Solo gig- Plugged or unplugged?

I have a solo gig coming up this weekend, at least that is if I can't talk another poor fool into helping me out. At any rate it's not a big deal, just play some background music for a school fundraiser (Casino Night at a local bar), low volume, low pressure, no pay. You get the idea. Basically, i think they asked me to play so they could use my PA for announcements:lol:!

At any rate, it's probably just going to be me doing the basic country and rock sort of thing, songs that are simple enough to carry without a full band. And, while I think it's easier to sing with an acoustic guitar for accompaniment, I'm far more comfortable playing my Strat or Tele.

So, for those of you who perform solo a lot, do you use your electrics or your acoustic guitars? I should mention whichever I choose the volume is going to be low. Like I say, I'm just there fore ambiance (read that as background noise)

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Justin

I would say acoustic without a doubt. That's what I always use.

For me, solo = acoustic. I use some reverb and a little delay and/or chorus for some songs if needed. And I like some verb on my voice and slapback if I play rockabilly.

I could probably do a solo electric gig, I practice that way enough, but it never felt right. Maybe I ought to get out of my comfort zone...

Whatever your singing sounds best with, that is what the folks are going to hear.

Both......I will be using some light baking tracks when using electric.....acoustic no backing.....good variety=good entertainment and besides for your gig it would be fun since there is no pressure.....:cool:

For solo gigs I've always switched it up, depending on my mood. Usually I'll stay in an acoustic phase for a while, then decide to use my electrics for a while. They're both good for different reasons. They both work just fine, as long as you play/sing well and people like the songs. I do think that if you do mostly (or a lot of) strumming, you should use the acoustic though. The feel is better and strumming is one area where I don't think the electric guitar excels.

Thanks for the advice, you guys. Much appreciated!

LOL...I had the exact same gig last night. I went acoustic and brought a looper pedal that I have only ever used for practicing. That was fun. There were a few train wrecks where I lost control of the looper. I wished I could have somehow had an acoustic and an electric going with the ability to switch easily between them. Maybe next time.

I have done solo gigs with both an electric and an acoustic. And then I have done some with an electric acoustic.

What are you comfortable with?
Do you need to haul in an amp for the gig or will they be able to hear you without?

I personally think you should do what is most comfortable for you. Either option is doable
and has been doneable.

Solo=acoustic....but plugged in.

Unless you're really good (I'm not) playing solo electric guitar sounds like you're just waiting for the rest of the band to join in.

I would go acoustic (plugged in).

I usually play acoustic with a Fishman pickup on solo gigs, although I once left my cord out of the bag of tricks, and used the Roland electric piano that was on hand. Now that bucbh wants to play piano every time... hmmmm...

Here you go, electric solo gig:
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=STbhdUdWyLI
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=OsfT5J-xSAY

I'm against the idea that solo=acoustic. And after all, a plugged in acoustic is a type of electric guitar. I like the variety of sound I can get from an electric, from thin sounds for hard strumming, thicker & brighter sounds for finger picking, big volume changes between verse and chorus, and using effects to vary my sound throughout the evening.

I usually play acoustic with a Fishman pickup on solo gigs, although I once left my cord out of the bag of tricks, and used the Roland electric piano that was on hand. Now that bucbh wants to play piano every time... hmmmm...

Played a gig once where I supposed to play bass, but another bass player showed up and I wound up as one of five rythm guitarists! About half-way through the night the keyboard player and I got to talking, and she said she was learning guitar but wasn't ready to play onstage yet. Or so she thought! I handed her my guitar, she gave me her Casio and off we went. Sounded terrible, but it was fun.

Beer may have been involved. :lol:

Unless you're really good (I'm not) playing solo electric guitar sounds like you're just waiting for the rest of the band to join in.

I would go acoustic (plugged in).


Here you go, electric solo gig:
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=STbhdUdWyLI
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=OsfT5J-xSAY

I'm against the idea that solo=acoustic. And after all, a plugged in acoustic is a type of electric guitar. I like the variety of sound I can get from an electric, from thin sounds for hard strumming, thicker & brighter sounds for finger picking, big volume changes between verse and chorus, and using effects to vary my sound throughout the evening.

I'm with AJBaker on this one. I'm not saying that I'm really good, either, christhee68. But a Tele played clean can be right for some songs/solo gig situations.

Mind you, most of my solo gigs have been mostly acoustic/electric. But that said, there are some things I play for which a Tele is well suited. And playing through a different amp (or other than through the PA) offers a different tone, something sonically different for the audience's ear.

