Plugged in, electric vs acoustic - electric vs acoustic+pickup

[Mystery123]

What would be better?
I have a Yamaha FGX730SC that sounds pretty good plugged in and thinking of getting an electric like Yamaha Pacifica just to try.
Should I bother?

I tried a hum bucking passive pickup and didn't sound that great.

[Strayslack]

I guess I don't fully understand the question.

Is your goal to have an acoustic sound or an electric sound?
Are you considering an electric because you aren't completely happy with the plugged-in acoustic sound?

The two aren't interchangeable, in my mind. I'm starting up a band right now and we'll be doing a few Jason Isbell songs. I have to have both of my guitars on stage with me or the songs aren't what I (or Jason, for that matter) want them to be.

And if you get an electric, you owe it to yourself to spend as much as you can to get one of good quality. I'm not saying the Pacifica is a bad guitar at all, but for the money, I think you can do better.

[zabdart]

There are going to be certain differences in sound due to the way the different transducers produce their signal. On an acoustic using an SBT (sound board transducer) or UST (under-saddle transducer) the signal is generated by the pressure of the vibrating string on the bridge producing small amounts of electric current which then have to go to a pre-amp to be amplified. With an electric guitar, the guitar's pickups are actually specialized electro-magnets. They produce a magnetic field. The metal string vibrating in that magnetic field produces flux, which creates a signal, which travels down the guitar cord to the amplifier. It's a whole different world.
Hope that helps a little.

[Mystery123]

Originally Posted by Strayslack

I guess I don't fully understand the question.

Is your goal to have an acoustic sound or an electric sound?
Are you considering an electric because you aren't completely happy with the plugged-in acoustic sound?

The two aren't interchangeable, in my mind. I'm starting up a band right now and we'll be doing a few Jason Isbell songs. I have to have both of my guitars on stage with me or the songs aren't what I (or Jason, for that matter) want them to be.

And if you get an electric, you owe it to yourself to spend as much as you can to get one of good quality. I'm not saying the Pacifica is a bad guitar at all, but for the money, I think you can do better.

Just to try electric through amp.
Does AE sound entirely different than an electric through the same amp?
Or better question is, does AE work as electric guitar when needed or you do need electric?

What others are better in that price range than Pacifica?
From my research, they are much better than squier, epiphone lp etc...

Originally Posted by zabdart

There are going to be certain differences in sound due to the way the different transducers produce their signal. On an acoustic using an SBT (sound board transducer) or UST (under-saddle transducer) the signal is generated by the pressure of the vibrating string on the bridge producing small amounts of electric current which then have to go to a pre-amp to be amplified. With an electric guitar, the guitar's pickups are actually specialized electro-magnets. They produce a magnetic field. The metal string vibrating in that magnetic field produces flux, which creates a signal, which travels down the guitar cord to the amplifier. It's a whole different world.
Hope that helps a little.

thanks

[The Old Gaffer]

An acoustic electric and an electric guitar are two different things. For some low gain things you can an acoustic with a sound hole pickup can approach the sound of an electric. Check out some of Gabor Szabo's work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz0zYA_12og

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXN7aN0UVU8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LofvAfjfJqQ

but at high volume and gain, feedback is going to be a problem.

There are electrics with under-saddle transducers that produce acoustic like sounds and there are hybrid guitars like the Taylor T-5. But sometimes purity is better: using an acoustic for acoustic parts and an electric for electric guitar parts is probably the best way.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

What would be better?
....

Can you please define "better" ?

[Strayslack]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

What others are better in that price range than Pacifica?
From my research, they are much better than squier, epiphone lp etc...

If I had to choose between the two, I'd take a Squire Strat over the Pacifica, but honestly, they will both get you where you want to go.
However, when I buy a guitar, I automatically add in the cost of a proper setup (if you don't do them yourself) without fail, new, used, or otherwise. It makes all the difference.

[jaybones]

If you want to get into the world of electric guitars, take a look at the used market.

Not saying anything against the Pacifica, they're pretty good. But you can probably find a used one and save some money. Also, the newer Squiers are really good, as are the MIM's (although some people think the ceramic magnet pickups are crap, but they're easily swapped out). Epiphones are also decent for the money.

If you do get a Stratocaster, a company called Graph Tech sells a system called Ghost. Which uses graphite saddle transducers and an onboard pre-amp with a stereo output to split the magnetic signal with the Ghost piezo signal.

Granted, you'll spend a little bit of cash on the Ghost. I know mine was about $500, and I bought some of it off eBay for less than full retail.

[choucas09]

I think Pacificas are excellent and find the "do better" remark somewhat strange.

[wrathfuldeity]

nice electric with a few diy mods...mia peavey predator...imho better than pacifica

as for acoustic and pu...depends...but a great acoustic pu for getting electric vibe is DeArmond 210.

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

Just to try electric through amp.
Does AE sound entirely different than an electric through the same amp?
Or better question is, does AE work as electric guitar when needed or you do need electric?

What others are better in that price range than Pacifica?
From my research, they are much better than squier, epiphone lp etc...



thanks

I would get the electric, because its a whole other way of playing guitar. Like night and day and you would probably like to explore.

As far as which guitar to buy, many of us suggest you get something like a made in Mexico Stratocaster. I am sure there are other choices.

Good luck and welcome to the dark side! I love both and you might too!

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

What would be better?
I have a Yamaha FGX730SC that sounds pretty good plugged in and thinking of getting an electric like Yamaha Pacifica just to try.
Should I bother?

I tried a hum bucking passive pickup and didn't sound that great.

If you play an electric through an acoustic amp it will sound horrid. An acoustic through a electric (tube) amp sounds ok.

They are 2 different animals. I wouldn't buy an electric without having a dedicated electric amp for it. Go with all tube if possible (IMHO).

For electric, if it ain't got any glass, fuggitaboutit.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

I would get the electric, because its a whole other way of playing guitar. Like night and day and you would probably like to explore.

As far as which guitar to buy, many of us suggest you get something like a made in Mexico Stratocaster. I am sure there are other choices.

Good luck and welcome to the dark side! I love both and you might too!

G&L ain't a bad place to start either. My next NGD......

[Thom PC]

Originally Posted by roylor4

G&L ain't a bad place to start either. My next NGD......

Agreed. My second electric guitar (the first one I sold off many years ago - a Hohner telecaster type which looked exactly like Prince's famed model) is a G&L ASAT Tribute, and I am very pleased with the overall level of quality and craftmanship. I preferred this one over a number of Pacificas, Squiers, and Epiphones that I tried at the time. Admittedly, it was a little bit more expensive, but not much. YMMV, of course.

I also came from exclusively playing acoustic guitar, and in my mind they are very different instruments - I do not play the electric like I play the acoustic. (I am not a very accomplished player, mind you, so this is only my personal experience). On the acoustic guitar I play mainly chords as backdrop for a song, and this is more or less all the instrumentation needed for a fully functional performance. This I cannot do with the electric guitar which works best in a band context and is played differently, think riffs and licks, the occasional theme or melodic snippet. Also, for me, the electric experience is a lot about effects like delay, overdrive/distortion which required slightly different techniques regarding string attack, damping etc.

But it is a fun experience and I can wholeheartedly recommend taking the plunge - just prepare yourself for starting from scratch!

[jricc]

Originally Posted by choucas09

I think Pacificas are excellent and find the "do better" remark somewhat strange.

This is going back about 10 years, but I had a Pacifica "Tele" before I got my US Fender Tele, and I gotta tell ya, that Pacifica had a neck that was amazing! ...Should've kept the neck and put it on my Fender Tele! Those Pacificas are really well made.