Did you start on acoustic then go electric?

[polarred21]

Well that's what I'm doing anyway. My mindset is to progress to a certain level I guess, knowing that an electric is in my future.

Wonder how long should I wait.. 6 months. 1 year....all I've heard is that the electric is easier to fret than most acoustics....

What were your experiences?

Thanks

[8TrackJoe]

I started on electric, but I had an acoustic that I played also. So in some ways I started out on both since I knew that both offered different sounds. Plus with a small (tiny) home recording setup I needed (wanted) both sounds. As for the fretting, yes I have found electric to be easier in some regards. But I have an Ovation that plays just a well as my Fender Strat. I would suggest taking your acoustic in for a good setup and have the strings lowered if needed.

I still bounce between the different guitar simply because of the sounds. I lean more towards my acoustics just simply because that is where I am musically right now. I can't say how to wait til you get an electric. That depends on your musical styles and where you feel that you are as a musician. No matter what if you enjoy it, keep playing and learning.

[8TrackJoe]

Sorry for the double post. Not sure how that happened.

[posternutbag]

I started on acoustic and still consider myself predominantly an acoustic guitarist, but I have been playing a lot more electric blues lately since acoustic gigs have sort of dried up.

I find electric physically easier to play with thinner strings and lower action, but controlling the electric tone is harder to me. I often say that an acoustic guitar feels like an extension of myself and conforms to my will, but an electric shouts and shrieks and wails with a life of its own, and harnessing and directing that energy is my challenge with the electric.

[perttime]

Originally Posted by posternutbag

I find electric physically easier to play with thinner strings and lower action, - - - an electric shouts and shrieks and wails with a life of its own, and harnessing and directing that energy is my challenge with the electric.

Sounds about right

Starting on electric could be frustrating, because all the mistakes and failures to mute the sounds you don't want, become so obvious. On acoustic you may feel some rewarding moments earlier on.

I started on acoustic, and later went with acoustic and electric side-by-side. Right now I'm more drawn towards acoustic again.

[UncleJoe]

Nope. I started on electric and changed to acoustic. The extension cord wasn't long enough to take the electric to the park where I liked to play.

[Bob Womack]

Yep, started on acoustic in 1970 ad within six months bought the most horrible little electric you ever saw from a hock shop for $25. Now I play both and consider myself sort of a utility infielder. Put me in, coach.

Bob

[clintj]

Had a cheap acoustic, learned some chords on it. Decided I wanted an electric, so I bought my Les Paul. Learned quickly that they can be harder to play if you don't practice good technique, and being plugged in really highlights the mistakes. I've been on both equally for a few hears now, and enjoy both quite a bit. Also learned that a good amp really helps. Something with good tone, a little tube compression, and good touch sensitivity really helps guide your playing and brings the guitar to life.

[zabdart]

The biggest challenge to adjust to when going from acoustic to electric is that electric guitar requires a much lighter touch in both hands, due to all the volume it generates (that's the whole point, isn't it?). As for ease of fretting, that's a matter of where you set your action and what gauge strings you use. I had a Telecaster once with really high action and it was harder to fret than my J-50, even though the strings on the latter were a heavier gauge.

[posternutbag]

For me, I went to an electric when it became a necessity. I play an electric when I need more volume, more sustain and a wider tonal palette than an acoustic offers. I mentioned above that I have been playing a lot of electric blues. You can certainly play blues on an acoustic, you can even flatpick blues on an acoustic, but an electric offers things an acoustic doesn't in terms of drive, sustain and the pure volume needed to play over a drum kit.

So my advice is simple, get an electric when your musical needs require one. I still think of them as different instruments, but there is a lot of carryover between the two.

[Random1643]

I started out on banjo, piano & acoustic guitar. Mostly active playing and singing in small folk-rock-pop groups in high school. Then, after high school, the opportunity was there to play out in bar and dance bands, so I bought a (beautiful blonde) tele, a Twin Reverb, a Fender Rhodes piano, etc. and played all sortsa gigs. That wore thin by the late-70s when I sold all my band gear and quit playing music all together for about 20 years. Then back to acoustics - really acoustic-electrics - since the late-90s but am now, with a '72 Fender Tele Thinline on layaway, buying another electric - one manufactured the year I graduated from high school. So I'm just going in circles.

[sweiss]

I started with a horrid little electric, a Kay Valu Leader, that I bought from a neighbor for three bucks. The action height was about triple what it should be...the strings were heavy enough to support a small suspension bridge...and I had no amp. I soldiered on with that thing for three years, somehow learning the basics on it. The only good thing about that guitar was that it made every other guitar I've owned since seem to play like butter.

To the original question....I see no reason to hold off on playing an electric as long as you make sure not to favor one over the other as far as playing time. It'll be tempting to favor the easier playing electric, but don't do it.

The way I see it, if you play solely acoustic, or acoustic and electric....you are a guitarist. If you play electric alone, you are in many ways, half a guitarist.

[Dru Edwards]

I started on both at approximately the same time ... although I learned my basic chords on an acoustic first but I was never an acoustic player that went electric or vice-versa.

I used to think that it would be best to have perspective new players learn on acoustic first. Now I think it's best (for most people anyway) that they play the guitar, and music they want. Might be more enjoyable for them and more likely to result in more practice.

[polarred21]

Great discussion, and all of the above reasons is what I was looking for.

I guess my main concern is the differences between the feel of one guitar to the next. By spending so much time on a cheap acoustic with high action....
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=380615

.....I don't want the adjustment of the feel of an electric to be a big stepping stone, but sounds like it will be. Right now I don't have time (due to work) to be overwhelmed with all that comes to learn about amps, volume, tone, etc., so I will wait at least until my schedule opens up a bit.

I guess that brings another question...I see people writing here about nut width a lot. So which acoustic and electric "pair" together well when it comes to feel and playability? In other words, that feel about the same on the fret board etc...I know that's going to come back to style of music, so it's 60's 70's 80's rock and country.

[polarred21]

..and one more thing, I have my heart set on a Gibson Les Paul electric made in America but cannot justify the cost for my needs over similar Epiphone versions.

How do these stack up in quality comparisons?