Anyone ever give up electric for acoustic?

[jim_pridx]

Funny, but I've had similar thoughts myself for the past several months. I've played electric professionally and semi-professionally since 1972, but I've always had pretty decent acoustics with me the entire time. Just recently, however, I've become quite disenchanted with bands for many of the obvious reasons, such as too many late nights, band disagreements, band scheduling, volume issues, traveling on winter roads, etc., etc. While I can't say that I've become bored with playing electric, I think I can safely say that my focus has definitely been shifting more and more toward the acoustic as I progress into my so-called "golden years".....LOL. Of course, it doesn't help that I've also reached a point in life where avoiding unobtainable instruments due to financial reasons are now obtainable, and that's only resulting in a further passion for the acoustic. Heck, I could easily play Goodalls and Kinnairds forever without ever having the need to look back! I'm also finding no seller's remorse whatsoever in selling a few of my once-prized electrics for acoustics. Go figure!

[Oldtime]

I just started playing electric after many years of acoustic. I wouldn't part with either. I'm playing the electric more right now but still reach for the acoustic when the urge hits.

You may be going through a transition and still want to play that electric once in a while. I'd hold on to them and see where you go after some time passes by.

Oh, you betcha! I do still have my electrics and play at home for fun, but gigging? Those days are over - bands, load-ins (a ton of stuff), sound checks, ear shattering SPL gigs, load outs at 3 AM and 3 degrees (a ton of stuff) and a paltry pay check. And I didn't even mention the rehearsals where someone is always late, someone always has to leave early, someone is not prepared and someone else's girlfriend wants to sing - Oh yeah, gimme some more o' that!

Now it's an L1C, an acoustic guitar and a couple of mics. Easy in, easy out and the pay is better. Usually home in time for the late news.

[muscmp]

nope, to me, both are required for their distinctive sounds and playability.

play music!

[CSG]

I like both and play both. Like many of my generation, I started on electric but soon added an acoustic.

Different tools for different music. Plus, you can play your electrics acoustically (for quiet practice) or add a p/u to your acoustic.

Today, I own five acoustics and nine electrics (ten if I include a bass). I play the acoustics more often but not by much.

[Ruark]

I switch back and forth between electric and acoustic, but play mostly acoustic. It's hard to explain, but it feels more "real," more personal. I can sit on the front porch or in the bed with it, or on the sofa in the living room, and play something that matches my mood at the moment. Or maybe put it in the car and go to a park or by the lake and play and watch the water or the sunset, or take it with me when I travel or go to a friend's house. I love my electric, too, but I'll never have that emotional "closeness" to it that I have with my acoustic.

[George6654]

At one time I had 12 electrics including one bass along with 7 different amps not an acoustic in sight.

I now have 2 electrics one amp and 3 Acoustic Guitars

I don't remember the last time I picked up an electric. I think I have made the transition

[tippy5]

I love both. 75% acoustic for the last 3 years.

I sold 3 electrics last month and went out and bought a rosewood neck PRS Quatro. (The most I ever spent on an electric it is due Wednesday.)
I also have 2 Tom Anderson's and a couple Michael Tuttle's ... electrics played mostly unplugged for the last 3 years. Additionally a wide neck Rickenbacker electric 12 string 660 (1.75" nut width) not to forget the Deering Banjitar, these are are also highly musical and recommended.

When it's time for the magic carpet ride. Plugging in an electric,... I play 95% clean channel with my large cab 1 X 12" Tone King. This has the lushness that most amps do not have. Kind of like my Goodall's.
I love my 2006, Tone King Meteor II 20. My 40 year old Princeton reverb and a 20 year old Blues Jr. also get played periodically.

If you have a lush amp they sound pretty good at bedroom levels.

But as we all know the acoustic is much more musical and a better lone voice if it is just oneself playing. Better by orders of magnitude.

One thing I applaud with electrics is that, if you have GAS like me, ( I have 12 guitars) .... They take half the room as these fat Ameritage cases.

[Bob Womack]

I'll just quote my reply in the last thread on this subject:

The comparisons of acoustic and electric guitar remind me of a true story from my past.

I joined a church in the '90s and immediately began hearing these little rumors in any conversation when food was mentioned, of a cake that was absolutely heavenly. In fact, whenever that cake came up, the name of that cake came up, with much blushing and giggles behind hands. The story was that one of the ladies in the church would bring to church suppers every few years a chocolate cake that did was so moist and delicious that one of the ladies gave it the name, "Better Than Sex Cake." I was eventually elected an elder in the church, and with my position came expectations of a certain, ahem... propriety. Nevertheless, the day finally came when that particular lady did, in fact, bring her notorious cake to a church supper and I was asked to sample it.

