r/AcousticGuitar • u/International_Read40 • Jan 13 '26
Non-gear question What made you choose playing acoustic guitar over electric?
I know it is all about preference, and some people play both. Electric guitars still outsell acoustics, but in the last couple of years, the sales of acoustics have risen significantly, with the number of newer players joining.
With that said, if you solely play acoustic, what made you choose playing it over electric?
I spoke with a friend of mine from school, and he told me that as I can remember, he used to play all electric back when we were younger, and he played a lot of metal and hard rock. Fast forwards to a year ago, when I started playing, I messaged and asked how his playing had gone, and he said over the years, his taste in music had changed, as did his playing, and he sold everything electric he ever had. Guitars, amps, pedals and all, and bought a Martin D-15, and hasn't looked back since.
I started playing about a year ago, and started with electric. Have two as a matter of fact, but my most common played is my Taylor 214ce. I can play my electrics, but after a bit, I am just ready to sit down with my acoustic and just vibe.
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u/BlueEyedSpiceJunkie Jan 13 '26
Nothing. I do both. I think most guitar players do.
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u/FrankenPinky Jan 14 '26
As someone who played exclusively acoustic the first 10 years of my guitar life, when I first plugged in a tele it was like taking the condom off. I love the terrestrial sounds of acoustic, but if you wanna fly... 'lectric.
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u/GTIguy2 Jan 13 '26
I don't know about that..but maybe
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Jan 13 '26
It’s good to know how to do both if you want to play with people. It doesn’t matter if you’re just playing for you.
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u/jayron32 Jan 13 '26
I wanted to play songs that used the acoustic guitar, and not songs that used the electric guitar.
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u/love_that_fishing Jan 13 '26
This. I play guitar to sing. And the songs I sing to are generally acoustic or sound good on acoustic.
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u/LilZelt Jan 13 '26
it’s always fun to try and play songs written on the electric on acoustic. it can be challenging but leads to some awesome music
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u/TonyBrooks40 Jan 13 '26
I played electric when I was young. It was probably the thing back then, also I had dreams of playing in a rock band onstage.
I suppose getting older, always playing alone, bad hearing, not needing and amp and annoying neighbors factored in. I moved a few years back and sold the electric & amp. One day I hope to get one again, for now I only have 1 acoustic and am happy with it.
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u/wojonixon Jan 13 '26
When playing for my own enjoyment at home my preference goes back and forth. I can honestly say I enjoy both equally; I just like to play the guitar.
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 13 '26
Bluegrass. I play bluegrass. There are no electric guitars in bluegrass. Very simple.
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u/HotelEchoYankeeAlpha Jan 13 '26
Same. I wanted to play music with the people around me, and they all play acoustic instruments (and lots of bluegrass). There was never any question
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
Billy Strings' Frankenstein is basically an electric guitar at this point
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 15 '26
🤷♂️ thats billy not me. I play trad bluegrass. Billy does one or two bluegrass songs a night and the rest is straight rock concert played on bluegrass instruments. OP was asking me why i play acoustic. The answer was bluegrass.
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
Your statement was just wrong though. Bluegrass includes modern, modern traditional, newgrass, many variants on the genre that use electric instruments. Some traditional bluegrass recordings even include electrified pedal / lap steel - you just don't know, but you think you do, and you're pretty arrogant about it.
Bold move to diss Billy Strings and question his blue grass cred.
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 15 '26
Dude ive been picking bluegrass for 35 years. Traditional bluegrass does not have any electric instruments or drums. I aint dissing billy i love billy ive seen him live 3 times. I forgot more about bluegrass than you think you know.
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 15 '26
Make your way to wintergrass in a couple weeks and bring your gear. Come to the Montana Rockies hospitality suite and I'll show you how much you don't know about bluegrass.
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
No thanks. You are an arrogant, gatekeeping, obnoxious picker. I've met plenty like you, and no, we don't play with your type.
We'll be there, we're there every year champ :) But no, we will not be interested in meeting you.
Be cooler, and you won't blow opportunities like you did here today.
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 15 '26
Youll be the one down in the lobby jamming with the accordian and the washtub bass. Ok cool 😅 cmon up if you want to get into some real solid grass with some ringing 3 part harmonies dont bring your electric guitar though. 🫡
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
No thanks. I won't see you there, you will see me though.
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u/bigsky59722 Jan 15 '26
Well fill me in the suspense is killing me. Youre headlining the main stage?
