Meh, played my strat today

Acoustic Al · #1 12-01-2018, 09:31 PM

Haven't played electric for about 3 years. Practice at least an hour on an acoustic daily. My wife might tell you more like 4 hours lol! Anyway, I had an urge to dust off the strat today. First thing I noticed was I couldn't keep a chord in tune, since I was so used to applying pressure on the acoustic. Toned it down after a few minutes all was good. I also found that I just didn't enjoy it as much as the acoustic. I played for about 45 minutes, put it down and played another 2 hours on the acoustic. I used to love playing the electric and kind of felt like the acoustic was bothersome. Blows my mind that the opposite is true now. Anyone else have this happen?

Jaden · #2 12-01-2018, 09:43 PM

Since getting back into guitar in 2013 as a form of long term personal therapy and encouraged by friends I remember there has been 6-8 month blocks of time heavily devoted to either acoustic or electric and a switch would happen when a tonal breakthrough with equipment occurred, so it’s been back and forth between the two since. I remember a period of time really appreciating a strat. Right now it’s 75% acoustic and 25% electric.

Muddslide · #3 12-01-2018, 09:45 PM

This boat. I am in it.

Played electric guitar and bass since the late 70s. I often had acoustic guitars in my collection, but they were in the background.

Nowadays I still have one electric bass, but zero electric guitars and no real desire for one.

My better half commented that she prefers me playing acoustics because on electric I played more riffs and solos or messed with pedals, whereas on acoustic I play more "music and songs." (Her words.)

YamahaGuy · #4 12-01-2018, 09:54 PM

I set my electrics up just like my acoustics (same nut width and same gauge strings) so the back and forth transition is smooth. I like the variety of tones ones can get with electrics. (I have many pedals) The ease of setup (to play) acoustic is obviously much simpler. My strat copy plays like butter, so I do find it to be my easiest playing guitar.

ClaptonWannabe2 · #5 12-01-2018, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acoustic Al

Haven't played electric for about 3 years. Practice at least an hour on an acoustic daily. My wife might tell you more like 4 hours lol! Anyway, I had an urge to dust off the strat today. First thing I noticed was I couldn't keep a chord in tune, since I was so used to applying pressure on the acoustic. Toned it down after a few minutes all was good. I also found that I just didn't enjoy it as much as the acoustic. I played for about 45 minutes, put it down and played another 2 hours on the acoustic. I used to love playing the electric and kind of felt like the acoustic was bothersome. Blows my mind that the opposite is true now. Anyone else have this happen?

May I ask your age?

An acoustic can blend into the home, electric, not so much. I go back and forth.

mercy · #6 12-01-2018, 10:45 PM

I love the sound of a strat but an acoustic has all that activity going on inside the body that only you the player can hear, where an electric is just dead without an amp. Im 100% acoustic.

Rexsblues · #7 12-01-2018, 11:05 PM

I relate to this. I've always had an electric guitar, but It's never come very naturally. I feel right at home with my Martin and can play it for hours on end. I own one electric, a Telecaster. Honestly I don't really like it. I'm very close to trading it for another acoustic and just leaving electric guitar behind.

#8 12-02-2018, 12:05 AM

Electric guitars just feel weird to me now, and they were all I played for the better part of 20 years. My current electric is an archtop with a single P-90 and no cutaway. It feels much more like an acoustic, but it's still the guitar I reach for least.

tippy5 · #9 12-02-2018, 12:12 AM

If you can afford an electric and have a little room to store it I see no harm in reaching for it occasionally. I play around 33% electric to 67% acoustic. The electrics are not as rewarding or it would be the other way around. My weary fingers also need a break, so out comes an electric.

The finger pressure sure is different. So that informs the genres. I play electrics unplugged even though I have two great amps. An Old PR and a Tone King Meteor 20 in a large cab.

Acoustics have a bit stronger (and nicer sounding) connection. I also have a lot to learn playing them compared to what I have gathered already with the alder bodies.

Steel and wood · #10 12-02-2018, 12:37 AM

I've got to have both, even if my Martin gets played more often these days.

raysachs · #11 12-02-2018, 12:39 AM

I love playing electric. I don’t approach it at all like acoustic, I don’t want it to feel or sound like an acoustic. It’s a completely different instrument with a similar layout and the same notes available. I play acoustic more like a piano and electric more like a horn.

I’ve been playing both since I was 18, which is over 40 years ago, although I barely played either for a huge chunk of that time when career nd family were taking up my time and energy. I’ve alwaya gone back nd forth in terms of which I favor, but the electric has been much more of an emphasis over the years. Lately I’m really focused on acoustic because I’m finally learning to fingerpick after all these years playing with a pick, and that’s pretty immersive, so I’m not putting the time in on electric. And generally I’m not playing it as well when I do, but I had a really nice half hour or so yesterday, just messing around with rhythm playing until I got into a really nice funky feeling groove, playing a few measures into a looper and then jamming to that for about 15-20 minutes. A total change of pace and a stone blast...

I have two acoustics (Emeralds, larger and smaller) and three electrics, a hardtail strat, a tele with P-90s, and an Ibanez John Scofield semi-hollow. I play the two Fenders most, but the Ibanez has had its time as my #1 too. I love the variety of feels and sounds I get from them...

-Ray

Martie · #12 12-02-2018, 02:11 AM

I keep thinking about my Jazzmaster and, much as I love it, wondering about how much I could get for it - and what new nylon string acoustic I could replace it with (something I've really been wanting lately)! I just don't play electric anymore (lost all interest in the whole band thing), but I'm also really concerned that if I sell it I'll start craving another. Might just have to save up for that new acoustic...

Silurian · #13 12-02-2018, 02:15 AM

I'm in the same boat.

My Les Paul hasn't been out of it's case for over three years. Sometimes I Take my Tele off it's stand, plug in, fiddle with the amp settings and put it away again. I seem to have lost all interest in electrics but I am reluctant to sell just in case...

lowrider · #14 12-02-2018, 05:44 AM

It's funny, I must be the only one. I've only been playing for two years and now I've got Fender Fever! I go to GC or SA and play the Telecasters and I want one!

But what's going on with 1 5/8 nut?! If I do get one, it's going to need a custom neck with 1 3/4. I could get a Jazzmaster with 1 11/16, but I really want a Telecaster. Good thing the neck comes right off with just four bolts and I can bolt on a new one, easily.

#15 12-02-2018, 05:44 AM

If you've lost interest you've lost interest.

You might try though taking your Strat playing into a sort of deliberately naïve/not-so-naive place...just plug into a Pignose amp and play at low volume like you're just playing guitar...even singing with it...like some kind of vocalist/bluesman who just needed amplification.

If I had to pick the amp that got me to practice/play my Strats the most...it would be the Pignose. I have 2 of them lol.