Now, this wasn't to be a quiet, discreet sampling. A bunch of the ladies ambushed my wife and me at a table, brought me a slice, and insisted that I try out the cake. They all crowded in around us and watched, expectantly, as I forked in my first slice. Now this was, indeed, a very, very good cake. It was extremely moist, with several nearly-sinful layers of icing and chocolate chips. I have no idea how on earth the lady managed to make the cake hold together and yet be so moist.

As I sampled and enjoyed, the ladies of the church stared at me expectantly, with little titters escaping from behind their raised hands. Finally one asked the inevitable question: "Now, isn't that better?" I stalled. "Better? Better than what?" I asked innocently, and frantically struggled to figure out how to answer the question with my lovely wife right there beside me. The lady replied, "Isn't that cake better than SEX?"

I gave up, wiped my mouth, faced the music, and threw caution to the wind. "Well, now, ladies. This certainly is a wonderful, amazing cake. I'm not sure I've ever tasted better." I dabbed my mouth with a napkin, the lady who baked the cake beamed, and they all nodded expectantly, waiting with bated breath for my next words. Then I, the proper church elder, inclined my head towards my wife:

"But clearly, you ladies have never had good sex."

My wife blushed deep crimson and a new raft of juicy rumors were written right there on the spot.

True story. All this to say, maybe you just haven't had good electric guitar...

Bob

[Steve DeRosa]

Got my first electric in 1964, played it almost exclusively until requisite concert volume levels exceeded OSHA/NIMH standards a few years later; went totally acoustic for the next 15 years (probably saved my hearing as a result), gradually got back into electric as I was doing hired-gun work for a few praise-&-worship teams over the last two decades or so. Truth be told, I'm playing about 85-90% electric lately - only use acoustic for classroom work and open mics...

[flaggerphil]

I've always played both but it's been pretty much 80-20 in favor of acoustic for almost the entire 50+ years I've been playing.

[SFCRetired]

Yes and no. I started with acoustic and then went to the electric. But acoustic has always been my first love so I don't get my electrics out that much. It's really a shame, I have a couple of real nice electrics.

[Johnny.guitar]

Originally Posted by A-Mac

Oh, you betcha! I do still have my electrics and play at home for fun, but gigging? Those days are over - bands, load-ins (a ton of stuff), sound checks, ear shattering SPL gigs, load outs at 3 AM and 3 degrees (a ton of stuff) and a paltry pay check. And I didn't even mention the rehearsals where someone is always late, someone always has to leave early, someone is not prepared and someone else's girlfriend wants to sing - Oh yeah, gimme some more o' that!

Now it's an L1C, an acoustic guitar and a couple of mics. Easy in, easy out and the pay is better. Usually home in time for the late news.

I'm still doing the band thing, but feeling more and more I am heading this way for all the reasons you have stated.

[rburke]

Originally Posted by Ruark

I switch back and forth between electric and acoustic, but play mostly acoustic. It's hard to explain, but it feels more "real," more personal. I can sit on the front porch or in the bed with it, or on the sofa in the living room, and play something that matches my mood at the moment. Or maybe put it in the car and go to a park or by the lake and play and watch the water or the sunset, or take it with me when I travel or go to a friend's house. I love my electric, too, but I'll never have that emotional "closeness" to it that I have with my acoustic.

This sums it up for me. Nothing to plug in, turn on adjust pedals etc... I like the simplicity of the acoustic.

[DanleyJ]

Wow! I guess this is hitting pretty close to home for a lot of us. My dilemma is that I have this great 1968 Gibson 335 that I love dearly. My only electric. I started out on acoustic and have always been either acoustic or pedal steel electric but only the second electric guitar player in bands if needed. Now that I'm getting older and my band days are behind me I still play the 335 but most of the time I don't even plug it in! The kicker is that I play most all acoustic these days but I don't have a great high end acoustic to play. I have an early 80's Morris that is adequate at best. If I sell the 335 I could get a pretty decent acoustic guitar. But I just can't quite turn loose of the 335 just yet even though it does not get much playing time and somebody who really knows how to play like Larry Carlton could get a fantastic guitar instead of me letting it sit with little playing time on it. But then, there's that sellers remorse thing, too. I've been wrestling with this for some time and probably will for some time to come, still.