acoustic player, not feeling comfortable holding an electric
 

I am an acoustic player, mostly dread size. Not a big person but I’ve become accustomed to the large body and I feel needing to adjust to a smaller thinner body of an electric.

I have a telecaster that I like to mess around with once in awhile but when I play it I find my strumming arm gets tired (the shoulder) because there is no place on the body for me to rest my arm, like I would with a thick dread body.

I play mostly sitting down which places the guitar on my stomach area (standing strapped that would also be the approx height) and for my picking/strumming hand to be level with the strings, I would have to pivot the joint of my should upwards. (I hope you can picture what I am describing)

With an acoustic guitar (large bout and thicker body) I have a place to rest my arm in that position but with an electric, there isn’t that mass for me to rest on.

Is this a thing that others have struggled with but over time you just get used to it?

Learn to play standing and your problem will disappear, plain and simple. I put it off for years and even gigged seated, as that was what i was used to. With electric, I started standings straight out of the gate and now stand for every gig.

Yeah, it takes a bit of time to adjust, but it's well worth it IMHO.

I know how to play standing up. Regardless of sitting or standing, I like to have the guitar height the same (same height as when I am seated). So I still have to pivot my shoulder joint upward to get my hand to be at the same level as the strings.

Personally I find the electric easier to play as I don’t have to reach over the acoustic body. So my arm is in better position with electric than acoustic. I’m trying to envision why your arm would be higher on electric than acoustic? Seems counter intuitive, but everyone’s different so???

Now having said that... I find the electric easier to play standing vs sitting. Something about the ergonomics of it just work better for me and I dont tire nearly as easily, and can hit certain parts with my fretting hand more comfortably.

Good luck,
JeffD

Paging Steve DeRosa, someone needs a Gretsch or a Godin. :)

Seriously, if that's what you want to feel, those are the affordable electric guitars that do that.

Myself, I've tended to play acoustic and electric guitars with the guitar's waist on my left thigh when seated so I'm never expecting the guitar's lower bout to be under my right arm.

Check out an ES-335.

http://www.in2guitar.com/images/c3.jpg

Bob

I play sitting down with a strap. (I almost said strap on, phew)

I've always adjusted my straps to play my electrics like BB (and alot of jazzers) does, hiked up high to get a nice bend at the elbow and wrist down.

Okay. I play with my acoustic much higher than my electrics. Works for me. YMMV

Get a Gretsch

Thanks all for the responses. To those that said get one of those bigger body electrics, please I don’t need that encouragement :)

Sounds like I should experiment and hopefully a comfortable position will develop the the tele.

you could learn to not place your arm on the body. i do that a lot with my acoustics, particularly the satin ones where you get the scraping sound. just be free with your elbow, wrist and hand. let loose.

play music!

I always use a soft webbed cotton strap with my telecaster either sitting or standing. If you don't trust straps use a rubber washer over the knob. I've gotten used to not having to hold the guitar.

different mindset
 

I started playing electric a couple of years back after being an acoustic musician for close to 50 years. I started on a tele partscaster I built, what versatile machine, so many tones and grit on tap! +1 on playing standing up, and sling the guitar lower so your arm is angled down and across the body. Don't expect to strum it like an acoustic, it's a completely different animal.

That's why I got a Gretsch. How about an electric acoustic?

JUST SAY NO!