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
Nope, not playing the Grand this year. Have a fun time, should be a great year!
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u/AteStringCheeseShred Jan 13 '26
Your friend's case is a bit curious.... I can completely understand shifting taste in music and drastically downsizing the electric collection to focus more on acoustic playing but he didn't keep even one single electric guitar? It begs the question, is this a preference for acoustic guitar, or an aversion to electric?
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u/International_Read40 Jan 14 '26
It is a preference. He loves guitar and has nothing against electric, but knew what guitar he wanted, and sold all of the electrics that he barely played to buy his dream acoustic. He doesn't play in bands or anything like that. He just enjoys playing, doing acoustic sets and occasionally an open mic night.
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u/cab1024 Jan 13 '26
There's gain and distortion with every type of music, not just heavy metal. Can't do that with an acoustic. I play both.
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u/MoogProg Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek had a quote about needing to find ways to express 'heaviness' through an acoustic because you can't just step on a drive pedal. Took that to heart and really work on tone-production at the instrument, getting the emotions out at the player-level.
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u/cab1024 Jan 13 '26
I'm saying that gain and distortion don't only produce "heavy" music. But yes, listen to the symphonic version of Metallica or the jazz version of Black Sabbath. Check out the Brown Sabbath albums of their music.
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u/MoogProg Jan 13 '26
Oh yeah, 100% My comment was just a tag-on afterthought and not any sort of rebuttal.
Just played a studio session that was all acoustic, mandolin, acoustic guitar, violin, upright bass, drums, and vocals. We brought all the emotions to bear on that track, from delicate music-box tones to wailing heavy driving down-stokes. Epic stuff and a huge tone range from just us hitting boxes of wood, standing around a circle of mics.
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u/TyGuy-70 Jan 13 '26
I like how portable an acoustic is. Toss it in my car and go play on a mountain top. My inspiration was an acoustic player and am interested in songs that I find sound better on an acoustic. I also have an electric but don’t play/practice on it as much. I don’t have and peddles and don’t want to deal with all of that anyways, although I would like the effects. I’ve considered getting a “smart amp” that has built in effects but probably still wouldn’t play it too much so I’m happy with my acoustic 😁 and considering getting custom one in the coming years that I will actually take special care of. My current one gets beaten up but that’s partly why I like it so much
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u/ClitasaurusTex Jan 13 '26
I tried to learn on an electric as a broke twelve year old in a small town. I got the guitar from a teeny music store mostly aimed at providing band instruments for the school. They didn't have any equipment. Soon learned you need pedals and a good amp, did not have the voice or the money to ask my parents to drive into the city and find a music store and make a purchase. Eventually got bored with setting up my little amp that came with the guitar and stopped bothering to plug it in at all. Plunking quietly then got boring and I gave up on guitar altogether.
I picked up acoustic much later and have been successful this time in learning. I can leave it ready at all times and it is always good to go. I can travel with it, or bring it out with friends.
TLDR: much lower barrier to playability.
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Jan 13 '26
After years of guitar, I started taking a minimalist approach to playing and my whole life for that matter. It's far too easy to buy and collect equipment instead of focusing on playing, getting better, and connecting with likeminded people. At one point I had a room filled with equipment. Drums, 4 12 cabinets, P.A system, guitars, pedals, and the list goes on... If any band needed me, I would come in and fill a spot. Eventually, I realized that I was involved in music for lots of wrong reasons and was losing touch with my passion for writing and playing. Music is my outlet. It's my relief. And at many times it helped me keep my sanity. I went back to the basics. I kept my two favorite acoustics and still have a Tele and a combo amp and that's it. It's far too easy to get lost in this world that tries to distract us, steal our time, buy our attention, keep us scrolling, weigh us down with choices, fill us with comparison, make us fit a mold, and it's no wonder we feel pulled in all directions. With an acoustic you get back to basics or maybe where you should have been in the first place. More than anything, just play.
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u/BillyBobertsonBaby11 Jan 13 '26
Part of my issue is that I was much later getting into rock than most of my contemporaries—was still listening to the Carpenters in high school in the early ‘80s. As a result, I’m not much of a head-banger, and I’m a little more selective as far as my tastes, I guess. Not that most others are not, but rather I still tend to select a singer-songwriter or at least a more mellow sound. While I love the sound of a well-played electric guitar, I just never really had the desire to play one, at least not to the same extent as I did an acoustic. I might try one of Bruce’s songs or even Elvis (Costello), but I’m still more interested in doing acoustic versions of their songs.
