Acoustic-only?

thomasross20 · August 2019

My playing and listening preferences have shifted massively over the last year or two. It's mainly acoustic music that I both listen to and play now. My electrics are great but are gathering dust. I'm almost 35 and have been a rabid electric lead player for 20 years (always did fingerstyle in the background but it was a back seat thing) so it's a hell of a change.

Not that I'd sell my electrics (despite lack of use recently, they are great electrics... And only two) but just wondered if anybody here has actually gone completely to the hollow side and has acoustics only?

I just can't get satisfaction from playing electric rhythm / lead when I need a band for the end product. I don't see the point anymore. With acoustic, I AM the band.

I'm finding it all so satisfying and a breath of fresh air. New techniques. Whole songs I can sing to (folk have preferred me playing acoustic as opposed to electric solos if they've been over) - just brilliant, really.

Heard Bert Jansch's version of "wild mountain thyme" yesterday and learned it by ear in a night, I was intent on getting it down. Celtic / traditional stuff I want to play. New artists for me like Stephen Wake, John Renbourn, Steve Tilston etc.

I'm loving it!

BahHumbug · August 2019

Nice one Thomas. I went through a similar epiphany when I was in my 40s. A mate dragged me out to a couple of acoustic/folk open floor nights. Then I bought a really playable acoustic guitar. Since then acoustic guitar, particularly fingerstyle, has been where it’s at for me. I’ve also become a much more confident singer as a result.
On the electric side, I’ve been playing in the same covers band for 9 years, so I still play electric, but acoustic is where my heart lies.
The really great thing is that I spend much much more time playing now, than GASing:)

Jimbro66 · August 2019

Similar thing really. Seven years ago I could play several electric guitar styles to a pretty good standard but my acoustic guitar playing was abysmal. I had a cheapie Yamaha acoustic but struggled to play anything well on it.

Then after moving to a different part of the country I met a guy who invited me to go along to an acoustic music session - mainly Americana stuff. I went along to listen but knew I couldn't play acoustic to their standard.

My missus encouraged me to go but, despite trying, I just couldn't play the Yammy to anything like the level of my electric playing. Perhaps if I had a better guitar? So my lovely missus, bless her, bought me a stunning Atkin guitar - telling me I now had no excuse!

It was so much easier to play the Atkin so I played it (finger style) a lot, went to that session and to others while getting better all the time. I now play acoustic at least as much as electric and really enjoy it.

Andy79 · August 2019

In 25 years of noodling around with acoustics I’ve never owned held or played an electric guitar. Ive had literary no exposure to them. Although I could be very tempted into trying out some Marc Ribot sounds

thomasross20 · August 2019

Good point re singing @BahHumbug - that's another thing this has kick-started for me.

Honestly it's like the electric stuff is a part of a previous life or something - I could move on from it completely (or that's how I feel right now).

Interestingly, I haven't been to many acoustic nights....! That is lovely of your wife @Jimbro66 !

@Andy79 we have a winner - no electrics!

Jimbro66 · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

Interestingly, I haven't been to many acoustic nights....!

There are a lot of them around. They vary from folk to a mix of chart/indie to Americana. It's a chance to get out and play the acoustic with like-minded guys and maybe try a bit of singing. After doing just that I then spent about three years doing solo acoustic gigs which went OK - but then I missed the power of a full band

Lewy · August 2019

I've always had at least one electric languishing somewhere in a case but certainly went at least 5 years never touching it and not having a giggable amp. Then one day I just fancied playing a bit of electric again, and now it's my "hobby" playing while I'm still put my serious playing efforts into acoustic.

I think the way acoustic and electric playing can inform each other can be quite inspiring. And you can totally play solo electric guitar so you're still "the band". From blues players like RL Burnside to fingerpickers like Chet, jazzers like Bill Frisell, avant garde merchants like the aforementioned Marc Ribot, it's a valid and interesting sound/approach.

ToneControl · August 2019

Lewy said:

I've always had at least one electric languishing somewhere in a case but certainly went at least 5 years never touching it and not having a giggable amp. Then one day I just fancied playing a bit of electric again, and now it's my "hobby" playing while I'm still put my serious playing efforts into acoustic.

I think the way acoustic and electric playing can inform each other can be quite inspiring. And you can totally play solo electric guitar so you're still "the band". From blues players like RL Burnside to fingerpickers like Chet, jazzers like Bill Frisell, avant garde merchants like the aforementioned Marc Ribot, it's a valid and interesting sound/approach.

What I find interesting is that, since I play solos on the electric, I never tend to play single line style solos on an acoustic.
tbh I rarely like hearing other people playing electric-phrased solos on acoustics

It's great that 2 versions of the same basic instrument can have such widely different sounds and playing styles available

thomasross20 · August 2019

That's interesting about missing the power of a full band!

earwighoney · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

Not that I'd sell my electrics (despite lack of use recently, they are great electrics... And only two) but just wondered if anybody here has actually gone completely to the hollow side and has acoustics only?

