Electric v. Acoustic
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Guitar Types |
Hi I was wondering what the difference is from an acoustic guitar and acoustic/electric guitar? Does the a/e guitar sound different? Help me out please.
Thanks, Colin
Colin,
An acoustic electric guitar is an acoustic guitar with some type of electronic pickup system installed. Acoustic guitar players and builders are always searching for the perfect way to amplify that wonderful, pure acoustic sound we all love. So far the exact sound hasn’t been fully captured but there are a number of pickup systems that do a very good job. There are: acoustic guitar pickups that resemble electric guitar pick-ups; systems that amplify the sound of the vibrating wood, systems that use microphones inside the body and various combinations of each of these systems.
The problem with getting a truly natural sound is that the voice of an acoustic guitar is very complex. It covers a wide spectrum of the sonic range. And the overall sound of an acoustic guitar is a combination of vibrations from the entire instrument – front, back, neck and sides. The difference between an acoustic and an acoustic electric has to do with the difficultly in balancing all the sounds that an acoustic guitar produces. Each type of pickup system is primarily design to pick up one or two aspects of the total sound. For example, most magnetic pickup systems do a great job of picking up the string sound but don’t capture anything from the body. That tends to make an acoustic sound like an electric guitar. Pickup systems that focus on the vibration of the sound board have a nice warm sound but often miss the “sparkle” of the strings.
I’m guessing that you are in the market for a guitar and are wondering if you should buy something that has a pickup system. Thinking about why you need a pickup system will direct you to the type of system you need. Here are some things to consider: Where are you going to be playing? In your living room for your own enjoyment – you don’t need a pickup system. With a band? You need a system that will emphasize the high frequencies and resist feed back. As a solo or duet act in a coffeehouse? You need a system that makes the guitar sound as natural as possible. Do you want a general purpose system? Most big companies make decent guitars that come with a build in general purpose system.
The companies that are making the best systems which I am aware of (in my price range) are Fishman, L.R. Baggs and EMG. The set-up I use for my guitar has components from each of these companies.
All the best,
John
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