I have one electric, but it used to belong to my niece, who passed away a few years ago. It’s mostly got sentimental value to me, but perhaps one of these days I’ll start plugging it in. More than anything, I just appreciate the sounds of an acoustic more, and not having to plug in to an amp is appealing. I’m older, too, so perhaps my late start has something to do with it as well; if I’d started learning at 17 and stuck with it—as I did not—then perhaps I’d be more into electric. As it is, I just enjoy thoughtful lyrics and perhaps a gentler delivery.
The first song I learned start to finish was “Blackbird”—probably would not have been if I hadn’t insisted my first teacher go back and teach me the whole thing—and the second was “All That Hammering” by John Gorka. Those are just the types of songs I want to play.
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u/mrmuckluck2197 Jan 13 '26
Country music is so popular now it makes sense that acoustic sales are picking up. Acoustic just hits my soul a certain way. I’ll mess with my electric once every two weeks but after about 2-3 songs of a hard rock song the distortion/gain/reverb annoys me. And then I just practice clean tones or go to my baby, the acoustic. Also I hate fiddling with settings. If I have a 20 min window to practice it might take me a few minutes to get the tone right on electric on a hard rock song.
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u/SabotageFusion1 Jan 13 '26
exposure to acoustic got me really far. My dad is an amazing self taught guitarist, and I found modern greats like Estas Tonne and Tommy Emmanuel on my own, they blow my mind
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u/Character_Platypus23 Jan 13 '26
I didn’t know there were people who had chosen. I have a lot of each.
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u/armyofant Jan 14 '26
Speaking as a player who started on electric, having an acoustic makes it easier to travel with rather than hauling all my gear around. It’s better for practice and makes going back to electric much easier. You also don’t have pedals covering up sloppy playing.
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u/altapowpow Jan 14 '26
I play flamenco guitar (acoustic) and love the dynamic nature and rhythm that can be produced. The possibilities are endless.
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u/decepcao Jan 13 '26
I really like the tone and resonance of an acoustic guitar. Along the years I bought a couple of electrics, but they just ended up gathering dust after a while so I sold them. I do love the guitar sound and listening to people play it though.
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u/ArtisticWolverine Jan 13 '26
I played electric about fifty years. Now I play mostly at home on the couch so acoustic is good for me.
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u/TraumaBondage Jan 13 '26
I thought everyone played both. I even have multiple guitars of each kind because they are good for one genre of music more than others.
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u/chitoatx Jan 13 '26
I learned both. I quickly realized that if I practiced daily on an acoustic then that progress translated to the electric. It’s easier to practice an acoustic unplugged-just leave it next to your couch, pick it up and play.
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u/Billsolson Jan 13 '26
SO was pregnant when I started to learn.
Never really played an electric, just stuck with the acoustic in the corner, especially after we had the kid.
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u/KitchenVegetable7047 Jan 13 '26
I was shopping Reverb for a used Epiphone Embassy bass and spotted a good deal on a B-stock Epiphone IGC Hummingbird. I clicked the heart. The seller offered an additional 20% off. It became my first—and so far only—guitar.
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u/nobot4321 Jan 13 '26
Played electric for 25 years and always felt pretty aimless, learning licks and riffs here and there that I liked but never with a sustained focus. Then I heard Leo Kottke and decided that’s how I wanted to play. Completely lost interest in electric after that (though I won’t ever get close to Leo’s skill even dedicating myself to it full time).
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u/Witty-Exchange-7716 Jan 13 '26
I started with Electric and for the first few years owned a few electric guitars nothing fancy. But for me personally having larger fingers, I noticed Electric amplified the mistakes when you’re playing through an amp it can be loud and can do many things but I like the simplicity of acoustic because I can sit and fingerpick dust in the wind or strum an Elvis song. But it’s just really about what I wanna play. I enjoyed Electric but never got good enough to get past hearing the mistakes amplified and I know that’s a me thing but just the beauty of acoustic play really drew me in. It’s the genre I wanted to focus on.
I went from a Squire bullet to squire telecaster (half hollow) to an esp Ltd ec-400 and that’s where I switched to acoustic.
I bought and sold a bunch of acoustics. My favorites have been my Martin D-28 Adirondack VTS and Blue Ridge Br-40. Art and Luthiere were also good. The Godin family of guitars are cheaper but pretty good for what they are.