I just can't get satisfaction from playing electric rhythm / lead when I need a band for the end product. I don't see the point anymore. With acoustic, I AM the band.

I know what you mean.

IMO, playing acoustic guitar is a very satisfying way to play the guitar in a solo context. The acoustic guitar has more of a historical context for either occupy a singer or a solo instrument.

For a few years, I don't think I touched an electric guitar in the slightest bit in those times but I still had a few different types of guitar to keep me interested which were 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars, and flamenco as well.

In that time I was listening to a lot of acoustic guitar players in the 'primitive' genre (eg John Fahey) but over the last few years I've come across a solo players who play a similar style of music but with an electric guitar which inspired me to pick up the electric guitar again. IMO, the form of the guitar doesn't really matter, the only thing that matters is whether you're enjoying it at the time.

BigLicks67 · August 2019

I've done this twice, back in the early 2000s I sold all my electric guitar gear and just concentrated on playing my sole acoustic. After a while I got the itch and went through a selection of electrics in short order in the end selling all my electric guitar gear again and concentrating on acoustics only.
I think a lot of this goes back to when I was writing songs and being more interested in the whole piece of music rather just concentrating on stuff like guitar solos. Not that there is anything wrong with a good solo : >

mgaw · August 2019

its just a more intimate thing I find

WindmillGuitars · August 2019

@thomasross20 Artists like John Smith really inspire me to make more of playing acoustic .. "Hares on the Mountain in particular is a real breath of fresh air

thomasross20 · August 2019

@ToneControl I agree re solo lines on electric vs different playing style on acoustic. I'm the same.

Just listening to John Smith - great stuff!! Feel free to post stuff in here... I will!!

thomasross20 · August 2019

Steve Tilston songs I'm enjoying: The Reckoning - Let Your Banjo Ring, Grass Days.
Clive Carroll - Eliza's Eyes.
Stephen Wake - all his "loch" tunes and "Sleeping Tune"
John Renbourn - Lady Goes to Church.

ToneControl · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

Steve Tilston songs I'm enjoying: The Reckoning - Let Your Banjo Ring, Grass Days.
Clive Carroll - Eliza's Eyes.
Stephen Wake - all his "loch" tunes and "Sleeping Tune"
John Renbourn - Lady Goes to Church.

I was lucky enough to be at a workshop with John Renbourne 2 days before he suddenly died, his playing was still 10 times better than mine, amazing

ToneControl · August 2019

I've been listening to a lot of Tony McManus stuff for the last few years, surely he must play live near you @thomasross20 ?

TTony · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

I just can't get satisfaction from playing electric rhythm / lead when I need a band for the end product. I don't see the point anymore. With acoustic, I AM the band.

I probably wouldn't go quite that far, but then my electric playing is different to your electric playing. I've never been a widdler.

For simple noodling/riffing, I'll pick up an electric and plug it through my (recently acquired) ThorpyFX Gunshot, and enjoy 20mins of sub AC/DC, sub-sub ZZTop riffery.

No real end-product, and I'll generally get cries of "turn it down a bit" from Mrs TT.

But, for learning to play recognisable songs, it's acoustic every time. That probably started alongside my singing lessons - sorry, vocal coaching course - that I started a year or so ago. TBH, the backing tracks were pretty naff. so I started playing along with the singing along. Plus, it felt more comfortable standing in front of a mic with a guitar round my neck than without.

First one I did - publicly - was Behind Blue Eyes, which was fun and gave me the encouragement to do more. Neil Young, Eagles, Dire Straits, RHCP, Beatles, Clapton ... there's so much that you can do with just a voice and an acoustic guitar. No drummer required

And the wife never says "turn it down a bit" either!

thomasross20 said:

John Renbourn - Lady Goes to Church.

I bought a box set of his early stuff (from Cherry Red) a couple of weeks ago.

6CDs, £24. Brilliant stuff.

Image: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/John_Renbourn_Square.jpg

TheOtherDennis · August 2019

I've never been anywhere near your ability, Thomas, but I've had the same thing for different reasons.

I was in a couple of bands that didn't go anywhere much, really. One fizzled out and I was dumped from the other because they wanted to split any money four ways instead of five. (They only lasted another six months, so serves them right.)

I tried to get into others playing bass, but I found the pressure of looking after my Other Half, trying to work around that care AND learning enough songs to be in a gigging band simply impossible to manage. So I simply stopped playing for ages.

