confessions of an acoustic player

[leew3]

As a long time exclusively acoustic player I was seduced by the Fender Classic Vibe series Tele at a great price. When I got it I noticed that when playing a bass part while strumming on an E chord in first position the B and C# were sharp. Of course I assumed intonation was off so had it set up (Sweetwater offered to pay for a set up btw).

The guitar was fine, my acoustic muscled left hand was bending the notes with way too much pressure on the strings. I told Sweetwater thanks, but I'll cover the set up as the 'problem' was due to user error.

So, as a humbled newby coming back to playing an electric on occasion I now know I've got a lot to learn. The Squire Tele is big fun at a bargain price though!

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by leew3

As a long time exclusively acoustic player I was seduced by the Fender Classic Vibe series Tele at a great price. When I got it I noticed that when playing a bass part while strumming on an E chord in first position the B and C# were sharp. Of course I assumed intonation was off so had it set up (Sweetwater offered to pay for a set up btw).

The guitar was fine, my acoustic muscled left hand was bending the notes with way too much pressure on the strings. I told Sweetwater thanks, but I'll cover the set up as the 'problem' was due to user error.

So, as a humbled newby coming back to playing an electric on occasion I now know I've got a lot to learn. The Squire Tele is big fun at a bargain price though!

I had the exact same experience when I bought a Strat on a whim a few years ago. I’m in my seventies and not looking to make major adjustments to my muscle memory. So I sold the electric and avoided the amps, peddles, etc rabbit hole and went quickly and happily back to my acoustics.

[SpruceTop]

I've found that even switching from medium-gauge strings to light-gauge strings on an acoustic guitar can result in initial fretting-hand-pressure-related intonation issues although not as severely noticeable as going from an acoustic to an electric guitar.

[Glennwillow]

I have always had trouble playing an electric guitar after an acoustic by pushing the strings sharp. After a little playing I adjust. I can really hear the sharping effect.

- Glenn

[Rogerblair]

Good of Sweetwater to offer to cover the setup…good of you to shoulder the responsibility. World needs more of that kind of fair play.

Roger

[TBman]

I'm still thinking about an electric. I have to try some in GC. I was looking at the 3 single coil Strats that Sweetwater has........ and an amp too,

[Brent Hutto]

The first time 15 years ago I tried playing a Telecaster, I had long carefully shaped and polished nails for playing classical guitar. You haven't lived until you've tried to get a sweet, warm tone out of a Telecaster with a microphonic bridge pickup while using a firm, classical-style right hand with long nails to pluck those 9-gauge strings. Through a single-ended Champ clone with a 6" speaker.

That experiment didn't last long.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by leew3

As a long time exclusively acoustic player I was seduced by the Fender Classic Vibe series Tele at a great price. When I got it I noticed that when playing a bass part while strumming on an E chord in first position the B and C# were sharp...The guitar was fine, my acoustic muscled left hand was bending the notes with way too much pressure on the strings...

So, as a humbled newby coming back to playing an electric on occasion I now know I've got a lot to learn...

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

The first time 15 years ago I tried playing a Telecaster, I had long carefully shaped and polished nails for playing classical guitar. You haven't lived until you've tried to get a sweet, warm tone out of a Telecaster with a microphonic bridge pickup while using a firm, classical-style right hand with long nails to pluck those 9-gauge strings. Through a single-ended Champ clone with a 6" speaker.

That experiment didn't last long.

When I started playing in 1962 most of the big-city teachers were veterans of the Big-Band era, accustomed to playing 17"/18" comp boxes with 14-gauge strings (often with a wound B), and when us kids needed to replace a broken string (or a rusty set) on our Harmony archtops the only thing available at the local record-cum-music shop were the old New Brunswick "black-box" Black Diamond strings - which, I'm thoroughly convinced, were pressed into service when cable delivery to the then under-construction Verrazano-Narrows Bridge ran late...

