Ever ditch electric all together??

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

Some fellows invited me to practice with them on Thursday nights.
I got a Gibson SG on Reverb and had a great time of it for about a year. One of
the drummers that came was REALLY LOUD, though. The combination of him
just a few feet away and the Hammond organ's Leslie speakers
when they got spun up was too much for me... tinnitus... I should put
the SG on the classifieds ...

-Mike

Stay away from me then...



Actually, I play pretty quietly because I've got to save my ears.

Bob

[raysachs]

I've come MUCH closer to ditching acoustic a couple of times than I ever have to ditching electric. But even thought it was much closER, it wasn't particularly close. I've always loved both. I'm a better electric player and electric music was what made me WANT to play in the first place. Lately I'm playing much more acoustic than electric, WAAAAY more actually, but there's no way in hades I'd ever ditch electric. My greatest music joy these days comes from recording songs, now that my singing is slightly less terrible than it used to be - it'll never be a strength, but it's usually not quite as much of an "ewwww, YUCK!" weakness as it has been.

Almost every song I record starts with just playing and singing the song into one mic with an acoustic guitar. Then I'll usually add a second vocal track, sometimes a second rhythm track (usually electric), and almost always some sort of lead break, which can be either acoustic or electric. But in almost every case, before I try laying down a lead, I'll play the progression on electric into my looper, and practice improvising over it, figuring out what key or scale or combination thereof feels right for that particular progression. I might play for 15-30 minutes, just basically jamming, to start to get a feel for how to approach a lead on that tune. That's always done on electric. And then I'll record the lead, which may or may not be electric, but if it fits the material at all, it usually sounds better on electric.

So, no, no way. Acoustic and electric are both here to stay. And even though I play much more acoustic these days, I only have one acoustic, but two electrics. Because they make radically enough different sounds that it seems to matter to me to have both available. Whereas to me, a good acoustic sounds like a good acoustic and the subtle variations between the sounds of different acoustics don't make much difference to me. If it sounds good to me, that's all I need.

-Ray

[Lillis]

Well just the opposite here. I just ordered my first electric yesterday! A semi hollow body. I just hope I don’t go down too many rabbit holes with various gear.

[Steve DeRosa]

Went all-acoustic (other than home practice) shortly after Woodstock, didn't pick up an electric for nearly fifteen years - last band I was in our bass player had significant hearing loss and the drummer had tinnitus, so I probably saved my hearing as a result (didn't attend too many concerts either)...

[Bluesdale]

Originally Posted by 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?

Back to the original OP's comment about no amps. Part of my electric playing passion has been fueled by experimenting with cool amps and effect pedals. I tried the direct thing with a REVV 20 and immediately returned it. It just did not have the feel and sound of a good tube amp.

[zombywoof]

I like other geezers stared off on acoustic but after seeing the Beatles on the Sullivan show with those electric guitars just knew I had to get me one of those. I spent the next couple of decades dividing my time between both. But along the way I just pretty much stopped playing electrics and maybe 15 years ago finally started selling them off so that today I only have one Supro lap steel. Letting go of my 1958 Tele though was one of the hardest thing I ever had to do. Although I had not been playing it that guitar had been with me a long time, long enough that after I sold it I was having nightmares about it being gone.

[KevWind]

Like Steve I stopped playing electric sometime around the time of Woodstock. But I went entirely acoustic for 47 years and only got back into electric 5 years ago, and am loving it . I play both now regularly

[Mr Bill]

In the '90s I found myself no longer in a band, not wanting to be in one, and had done nothing but play acoustic for several years, so I sold my Les Paul and my Telecaster.

About ten months ago, I bought an Ibanez AF75 (waited about 4 months for it to ship) to get back into some electric playing. It's been fun, but without the band context it has a lot of limitations.

What I would really like to do is set it up to play like an acoustic; doesn't have to sound like one, just the acoustic action - but I keep putting it off. Don't even know if it's feasible.

[FrankHudson]

I've had phases with different emphasis, but never a long one or the other exclusively time.

For those that have liked both I suspect a lot "ditch the electric altogether" swings may be related to a turn to playing by oneself at home as their only outlet.

There's actually no reason not to play an electric solo with enough chops (e. g. Joe Pass) or with singer-songwriter chops (e.g. Jeff Buckley Sin-E or John Lee Hooker 78s.) But we don't have a widespread tradition of those things.

Some just playing at home electric players use drum machines, backing tracks, playing along to commercial recordings, or my currently favored choice: "One Man Band" multitrack recording.

Maybe what the world needs now is an outbreak of middle-aged and above garage bands.

[M Sarad]

I did a 15 year acoustic only stint. It was very enjoyable.

[keith.rogers]

Yes, a couple years ago. Part of my restarting guitar playing after decades off was playing in a praise team and that was 98% electric, which was a lot of my playing as a kid, too (though I've always considered myself an acoustic player, first).

After I stopped playing in church, I still kept the electrics for jams and occasional recording/noodling. But I thinned down to one, and with my hearing bothering me more, decided I just didn't want to even be tempted to join in an electric jam, and so it was gone over a year ago now.

Of course, the near subsequent shutdown/isolation stuff took the jamming thing off the table, so it was pretty easy to not miss. Not going back though - decided my next self-torture implement will be a mandolin .

[reeve21]

I never owned an electric until a couple of years ago when a neighbor gifted me her grown son's starter guitar, a Yamaha Pacifica. He eventually moved on to a Les Paul.

I always wanted an electric. Preferably a telecaster (the Pacifica is more strat-ish). I've played the thing 2 or 3 times, all in the first month I had it. It seems like a completely different instrument and the sounds I got were not pleasing. I did use it for some rhythm on a recording I made, that was more fun.

I don't think I'm electric guy. I've eliminated 50 per of all potential sources of GAS

[Hoyt]

I've sold all my electric guitars. The last few I had were hollow-bodies that were similar to acoustic guitars in sound and feel. Don't really have a desire to play electric again. My main acoustics can sound like a clean telecaster if I want that sound.

I did keep my Fender Precision Bass just in case I need to make some serious noise. Also kept a modded Fender Champ 600, again just in case. Sold the more expensive amps.

Nowadays, I play solo, usually at night while watching TV.

[89bruin]

My first decade of playing I was electric only … then period of mainly electric & some acoustic but when I quit playing in the praise & worship bands I sold off my American Strat & Tele, the McInturff Royal and my amps and focused on acoustic. I hadn’t owned an electric for almost two decades before starting a Berklee online program that led to picking up two Gretsch Streamliners. It’s been fun but I suspect my electric playing will taper off dramatically post Berklee.

[Dru Edwards]

Great thread!

I've never considered ditching the electric. I got my first electric in '87 and started playing in bands within a year (although very poorly).

I also played acoustic during that entire period too. Some years I spend more on one versus the other but I've never thought about ditching either.