Then for reasons I don't quite get I found myself playing my acoustics a bit more often. Then I started looking for a folk-based singaround type thing. I went to a couple, wasn't impressed and then tried just the one more and loved it. Once a month (this coming Monday for this month), we get together and play all sorts of stuff. We go round the room once each, have a break and then do it again. I've heard everything from Corey Musgrave songs to Tom Waits to Turkish traditional music to Irish and Scottish folk songs, to the Beautiful South and Nick Drake and Jackson Brown and a bunch of others I've never heard of. I've found myself playing songs by 10cc, Richard Thompson, Richard Hawley, the Jacksons, Graham Parker, Ian Dury, James Taylor, Dylan, the Barenaked Ladies, the Kinks and other stuff besides.

And yes, a man who has been told 1000 times he can't sing is singing. A man who once was completely unable to breathe whilst playing (seriously) is now singing and playing, and in front of people, too.

Several things have done this for me. First, that I only need to learn two songs a month and I can promptly forget them has reduced the pressure to get a set list down pat enormously. However, that has been replaced with a new pressure, to find a song that I can do a reasonable justice to on a single acoustic guitar with just chords that is in my (bass) range as a singer. It's enormously satisfying when I succeed.

Second, the room is really supportive and friendly, but in a genuine way, and there are some seriously good musos in there who write their own stuff and do a bloody good job of it.

Third, as you can see from above, the range of music being played is about as wide as it gets, which means there's no restriction on what I can look for. In fact, the wider the taste the better, it seems.

And I'm really enjoying just banging out some chords and singing along, something I genuinely never thought I'd be able to do.

I'd still love to get up on a stage and make some proper noise with a band giving it large together, but for now I'm more than happy right where I am, thanks, just like you. (Though not nearly as well as you, obviously. And no, that's not false modesty, I've seen you play, kiddo. Gasfest 2003, was it?)

Lewy · August 2019

ToneControl said:

Lewy said:

I've always had at least one electric languishing somewhere in a case but certainly went at least 5 years never touching it and not having a giggable amp. Then one day I just fancied playing a bit of electric again, and now it's my "hobby" playing while I'm still put my serious playing efforts into acoustic.

I think the way acoustic and electric playing can inform each other can be quite inspiring. And you can totally play solo electric guitar so you're still "the band". From blues players like RL Burnside to fingerpickers like Chet, jazzers like Bill Frisell, avant garde merchants like the aforementioned Marc Ribot, it's a valid and interesting sound/approach.

What I find interesting is that, since I play solos on the electric, I never tend to play single line style solos on an acoustic.
tbh I rarely like hearing other people playing electric-phrased solos on acoustics

It's great that 2 versions of the same basic instrument can have such widely different sounds and playing styles available

Electric style playing on acoustic definitely leaves me cold, too. That said, I love bluegrass guitar and flatpicked fiddle tunes and that's a lot of single note playing. Differences being that that style has such a strong pulse courtesy of the down-up-down-up doctrine and also the best players are tone obsessed and pull such great sounds from acoustic guitars....not so the guy playing BB King licks through a piezo...!

ToneControl · August 2019

thomasross20 said:

Steve Tilston songs I'm enjoying: The Reckoning - Let Your Banjo Ring, Grass Days.
Clive Carroll - Eliza's Eyes.
Stephen Wake - all his "loch" tunes and "Sleeping Tune"
John Renbourn - Lady Goes to Church.

have you ever seen Clive Carroll playing live with his Mrs? Worth seeing

TTony · August 2019

TheOtherDennis said:

And yes, a man who has been told 1000 times he can't sing is singing. A man who once was completely unable to breathe whilst playing (seriously) is now singing and playing, and in front of people, too.

@TheOtherDennis ;;

GTC · August 2019

Aside from the sheer versatility, you actually feel the music through the vibrations of an acoustic guitar

I feel a paraphrased quote from Swiss Tony ( car dealer comedy sketch show character from "The Fast Show") coming on ….. "Playing an acoustic guitar is like ……."

ToneControl said

have you ever seen Clive Carroll playing live with his Mrs? Worth seeing

I've never seen him with his Mrs. - but he did a surprising gig at very short notice in my village's small 12th century church a few years back. Brilliant!

Martin Taelstrom is worth looking at - and tabs can be downloaded for many of his arrangements (some for free)

stimpsonslostson · August 2019

This is an interesting discussion, there seems to have been a revival of acoustic based music over the past few years.
I’m a big fan of singer songwriter stuff & really enjoy seeing songs laid bare.

I was in bands at highschool, but now am MUCH more likely to volunteer to do a few songs at an acoustic open mic than to play “on stage”. I’m another who struggles with singing- I’m told I have a good voice, but that it’s lower than I think so I need to sing in the right key. Tuning to D standard helped me immensely.

Living in Edinburgh it’s relatively easy for me to find acoustic folk nights & it’s a great way to hear music even if I don’t want to play that night.

