How 'good' does a gigging guitar with a pickup fitted need to be?

[Steve DeRosa]

The Beatles made iconic music with dead-as-a-doornail J-160E acoustic-electrics...

The hot setup for rock in the '80s and '90s was one of those all-laminated pointy-cutaway Pac-Rim jobs - and when Jeff "Skunk" Baxter visited the Gibson factory to select a platform for his endorsement model, he chose the entry-level Epiphone PR-5E (still in production BTW)...

I use an all-laminated Carlo Robelli J-45 knockoff (that I got as a freebie at one of the old Sam Ash BOGO sales), retrofitted with a $60 Guitar Fetish dual source (mag/mic) system, for open mic/jam and worship team duty: quick and easy to dial in to whatever sound system may be available - from an electric guitar combo amp to a full-on tri-amped megawatt PA - where my Rainsong (with its UST pickup) can be finicky at times...

As long as you have a well-set-up/solidly-built basic platform, more isn't always better when it comes to amplified tone...

[jp2558]

Only as good as it sounds unplugged.

[martingitdave]

It’s not science. It’s art. So pick one that feels and sounds good to you when you audition it. Doesn’t need to be expensive. Used is even better.

[Stringmaster]

You might look at the Cole Clark “Angel” model—especially with the newest preamp. The “1” model would be the most basic and least expensive. I have a CC dread, and I gig it often, as well as hosting and attending various Open Mics. Funny that it’s a good (not great) guitar unplugged, but I have a reputation for having the best sounding guitar in our community (plugged in). That includes the usual suspects-Taylors, Martins, etc, and even high end Collings, Goodall, etc.
The electronics make it super easy to just plug in and get a decent sound, and allow for some tweaking on-board if needed for playing through various systems.

[Racerbob]

After talking to a lot of random audience members I came to the understanding that they may not know about guitars and all the nuances of the sound , they could tell the difference between an average sounding guitar versus a great sounding one.

Of course the person doing sound has the potential to dull out even the best equipment if you are unlucky to encounter them.

[phcorrigan]

Sierra Ferrell, who books at about $40K a gig, plays a Blueridge, so...

[frankmcr]

All you need from the acoustic guitar itself is accurate intonation and quality tuners.

Everything else depends on the pickup.

[phcorrigan]

You could take the Hank Williams approach: When asked why he played Martins in concerts and Gibsons in honky-tonks, he said that Gibsons handled thrown beer bottles better than Martins.

[Rootwitch]

When I'm traveling for work, I bring a Yamaha silent guitar. It plays exceptionally well, and through a good amp it sounds decent too.

[Br1ck]

How good for the audience is a very low bar. All this obsession with the guitar, pickup, and pre amp is for the satisfaction of the performer and what few musicians are in the room.

[jspe]

This is an ages-old discussion amongst solo performers in my neck of the woods.
I think what it boils down to is what you are hearing coming back to you either through the monitors or from the room dynamics after you've done the best tone tweaking you can.
If what you hear is a satisfying tone, then you are going to feel comfortable with your presentation.
Ideally, an instrument that punches out the similar feel, comfort, and tonal responses for you "plugged in" as it does unplugged is the optimum.
Most of the time you don't get a chance to try other instruments in the same venue, so you become trusting that your gigmeister instrument is as good as it gets.
I think people who do shows multiple times in the same venue, and who have tried different instruments while doing so would definitely have more solid opinions on the best gear choices.
Insofar as having sound techs at your venues, you are completely at their mercy.

[jacf]

These are all great replies and very illuminating. Thanks everyone!

[EZYPIKINS]

I used lower end Ovation's on stage for about 5 years. Switched to Dean before the Millenium.

Today, as time gets short on the Boomers, I opt for the guitars I heard in growing up in the 60's-70's.

Gibson and Martin Standard models. J-185, J-200, Hummingbird, OM-28, 000-28, HD-28

Play what you will, but setup needs to be such that 4-6 hours is doable.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by rllink

I think for some, playing a cheap guitar makes them feel like a cheap guitar player and that feeling is reflected in their music. Others not so much so.

I feel like a cheap guitar player no matter what I'm playing. But I have some songs that I want to get over with audiences, so I persevere.

Traveling a small body and light weight are key attributes. I haven't held or played the modern import Guilds you mention, but my Martin 00-15 is light and very versatile, and I'd think the Guilds might be similar as they spec a lot alike.

And yes, that all mahogany sound may be useful for more than your trip. That's always a risk with cheaper guitars bought for utility. You might find them so valuable that they get promoted out of the "dispensable tool" job.

A mag soundhole pickup, as a class, tends to be more "stringy" and less "body" sounding, and of course rooms and PAs are going to vary and impact your live sound considerably. Because of that, a good EQ/pre-amp pedal might be more key to performance use satisfaction for the player and audience than the unplugged sound of the guitar.

[TheSaint]

Several points come to mind here.

Firstly, I'd agree with those who feel that your guitar has to be good enough to make you feel good about playing in front of people. Anything more is nice, but not essential.

The audience will pick up on your enthusiasm and that in turn will rebound back to you. And so the circle continues....

Secondly, I use a guitar that feels comfortable to play. It's a thin bodied Washburn. The Baggs soundhole pickup gives me a sound that I like and so makes me feel good.

When I strum it unplugged at home, it sounds terrible. No low or mids, all top. But that's not why I've got it. Plugged into a PA, it's perfectly good.

Just recently, I've started to change over to a Yamaha Silent Guitar. It's great to play and sounds just fine solo or in a band. And no issues with feedback...!

On another level, I saw Chris Rea play on his "Road to Hell" World Tour in the early 90's. The other guitarist in the band was Andy Fairweather Low. I got chatting to his guitar tech after the gig and he showed me Andy's main guitar. It was a stock Squire Strat. He'd played it for years and it sounded great.

Up another level, I was lucky enough to be involved in an acoustic gig by Nils Lofgren in the late 90's. He played a variety of Takemines. When I asked him about his choice of guitars, he simply said that they were reliable, played perfectly and gave him the sound he wanted. Here's a guy who could afford any guitar he wanted. He saw me smiling and knew what my next question was going to be..!

"No" he said. He wasn't being paid to play them, he genuinely felt they we right for him. You can hear this tour on his "Acoustic Live" album.

So that's my five cents...!