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  #16  
Old 09-23-2017, 08:39 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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I have a Fishman Piezo Acoustic bridge and saddles on my Telecaster. Use one of their old outboard blenders to switch or use a Y cable to run two signal paths. Doesn't sound like a pre-war D-28 but its a decent acoustic simulation which is about all you get with an electric.
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  #17  
Old 09-23-2017, 09:23 AM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
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No doubt I'm underthinking this, but people used to develop a touch that let them play strummy rhythm parts on electric.

"You Can't Hurry Love," "Sultans of Swing," lots of Creedence records, lots of Johnny Rivers records, early Beatles...

Being both fond of those old records and extraordinarily cheap, I'd probably start out with that mindset and then look for a fix if it doesn't work.
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  #18  
Old 09-23-2017, 11:22 AM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reggiedadog View Post
Yeah I know a bit of an oxymoron

Im a solo singer and acoustic player- and thinking of pulling in a bassist and small drummer (ie small Kit not a small person) to help me add a new dimension to the act for some of the bigger pubs where the punters wanna dance.

Most of this will be strummy songs whilst I singing (example Daydream Believer and Johnny cash etc) and I am thinking it'd be nice to throw in a bit of Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker type stuff.

I hate having to change guitars mid set- so thinking of a nice guitar I can use that will sound OK strummed but allow me to play a few lead bits with a boost pedal. Currently looking at Gretsch or maybe an ES125- any suggestions pointers. I've normally only played Teles in the past but don't think that'd work for the sound I'm after. I normally run my guitars into a Fishman Loudbox but may think about a small electric amp as well I guess.

Thanks

Rich
Sounds like you kind of exploring what you want to do, rather than having a firm conviction of what way you're needing to go. If I'm right, there are several approaches.

With a clean amp and the right kind of playing you can get acoustic like response from many electric guitars. It will not be an acoustic guitar's timbre, but musically it'll work in the same kind of way in a small combo. Yes, big hollow-bodies can improve the illusion, but even a Tele or a Strat can serve.

Piezo pickup options for electric guitars work, and sound a lot like a piezo pickup on acoustic. Which isn't to say they sound like a fine guitar, but they can pass on stage, just a piezo pickups in a acoustic guitars can be good enough. Playing them through an acoustic amp helps.

The reverse of this was a valid choice back in the early days: put a magnetic pickup in a flat top acoustic. The Beatles style Epiphone J160e with the P90 under the soundboard with the pole pieces sticking through (inexpensive modern copies exist) or the once common DeArmond clip in the soundhole pickup used by Elmore James and Gabor Szabo. I wouldn't want to play a metal showcase with one, but for roots style rock they can work. A modern soundhole magnetic pickup might work OK too. And one could probably rig up a way to mount your choice of electric guitar pickup in a soundhole clamp rig.

Probably the "best" way to do this is a modeling or sample based method, like a MIDI pickup or the Line 6 system. The acoustic sounds on the current Line 6 Variax vary. Some of them are pretty decent and if one runs them through the right chain (like one would do for a real acoustic) they can be convincing. The Variax system is simple to use, everything is built into the guitar. As electric guitars the one's I've owned are like most other midlevel imports these days, meaning good playability. I'm not a huge fan of the magnetic pickups they have for conventional playing, they're not to my taste, but they work even with a discharged battery and of course sound "just like an electric guitar" because this is an electric guitar, just one with a lot of additional options built in.

The Roland G55 MIDI system has some very good acoustic instrument patches that I've made good use of I haven't used the software-based acoustic patches that are supplied with the Fishman TriplePlay, but in a very brief look at them I didn't care for them and you'd need at least a tablet/phone if not a laptop to make use of them live. The G55 does have a learning curve, but IMHO it's a better stage solution than the TriplePlay. I use the G55 to supply some exotic instruments, sitar, pipa, and so on.

