Topic: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

OUR ANTHEM SHOULD BE "THE GUITAR MAN" by David Gates & BREAD.

Nosy and curious as I am, I want probably the IMPOSSIBLE.
What is the ratio: ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC.

I have to ask my question in a few ways.

- How many players play only acoustic?
- How many players play only electric?
Probably more easy, because most of us, I think, play both, so:
- What do you prefer to play: acoustic above electric?
- Electric above acoustic?
It is getting more complicate:
- If you play acoustic and electric: how do you choose the "today's instrument"?

It is a question, interesting for the statistics of why, when, where do you make a choice.
My answer:
I play AND acoustic, AND electric. I noticed that I play more acoustic guitar, because it sounds so "heavenly", me and my guitar. Sometimes, I go to a room, full of electrics (I have the luck to live almost without neighbours, so I can play real loud: why? because for me it is like a treatment, SHOUT, PLAYING LOUD, and in 70% using effects.
I think that the mood of the day is important. There are days that I only want to play electric as reaction on something.
I prefer ACOUSTIC: it makes me calm, you have a sweet crystal clear sound AND YOU HEAR EVERY WRONG NOTE.
Need your help real bad on this one

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

2 (edited by guitargirl21 2007-09-14 19:35:29)

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

hey there,

ive been playing for a couple of years off n on. i started out on an electric but after taking lessons on an acoustic i decided that i would much rather play it than the elcectric and i actullay havent played it for a very lomg time. the cords tangle me up, when i have my acoustic i dont have to worry about it and i can take it anywhere.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Hi Docphil,

I Hope your well and pain free!   

I love Acoustic for its relaxing feeling! Love all  music, but cannot do the real

noisy stuff anymore, the stuff  that leaves your ears ringing for a week!

Sure Doc, i cry if someone Shouts or  Raises there voice to me! So real loud noise and i dont gel anymore...

Have a good Evening Doc!

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Hey Doc,
For me it is what mood I am in or what mood I would like to be in.  For instance if I am really tired after a 'hard days night' (everyday) but have more to do then my electric stirs me up and I am off and ready for anything.  On the other hand, if I want to chill out then the acoustic is the one for me.........but I have been known to do the opposite too!!!  I have not been playing the electric long and so I guess I am still as keen as mustard.  But if I was to only be able to select one then it would be the acoustic just in case the power was down for a month or two!!  So in answer to your question, I am an acoustic player who plays electric ?

"If You Always Do What You've Always Done - You'll Always Get What You've Always Got !"

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Well dearest OLD DOLL and fellow chordian Don Corleone (original nickname), and of course guitar girl ( I saw your name already a lot, but I never had the pleasure to ask if you are a US citizen.
What Don tells about the mood determinating which instrument to use, well Don, you took the words of my mouth.
More, the songs I play, existing songs, or own compositions, and the same thing listening to music: there are moments I listen to "sugar sweet ballads" changing or switching to bands like Smashing Pumpkins or Metallica, INCLUDING THE SONGS I PLAY, (also from ballads to heavy rock) are almost 75% influenced by my mood. This is so fascinating that I will make again a topic, because it is (not because I am a man of science) real interesting to see what other people, do. I think that most of us own and an acoustic and an electric guitar.You all are a great help, and as I always SHOUT
_____________________________________________________________________________

CHORDIE RULES

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I have been approached with this question so many times..  Electric or acoustic ? ..  Its easy for me..  If you are a singer/songwriter, your inevitable choice is acoustic.. You can play anywere, anytime with nothing but your voice, your song, and your guitar..  Playing only electric limits you to studio or stage.. With acoustic, you have no limitations.    There is nothing better than a fireside jam in a remote area with the moon and stars at your back and your best friends at your side..    The best songs are written on those nights..   Peace.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I like your question. ive been playing for years religiously, and im lucky enoph to have collected a veriaty of different guitars. some days i play electric when i wanna get loud or dirty. and yes the acoustic does sound Heavenly. but there is a word full of Semi hollow, fully hollow, nylon strings vs steel, and even really fun stuff like acoustic resanators. some days i play one guitar others i play all of them even the bass. and i guess it all depends on what sounds u wanna make.

ps. my fav guitar is still my gretch electromatic (fully-hollow electric)

To be the Best you must first understand the Best
To understand the Best you must become the Best
When you become the Best I Wonder....
Who will become better than You?

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Solely acoustic, but just because I can't afford an electric lol, I'm a poor college kid

You have to forget about what other people say; when you're supposed to die, when you're supposed to be lovin'. You have to forget about all these things. You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.
                                                        -James Marshall Hendrix

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

i used to play electric when i had i micraphone(my old keyboardist stole it)) now i just play acoustic because as guitardocphil said it sounds so heavenly. i try fingerpicking on the electric but it doesnt sound as good as an acoustic.

