Should I consider electric guitar a whole different instrument from acoustic guitar?

[phydaux]

I've always considered electric guitar to be "the same but different" as my acoustic guitar. But lately I'm starting to wonder if that's a wrong approach.

For example, string muting. When you play a C chord you don't want to play the 6 string, and when you play the D chord you don't want to play the 6 or the 5 strings. Fine, on my acoustic guitar I just don't strum those strings. But "they" tell my that it's no enough to just NOT play the strings, I have to mute them also.

And for strings, I play 12s on my acoustic guitars, and right now my ES-335 has 10s. But in a recent Rick Beato video I watched he was experimenting with 9s and even 8s. Meanwhile a video from a jazz teacher said I should go to 11s, and 12s would not be a bad idea.

And don't even get me started on pedals! Right now I don't own any. But it seems like if I break down and buy one, then next thing you know you've fallen off a cliff and spent hundreds of dollars.

I just want to play music I like. Sometimes that country, sometimes that's blues or classic rock & roll, and sometimes that's jazzy-sounding stuff.

[raysachs]

The combination of sustain and overdrive (a little or a lot) to me makes the electric guitar pretty much a totally different instrument, but with a more or less identical user interface. The notes are all in the same place, but I approach them very very differently. I play the electric more like a horn, at least when I'm playing lead, and I tend to mostly play lead when I'm playing the electric anymore. When I used to play a lot of rhythm, I also used to play it very differently, with much harder edge chord sounds, lots of damping to chop up the rhythm some. But these days it's mostly lead, with the rhythm coming on acoustic, and I play with a lot more sustain and more or less continuous lead lines, rather than very obviously discrete notes, which is how I play lead on acoustic. I also do a lot more slides and bends and vibrato on electric. It just lends itself to that.

In terms of string gauges, play what you're comfortable with. I tend to play 12-54 on acoustic because they just sound best to me on the smaller guitars I play. And 10-46 on electric - smaller feels too slinky, bigger makes bends too hard. A good amp that you can overdrive, maybe with a reverb in it, is really all you need. You can do a lot with pedals, but you can do a lot without them too. I wouldn't mess with them until and unless you feel a need for a particular sound you can only get with a pedal.

-Ray

[nitram]

Electric guitars are a whole 'nuther animal than acoustic. You've got different PU's, amps and Good Lord are there pedals! I played electric for a while and just got tired of trying to match all the sounds that are "desirable". It's so much simpler to try to be a decent acoustic player than messing around with all the effects out there for electrics.

[Bushleague]

Imo they often do need to be aproached slightly differently, but lately I've been playing some of my acoustic stuff on an electric with minimal changes and its been working.

While I've owned some pedals over the years, basically all I really use is overdrive with a touch of reverb... and I use the OD pretty much constantly since IMO thats darn near the whole point of playing an electric guitar.

I like guitars with the LP controll setup, so I dial back the volume on my neck pickup to run "full chord overdrive", with a bit of break up but not so much that I cant use full chords or more acoustic type riffs. I then dime my bridge pickup and use that as my "power chord/ lead sound", and roll off a bit of treble to balance the sound difference between the two pickups. IMO, if you want to use full chords you are much better off with heavyer strings, which give better note definition than lighter ones on an electric guitar.

[phydaux]

Originally Posted by nitram

I played electric for a while and just got tired of trying to match all the sounds that are "desirable". It's so much simpler to try to be a decent acoustic player

I'm kinda right there with ya.

I was watching a youtube video of a woman feom Europe, a jazz guitarist. She was doing a video on playing a Les Paul for jazz. I've got my eye on a Les Paul so I decided to watch the video. It went something like this:

"We'll start with the neck pickup, and the pots all the way up." She plays a few chords, some arpeggios, and a scale, finishing up the neck on the first string.

"Oh, that doesn't sound right at all..."

My brain: It sounded beautiful.

"Let's roll off some of that treble." The tip of one finger brushes the tone knob for roughly three nanoseconds, if the knob moves at all then it was humanly imperceptible.

"Oh, that's much better."

My brain: There was no difference whatsoever.

[mr. beaumont]

Totally depends on how you play.

To me, they're more like different colors in a pallete, not different instruments.

[M19]

To me? Yes.

[Bob Womack]

If you want electric guitar to sound somewhat like an acoustic guitar, use heavier strings and play it more like an acoustic.

If you want electric guitar to sound like electric guitar, use lighter strings and play it like an electric guitar.

It crosses over at times and doesn't at others. Part of style is choosing how you will use the instruments.

Bob

[GoPappy]

Originally Posted by phydaux

. . . And don't even get me started on pedals! Right now I don't own any. But it seems like if I break down and buy one, then next thing you know you've fallen off a cliff and spent hundreds of dollars. . . .

I don’t mean to derail your thread, but I think a good modeling amp could be a realistic alternative to a tub full of pedals, especially for someone who is just playing at home (like me). The trick would be to find one that has the tones you want.

I recently bought a Fender Mustang Micro and I’m really impressed with the modeling in this tiny little thing not much bigger than a key fob. It costs $120, which is about what you’d pay for one of the cheaper pedals. You might want to check into it.

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by phydaux

I've always considered electric guitar to be "the same but different" as my acoustic guitar. But lately I'm starting to wonder if that's a wrong approach.

I just want to play music I like. Sometimes that country, sometimes that's blues or classic rock & roll, and sometimes that's jazzy-sounding stuff.

This is all a matter of personal perspective, really is no right answer. I'm in the "same but different" camp. It's real easy to overthink this stuff, especially early in the game.

You could play everything you listed with just a Tele (or most anything else,) a 15-watt cleanish amp, and a Boss Blues Driver.

For live playing, IMO, modeling is nowhere as good or as easy as pedals.

Play the strings that feel good to you, forget all the blather about tone. I saw Beato's video too, and though I certainly heard the differences IMO none of the differences were significant.

Get 2-3 basic sounds (clean, breakup, crunch) and a guitar with strings that are easy to play, and go learn songs.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Originally Posted by GoPappy

I recently bought a Fender Mustang Micro and I’m really impressed with the modeling in this tiny little thing not much bigger than a key fob. It costs $120, which is about what you’d pay for one of the cheaper pedals. You might want to check into it.

I bought the Mustang Micro based on the reviews people left in here, and I am in love with that little box of magic! I haven't touched the Boss Katana since it showed up. Best $120 I ever spent (on guitar related stuff I mean.)

[rmp]

Should I consider electric guitar a whole different instrument from acoustic guitar?

yes.

100%

an entirely different animal.

[perttime]

I have two acoustics, and they respond to picking very differently. One really appreciates a light touch. Same idea with electrics. You need to adjust the way you play to the way the guitar responds.

You don't have to go down the rabbit hole of pedals, with electrics, any more than you have to go down the rabbit hole of finding the perfect combination of woods with acoustic guitars.

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Totally depends on how you play.

To me, they're more like different colors in a pallete, not different instruments.

This pretty much. (How you play, plus the type of music you want to play).

[Glennwillow]

I think the electric guitar has more in common with the acoustic guitar than it does with a banjo. So, they are definitely related.

As others have noted, it depends on how you use an electric guitar. In the same recording session I can use an electric in a way very similar to an acoustic and then when playing lead lines it feels very different.

I use 12s on my acoustics and 10s on my electrics, except I use 12s on my Eastman archtop jazz guitar. I bought some 11s for my electrics but have never gotten around to putting them on. I think 11s will be particularly useful for my Telecaster.

- Glenn