Another advantage of the Variax or Roland system is that custom tunings are easy, which is a big stage advantage. With the Line 6 Variax you have only a battery to worry about, and with the Roland G55 you have a floorboard unit--but both are stage-ready.

Some audiences listen with their eyes too, and a MIDI system will cause a big disconnect for some audiences. The Variax looks a little a "regular guitar," so it doesn't cause alarm.

I'd suggest auditioning one of those systems with your typical acoustic chain to see if you'd he happy with the Variax or the G55.
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  #19  
Old 09-23-2017, 11:48 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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Here's a sample of Fishman piezo on a Telecaster.

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  #20  
Old 09-23-2017, 12:44 PM
DukeX DukeX is offline
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Lots of great choices. ES335 or a Tele would be my choice (through a Princeton Reverb or Deluxe Reverb).
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  #21  
Old 09-23-2017, 01:02 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankHudson View Post
...With a clean amp and the right kind of playing you can get acoustic-like response from many electric guitars. It will not be an acoustic guitar's timbre, but musically it'll work in the same kind of way in a small combo...even a Tele or a Strat can serve...
My point exactly...
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  #22  
Old 09-23-2017, 04:22 PM
Reggiedadog Reggiedadog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankHudson View Post
Sounds like you kind of exploring what you want to do, rather than having a firm conviction of what way you're needing to go. If I'm right, there are several approaches.

With a clean amp and the right kind of playing you can get acoustic like response from many electric guitars. It will not be an acoustic guitar's timbre, but musically it'll work in the same kind of way in a small combo. Yes, big hollow-bodies can improve the illusion, but even a Tele or a Strat can serve.

Piezo pickup options for electric guitars work, and sound a lot like a piezo pickup on acoustic. Which isn't to say they sound like a fine guitar, but they can pass on stage, just a piezo pickups in a acoustic guitars can be good enough. Playing them through an acoustic amp helps.

The reverse of this was a valid choice back in the early days: put a magnetic pickup in a flat top acoustic. The Beatles style Epiphone J160e with the P90 under the soundboard with the pole pieces sticking through (inexpensive modern copies exist) or the once common DeArmond clip in the soundhole pickup used by Elmore James and Gabor Szabo. I wouldn't want to play a metal showcase with one, but for roots style rock they can work. A modern soundhole magnetic pickup might work OK too. And one could probably rig up a way to mount your choice of electric guitar pickup in a soundhole clamp rig.

Probably the "best" way to do this is a modeling or sample based method, like a MIDI pickup or the Line 6 system. The acoustic sounds on the current Line 6 Variax vary. Some of them are pretty decent and if one runs them through the right chain (like one would do for a real acoustic) they can be convincing. The Variax system is simple to use, everything is built into the guitar. As electric guitars the one's I've owned are like most other midlevel imports these days, meaning good playability. I'm not a huge fan of the magnetic pickups they have for conventional playing, they're not to my taste, but they work even with a discharged battery and of course sound "just like an electric guitar" because this is an electric guitar, just one with a lot of additional options built in.

The Roland G55 MIDI system has some very good acoustic instrument patches that I've made good use of I haven't used the software-based acoustic patches that are supplied with the Fishman TriplePlay, but in a very brief look at them I didn't care for them and you'd need at least a tablet/phone if not a laptop to make use of them live. The G55 does have a learning curve, but IMHO it's a better stage solution than the TriplePlay. I use the G55 to supply some exotic instruments, sitar, pipa, and so on.

Another advantage of the Variax or Roland system is that custom tunings are easy, which is a big stage advantage. With the Line 6 Variax you have only a battery to worry about, and with the Roland G55 you have a floorboard unit--but both are stage-ready.

Some audiences listen with their eyes too, and a MIDI system will cause a big disconnect for some audiences. The Variax looks a little a "regular guitar," so it doesn't cause alarm.

