What's your opinion of the Acoustasonic Tele?

[tochiro]

Hi,

I'm looking for an electric guitar capable of a really good acoustic sound to play on stage. Did you try the Acoustasonic and what did you think? As I understand it there is only one electric mic. Don't you miss the electric bridge mic sound?

Is the acoustic sound really convincing in a PA? Could you compare its acoustic sound with the one of other guitars (Variax, Epiphone, etc.)?

Thank you for your time.

[Lunchie]

I never heard of one until now... They look sweet!

[thinline mikko]

I like the tone very much.

I actually bought Acoustasonic for to play it on our The Who tribute-band. I sing and play rhythm guitar and I used to play with this band my JA-90 tele with clean sound. Actually I always missed the sound of an acoustic guitar and decided then to buy Acoustasonic after reading several articles from the web about it. After I started to play it with the band everyone in our band said that it was a really good buy...

I play the guitar through an clean sound amplifier - mostly because we have quite poor monitoring and it is easier to do this way. I also have played it directly to the PA and it works perfectly that way also.

I play only the acoustic side with the band but really enjoy also the sound with the neck pickup also - quite often I find myself playing blues solos with it and enjoy a lot. EDITED - wrote bridge but ment neck...

So... I sound quite naive for saying only positive things - but it works really well to the purpose I bought it for

Mikko

[telex76]

It's a terrible accoustic. It's a terrible tele.

[Jack FFR1846]

When I was looking for my first guitar in over 30 years (had stopped playing), I tried one of these dreadful things. Fortunately, I left it in the store.

If you can afford one, get a Taylor T3 or T5. So much better. There are copies of the T3 or T5.....can't remember the maker. Music Go Round has some for mid $300 range.

[keeffan]

I have not tried one myself but I briefly played a Parkwood hybrid H2 (Cort made) and it was awesome. I really regret letting it go. it has a fishman bridge and too mini humbucking pickups not mention its a semi-hollow. The H4 have a koa top and seymour duncan pickups. on the used to market the H2 can be had for as little as 2 to 300 dollars. I now use a Variax 500 for that purpose and love it. Not traditional by any means but it works great for me.

[czook]

I have one of those with the plastic back like an ovation. I like the size. I have a Tele neck on it that I liked since I bought it without the neck. I like it better than the Ovation I used to have.

I have played the ones that are all wood and like them better as far a sound, but mine is just fine for garage and porch playing.

[thelowerlip]

One of my banmates has the Acoustisonic. I think one thousand dollars is a little much, I think the pickgaurd looks funny, and it has no bridge pickup. As far as I can tell that´s where the cons stop.

The acoustic sound is good. You won´t get any feedback at high volumes. You can use the stereo output to line the acoustic sound to the PA and your electric sound to an amp. Use the pickup switch to switch between the sounds. (middle position is both and you can use it with a regular mono instrument cable also) Only one pickup, but it sounds good.

I think it is an expensive and very usefull tool if you play rhythm guitar in a band.

[muronero]

i second the parkwood h2 is awesome.....
i have a crafter SA, which is a sort of copy of the taylor t5... less luxurious but with a cooler feature: a slider to blend the acoustic and the electric pickup...

(last one in the picture)

[stephenyi]

I played one at a local music store through both a Fender acoustic amp and some tube amps. The twisted tele neck pickup is nice but I was not impressed by the acoustic tone replicated by the Fishman piezo bridge pickup. I thought the guitar did a far better job of being an electric guitar than an acoustic.

[thinline mikko]

I suppose some of us in not talking about same guitar. The question was not about Telecoustic - which is a terrible guitar in my opinion also - but Telecaster Acoustasonic.

I have to ad that it is a really nice guitar for a rhythm guitar - would not be my choice as a lead guitar.

[PumpJockey]

I played one and while it did some nice things I was not about to part with $1000 for one.

My choice if I had the need for that kind of mix would be a Godin A6. I played one at a place in central Jersey that is an authorized dealer and it sounded really good. It has Godin's own transducer in the bridge and a humbucker in the neck slot. I've seen them for under $700 new.

[Edit] In general I like all the Godins I've played. They seem a very good value for the price.

[Seasicksailor]

This demo is very interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVmoBbNcpQI

Cool tones, and (too me) the most convincing acoustic sound I have heard from an electric. However, I (now) have a tele, I have an acoustic, and I am not interested in switching within the same song, so I am not tempted. It's a very specific situation that such a guitar would be useful, IMO.

[Phelonious Ponk]

One of these?



Nah. There's no cheap way out of this one. The best acoustic sounds come from a combination of 2 pickups; a surface or under saddle piezo with either a magnetic soundhole pickup or an internal mic. The first will give you a nice warm tone with good gain before feedback. The second will give you the most natural acoustic sound but won't play well at full band volumes. A thin-bodied guitar with just a cheap piezo, like the Telecoustic, will give you a very thin, plasticy tone with a weird string attack.

P

[Phat-o-Caster]

If we're talking about one like the one shown above- I would say if you wanted an instrument that sounded like a ukelele but looked like a tele they nailed it.

[thinline mikko]

looks like this

[Phelonious Ponk]

Haven't heard that one, but a Tele neck pup is not an optimal acoustic magnetic pickup. I'm sure you could do better for acoustic tone. If you're looking for a hybrid guitar, that's a different question.

P

[thelowerlip]

Originally Posted by Phelonious Ponk

Haven't heard that one, but a Tele neck pup is not an optimal acoustic magnetic pickup. I'm sure you could do better for acoustic tone. If you're looking for a hybrid guitar, that's a different question.

P

The neck PU is a twisted tele. The acoustic sounds are at the bridge position and you can switch between acoustic and electric sounds using the pickup switch. The output can run in stereo so you can send the different sounds to different amps.

I think it´s a little expensive but having played it I would also say it is a VERY useful tool if you play rhythm guitar in a band.

[pacou74]

Hi there. For those who did not know, the Acoustasonic Tele received The Best of Show award at Namm2010.
Check this demos also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQlGV-9vnDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idTukTz6AAY
Each guitar is designed to serve a purpose. The right question should rather be IMHO: do my needs match the purpose of that guitar?

Depending of what type of music you want to play, the Acoustasonic Telecaster will suit your needs. I play jazz, smooth jazz, funk and it's a great value guitar for what I play and need. Choosing an instrument is like choosing a car, you choose the one which suites your needs. Who will buy a Lamborghini to work in a farm for example? ;-)

[RockerDuck]

When recording last Christmas, I was having some problems getting a good acoustic sound in the environment we were in. My wife bought me the Acoustasonic and it solved our problems. I was using a Gibson Hummingbird. It sounds as good or better than most acoustic-electrics. Being able to flick a switch and play lead is a plus. It will not sound like a telecaster, but looks great and sounds great for an acoustic through the PA. More like mic'ing a good acoustic guitar, is the way is sounds.