Acoustic Guitars Acoustic for an electric player ?

PeterSchroeder

Munich, Germany
I love to play the electric, being halfway through BGU after doing BBG. Last year I had a weekend out with friends where people played acoustic, loved the simplistic grab and play approach and got myself a used acoustic from one of the guys. Back home I started practising some basic acoustic blues stuff from the playing on the porch series but although I love the rich sound the guitar is way too bulky for my liking (it´s an Ibanez dreadnaught, neck feels a lot like my electrics which makes it easier for me to swap). Simply can´t handle it while sitting (and I mainly practise sitting). Guess I got to sell the dread because all it´s doing is collecting dust. But I´d love to play acoustic. Any advice for a replacement ? It should sound reasonable for strumming and picking and be a lot less bulky than a dread. And it should come with some pickup, I like to occasionally record my practise sessions and don´t have microphones. Main purpose nevertheless is play averywhere, on the porch, on travel, maybe even sitting on the couch. Guitar stores are not that easy to get to for me, I know that testing is mandatory, but I´d at least twant o have some ideas once I get to one. I guess the main question is - how small and or thin they could possibly get and still have decent tone ?
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I'd look at parlor size guitars. They are smaller but still sound good.
I'd also recommend looking at The Taylor T5 (or T5z if you've got a few extra $$) I have one, and I love it. It sounds great plugged in, It can sound like an electric or an acoustic. Unplugged, it doesn't have the deep throaty bottom end of a regular acoustic, but It works for me.
 

Gunrunner

Blues and Bird Dogs
I agree with both of Mike’s suggestions; if you go the parlor route check out the PRS Tonare, a great little guitar for the money. I bought one for camp/travel use and am very pleased with it.
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
I don't know enough about what's out there to have any specific recommendations, but I did find this article that might offer some ideas for consideration.


EDIT: my personal acoustic is a PRS Angelus, which I like a lot. It replaced a large dreadnaught that I had the same size problems with. The Angelus has great tone and a more manageable body size, and the ad copy when I bought it touted how the neck design had a lot in common with electrics (which PRS has more experience with). Not sure about that last, but it does feel nice when playing it. I did have the action lowered a bit on mine.
 

Jay Dee

Blues addicted
I am playing a Guild OM-140ce, it's an all solid wood guitar that has the smaller body. I got an open box at Sweetwater for about $600. It sounds big and plays great.
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
I'll jump on the parlor-size bandwagon, too. PRS has a couple of great ones in that size, so does Ibanez iirc. I've never tried a "thinline" acoustic that sounded good unplugged - and I don't think any of them are really designed for that.

A lot of builders offer mid-sized guitars with a bevel on the lower bout to relieve a little pressure on your strumming arm, though those tend to be costlier models.

The Taylor Grand Auditorium and I think also the Grand Symphony series are somewhere in between a dreadnaught and parlor. The Grand Concert is also on the smaller side, maybe close to a parlor. I find the GA 314ce I have to be much more wieldy than my full-size dreadnaught Takamine (my first guitar, a D-18 copy which I've now had for 49 years!). You can also give the Taylor mini and Baby Taylor guitars a try. I believe Martin has models with similar body shapes to all of these, but I'm not as familiar with their line.

I'd also suggest you don't discount an acoustic right away because of the thickness - you may need to spend a significant amount of time getting used to it, but I think eventually you would find the feel of it to be perfectly normal.
 
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CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
I used to live aboard a boat so, I needed a guitar that would hold up to any conditions.
I grabbed a Composit Acoustic carbon fiber travel guitar, I love it!
It pays like an electric, sounds great, travels with no issues.
They don't make them anymore but, they are availble on the used market.




Here's a few songs samples:
 
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Elwood

Blues
Parlor size is great, with caveats. They can sound less than satisfying to me. The size is good but the guitar still has to entice me with a full sound.

When I got my 314ce I had been playing my Martin Dred. The change was very noticeable and welcome. The Grand Auditorium size Taylor is a delight. Smaller body and just real easy to hug into and play. The sound is full and great and the neck is really nice by me.

The next size smaller in the Taylor world, the Grand Concert is an amazing size. Smaller than the 314, even more of the "hug and play feel". The sound is amazing, especially from the 12 fret models.

I just flat out love my Taylor GS Mini. Some say the neck is too small, good to try one out first. I spend more time on my GS Mini than a few of the rest combined. All the Taylors sound fantastic plugged in or not.

I picked up a PRS P-20 for my grandson. It is a nice guitar, and a true parlor size (it is actually bigger than my mini). I am just spoiled by the Taylors. to me the neck is not as totally playable (I'm probably just not as used to it, naw I don't think so :) ). And the sound is "thinner" and less satisfying to my ear.