I've heard tell some of the Boy Scouts among us built up a healthy log of merit badge credits opening tough jars for elderly neighbors - even as kids we developed Hulk-like left-hand strength - and if you ever got into an old-fashioned Brooklyn throwdown with a guitar player and he had you by the throat, you'd best pray that he had a soft right fist...

Leo Fender introduced his Telecaster (nee Broadcaster) into this general postwar milieu, equipped with the then-new "light-gauge" flatwound 12's that would not only provide a still-familiar feel - guitarists could drop the action hairsbreadth-low without buzzing and still play in tune - but allowed for bending without the use of the whammy bars that would become de rigeur for many makers (including Fender) within a few years...

Both my Fenders - a since-sold first-run late-CBS '52 Tele reissue, and my current MIJ '86 Fender/Squier Strat - were set up this way, as Leo shipped them back in the day: IME I get the best feel and tone - instant cure for any complaints about "thin-sounding" Fenders - and slinky enough that I can do reasonable bends with no trouble (a little secret the '50s rockers - and their Gibson/Epiphone-playing jazzcat cousins - all knew )..

While I'd be extremely careful with that Squier CV Tele - they're not heavy-duty guitars, nor were they ever intended to be - you shouldn't have any problem going up to a wound-G 11-gauge set for a more familiar playing experience, without needing anything more than a good setup...

As far as fingerstyle is concerned, back in the early-60's Gretsch marketed a "Chet Atkins Country Style" string set - standard on all the Chet-endorsed Gretsch models - that TMK ran an ultra-light for the time 11-48/49 (not sure which), with the option of either a wound or plain G (both were included in the handy little plastic string containers, that now fetch a healthy price on their own BTW); I'm thinking if they worked for Chet, a similar set - and an amp with a 12" or 15" speaker, such as he used - should be just the ticket...

[mr. beaumont]

Use heavier strings, it's no crime.

I actually use heavier strings on some of my electric guitars than I do on my acoustics!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

...I actually use heavier strings on some of my electric guitars than I do on my acoustics!

Spoken like a true old-school jazzcat - love it ...

[leew3]

Originally Posted by Rogerblair

Good of Sweetwater to offer to cover the setup…good of you to shoulder the responsibility. World needs more of that kind of fair play.

Roger

Thanks Roger-I was happy to email them that it was all on me as I've had nothing but great service from them and wish to continue the good relationship!

[leew3]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Use heavier strings, it's no crime.

I actually use heavier strings on some of my electric guitars than I do on my acoustics!

This seems like a good call. Back in the day I ran 11's on my ES 335 for this exact reason. I'd just forgotten that as it was some decades ago!

[leew3]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I have always had trouble playing an electric guitar after an acoustic by pushing the strings sharp. After a little playing I adjust. I can really hear the sharping effect.

- Glenn

thanks for the confirmation that it's not just me Glenn! I'll see how I adjust as it's a fun little guitar to play.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Use heavier strings, it's no crime.

I actually use heavier strings on some of my electric guitars than I do on my acoustics!

Uninvited, I want to chime in.
I respectfully disagree with the heavier strings suggestion. It may take a while, but learning to play an electric takes a completely different technique. Disclaimer: “to each his own”.
9-42’s are stock on Teles and Strats for a reason.
I will admit to the having same issues that leeW and most others have transitioning in the beginning, but as in any other endeavor, patience and persistence will prevail.
I’m not claiming perfection here, but I’m light years better than I was a year ago and improving on electric all the time. So much so that I’ve gone from hardly ever playing my Tele and my Strat to playing them daily.
I’m using the wondrous plethora of backing tracks in every key and genre’ available on You Tube to improve my soloing and having a blast.
My unsolicited advice…stay the course.

[rmp]

Imagonna say heavier strings too.

you guy realize that Fender is shipping the electrics with 9 gauge strings right?

if you're primary playing platform is an acoustic with 12s or 13s, that's a huge difference in string tension.