I listen to a LOT of metal/hardcore punk, but this is balanced by my addiction to the likes of Chuck Ragan, Kris Drever, Dave Hause, Dustin Kensrue, Tim Barry etc.
I saw the Revival tour a few years ago and it was BRILLIANT- Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Dan Andriano (Alkaline Trio), Dave Hause (Loved Ones) and Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem) playing with only acoustic guitars, a double bass, fiddle and each other in backing vocals.

I’ve posted both of these before, but here you go (it’s not delicate, but I love it)
https://youtu.be/mqkUBy2H9nY

I also was knocked out by Corey Taylor’s acoustic show (via YouTube).
https://youtu.be/uetFO7y8WPA

ToneControl · August 2019

GTC said:

Aside from the sheer versatility, you actually feel the music through the vibrations of an acoustic guitar

I feel a paraphrased quote from Swiss Tony ( car dealer comedy sketch show character from "The Fast Show") coming on ….. "Playing an acoustic guitar is like ……."

ToneControl said

have you ever seen Clive Carroll playing live with his Mrs? Worth seeing

I've never seen him with his Mrs. - but he did a surprising gig at very short notice in my village's small 12th century church a few years back. Brilliant!

Martin Taelstrom is worth looking at - and tabs can be downloaded for many of his arrangements (some for free)

his Mrs is Lily Neil
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ClGDsgA2JVZxx009wMtnG?si=g54PYXrcSBaE85n6ii0Q5A

She is an excellent harp player, I love listening to harp
At the small gigs I've seen her play, Clive joins in for quite a few pieces

ToneControl · August 2019

GTC said:

Martin Taelstrom is worth looking at - and tabs can be downloaded for many of his arrangements (some for free)

yes, someone shared a few links of his stuff with me a few months ago, lovely playing and arrangements

TheOtherDennis · August 2019

I have to say, though, no matter how much I enjoy playing and listening to music on acoustic guitar, I hate - sorry, but I have to use that word - the sort of drippy, watery, whiny stuff that some people play. An acoustic guitar can take being hit hard to make some big noise, and yes it’s capable of delicate stuff but one man’s delicate is another’s wishy washy.

And anyone who knows me knows that I don’t do delicate!! :-D

Glenn Matlock did an acoustic version of pretty vacant on the radio once and it sounded awesome. Not a huge fan of status quo, but their aquostic stuff worked really well too.

There’s a time and a place for heart breakingly beautiful music. Call me a philistine if you will, but unfortunately, it’s not when I’m around. (That’s not to say I don’t like something gorgeous played well, but there’s a certain sense of wispiness and fey farting around that gets my goat. As my missis has heard me yell at these people on many an occasion “stop emoting all over my telly, you’ll make it rust!”)

TTony · August 2019

^^
I went with LOL, but Wisdom would have been equally appropriate.

ESBlonde · August 2019

I was reinspired to use my acoustic a lot more in recent years after watching T Bone Wolk playing for Daryl halls band in the series of Daryls house. He gets about the fingerboard like some silky smooth electric, and is so tasteful it can only inspire.

Sadly no longer with us, but those sessions are available on line e.g.

There is no electric guitar on this, it's all Tom with that yamaha.

Ditto but a Gibson

Just Daryl, Tom and Nick Lowe

Just a sample there and probably not the best, but theres alot of material to look through.

DLM · August 2019

ITT: DLM puts "Don't Stop Believin'" on repeat.

thomasross20 said:

folk have preferred me playing acoustic as opposed to electric solos if they've been over

You really must watch the company you keep, Tigger. Bad influences, the lot of them, I tell you.

thecolourbox · August 2019

I'd like to get into acoustic playing as a sort of no-nonsense no-frills kind of experience, similar to how I enjoy the piano as it's standalone and requires no extra kit than just the instrument. I like the idea of some kind of epiphany such as that described above but I'm fairly sure it's exactly just that - I like the idea of it but the reality just wouldn't do it for me.

That could be, as somebody else has said, because I have a less-than-ideal instrument (Big baby taylor) that it hurts to play for too long as I'm used to electric strings and action. Anything bigger might sound better, but I can't reach to play it (I'm fairly minimal in terms of size), anything smaller and they don't seem to sound any good. Upgrading to a decent one seems to cost a lot more than elecrics. Also as the tone (frequencies?) of the acoustic guitar does not seem to suit my voice registers, I think a Baritone range of notes would work better but they are even more money for me to not get on with it!

I also don't get on very well with the disconnect of sound. I find they sound better to the listener in front of the instrument than to the player because of projection. As I use my ears for trying to vary dynamics and touch etc that is hard, especially as I suffer from not being able to focus on sounds if there is background noise.

I'd have to look into what I could do about the neck action and strings befoe I could give it a fair crack of the whip but I'm not sure the outlay to get it done would be worth it for my purposes

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