I'd suggest auditioning one of those systems with your typical acoustic chain to see if you'd he happy with the Variax or the G55.
Thanks for this- a thoughtful response- yeah this is a new idea planning on working with a couple of local dep musicians and starting this in the spring. I dont currently own an electric (apart from a squier I use for teaching) and without a doubt if I was buying an electric it would be a tele. but as someone else says people listen with their eyes as well, and Im marketing this as a acoustic/roots trio so not sure a tele would fit.

I think I am going to go down the pedals route to start with- Ive got a nice Yamaha with a UST and will try that with a mid boost to see if that gets me somewhere- pretty cheap. If it starts to take off will look into other options.
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  #23  
Old 09-27-2017, 07:51 AM
Dylan Dylan is offline
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If you're using a Loudbox Mini, which is a fantastic amp btw, don't worry too much about feedback since these amps have a feedback reducer knob. In that case, any hollow body would be pretty solid or any guitar with the "Toaster" style pickups (Rickenbacker, etc.). The Beatles strummed these all the time and they worked well. In my opinion, steer clear of Humbuckers, I think that the fat tone will take away from the strumming texture and sound too fat.
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  #24  
Old 09-27-2017, 08:37 AM
RedJoker RedJoker is offline
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Could you put a cheap magnetic sound hole pickup in an acoustic and switch to it for the 'lead' parts. I'm wondering if that would be an easy way to get an electric-ish sound out of an acoustic instead of trying to get an acoustic-ish sound out of an electric.
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  #25  
Old 09-27-2017, 09:42 AM
Nama Ensou Nama Ensou is online now
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Here you go, it's got two separate outputs for your acoustic and electric tones and they actually sound great unplugged too.

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  #26  
Old 01-19-2018, 12:32 AM
BT55 BT55 is offline
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Default Electric Guitar for Acoustic Playing

The only manageable way to use a dual output guitar is to either use two amps (acoustic & electric) or a A/B switch to one amp. Epiphone’s Les Paul Ultra series offered the same dual jack acoustic/electric system.
The Taylor T5z is an awesome guitar and is the best choice for anyone looking for true electric/acoustic sound. It offers the flexibility to play rock, blues, jazz and acoustic. A simple change of the selector switch position will change your pickup selection.
You could always cheat and use your electric guitar with a BOSS AC3 Acoustic Simulator pedal but it’s not the same.
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Last edited by BT55; 01-20-2018 at 03:44 PM.
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  #27  
Old 01-23-2018, 09:25 PM
gfirob gfirob is offline
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For as complicated as this can get, I'd consider getting something like a Telecaster and an A/B box and just change guitars onstage. That's what I do and it is really pretty simple. I put the Telecaster through one of those little Vox MV50 AC 50-watt Hybrid Tube Heads because it makes the Loudbox mini sound much better with it, but other than that, you just put one down and pick the other one up. And optics-wise, each guitar looks right for the music
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  #28  
Old 01-23-2018, 09:56 PM
Hoyt Hoyt is offline
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The ES-125 might be a good approach. I had a ES-135 that felt very much like playing an acoustic, but could do the electric sparkle and grit when desired. Don’t play electric anymore, though.
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  #29  
Old 01-24-2018, 09:51 AM
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Quite a few options.

Another Taylor T5z suggestion, it would cover everything you need. Godin has a few models that will do this as well, and give you Synth access:
http://www.godinguitars.com/godinlgxsa_24087_22922.html

Steve Benford, Benford Guitars, will build you a custom Tele with a Piezo system, his guitars are terrific, and his pricing is incredibly reasonable.

If you can find a used model, Fender had a Nashville Deluxe Power Telecaster that had a Fishman Piezo.

My experience with the Epi Ultra III wasn't great, strictly from a QC standpoint. If you go that route, check it over pretty well. The fit an finish on what was sent me, both the original and the replacement, both went back.

Finally, Kiesel offers acoustic saddles on some of their models. I have a Carvin (pre-Kiesel name change) CS624 with the acoustic saddle, beautiful guitar.
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