Acoustic---Really?

[jackal]

Please move this if it's in the wrong forum.
What's up with all the acoustic players raving about doing it on an acoustic when they are hooked up to more electronics than most electric players have ever seen? Pre-amps, several different types of pups, pedals, computers etc.
Dozens of different tunings, "prepared guitar" and so on.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a purist, but with all that stuff, how do they call it "acoustic" with a straight face.

[getbent]

this is what happens when urine replaces milk in corn flakes.

[Arbiter]

Bile - it's what's for dinner.

[Stubee]

how do they call it "acoustic" with a straight face.

I am an amateur compared to GB when it comes to wry humor...but they call it 'acoustic' because somebody somewhere in the building was holding a guitar that at least looked like an acoustic and was not a solid-body Fender or Gibson. That's enough anymore.

And luckily I don't care.

[Westerly Sunn]

Originally Posted by jackal

Please move this if it's in the wrong forum.

They may have left your post in the Bad Dog, but I guess they still managed to put it in its place; huh?

[audiohatemchine]

I think getbent pretty much nullified any other reply to this thread with that one sentence.

[kelnet]

What's up with all these people ranting about stuff that isn't all that common and doesn't affect anyone?

[vjf1968]

Originally Posted by jackal

Please move this if it's in the wrong forum.
What's up with all the acoustic players raving about doing it on an acoustic when they are hooked up to more electronics than most electric players have ever seen? Pre-amps, several different types of pups, pedals, computers etc.
Dozens of different tunings, "prepared guitar" and so on.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a purist, but with all that stuff, how do they call it "acoustic" with a straight face.

Would you trust some sound guys to mic an acoustic guitar in a live setting? And do it properly?

[JamesL]

Uhoh.......I play a solid body acoustic.......I suck.....

[cowboytwang]

Originally Posted by vjf1968

Would you trust some sound guys to mic an acoustic guitar in a live setting? And do it properly?

That's my specialty, I'll get $500 a day just to mix an acoustic band at a festival, or fly in for some live concert. I love doing it and I am surprised at how bad some sound guys are at getting an acoustic guitar to sound right, plugged in or just with a mic.

I always did find it kind of funny when electric bands say they are going "unplugged". They sit down their electric guitar, that's plugged into a 50 watt amp, and pick up some acoustic with a cheap piezo pickup and bunch of pedals then plug that into a 50,000 watt PA.
Then there are some, in the hardcore Bluegrass world, that think even using a microphone and PA, to reproduce acoustic music, is a sin.

[getbent]

Originally Posted by Westerly Sunn

They may have left your post in the Bad Dog, but I guess they still managed to put it in its place; huh?

and me too! oh the shame! the shame! I feel awful! I made an attempt at a joke.... oh noooooooo!

most terms are more marketing for masses than technically correct...

[fuzzbender]

i don't get any of it, acoustics are for personal use until you can afford an electric, non?

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by fuzzbender

i don't get any of it, acoustics are for personal use until you can afford an electric, non?

Yeah, acoustics are just for learnin' on. Then you get a real guitar so that you can get chicks.

[studio1087]

I thought it was funny getbent. I didn't really understand it and I laughed. I had to read it twice.

I think it's much harder to amplify an acoustic guitar or piano or violin or cello than it is to amplify an electric guitar.

I didn't understand the subject so I stayed away at first.

If Jackal is upset that acoustic guys will use an undersaddle pickup and an in body mic and an out of the body mic and a preamp and a full range PA.......then I'm sorry but often times it takes all that to amplify a D-28 properly. Amplifying a D-28 (really loud at a concert with 2000 listeners) is not as simple as plugging a Tele into a Twin Reverb and mic'ing the amp.

If Jackal is upset about acoustic players who have many pedals and racks of effects and loopers and crap that they bought off the space shuttle to play for a room of 10 people then I'm right there with him. It's like putting ketchup on lobster when guys do that. Ick.

There are some unique players like Keller Williams that I put in a whole different class. Keller is amazing. I think he's doing something different than the guy who needs $4000 worth of processing to gig a wine bar.

Am I making any sense Jackal or I babling like crazy person at a bus stop?

Let's all listen to Keller as he performs his hit "Freeker by the Speaker"......

[fuzzbender]

Originally Posted by kelnet

Yeah, acoustics are just for learnin' on. Then you get a real guitar so that you can get chicks.

is why they're not called accostchicks

[studio1087]

Originally Posted by kelnet

Yeah, acoustics are just for learnin' on. Then you get a real guitar so that you can get chicks.

Ummmmm. No.



Chicks like it when you can handle 13's.

[ac15]

Actually I understand Jackal's "rant" and totally get where he's coming from, which is why for the past several years I have opted to play electric guitars for my solo gigs, rather than acoustic. There's no pretense that I'm doing anything other than playing an electric guitar.

Having said that, all of that "stuff" people use to amplify their acoustics are a necessary evil that you must accept if you want to use an acoustic guitar live. No matter how great your pickups etc are, it's all a compromise and will never sound "like your guitar only louder." It's just not true, so you aim for something that sounds good and retains as much of the feel of playing an acoustic instrument as possible.

I think that if it takes extra electronics to get that, then it's worth it. Some guys get a great live "acoustic" tone. Not many though....it's very disappointing to jump through all of those hoops to amplify an acoustic guitar, only to have it come out sounding like they're plucking on rubber bands (or worse). Even artists who can afford the best do this (David Gilmour's live acoustic tone sucked when I saw him).

[fuzzbender]

'Dylan plays his very first song on his brand new electric guitar'.

[BobbyZ]

I hate it when some kid plays better than me !

[jazztele]

Actually, I find the "militant acoustic" guys funnier.