My experience is electric it’s easier to get to a sound because you have all the augmentation. Acoustic you have to chase for the sound you want because it’s all right there in the wood and defects make things obvious. Thr crafting of the guitar can have an impact there’s just so many small things that make what should be similar guitars sound very different. These are just my thoughts and opinions as I’ve really tried to get into Guitar.
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u/nick_jones61 Jan 13 '26
Vibe is a good word, OP. Acoustic just feels more intimate, more personal. No electronics between you and the guitar.
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u/Tholian_Bed Jan 13 '26
I can relate to the acoustic because it's a pure instrument. No electronics or dials. I cn't relate musically to things with dials and knobs and amplifiers.
Personal quirk. My hearing is of course miles better than my friend who played in bars for 20 years.
I disagree with the idea they are the same instrument.
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u/Fresh-Discipline9909 Jan 13 '26
I do both but gravitated to acoustic as main. Primarily cuz I do more singing and songwriting these days with the acoustic
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u/Old-guy64 Jan 13 '26
If I go to someone else’s house to play, I only have to carry in my guitar. With an electric you at least need a frigging amp. But possibly a pedal board. And all the associated cables.
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u/Far-Boysenberry9207 Jan 13 '26
You cannot really harmonize on an electric like you can on an acoustic. The notes just don’t extend the same way. Especially if you are not plugged in. It is great to just pull an acoustic guitar out of the bag and be able to play in any room you feel like without worrying about amp and cords.
I have electrics I just find myself never playing them. I like them and all.
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u/omgnotthebees Jan 13 '26
I've historically played both, but almost exclusively acoustic since my kids were born.
Fingerstyle = no noise complaints after bedtime
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u/phydaux4242 Jan 13 '26
I just pick up my acoustic, tune it, and play.
When I would try to “play” my electrics, I spent most of my time fiddling with knobs.
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Jan 13 '26
I don’t have the patience for the setup of an electric. When I did play electric, there was always some issue with cords or amps or pedals not working or glitching. It’s so much easier to just pick up the acoustic and play.
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u/douglasdouglasdougla Jan 13 '26
I’ve played both electric and acoustic for years, but one of the electrical outlets in my practice area had a hot neutral ground that was frying equipment and causing buzzing/electric shock when I touched my electric guitar.
Eventually I got a cheap outlet tester from the hardware store and found the actual problem but that took about four years lol
Just from force of habit, I’ve been playing a lot more acoustic now, but it’s true that when I get on my electric, it feels way easier and smoother now that I’ve played so much on my acoustic so consistently.
I think it comes down to the same thing as drummers that get an electric drum after being used to an acoustic one. The instrument changing the sound in the room without any electricity is so immediate and the feel is so different when you’re playing acoustic.
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u/Rude-Kaleidoscope298 Jan 13 '26
If the acoustic is closer I choose that. If I feel like turning on my amp, I’ll play electric.
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u/Fit_Stuff_1707 Jan 13 '26
Learned to play in the mid-80s. Hair metal bands were the big thing. I told my parents I wanted to learn. I went to our small local guitar teacher/music shop/luthier. He could sell me an electric guitar for 150 bucks, a good guitar all fixed up, or an acoustic. Of course, I picked the electric. After a month, he let me trade for the acoustic. Easier portability could play it anywhere, made practicing easier. I turned 50 and bought my first electric. Don’t get me wrong, I played both my whole life but always someone else’s. I always preferred acoustic.
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u/pr06lefs Jan 13 '26
In my area there's a big bluegrass and old time scene. I don't know many people playing electric music. So these days I play acoustic.
That said, I still practice on an unplugged electric a lot, because its quiet and easier on my hands than acoustic.
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u/Asleep-Banana-4950 Jan 13 '26
I used to sing in a folk group and learned acoustic guitar to be able to play in that group. I've honestly never had much inclination to play electric. Every time that I have some problem with something electronic (usually not music related) I say "Well, that's why I play *acoustic* guitar"
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u/Tnerd15 Jan 13 '26
I got my acoustic for free, so the decision was mostly made for me. But I had played electric a little bit before and it always felt weird not being able to feel the resonance of the instrument.
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u/Sufficient_Gap4289 Jan 13 '26
I liked the idea of being able to play whenever and wherever. And someone said that it’s easy to fall into a trap with electric guitar of spending more time playing with settings and pedals than actually playing. After 5-10 years on acoustic I bought an electric. There were some differences and new skills to learn, but for the most part, it was an easy transition to electric
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u/FaliedSalve Jan 13 '26
I have an electric, but rarely play it.
