Have you been playing more acoustic?

danishbacon · July 2020

Since lockdown, I've barely played electric guitars and only plugged my amps in a handful of times, maybe 4/5 times a month, if that, tops. The majority of the time in Lockdown has involved playing acoustic guitars. In fact, I've learned a more about acoustics in this short period of time than I did during my entire preceding playing time. In short, being locked in has either a) given me more time to play, b) meant quieter playing, more interest in acoustics.

Judging by the activity on this subforum, it feels like the sentiment might be shared?

monquixote · July 2020

Nope, been playing loads more electric.

In the house during the day when the kids aren't asleep.

My office is also my music room so I can reach my Tele from my desk which makes it super tempting to have a quick rock out.

Lestratcaster · July 2020

I rarely play acoustic now, most of my guitar students are on electrics plus I've had my Kemper Profiler for a couple of months and still messing with different profiles and tones.

I think only 3 of my learners are acoustic so I don't really play it much.

drofluf · July 2020

I’m primarily an acoustic player but have been playing the electric with headphones mostly to keep the peace at home. Also having some fun messing with effects pedals.

CMW335 · July 2020

Got a new acoustic just before lockdown and still pick it up to play at every opportunity.

viz · July 2020

yes

Kilgore · July 2020

Acoustic noodling seems more suited to these strange times.

(that's not me playing by the way)

TheBigDipper · July 2020

Yes. Acoustic guitar is (for me) primarily a solo instrument and electric guitar is (for me) an ensemble one. I've not got any ensemble commitments to work towards, so... I've been revisiting solo pieces and even some of my old classical repertoire from when I was very, very young. Actually thinking of buying a classical guitar again - my first for 40 years.

Grampa · July 2020

Yes, and I've found that being a relative beginner it's advanced my electric playing far quicker that before I ever picked one up.

I've also discovered a huge respect and admiration for good acoustic players as it's not nearly as easy to hide mistakes that are often camouflaged using an amplified electric on anything but a clean setting.

mgaw · July 2020

loadsmore

Yearofthegoat · July 2020

I think I've done more of both. I know for sure I've had more 'guitar time' than before though.

Andy79 · July 2020

Kilgore said:

Acoustic noodling seems more suited to these strange times.

(that's not me playing by the way)

Always chuffed to see the Great Daddystovepipe

Cirrus · July 2020

Nope - spent the year before the virus hit doing open mics, so was playing lots of acoustic stuff at home. Since March and having loads of free time, I recorded new songs so mostly electric guitar, bass & keyboard.

stickyfiddle · July 2020

More electric here, if anything, but I've spent the last 2-3 years playing more acoustic anyway, so I've just reverted towards the mean a bit.

Either way, I've played more drums than guitar.

McSwaggerty · July 2020

Andy79 said:

Kilgore said:

Acoustic noodling seems more suited to these strange times.

(that's not me playing by the way)

Always chuffed to see the Great Daddystovepipe

Yep... Carl Bludts from Belgium. Great blues picker, great teacher.
Most of what l know, started with him.
Great Guy.

brojangles · July 2020

Yes - I agree with the point above about electric guitar being an ensemble instrument. Plus you don't have to get your amp and pedalboard out and plug them in to play acoustic. I'm looking into getting a classical and learning some of the Bach cello suite bits because I reckon it would be great fun to play them.

danishbacon · July 2020

Interesting, thanks for chiming in. There just seem to have been so many acoustic purchase threads lately that I assumed people might be playing more.

ESBlonde · July 2020

Little combo and HXfx remain out and ready all the time, but I probably open the acoustic case more often since I got the Atkin in January. That may have a bigger gbearing than the current 'situation'..

TheOtherDennis · July 2020

Plus another one for the electric/ensemble theory, and as I'm not in a band, I only play acoustic now.

Other than that, I've actually played mine less during lockdown, because since the lockdown the pub I used to go to for the singaround has (obviously) been shut, I've not got anything to target my practice for so I've been struggling to motivate myself to play much of anything at all, really.

thecolourbox · July 2020

I have had to play acoustic more because I had to play some songs for a festival that went online and that was the easiest way to do it.

