Ever ditch electric all together??

[Mr.Woody]

I've been playing mostly acoustic these last couple of years, and despite buying some new electric gear last year, it's just not as appealing as it used to be. Part of that could be that I sold all my amps and I've been going direct which means playing through headphones every time I want to practice. But, it seems like every time I start playing along with anything, it's just a struggle play anything that I'm satisfied with. I end up just playing acoustic for the simplicity and the ease of accompanying myself solo.

Most of my guitar playing has been as a worship leader and solo performer, so I'm very well adapted to acoustic and carrying the rhythm/chords. But, when it comes to electric, I don't really know what to do in a band context other than play chords. Don't get me wrong, I can really dial in some amazing sounds with the gear I have, but I don't think like an electric guitarist kind of the way a guitarist doesn't think like a bass player despite the similarities.

Anyone ever ditch all the electric stuff and just have acoustics?

[donlyn]

Ever ditch electric all together??

Pretty close. Kept my favorite Les Paul standard and a small amp, but haven't played electric, or even plugged in an electric, in over 30 years

Don
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[j3ffr0]

I used to be primarily electric. I took a break from guitar all together for many years. Since starting again about 13 years ago, I've been almost all acoustic. However, the last six months I have messed with electric some -- it was a requirement for a song idea I had. I feel like it will be fun to mess with every now and then going forward.

Logically -- electric is an instrument I play half decently and can make some noise on, so no reason to totally ditch it. Although, I do favor the simplicity and sonic possibilities of just sitting on my couch with an acoustic of some sort.

[Denandannie]

Twice I left her. My first love was Ibanez and my second was Godin. Neither made me happy. But like a siren she keeps calling me back. One day I hope to find another to love.

[Tannin]

I played electric (badly) in my teens and early twenties, made decent money playing bass (not very well) in my late twenties and early thirties, and did the acoustic singer-songwriter thing all the way through. After that I pretty much stopped playing until I was in my late fifties. Pure acoustic now. I don't sing, I just focus on playing the acoustic guitar as well as I can. Only acoustic, nothing else. Time enough to start singing again if and when I feel I have mastered the instrument, or am at least "good enough". (Whatever "good enough" means!)

EDIT: I do have an electric bass, though I don't seem to play it these days.

[Brucebubs]

I have an excellent Rickenbacker 4003 bass that is a dream to play but never really had the inclination (or skill) to play electric 6 or 12-string.

[JayBee1404]

I started guitar in 1961 when I was 14, playing electric, and I played nothing but electric until around 1975, when I sold all my gear. From then until 1989 I didn’t even pick a guitar up. In 1989 I bought a S/H Yamaha FG-something-or-other, taught myself to finger-pick, and played nothing but acoustic until my 70th birthday in 2017, when my son presented me with a Stratocaster.

I play the Strat occasionally for a few minutes, and I have an emotional attachment to it as a gift from my son, but I don’t play it well nowadays (arthritis problems) and I don’t get the same level of satisfaction that playing acoustic brings me.

[guitarwebguy]

When I was 12 (1962) I started down the acoustic road and I became a teenager I began to add electric guitars and related gear and became about 65% electric and 35% acoustic until around 2000 when I shifted entirely back to acoustic and have sold off all of my electric guitar related gear. I sometimes get the urge to dip my toes back into it but realize I’m not really (and never have been) an electric guitarist. I can play it really well, fit in with a band but my heart’s not in it and I just feel attuned to an acoustic.

[Wade Hampton]

Electric guitar never really caught on for me: two reasons for that is that when I was first getting it together as a guitar player I didn’t have a car to lug around a guitar and amp. The other reason is that I wasn’t in a band but was developing as a soloist, and the acoustic just worked better in that context.


whm

[Glennwillow]

I rarely play electric just for fun, but when I do use electric guitars is during a recording project and these days I am doing recording every week.

I'm glad I never sold off my electric guitars. Modeling has gotten so good that I almost never use the Fender Blues DeVille 410 I bought decades ago. The amp I should sell.

- Glenn

[Mr.Woody]

OP here. Thanks for the responses guys. I know I'm probably just in a phase. I really love playing electric, but if I thought my wife would be on board with me selling all my electric stuff and my Legend to buy a real Banner J-45 or SJ, I'd probably do it. I've been selling off stuff and upgrading for the last few years and now just have the 3 guitars in my sig and a modest pedalboard with some quality stuff. The idea of only owning 1 guitar (well, 2 counting my Grandmother's kid-sized guitar), my Delay/Reverb/ DI pedals, and perhaps a Bose S1 Pro for busking/wedding performances sounds really refreshing.

I've also gotten back into playing piano since being back in school for music, and that has taken a new place of importance in my life.

Keep the stories coming. It's nice to hear of others in the same boat.


Oh, it's also true that I did the "Peter Green mod" to my Les Paul back in the fall and, while it def gives some different sounds, it made setting my pickup volume levels annoying. Maybe swapping that back to normal would cure some of the frustration. Eh, who knows.

[Ray175]

Nope!
I happily switch between electric, acoustic, mando, bass across a wide variety of musical styles. I enjoy the diversity

[mark bowerman]

I'm in the process of dumping all my electric guitar gear having realised the last time I played a live show with one was in 2008.

[packmule]

I played electric about 90% of the time for about 30 years - I was in bands at the time, but got more into acoustic music after that and sold my electric guitars, amps and pedals. Leaving city life to live on a farm also played a role - I like the fact that I can take an acoustic instrument anywhere on my property and sit down and play it.

[AndrewG]

Sold them all except for my favourite T-style which is a great all-rounder. I occasionally get it out and play through a little one-watt tube Marshall combo. My gigging amps are in storage. That being said at my age it's unlikely I'll be out gigging with a band again!