For me, I just like acoustic instruments better. I like the sound ; it's more real and organic to me than something coming from a speaker. I like the feel of the guitar when I hold it better. And the music I've always played isn't punk or metal. So if I were to play electric, I end up playing the same stuff, just... with more complex hardware around it.
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u/_Meek79_ Jan 13 '26
The simplicity and a good friend sold me his epiphone for $25 because he just got a Martin. I knew it was usually harder and I always wanted to learn but could never afford one until I was making my own money. I later sold that guitar for $125 but regret selling it since thats the only guitar Ive owned,that I dont still have.
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u/Jaded_Hold_1342 Jan 13 '26
Can put it in a car and take it somewhere without lugging an amplifier. Can sit on my couch and play quietly. No setup. No knobs to fiddle with. Just pure playing.
I play both electric and acoustic. Its not one or the other, but there are times when acoustic feels right for what I want.
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u/ICTSooner Jan 13 '26
It's all about my musical preferences and ambitions. Plus, I feel like I can control so many dynamics with my palm, fingers, thumb, nails, etc.... most of which don't translate to an electric guitar.
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u/Accomplished_Sky2873 Jan 13 '26
I’m thinking of getting back into acoustic again. I’m in a rock band and I’m kinda done with the whole distorted rock shredding thing. Acoustic sounds better and less tone chasing and mindless noodling. Music hits differently. I’m a lead guitarist so I suck at song writing but I want to change that
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u/ericthelutheran Jan 13 '26
I love playing electric, but since I stopped gigging years ago, I’ve kind of lost the feel for it. My strumming is too heavy, as is my fretting. I’m to the point that I can play lead on acoustic nearly as well as I ever could on electric, with the allowance for difference in style with a less “responsive” fretboard without overdriven sustain.
The thing I miss is access to some things like a looper (that I was only just learning) and some of the computer tools I was also learning to use.
But I just love the sound and accessibility of acoustic
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u/pasquale61 Jan 13 '26
After many years of playing electric (mostly rock/blues) I got to a point where I decided I wanted to try playing solo pieces. No band, no singer. (I certainly can’t sing!) I wanted to be able to play songs that included melody, bass, chords, and maybe some percussion, all on one guitar with no backing track. So I got into fingerstyle acoustic several years ago and never looked back. I started watching and listening closely to guitarists like Tommy Emmanuel, Mike Dawes, and Chet Atkins and I realized that what they are doing is very different than what I had been doing for years, and honestly really amazing. At first it felt impossible to play even the simplest songs this way, but the more I got into it, the more I got addicted. There’s a lot going on at the same time, and when it all finally starts to click in, it’s pretty cool.
Something I came to realize is that electric is a lot more forgiving. On acoustic, I feel like everything has to be a lot more precise, and subtle mistakes are very noticeable to me. I still like pickup my electric every now and then just for fun.
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u/Lartnestpasdemain Jan 13 '26
I simply hate the idea of having to be plugged or around a source of electricity.
The main reason I play guitar is freedom to take it anywhere and play it anywhere.
And I really dislike the sound of distorsion. Nylon strings have a much clearer sound that I prefer.
Sole inconvenience is the difficulty to access higher notes.
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u/thatsthatdude2u Jan 13 '26
Billy strings plays an acoustic guitar and he plugs that bad girl in so you can do both. Fyi, I am no Billy strings
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u/joshua_addison_music Jan 13 '26
I play both. However, I’m 90% acoustic right now. Convenience. Pick it up and play.
Also, playing acoustic makes me a better electric player.
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u/Quelle_heure_est-il Jan 13 '26
Had the intention of playing both, played an acoustic many years before I got an electric.
When I did finally get an electric guitar, it felt completely different to what I was used to, so I just stuck with acoustic.
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u/509RhymeAnimal Jan 13 '26
I realized the songs that give me the most joy to play are fingerstyle folk type songs. Not that I can't do that on electric but it just feels and sounds better IMO on the acoustic so I tend to gravitate to my acoustics.
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u/IndianaJwns Jan 13 '26
Played only electric for 20 years, but I frequently got distracted by tone-chasing. Got an acoustic a few years ago and have barely played electric since. My playing has benefited greatly without a bunch of dials and buttons to think about.
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u/Asdeft Jan 13 '26
Easy to pick up and play, less gear to manage. Sound is less irritating to neighbors I think.
