Should I go electric?

[MaKaToM]

Hi guys, I have been playing for 4/5 years now all acoustic, mainly finger style And strumming...just a rhythm player.

I did notice though, that Epiphone Les Paul's are only £300... So thought I might buy one just to "have a go"

Did you guys start acoustic, if so how was the transition... Also I don't know scales or anything... Will I need to know this stuff, or can I just mess about.

Really, I think I'm looking at wasting my money on an electric guitar and want you guys to either talk me in or out of it.

Tom

[Dru Edwards]

Hi Tom, I won't be the guy that talks you out of getting an electric

Like acoustics, make sure you look at the used market. I'm not sure what the used Epi Les Paul market is like in Europe but here in Canada and the US there're plentiful so there's always a deal to be made.

Also, in case you're unaware, the amp is as important as the guitar in shaping your tone. You want to make sure you include that in your budget. There's so many options out there but if you're just playing around in your home you don't need anything loud, i.e. you won't need a Marshall stack.

What kind of music are you looking at playing?

[MaKaToM]

Thanks for the reply.

Well when I play my acoustics at home, I just tend to play blues, folk, country stuff...

I would probably want to do some more of the above, just with a bit more "drive" to it.

I also like the sound that John Mayer achieves with that strat if his... Where he can play the strat and sing, without a band, and it still sounds amazing.

Tom

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by MaKaToM

...when I play my acoustics at home, I just tend to play blues, folk, country stuff...I would probably want to do some more of the above, just with a bit more "drive" to it...

Sounds like you're looking at either a Tele (Squier's Classic Vibe Series has some nice stuff in the US$300-400 range) or, if you have a few more quid to spend and/or something to offer in trade, a Gretsch Electromatic 5400/5600 Series (US$700-900) - I've owned a Tele, still own a Gretsch, and although each has its virtues and vices IMO they'd be two great choices for the styles you prefer...

As Dru says, the amp you choose also plays a major role in your final tone; that said, I'd tend to shy away from the British-voiced (Marshall/Vox/Laney et al.) and modeling rigs (Fender Mustang/Line 6/Peavey Vypyr etc.) in favor of a relatively straightforward analog amp. While tubes are the Holy Grail of tone for most serious electric guitarists, as a beginner I'd recommend a solid-state amp in the 20-40 watt range: they're cheap enough, have sufficient power for smaller gigs when you're ready, and they're virtually maintenance-free as long as you take reasonable care - here's a good example:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/item/def...itemno=1479747

I don't know what international shipping would cost, but having played both IMO it's more pure amp for the money than the replacement Champion 20...

Welcome to the club...

[Tahitijack]

I started out as an acoustic guy, but added electrics to the collection and enjoy the difference. My starting point was a Fender Stratocaster. You can find used at reasonable cost, and don't be afraid to buy a Made in Mexico Strat. My go to is MIM. If I were starting out today I'd begin with a Fender Mustang III (which is my practice amp) or a Champion 20 or 40. For me a Strat fits in in almost every genre, while a Les Paul style might be out of place in certain situations. Others may disagree but that's why we have so many choices available.

[oldmanonthebike]

Bob Dylan did, you should too.

[EoE]

Did you guys start acoustic, if so how was the transition... Also I don't know scales or anything... Will I need to know this stuff, or can I just mess about."" ......... na just by al lot of effects turn it up real loud and bang on it .. it will make a lot of noise and feed back a lot ..just tell people your doing" free psycodelic jazz rock fusion"...

[MaKaToM]

Yeah I know the questions in asking are weird, but I've always just played by ear... I don't know the name of a lot of the chords, structures or picking patterns I use... I just make them up.

I was hoping you guys would either say "yeah you can just play by ear, that's how I did it!"

Or "No! Spend some time learning scales, it will open up so much for you!"

I guess you guys don't know me or how I play though.

Regarding the Gretsch Electromatic, is it the solid body you're talking about or the hollow body?
Also, I'll have a look at the squire classic vibe tele and the strat, see what they're like!

Thanks for the help guys, I'll have to find some time to get into a guitar shop for a look :-)

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by MaKaToM

Yeah I know the questions in asking are weird, but I've always just played by ear... I don't know the name of a lot of the chords, structures or picking patterns I use... I just make them up.

I was hoping you guys would either say "yeah you can just play by ear, that's how I did it!"

Or "No! Spend some time learning scales, it will open up so much for you!"

I guess you guys don't know me or how I play though.

Regarding the Gretsch Electromatic, is it the solid body you're talking about or the hollow body?
Also, I'll have a look at the squire classic vibe tele and the strat, see what they're like!

Thanks for the help guys, I'll have to find some time to get into a guitar shop for a look :-)

Hi Tom, I learned from a combination of tab, a friend showing me some songs, and by ear. It was back in the '80s so I was learning/playing songs from Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc.

Soloing wasn't easy when I started out so I tried to learn solos and stuck to them, i.e. no improvising (because I couldn't do it). But then with progression comes knowing the fretboard.

Do you know anyone who can lend you an electric?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by MaKaToM

...I've always just played by ear...I don't know the name of a lot of the chords, structures or picking patterns I use...I just make them up...Regarding the Gretsch Electromatic, is it the solid body you're talking about or the hollow body?...