I have tried lots of parlor size guitars at the shops and I see why they get a bad rap for sound. Beauty is in the eye, right? I would just be sure that my little guitar does not sound like one. That is why I love the Mini, it's like a fiesta chihuahua, little dog with a big dog attitude.

I would suggest that you keep the dred, at least for a while. Nothing like being able to bounce back and forth to confirm that you are on "your" right path.

And, to me playing an electric guitar not plugged in is just that. Not even in the same range of topics as playing an acoustic. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with doing that, it's just not playing an acoustic - to me.

On board electrics are great! I would agree to have that on my list if desired features, as long as the system sounds good.

Good luck!

edit: If I were to get another I would be looking real hard at a Taylor GTe, probably in mahogany. It is a little bigger than a mini, a little smaller than a GC, and come with the ES-2 system which has been reliable and sounds great.
 
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Tayport

Blues Newbie
I bought a Yamaha Thin Line APX series several years ago, I can't remember the exact model number but they are pretty similar in that series. It has a really comfortable neck, kind of like my like my Strat and came with a built in pick up and tone controls. I put lighter gauge 10's on it and it is very playable compared to my first acoustic, a Jumbo Fender. Unplugged it doesn't have the depth or resonance of my GS Mini which is a great guitar, but I always seem to gravitate towards that Yamaha, it just a comfortable guitar for me.
 

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
Before purchasing a new guitar, you might consider trying to use a guitar strap and adjust the guitar so it is slightly above or on your leg while seated.

It is best to physically try a guitar before purchasing it, whenever possible. Let us know how it goes. Then you can be off to Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed! Good luck. :cool::)

By the way, I love Munich! Lovely city and great people with so much beautiful music. My favorite German Bier is Spaten. My brother in law was from Neuss, Germany.

Tom
 

Rick23

Blues Newbie
I have shoulder and neck issues that make a dread too uncomfortable for me to play. Picked up a “Little Martin“ a couple years back and its much more comfortable and allows me to play when I get in an acoustic mood.
 

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
Peter i am like you i am an electric player.

I recently bought one acoustic returned it 10 days later bought another a prs se ( not parlor sized ).

It feels so different holding and playing an acoustic and my bands been busy so i havent used it recently.

I think though that making a goal of picking it up and playing it 3 or 4 times a week for 10 or 15 minutes will gradually make it feel less weird. Planning on doing that once i retire.

Here is my acoustic you have to have one you like or its not going to get picked up.DAD1DA06-1437-4A41-809F-ADF5151C8B19.jpeg
 

blackcoffeeblues

Student Of The Blues
Ovation makes some nice smaller models with the electronics built in--I THINK the are AURA (probably wrong there) you can find them reasonably cheap, they also sound good unplugged I like the neck too-felt good easy to play--the only problem I have experienced with them is they tend to slide off my lap.
 

PeterSchroeder

Munich, Germany
Thanks a lot for all your replies. Short update from my side as I haven´t been near a store yet...

- next door neighbor got a Taylor GS Mini and I could give it a short test run yesterday. Massive sound for such a small little guitar ! The neck also feels great but my meaty fingers struggle a wee bit with the short scale length which makes the frets pretty narrow. Especially on the higher frets averything feels pretty cramped. Those two inches seem to make a big difference. Will have a look and test drive parlor, 00 and 000 sizes once I get the chance to do so.

- when I change my rather sloppy sitting position to a more upright, classical position, place my left foot on a bench and the guitar on my left leg event the dread doesn´t feel that bulky any more. Never played the acoustic with a strap because I never played it standing up either, might give that a try, too. Come to think of it, This feels a lot more like my position when I play the electric - always with a strap... either gotta get a dedicated strap for my acoustic or swap the strap lock pins on the dread so that I can use my preferred straps which all sport security locks...

- I also almost discarded the requirement for a pickup or preamp. When I practise in my guitar cave I mostly play electric anyway and recording equipment is not mobile, so why bother. Will never perform live anyway.

What position do you guys play in ? Checking some older threads in the board it seems like everyone got his own preference here. One thing which I associate with playing acoustic is relax on the porch and bench and strap doesn´t quite fit that image...
 

