Unplugged

[JorgeTeixeira]

Hi.
When everyone is asleep at home, I often grab a guitar and play it unplugged.
I can tell you that I like it a lot. Helps me concentrate more on details, and I think improves my technique.
Do you feel the same about this?

Jorge

[Green Lantern]

Nope. If I want to improve my technique and concentrate more on the details of my playing (which I always do), I plug my guitar into an amplifier so that I can hear every little thing I'm doing. For this purpose, I think a Roland JC-120 amplifier works very well. It is very clean, transparent, and sensitive to the attack one puts on the strings and fine fretting details.

[EsquireOK]

I play electric guitars unplugged a lot – more often than I play them through an amp, actually. I don't do it intending to improve my playing, but just to be lazy...or because it's the middle of the night and I don't want to wake anyone up. But I honestly think that it does improve your playing, if you do it a lot. It lets you hear and feel what you are actually doing with the instrument itself, without adding another "layer of interpretation" in the amp,

[JorgeTeixeira]

That exactly what I think EsquireOK.
Maybe the silence of the night also helps to concentrate on what you are listening to.

[Telepi]

I plug in my Vox AC-30 Head Phone amp. It's great
when I don't want to disturb my wife.

Unplugged electrics are just okay. I just bought
an acoustic to play fully unplugged. Plus a friend
at church has regular get togethers and all they
play are acoustics. So, I needed one to join in.

Now, Im complete. And I'm not getting a mandolin,
or a ukulele either. No matter how many times
people say, "you should get one". I'm like, what
for? I can barely play the guitar.

[TeleKato]

Guys, I think whatever you do that has you playing (practicing) guitar is going to make you a better player; if unplugged is what you can do, you do it.

There's a belief that people who do something really well -- anything -- have about 10,000 hours of doing it behind them. Now a golfer might tell you that 10,000 hours of doing golf BADLY makes for a bad golfer; and there's something to that! But when you do something a lot you're likely going to be better at it (and guitar seems easier to me to correct 'faults' than golf has been).

So playing unplugged while not disturbing others -- great. Playing plugged in so you can ear all the changes that amplification offers to you -- great. Playing an acoustic -- great. All involve the word 'playing.'

Me? I'm up to about 1000 hours now; got a lonnnnnnng ways to go!

[mindlobster]

Personally, if I want to really practice and not just noodle, then it's plugged in, often with headphones. I do spend a lot of unplugged noodle time as well tho. Noodle time is for trying out new things, plugged in time is for working on timing and cleanliness. Everybody's different tho.

[javabirds]

Playing electrics unplugged does give you (potentially) some interaction with your guitar that you may not get plugged in. But how many times do recommend practicing driving without ever turning the engine over and getting out on the road? If I had a Ferrari I'd probably spend a lot of time just sitting in it and turning the wheel and shifting but unless you get that thing out of the garage and screaming down the road you aren't doing yourself a whole lot of actual driving. ;)

[joaopazguitar]

I used to do it a lot, but since I got a roland cube 30 I tend to play on more often, since it can sound really cool at low volume.

But I may go off to do specific picking exercises, when I want to pick harder and want to verify if it's clean. Or for rythm work...

Anyway, playing at night when everything's quiet is relaxing and productive. On weekends I may easilly forget myself until it's full daylight :)

[sonny wolf]

I always saw the benefit to partially practice un-plugged because it makes you fully aware of what is happening with the string and how you are manipulating them physically without it being amplified and processed through an amp....you can't lie when playing unplugged...it is all about making the string respond and sing based on how you pick and hold the note.Of course it is important to also practice with an amplified tone to understand that perspective especially for performance.But the guitar's tone originates acoustically so it is important to be in sync with that when playing.It's what helps me plug into an amp and be able to play it with no effects,reverb ect and be able to play...because I am controling the strings from an acoustic point of view.

[Skub]

Any time spent playing is good,but imo it's a bad habit to play an electric unplugged if you can plug into an amp. Many times in the past I've imagined I had nailed some lick or other until I plug in and realise it's work in progress.

Playing mostly unplugged and then having to play at proper volume can also come as a shock to the system,with the guitar amplified you hear everything you are doing.You can't learn to control all those string noises and all the subtleties etc if you can't hear them in the first place.

I'd rather turn an amp up loud and play quietly than play unplugged,but as I said at the start any time playing is better than no time playing.

[JorgeTeixeira]

Originally Posted by Skub

as I said at the start any time playing is better than no time playing.

I totally agree

[J Lacey]

I play unplugged all the time. Doesn't hurt a thing. I think it's funny to read all the threads about what amp settings or pedals you need to get that "twang" when alot of it is just style and your ability.......Twang can be had to some degree with-out pluggin' in...........then when you do hook it all up, you get this big thing on your face called a smile..........

[Clinchriver]

My Tele has been my "couch" guitar for years. I can practice, noodle around, mindlessly practice scales/picking technique and not really bug anybody. If I drag out the amp.......... well.

[Racer5]

I got a Fender Mustang I amp so I can play late at night. It sounds good even at low volumes or through the headphones. I don't really like to play unplugged.

[LarsOS]

I say like Winnie the Pooh: Both. (But never mind the bread, please.)

Of course playing unplugged and thinking it will sound the same when you plug it in, would be silly. And vice versa. But the two approaches give you different info/feedback about what you're doing. And in this context, more varied feedback is always better IMO. It gives you the bigger picture of what you're doing. I think the goal should be to make it sound great both ways. Not because you need to, when playing plugged in, but because it will help you improve your technique and fight bad playing habits.

That being said, I mostly play unplugged when the strings are new and bright. I most often make sure to plug the guitar in when the strings are old and muddy. ;) A headphone amp is a plus at night when people are sleeping.

[SpeyFly]

Headphones...

[Wailin' Tele]

Look what playing unplugged did for me.

[StratBluesRock]

My "late night" amp is a Danelectro/Silvertone 1448 amp in case amp, which I put into a clementine crate. Nice sound. Sometimes I play unplugged, like when watching TV.

[JorgeTeixeira]

I own a DRRI and a Vox Pathfinder.
Sometimes I use the Pathfinder to play at low volumes, but playing unplugged is also very interesting.
I don´t like headphones when playing guitar.
Never use the DRRI when playing "in silent mode".