songs are still classical chords and riff stuff. If you want to be out of the box, like the guys from Radiohead you should be out there playing with noises and stuff. I need to do that more.
 
Virtually every guitarist, anywhere in the world, got started because they feel in love with the sound. More particularly, SOMEONE'S sound... whether Hendrix, Vai, Knopfler, or a million other inspiring players. Then, the work begins... and as we all know, it's a lot harder than it looks.

Needless to say, it's the same for us players who originally learned on and still love playing acoustic. If you find little inspiration listening to the masters– Doc Watson, Clarence White, Tony Rice, Leo Kottke, James Taylor, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi (to name only a few) or more recent phenoms like Tommy Emmanuel, Brian Sutton, Cody Kilby, Julian Lage, etc.... well why in the world would you want to put the time in to learn to coax the music out of as unforgiving an instrument as acoustic guitar?

Coaxing great sounding music out of a long-scale Martin acoustic strung with .012's or .013's involves QUITE different physical techniques than doing so out of a short-scale Les Paul strung with .009's. There are players who have been doing both for many decades... but the change-up between the instruments is VERY real.

All that said, for those of us who HAVE found inspiration in playing acoustic, there's really nothing like it.
 
Musikron said:
Playing an acoustic makes you a much better musician, as well as a better guitarist. This is coming from a dyed in the wool metal head and exclusive axe fix player too btw. Playing an acoustic forces you to learn a lot about composition, phrasing, melody, rhythm, and songwriting, vs just focusing on effects and the like. All the best guitarists I know or have ever seen on heard have mastered the acoustic guitar as well. I even recommend everyone start out on acoustic regardless of where they want to wind up, so they can learn a lot about music before getting lost in the general wankery that most electric guitarists get stuck in.
I’ve been playing for 30 years, and have spent as many if not more hours playing acoustic as electric, and it has made me a much better musician than had I just only touched an electric.
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There’s truth in this. Acoustic guitar forces you to concentrate on technique — where and how you touch the string between frets to avoid buzz but minimize intonation issues, how you address the strings with your picking hand, and more. Acoustic guitar does more to reward dynamics, and it teaches you how to dial in tones with your hands instead of with knobs.

If you’ve never played acoustic before, get your hands on one and play it a few minutes a day (fingerstyle, if you care to — that brings a whole ‘nother level of connection to your instrument). If you stick with it, your playing will become more fluid.
 
Muad'zin said:
it's just the opinion of half a dozen middle aged men. Personally I found it hilarious, even more so after encountering this thread.
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ALMOST as hilarious as listening to people condescend to skill sets they don't possess an ounce of themselves.
Hard as it may be for you to believe, U2 and Radiohead are as boring, uninspiring, and silly-sounding to some of us as Ry Cooder might be to you. There's room for all guitar tastes, without defensiveness born of inability.
 
Muad'zin said:
Their general consensus was that Taylors just sound meh. That they lack warmth. I wouldn't know as I don't touch hippie wood, but that seemed to be their opinion. Take it with a pinch of salt if you want too, it's just the opinion of half a dozen middle aged men. Personally I found it hilarious, even more so after encountering this thread.
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Wait a minute, - - - I am one of those middle-aged men! :mad:(55) ;);)well a little more than “middle” (since I’m probably not going to make it to 110)

To generalize a bit, Taylors are brighter than say Martin’s. I’m guessing that’s what that bunch does not care for. But I find with acoustics there is no one ultimate guitar/tone (like any guitar). Sometimes a bright one serves a song better than a warm one. Or should I say a dull and lifeless guitar. (Show that to your middle-aged buddies) Just teasing. But it does depend how you look at it. Tell the boys to try a Taylor 814, I would be interested what they think, don’t own one but one of my favorites. Very thin top, ton of bass with awesome note definition and just rings for days.
 
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