And they don't always perceive it as solo = acoustic. Late last year, I played for one of the retirement centers that I do weekly (weakly :oops:). I normally take my Breedlove acoustic/electric to this gig, but it needed a string change, and I didn't have time. So I figured, what the heck, and debuted my Logan Custom "Logo" Thinline at that venue. Here is the guitar I'm talking about:

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/Logan_Custom_Logo_Thinline_-_sm.jpg

Playing retirement centers and getting volume settings right can be tricky. To much and they suddenly start readjusting their hearing aids. And some of them just automatically assume that a long-hair with an electric guitar in hand is going to be a bad situation.

So I was really pleased when one resident complimented my tone. Really. She was sitting up front, just about 15 feet away, and about halfway through the show she leaned forward and said, "That guitar sounds wonderful! It's really pretty and it just sounds great!"

She's no guitarist, no musician. It's kind of a rare thing in my experience for audience members to notice or care about your gear and/or your tone. So that comment just made my day.

Oh, and I was playing through my Vox Pathfinder 15R. I had just a touch of trem on to enhance the sound, turned up the trem a little more when I played "Mr. Sandman," and again a little later when I played "Wichita Lineman." Volume on the amp was set at about noun, Gain at about 9 o'clock. I mostly played in middle position, with tone on the guitar all the way up, and the volume backed off just a touch. Actually I kept adjusting the guitar's Volume.

So, a pretty sonically conservative audience took well to my use of a thinline Tele for a gig. I would not hesitate to bring along a Tele for a solo gig if it was the right guitar for the right song(s) in my set list.

I have a solo gig coming up this weekend, at least that is if I can't talk another poor fool into helping me out. At any rate it's not a big deal, just play some background music for a school fundraiser (Casino Night at a local bar), low volume, low pressure, no pay. You get the idea. Basically, i think they asked me to play so they could use my PA for announcements:lol:!

At any rate, it's probably just going to be me doing the basic country and rock sort of thing, songs that are simple enough to carry without a full band. And, while I think it's easier to sing with an acoustic guitar for accompaniment, I'm far more comfortable playing my Strat or Tele.

So, for those of you who perform solo a lot, do you use your electrics or your acoustic guitars? I should mention whichever I choose the volume is going to be low. Like I say, I'm just there fore ambiance (read that as background noise)

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Justin

I can't use an acoustic. There's too much damage to my right shoulder, and the body thickness puts my right arm at an angle that causes considerable pain.

If you're more comfortable using your electrics, then use them. You'll give a better show.

I can't use an acoustic. There's too much damage to my right shoulder, and the body thickness puts my right arm at an angle that causes considerable pain.

If you're more comfortable using your electrics, then use them. You'll give a better show.

Moonrider, you should look into something like this-

http://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guitars/ac275

Also good for that type of thing, would be an old Ovation Viper (if you could find one, and it was affordable) or the Gibson Chet SST, but they are about three times the cost of the Carvin...

That Carvin is a SWEET piece, and gives excellent acoustic tone through a PA.

Worth looking into if you ever wanted to get a really nice acoustic sound and not further ruin your shoulder.


OP- Go acoustic sir, if you can. I see guys go electric for solo shows a lot, and maybe it's just me, but I never dig the sound of it. It just seems weird to me.

Hmm, I do quite a lot of solo stuff and 95% of it would be acoustic. I do some electric with the Tele but that is usually specific stuff like old Jazz type thing where some basic picking and simple comping works well. Can be done and can work but keep it sparse and simple.

Kristina

The issue with some of the solo gigs is space and room size, if you can use an electric and keep the level down, then fine, if not you will be chasing your guitar sound all night...

Acoustics sound great with NO mic or no plug-in..that's why we use them , no volume/tone related issues. You may find yourself in a room where the club asks you to turn down to the minimum level which may be barely audible with only a voice coming out of the small PA, and I mean small....

Just be prepared...

Moonrider, you should look into something like this-

http://www.carvinguitars.com/catalog/guitars/ac275

Also good for that type of thing, would be an old Ovation Viper (if you could find one, and it was affordable) or the Gibson Chet SST, but they are about three times the cost of the Carvin...

That Carvin is a SWEET piece, and gives excellent acoustic tone through a PA.

Worth looking into if you ever wanted to get a really nice acoustic sound and not further ruin your shoulder.

Wow that Carvin does look intriguing! Got a tax refund coming soon too . . . Thanks for the tip, Jakedog!