I'm not sure about it being quieter than electric though, far from it. I'm a pretty quiet player and use finger picking rather than strumming, but it's way louder than my electric as I don't use an amp, I use studio monitor type speakers.

westford · July 2020

I got one of those Vox mini 5 rhythm amps at the start of lockdown and have had fun messing around with it, so I’ve played my electric guitar more than usual. Still play acoustic more overall though.

ToneControl · July 2020

still mostly acoustic, but picking up the electric a bit more now too

Chris_J · July 2020

I've probably played less of acoustic, electric and drums since lockdown.

I worked from home mostly anyway, so used to find time during the week to practice and record whilst I was the only one in. Now though, my wife is also working from home and due to a small house, there's nowhere I can play that wouldn't disturb her working. She's crazy busy so at her computer 7-7 5 days a week.

Weekends I've been busy with DIY or gardening, though I have found some time to play.

There's also been no band practices or gigs

What guitar I have played has been acoustic though

danny_777 · July 2020

Yes, to the detriment of my bank account. I decided to get a decent acoustic to learn some fun fingerpicking bits etc during lockdown, as I haven't owned an acoustic for a while (and have never owned a high-end one)....

One Brook Torridge, one Bourgeois OMC, and a Yamaha LS26 later....

I really need to sell at least one.

danishbacon · July 2020

@danny_777 you mentioned selling the Burgeoois OMC as the LS26 was amazing, in what respect/criteria are you basing this? Curious as I now also have a trio of nice acoustics (Avalon, SCGC OM, Martin J-18) and can't quite bring myself to sell any. They're all very nice and I know I'd probably miss them if I sold them.

ArchtopDave · July 2020

Sort of, yes. I bought a Fender Acoustasonic just before lockdown. It actually has a very adequate unplugged sound, and I've found it a very interesting guitar to mess around with both unplugged, and plugged into an Amp.

danny_777 · July 2020

danishbacon said:

@danny_777 you mentioned selling the Burgeoois OMC as the LS26 was amazing, in what respect/criteria are you basing this? Curious as I now also have a trio of nice acoustics (Avalon, SCGC OM, Martin J-18) and can't quite bring myself to sell any. They're all very nice and I know I'd probably miss them if I sold them.

Well I really need to sell at least one as my acoustic playing abilities barely justify any one of these guitars, and I don't quite have the space for these (and my other 20....).

No criteria per se, just sat playing them all for 6 hours and thinking to myself which one I can bear to part with (and what would make the most sense, financially).

Devil#20 · July 2020

Yes. I'm playing much more acoustic since lockdown.

danishbacon · July 2020

danny_777 said:

danishbacon said:

@danny_777 you mentioned selling the Burgeoois OMC as the LS26 was amazing, in what respect/criteria are you basing this? Curious as I now also have a trio of nice acoustics (Avalon, SCGC OM, Martin J-18) and can't quite bring myself to sell any. They're all very nice and I know I'd probably miss them if I sold them.

Well I really need to sell at least one as my acoustic playing abilities barely justify any one of these guitars, and I don't quite have the space for these (and my other 20....).

No criteria per se, just sat playing them all for 6 hours and thinking to myself which one I can bear to part with (and what would make the most sense, financially).

Thanks

that makes sense

Looother · July 2020

Hello everyone. I'm new here, and only signed up because I've been playing a lot more acoustic since lockdown. In particular I've taken my fingerpicking skills from extraordinarily basic to just extremely basic, and had a lot of fun in the process. I've now bought a significantly better guitar than the £200 Vintage which was all I had previously, which means playing is a lot more pleasurable, but also that all bad noises are definitely my fault.

danishbacon · July 2020

Looother said:

Hello everyone. I'm new here, and only signed up because I've been playing a lot more acoustic since lockdown. In particular I've taken my fingerpicking skills from extraordinarily basic to just extremely basic, and had a lot of fun in the process. I've now bought a significantly better guitar than the £200 Vintage which was all I had previously, which means playing is a lot more pleasurable, but also that all bad noises are definitely my fault.

Welcome to TFB @Looother!! ;

I have had the same experience, higher end guitars seem to bring out technical errors when playing a bit more than run of the mill budget acoustics.

Howdy, Stranger!

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Have you been playing more acoustic?

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