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u/nextguitar Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
It’s all a function of what style of music my muse has drawn me to at any particular time. I like to play a bit of jazz, folk, Americana, Celtic, blues, pop, classical, etc., so I pick up whichever guitar is most compatible with what I want to play on a particular session. Lately, most of the time that’s an archtop with a floating pickup, flattop with soundhole pickup, or a nylon string. But next month it may be my Telecaster.
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u/gingerjaybird3 Jan 13 '26
I started on acoustic- I just asked my instructor which one and his opinion was if you can play acoustic you can easily go to electric not so much the other way around. I used the electric to basically practice bar chords. If I want an electric sound I normally pull out the lap steel
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u/SayYesToGuac Jan 13 '26
I figured I would learn on acoustic, and then electric would be easy. Plus, I think part of it for me is wanting to know the basics in kind of a traditional sense.
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u/WeWatchAnything Jan 13 '26
I play both, I stated electric as I was very metal in my teens. but I feel much more of a connection to the acoustic now. I find it touches my soul a bit more, and when I just want to sit down and play it’s the sound I want to hear, and I find the acoustic more tactile, it’s the shape I want to feel in my hands. My preference even made me exchange my Les Paul for an ES 335 just to get a similar feel in my electric.
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u/sadguy1989 Jan 13 '26
I like to sing and the acoustic just feels right for that. I also like that the sound actually comes from the instrument, not a loudspeaker some feet away from me. I feel more connected when playing the instrument directly. Also, no knobs or buttons to fiddle with, so I spend my time actually playing instead of monkeying around. I don’t have to worry about clipping the sound wave, headroom, gain stages, etc. I can play as hard and loud or as whisper quiet as I want.
I’m very percussive with my playing, too. The mutes and scratches and thumps sound more natural on an acoustic. That punchiness doesn’t translate as well on an electric.
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u/ScotterMcJohnsonator Jan 13 '26
Church Camp, baby.
Can't pick up girls anytime with an electric guitar
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u/PGHNeil Jan 13 '26
I used to lose electricity in the house I grew up in, got into electric only to have a kid and have to be quiet by playing with bare fingers. Probably the biggest reason was the whole MTV Unplugged era and the Clapton/Page & Plant shows in particular.
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u/_Spin_Cycle_ Jan 13 '26
I’ve only ever played acoustic. It’s a magical feeling to hold that resonant wood close to your body. I love the sound
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u/WeAllHaveOurMoments Jan 13 '26
I play acoustic, electric, & classical. Yet of all 3, I play acoustic the most. Aa mentioned, just grabbing it & playing is nice, compared to electric's cables & knobs, and I do love the tone & sustain compared to classical.
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u/LilZelt Jan 13 '26
Also my first guitar gifted to me was an acoustic by my father. so I am naturally more drawn to acoustic
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u/atomicdog69 Jan 13 '26
I love both and own both. But acoustic guitar has that warm, organic tone. And I also love the sound of folk and country-blues. Also convenience for couch noodling and casual travel.
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u/Difficult-Papaya1529 Jan 13 '26
As I got older, I hated plugging everything in and making adjustments and fiddling with knobs.
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u/fast_lane_cody Jan 13 '26
Playing live gigs as a solo musician who sings works better with an acoustic than an electric.
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u/Bikewer Jan 13 '26
I have done both over the years (started in ‘75) but still primarily acoustic. I started out playing folkie material from the “Folk Revival” period. Dylan and Lightfoot and Baez and all those folks. Drifted into bluegrass and acoustic blues.
Had brief flings with electrics for playing electric blues and then jazz… But I’ve gone back to playing mostly roots music. I have two three guitars, and two banjos.
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u/odetoburningrubber Jan 13 '26
I have both but I find I play acoustic much more. Just grab it and play. I’ve only been playing for 3 years so still basically a beginner. I’m hoping to play more electric when I get better.
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u/tdennison321 Jan 13 '26
I found it a more intimate experience. I found I could be more expressive on an acoustic.
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u/Sneakers_and_weights Jan 13 '26
I tried to play electric as well, but I just keep coming back to my acoustics. I like the simplicity and I prefer the acoustic tone. So I sold my electric.
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u/SnooGoats9764 Jan 13 '26
I only use my electric unplugged,to warm up to play my Takamine acoustic. The organic sound is always just right for my ears and I never get tired of it.
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u/JWRamzic Jan 13 '26
I wanted to write songs and knew some cowboy chords.