Elwood

Blues
Yeah @PeterSchroeder the mini can be tight, especially if you are not used to it. If I play Griff's 7th chord inversions I have to think ahead to place my fingers for the A7 at the 14th fret, it's tight. I usually do use a different guitar for exercises. The mini is my fun guitar. The thing I notice with my fat fingers is that more detailed finger picking can get tight, and if I'm, not careful sometimes my LH fingernail will rattle against an adjacent moving string. On the flip side, because it is compact I can more easily reach some things to play that on other guitars. Like reaching for notes while chording, playing the "rocking blues" type patterns most commonly done in the open E and A positions where the pinky has to reach, those things are stupid easy. I figure out lots of stuff on the mini, even if I end up playing it on a larger guitar. And, as you observed, it sounds great if you even give it a chance (mine is a Koa, I bought my son a mahogany, either one sounds amazing to me.
When I play an acoustic for something I am trying to do real tidy, like doing exercises or recording something, I use a strap. Even if the strap is slack it helps to index the guitar to a familiar position with respect to my body, and that helps my consistency. Up 'till a couple of years ago I was a "use the strap all the time guy". Now after some inconvenience with my neck and shoulders that resulted in surgery I am more prone to play without the strap if I'm just goofing, noodling and such, playing and relaxing. One thing I notice is that if I play without a strap and get involved in what I'm doing, trying to play something that requires more attention, I end up kinda wrapping my upper body around the guitar. Poor posture, the strap is much better and I end up sliding the strap on to remedy the posture. Just kicked back in the shade in the yard I probably grabbed the mini and even though the strap is always attached it's may or may not be around my neck.
Trying to stand, sing while playing, or record something I use a strap.
Be slow to rule out any on board pickup system. A while back I had my Martin dred as my acoustic. At that time I totally thought that if I want something to plug in I'll just plug in my tele, done! My Taylors changed all that over time. The electrics on the guitar are hardly noticeable and when you want them they are there and ready to go. As I mentioned in another thread, recording an acoustic with a mic or two and using the onboard electrics really gives you lots of options, lots of good ones. Unless you have a way better crystal ball than I do you might be wise to allow that after you get used to a good acoustic, you will play it more. Then you will realize limitations you would not have before.
Size, that is a real personal thing. Folks that actually dig in and evaluate acoustics at least as much as folks do their electrics often find that there are benefits and detriments to various sizes in guitars. How much you flat pick, finger pick, or strum can sure affect your preference. A big dred (my Martin is built with the D-14 size body, full size Martin dred specs) has a full bass sound typically, along with great volume and projection. I think for playing with an all acoustic group using a dred and trying not to stand in the back of the group would be wise. I don't need that level of output from my guitars acoustically and I do value comfort so the Taylor 314 size (Grand Auditorium size) was a huge improvement in comfort and still has good projection. Arguably more articulate also. I love the Grand Concert size in the 12 fret build! that is the best all 'round acoustic to my preference for tons of reasons, pretty steep ransom on those guitars though.
The mini is the smallest I own and it usually sits somewhere close to where I am. I think my wife actually hangs it up to put it away more often than I do, I'm in change of putting it back in the way after she is done :).
No matter what strap I use or position I assume the dred just feels too big for me these days. My right arm is cocked up to get over the lower bout and I end up shifting my body around to get comfortable playing it. Of course I never was aware of that when the dred was my only acoustic.

Oh yeah, I'm an electric player also and I have a few very nice electrics. I just find that I do play my acoustic more as time passes. I don't really care for playing along with jam tracks that much (excepting the VJR!) and just sitting a playing it is more fun for me to play a nice sounding acoustic, you have the rhythm, bass and lead all right there all the time, you just have to figure out how to play them - and the guitars always sound good without fiddling with amps or effects and such.

There is way too much info for you, I hope some was interesting or helpful.

One last thought. Taylor has a "new" model out, the GTe. It is between the mini and the GC bodies size wise. I don't even want to go try one (yes I do ;)) because I'm afraid I might like it too much and it might want to follow me home. I just betcha that is a sweet little guitar!

All the best!
 

Elwood

Blues
You big bad enabler you!!!!!:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
I am afraid that I am mainly enabling myself. I haven't even gone to a shop to buy strings lately. I just know one of those GTes is lurking, just waiting to gets its scales into me. That is exactly how I bought my first Taylor, I went to buy string and there it was, on clearance. Now I see a GTe now and then on clearance already, not in mahogany though. Still, I better just stay away for a while.
 

PeterSchroeder

Munich, Germany
@Elwood - tons of valuable hints, thanks a lot, I really appreciate that ! I guess it boils down to the question whether to substitute or complement the dread. Yesterday I mounted a strap to my dread and played it for an hour or so (practising chords n stuff) in classic position before I switched to my tele for some rockin` tones. Really enjoyed it but would never consider taking the dread for a break on the porch. Looks like I´ll get the chance to test a parlor, 00 and 000 Martin clones from a company called Sigma) tomorrow in a store, maybe that will give me some insight.

Btw, had a look at the GTe online, but that´s way beyond my budget limits.
 

dan5150

Shredding the Blues

I have the USA Stratocaster version (I got it as a "blem" from Sweetwater), and I love it. They also have the "player" series which is the same thing just made the Mexico factory and has a few less sounds. 99% of the time I play it unplugged.
 
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