Everything is bad including me
But being bad is good policy
Reverend Horton Heat

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Acoustic...mainly for the sake of my family. Even the dog looks for a place to hide when I pick up the instrument.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

If someone asked me what I like to play: electric or acoustic, my answer would be very similar with DON CORLEONE. As I told already I am blessed to have a nice collection, but you can't play them all.
I play 80% acoustic, and 20% electric.
WHAT is the easiest way to start playing: for me definitely ELECTRIC. The neck is long and thin, and it is a lot easier to play, but then I changed my mind, if you start playing acoustic, you will play easier the electric. Plug it in, add some distortion, some delay and a few other effects, you will play so loud and mistakes while playing are a lot more difficult to spot, using electric. Skip all effects, take a crystal clear sound OR take an acoustic, and you will hear every little mistake.
A strange fact: because I play and acoustic and electric, I am really surprised that I was able to play typical electric songs acoustic, using the same riffs and licks as on an electric.
Who else has a similar experience?
____________________________________________________________________________

GITAARDOCPHIL SINGS; THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I'm still in the merely strumming phase, so I'm acoustic.  If I go electric, it'll be to play some of the old rockabilly songs or surf songs trying to get that Danelectro sound.  But for now, acoustic all the way.  Occaissionally I pull down my electric and play it like an acoustic if I'm having a sleepless night and don't want to wake folks.  I just play it unplugged so only I can hear it.  Gives my fingers a work out anyway. 

- Big D

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I played my acoustic for 5 years before I got my electric--just a few months ago.  I remember hitting my first chord...and it was wierd, the sound was coming from across the room...not from the insturment.  I know, you're all saying "duh" it's an ELECTRIC guitar; the sound comes from the amp!  But with my acoustic, there is this organic quality to the playing experience....the sound is coming from the insturment...seems to be resonating from me, sometimes.  There's this intmacy with my acoustic that I don't know if I'll get from my electric.  Don't get me wrong, I love to crank up the gain and go crazy...but I have to say I'm an acoustic guy.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I love to pick up the electric as often as I can, but nothing beats the sound of a nice acoustic.

15 (edited by dguyton 2007-10-15 17:59:06)

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I too currently have a 'selection' of guitars in my home, and the one I'm picking up the most is my hollowbody electric.  But I seldom play it plugged in.  I love the sound of a straight accoustic, but this particular guitar is far and away the easiest to play that I have ever touched.  Plus, it sounds great too. smile

"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
                              --David St. Hubbins

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I'm strictly acoustic but only because I haven't found the right hollow body guitar under $5,000.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I've paid attention the last 5 days, and strange enough, I played 6 minutes on a Gibson Flying V, faded, and compared to other Gibsons, cheap. I tuned the V, and tried it out (last time was long ago), a killer, but in my situation very difficult to play (I can not stand right for 2 minutes) and is there a kind of solution to play while I sit dawn?
Acoustic: 60 minutes. My best acoustic is the martin D-45V, but she has to be tuned a lot (caused by old strings), in fact I prefer the HD-28, she never lets me down, and the sound blows everything away. So, final conclusion: more acoustic. But as some people know, due to an accident, and being home for almost 3 years, still a fact that I don't accept, but since 1 September, I started to reorganise my live. There was a time that 09.00h was still the middle of the night for me, even when I went to sleep at 23.00. Now, when I open my eyes, my day starts. As usual, I don't eat, I have more a kind of Brunch between 12.30 and 14.00h, I start to see my email, followed by chordie, being on line 4-5 hours, and late in the afternoon.I rest more, watching a movie, BUT I HAVE TO AVOID THINKING ABOUT MY DAY, and while resting, it is also guitar time.
Playing acoustic: you hear every mistake, the style is more a J.Fogerty style using a lot of similar licks, like used in Susie Q, and I have to admit that my skills are improved a lot since chordie, I always find an answer on a lot of questions here. Playing electric with a Flying V, through a Cybertwin!!! Thank God that there are only 2 houses where I live, and the second is 100 metres from my house, so Cyber on 4, is already to loud, but it works fine when I feel bad.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

IVE Got both A and E however I prefer Acoustic!!  I've got a 6 string Yamaha CPX 700, a 6 string classical GITANO, a 12 string TAKAMINE EF381SC, and a PRS Standard Mohagany ELECTRIC.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

etc_04 wrote:

Solely acoustic, but just because I can't afford an electric lol, I'm a poor college kid

Ditto! Only I'm a poor high school kid. wink I'd play both if I could though.

I'm a musician; I can [color=blue]Handel[/color] it!

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I dig playing both but its almost imposible to play all by my onesies on an electric.  Tried it once, not so good...  If ever the day comes that I can get with another band, I'll bring it out again but until then it will stay in mothballs.  That being said, my Alvarez RC-8C is one of my most valued possessions.  I use it to perform solo gigs, amuse friends around the campfire, relax, learn new tunes, just about anything.  Plus, I can pick it up and tinker with it for a minute or so while waiting for my wife to finish getting ready to go out and not have to worry about flipping switches or waiting for the tubes to warm up in the amp.  I also love the way a song sounds if you can successfully strip it down to a bare acoustic sound like STP did with Plush or Dave Grohl did with Everlong.

The less one makes declarative statements, the less one is apt to look foolish in retrospect.  -Q. Tarrentino, Four Rooms

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

I have both...most of the time I play electric...and each electric has it's own sound and personality (acoustics too!) for backyard jamming and country stuff I'll often play an acoustic...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

helloo00... This is my first posting.... I am a electric/bass/acoustic guitar player from San Antonio Tx.

Re: CURIOSITY KILLS THE GUITAR

Acoustic all the way! I have a couple of electrics but I'd say I've played them a total of 2 hours in the past year. I even prefer my acoustics without (visible) electronics.  I've just always prefered the natural sound. It's me and the guitar that's it. If I play with friends I'd rather mic my guitar then plug in. I've tried to get into electric but it's no use..I play it for a few minutes then reach for the acoustic shaking my head and yep, I'm at home again:) Peace!

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]