Can you get away with more playing unplugged?

[thechariot1x]

So I don't know if others have felt this way also, but I have noticed that I'll play some songs on my acoustic and feel good about how cleanly I play them. Then I will plug my acoustic in to my acoustic amp and notice lots of little imperfections i didn't notice before. Has anyone else found this?

[mr. beaumont]

Well, think about it...an amplifier amplifies everything...not just the good stuff. So yes, I'd say that's pretty common.

[jseth]

Yep... that's what "amplification" means, all right...

I would add that it is definitely an art form to learn how "to play" your pickup system and amplifier... some techniques need to be toned down, while others need to be strengthened to compensate for whatever your pickup does to the signal...

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

So I don't know if others have felt this way also, but I have noticed that I'll play some songs on my acoustic and feel good about how cleanly I play them. Then I will plug my acoustic in to my acoustic amp and notice lots of little imperfections i didn't notice before. Has anyone else found this?

Hi tc1x

Nope.

• I'm not trying to get away with anything…
• I KNOW when I mess up, so even if others don't notice, I'm still not getting away with anything.
• I play in a pretty quiet space in the house, and I hear the mistakes even when I'm not plugged in.

If I mess up at a gig (or my playing partner grabs a handful-of-hogs), I just look at him, we laugh out loud…and we keep making music.

We are certainly are better than when we started, but we are not bullet-proof. Especially given that we tend to improvise and mix in sometimes spontaneous instrumental solos with our singing.

[Andy Howell]

Playing acoustically also lets the natural harmonics of a guitar sing. Amplification doesn't really do that, indeed, we spend $$$ on trying to re-introduce harmonics back into recorded music!

[HOF dad]

tc1x......I'm experiencing the same thing.
I just got my first acoustic amp a month or so ago. I love playing though it and utilizing the chorus and reverb - they add so much to certain songs...but...
my little flaws don't fly under the radar nearly as much.
I agree with jseth - I need to work on different techniques when I plug in.
Just another skill set to add, I suppose.

[Mr. Jelly]

There can be some compression going on when an amplifier is used. So quit nuances have equal weight with louder notes.

[G-Money]

might a limiter pedal effect help minimize and smooth over these imperfections?

[Chipotle]

I think it's an artifact of hearing what you're playing from an "external" source, a bit like when you record something and listen back.

When it's all-acoustic, the sound is coming from right there at your fingertips; it's easy to "hear what you want to hear". But when hearing it from another source a ways away, your ear can separate better what your hands are doing vs the sounds that are being produced.

That's my theory, anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

So I don't know if others have felt this way also, but I have noticed that I'll play some songs on my acoustic and feel good about how cleanly I play them. Then I will plug my acoustic in to my acoustic amp and notice lots of little imperfections i didn't notice before. Has anyone else found this?

I practice playing plugged for that reason. The amp doesn't candy-coat anything and serves as a crusty old schoolmarm demanding perfection.

[HOF dad]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

I think it's an artifact of hearing what you're playing from an "external" source, a bit like when you record something and listen back.

When it's all-acoustic, the sound is coming from right there at your fingertips; it's easy to "hear what you want to hear". But when hearing it from another source a ways away, your ear can separate better what your hands are doing vs the sounds that are being produced.

That's my theory, anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

interesting point....I thinks there's a lot of truth there

[TBman]

You've reached another level of self-awareness as it applies to guitar playing. So now what you have to do is practice more plugged in and make those noises go away through improved technique. You'll probably have to slow things down at first, but over time you'll be able to move faster. It calls for a lighter touch on the strings. I ran into the same thing when I started to record myself with mics up close. With mics though you have to watch how you breathe too.

[51 Relic]

In my playing environment ( leading worship music ) I tend to use my amp as a means of making my guitar louder ( over 50+singing voices ) and they are all singing at you . When I plug in I never change the way I attack the strings or play the guitar I try to play the same just let the amp do the work at a volume that's required . I use a Transacoustic LLTA or a SLG200s silent guitar so I use the effects built in the instruments. I never plug in at home and to be honest during reflective moments in our services I'll just play pure unplugged if I can . I had the pleasure of seeing Ralph McTell live a few months ago his guitars sounded great all night as they should just louder through the PA

If your REALLY want to hear your mistakes, record yourself. Ouch!

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by TBman

You've reached another level of self-awareness as it applies to guitar playing. So now what you have to do is practice more plugged in and make those noises go away through improved technique. You'll probably have to slow things down at first, but over time you'll be able to move faster. It calls for a lighter touch on the strings. I ran into the same thing when I started to record myself with mics up close. With mics though you have to watch how you breathe too.

Yep, this sums it up well. When I first started playing open mics, I was freaked out by how different, and sometimes how badly, my acoustic guitar sounded through the amp.

I went and bought a cheap amp and it sounded so bad I didn't really use it much.

Then I went and bought a really good quality acoustic amp after hearing a friends (AER). Then before the next open mic I practiced for some hours with a mic in my face and the guitar through the amp. Wow, that really improved my open mic performance out of sight.

Now that I'm doing many more open mics and a small number of cafe gigs, I rehearse with the amp always in the days leading up to the performance. The subtle differences all meld into one good sound.