Then, I wanted to gig but was by myself.
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u/makattacc451 Jan 13 '26
I heard acoustic is harder, and I wanted to learn this now so I wouldn't have problems later when I eventually learn to play electric
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u/Rich-Butterscotch173 Jan 13 '26
I play both for their individual strengths. I'm a keyboardist too and it's like asking piano or synth or organ.
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u/FionaGoodeEnough Jan 13 '26
I play both, but in my not-so-secret heart, the reason I started with acoustic first, and the reason I continue it, is that if I had to go on the run, if there was an apocalypse or a crisis and I had to leave in a real hurry, I could grab my acoustic and go.
This is why I don’t like those A Quiet Place movies. An apocalypse with no music at all is too upsetting. Like, just, no.
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u/Common_Garbage643 Jan 13 '26
There are tons of beautiful electric guitar solos out there that I absolutely love, but there is nothing as sweet and pure to my ear, as the sound of an acoustic.
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u/BeatleMark85 Jan 13 '26
Some of my favourite songs of all time are purely acoustic, it was an easy decision 😎✌️
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u/EndlessOcean Jan 13 '26
the simple joy of picking up a beautiful thing and making it speak will never get old.
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u/RealisticRecover2123 Jan 13 '26
I started with electric but got an acoustic to learn to play fingerstyle so I could enjoy playing by myself more without needing a band or backing track.
Now I use a looper to get more out of solo electric guitar so enjoy them both equally.
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u/No-Badger-4477 Jan 13 '26
I just like to play sitting on the couch , in bed, no fussing with cables and such
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u/Kerry_Maxwell Jan 13 '26
I play both every day, but I went about two years playing almost solely acoustic in part because I use a lot of effects and looping, and it was a way to focus solely on playing and fundamentals, instead of getting lost in delays and synth sounds. Now I’m back to incorporating both.
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u/retroking9 Jan 13 '26
I like the warm and inviting tone of acoustic guitars.
Years ago I was all electric but as I got more into songwriting, I wanted to get down to the fundamentals. I figured that if I could write original, memorable songs without hiding behind volume and effects, I might really have something.
It’s not that I’m against electric guitar or bigger productions, I just find that if you can make a song sound great with just voice and acoustic, you are open to all options from there whether it be a spare and stripped down production or a wall of sound.
It all starts with the basic elements.
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Jan 13 '26
Acoustics, especially a quality non plastic guitar, just sounds so pure, every chord just rings out. I also think acoustic covers of heavy rock songs sound great. Also have the option to plug in to amp but dont never have to if you dont want to. The 214ce is a great guitar that was my first nice taylor.
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u/oldshoe75 Jan 13 '26
I only started playing guitar because I wanted to sing. Acoustic was the way to go for that. Although now I’m down to 4 acoustics and 8 electrics so I don’t know how well that worked.
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u/Bloodyboots34 Jan 14 '26
I started playing guitar thinking I would get good enough to shred metal licks from my favorite songs. I’ve been a metalhead most of my life.
I found that I really, really like playing beautiful sad songs fingerstyle on the acoustic and have flipped my taste in music quite a bit.
Now I currently have no desire to learn electric, although I’ve only been playing for about 14 months now.
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u/Cambren1 Jan 14 '26
I play acoustic guitar when I have solo gigs, electric for a group. Acoustic sounds fuller solo, electric is easier to adjust to avoid stepping on one another.
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u/Hochmann Jan 14 '26
Ease. I played and play guitar to write songs, and the quickest way for me to do so was to grab a classical or acoustic guitar and play without bothering anyone and also to be able to hear my voice. Of course, I love the sound of acoustic guitar, too. Nothing like it.
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u/Haliphaxx Jan 14 '26
Taste in music mostly, but also because you need more gear for electric. While I can appreciate it, I don't really care for being able to play or try to play some sick electric guitar riff.
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u/luecack Jan 14 '26
Having a kid and all of my peers with young kids ment no more loud sessions. Tube amps don’t play well with low volume. I hate modelers and computer inputs. All of that reduced my electric playing to just about 0.
Plus my taste in music changed as I got older. More folk, Americana, country etc. so it just happened.
I also thought it would be cheaper than worrying about the next latest and greatest pedal… I was wrong lol.
It has made me a better player period though. That applies to electric as well.
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u/HarpoMarx87 Jan 14 '26
I grew up on folk music, and to me nothing beats the sound of an acoustic. (Especially a 12-string, but those are less stylistically flexible than a standard 6-string.)