Maybe it's the fact that my early background was in jazz, but I'm an ultra-traditionalist in this respect - learn the language of music. Over the last 50+ years I've met many killer players, guys/gals who could duplicate anything on any recording note-for-note/tone-for-tone, but in the big picture painted themselves into an artistic corner because they couldn't speak music: note reading, keys/scales, chord voicing/substitution, arranging for/communicating with other instruments, etc. (if you've got any interest whatsoever in blues, sooner or later you'll be working with a horn section, transposing instruments pitched in concert Bb and Eb with the exception of the trombone - and he reads bass and tenor clefs ). My thoughts: pick up a copy of the Mel Bay Complete Method for Modern Guitar, work at your own pace (the first steps should move fairly quickly, as you equate what you already know with what it looks like on paper), and post here if you have any questions - we're always glad to help...

The Electromatic models in question are the 5400 Series hollow-bodies and the 5600 Series semi-hollows. The 54's are more quintessentially Gretsch in tone and appearance, ranging from near-exact circa-1958 6120 and Country Club copies to "Prince George" and "Baby Falcon" (references being to the late Mr. Harrison's iconic '63 Country Gent, and the top-shelf White Falcon from the same year) double-cuts; the 56's draw their inspiration from some lesser-known (if not outright obscure) models from the mid/late-60's (cats-eye 6117, Monkees/Broadcaster, double-cut Duo-Jet/Jet Firebird) and feature center-block construction (much like a Gibson 335) for use in high-volume/high-gain situations, as well as proprietary pickups (Super Hi-Lo 'Tron - not to be confused with the anemic-sounding early-60's version) on some models. If you're coming over from acoustic you might find the larger, lighter-weight bodies of the 5420/5422 more familiar in terms of feel - if you feel like pulling out all the stops but still crave that classic Gretsch twang, the 5600's might be for you; assuming you're in the UK, Andertons and Thomann carry most models in stock - here's a representative sample from Sweetwater here in the States:

http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargall...dlIjpbIjgiXX19

Good luck...

[Davis Webb]

Get yerself a Tele or a Strat. Tele because its capable of things you just cannot imagine if tamed. Strat because its the most versatile electric out there. And the MIMs are just fine.

[J Patrick]

...for the most part...and i emphasize..for the most part!!!...electrics are designed and most effective for ensemble playing....if thats your goal i encourage you to give it a go....if however its just a lark i'd suggest that you skip it and concentrate on your acoustic playing....i've known a lot of good acoustic guitarists that feel the need to add an electric to their guitar collection only to find that they lack the motivation to learn to play it well and end up passing them off....they always seem to feel kind of foolish afterwards....i don't know any of them that enjoy just having one around for fun although i'm sure there are some folks that do...that determination is yours to make....

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

...for the most part...and i emphasize..for the most part!!!...electrics are designed and most effective for ensemble playing....if thats your goal i encourage you to give it a go....if however its just a lark i'd suggest that you skip it and concentrate on your acoustic playing....i've known a lot of good acoustic guitarists that feel the need to add an electric to their guitar collection only to find that they lack the motivation to learn to play it well and end up passing them off....they always seem to feel kind of foolish afterwards....i don't know any of them that enjoy just having one around for fun although i'm sure there are some folks that do...that determination is yours to make....

He does make a good point. I perform on acoustic, but electric refines my chops. When I drop electric I become better on the acoustic. I do electric stuff on the acoustic...so they can support each other. At the same time, try renting one for a month! If it grabs you, there you go.

[cyclistbrian]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

...for the most part...and i emphasize..for the most part!!!...electrics are designed and most effective for ensemble playing....if thats your goal i encourage you to give it a go....if however its just a lark i'd suggest that you skip it and concentrate on your acoustic playing....i've known a lot of good acoustic guitarists that feel the need to add an electric to their guitar collection only to find that they lack the motivation to learn to play it well and end up passing them off....they always seem to feel kind of foolish afterwards....i don't know any of them that enjoy just having one around for fun although i'm sure there are some folks that do...that determination is yours to make....

I think it depends. I am a thumb and two finger picker. With a warm sounding amp that can produce a strong bass tone and good overall clean tones I think a person can be very satisfied.

Obviously lead playing without a band behind you can be a very solitary and unsatisfactory experience but I wonder if it's that much different than the bedroom bass player or drummer. Not sure its all that different than the person who practices bluegrass flat picking lead. Single note fiddle tunes need a band to flesh them out. It doesn't float my boat. I agree it can lead to buying and flipping electrics only to go back to acoustic.

As for fingerstyle I find the electric a satisfying companion for solo guitar.

[jaybones]

Strated off acoustic- bought an Alvarez Regent 5212 in the fall of 1989. It was an '88 model, so it was about to be two years old, new old stock, so they gave me a good deal on it (or so I thought at the time- $100 out the door with four free lessons and a cardbaord case).

A few years later I was asked to start a rock band with a buddy of mine. He said I could use his bass rig but really needed to get my own electric. Ended up getting a sccreaming deal on a used Fender Stratocaster. 1976 clear finish hardtail, with original hardshell case for $300. Worth at least 4 times that then, probably more now.

I'd say "Heck yes, go electric!" And I recomend the Stratocaster as a starter guitar. As said MIM's are pretty good, as are the Indonesian Squiers and the MIJ's.

I did notice a difference in the amount of force I needed to use to strum the electrics versus my acoustic. Much lighter touch was necessary to make it sound good, but I got used to it right away. Now I can switch between electric and acoustic no problem.

ROCK ON!!