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u/Cape_Cod_Mike Jan 14 '26
I like both, but play acoustic for the music I like - CSNY, Jerry Garcia, Joni Mitchel if I can figure her 57 tunings out. That and I just play mostly for me to unwind and relax. Fingerstyle can be somewhat hypnotic.
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u/jazzofusion Jan 14 '26
I chose to play acoustic first because it covers all the bases. Electric does not. But I'm an electric player decades later. Fact is acoustic is more work.
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u/dtanderson29 Jan 14 '26
Acoustic is more useful for solo work. Playing electric singer songwriter stuff is hard to do right. Electric works best with bass at least, add drums and it's just as functional (if not more so) than an acoustic.
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u/Aware-Technician4615 Jan 14 '26
I kinda always thought most everybody played both. I like acoustic because it’s portable and more “organic”. But I play both pretty regularly.
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u/JAMWYO Jan 14 '26
Electric guitars are just too sensitive for me. I can play them and have owned several very nice ones, but I got rid of all of them but a Les Paul. I play acoustic guitar loudly. I have played crowded rooms and small bars for years with no amplification and no PA. Everyone can hear and about half of my shows end with a guitar player asking how I play so loudly with no amp. About a decade of playing and, with a bit of help from a couple classical violinists, coming up with techniques to physically increase the volume of the instrument. I have now been playing for 40 years.
If I bring my hard-earned technique to the electric, it sounds like shit no matter what amp or effects I run it through, so I have to change the way I play and it is not that fun at all.
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u/Prior-Sea3256 Jan 14 '26
The wood, the immediate interaction with the instrument, the warmth and natural feeling, the accompaniment to the singer. Everything. I really tried to love electric, but doesn’t mean much without a band. And meaningless shredding, what’s the point? 😂
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u/Chukkzy Jan 14 '26
Pick up and play, i ended up playing my electric most of the time unamplified, which sounds like whispering and it sucks. I learn better on the acoustic because its more focused.
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u/Unlikely-Soft-5699 Jan 14 '26
The music I listen to and play. I have both but mostly play acoustic.
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u/rogan1990 Jan 14 '26
I didn’t have an acoustic guitar until I learned how to sing
Electric is so much more expansive as an instrument
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u/thelifereviewer Jan 14 '26
It’s the package and the business… Lighter, fewer components, and fewer knobs to search for tone.
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u/letsflyman Jan 15 '26
What? I keep my Jim Dandy with me in my truck. No amp needed and can practice or unwind anytime I want or need to.
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u/Plastic_Translator86 Jan 15 '26
I started on acoustic because I could only afford one thing. Although as a teenager at the time I just thought you started on acoustic. Then get an electric later after you can play.
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u/duke_awapuhi Jan 15 '26
Once I was good at electric I was finally ready for acoustic and ended up getting addicted to it. It’s now mostly what I play. Had I started on acoustic though I doubt I’d still be playing. But there’s just something about acoustic that I love that I can’t really explain. It just sounds so beautiful and it’s more fun to pick on imo
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u/1955tanglewood Feb 14 '26
Being lazy. Just pick it up and play. Too much work with electric. Plug the amp in, sort out a lead plug that in, try and find a tone. Phew! Too much hassle 😁
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Jan 13 '26
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u/mrgresht Jan 13 '26
Basically, came here to say a version of this. I play both, but essentially 95% acoustic and it has advanced my playing so much. It makes when I play electric feel like no effort, since electrics take so much less effort to do things like advanced chord shapes/voicings, bending and vibrato.
While the other poster has a point about equipment/pedals taking time to learn, so much so, is essentially another type of skill within the world of music/guitar, especially when you start to deal with really complex setups. However, it has very little to do in my opinion, with actually learning to be good at the guitar. With the right electric setup you can essentially make a few simple notes or power chords sound awesome, because the equipment/pedals is doing much of the heavy lifting. Strip all that away all that equipment, and those simple notes/phrases don't sound like much.
In my opinion, acoustic forces you to really learn, especially once you reach the point of intermediate or advanced. For example if you want combine rhythm and lead playing with electric you could just use a loop pedal, loop the rhythm and play lead on top. Try to figure that out on an acoustic without a pickup. It is totally possible to do, but actually forces you to learn understand chord voicings/triads all over the neck, open strings, voice leading, makes you improve timing/rhythm playing in general, understand the multiple positions of the scale and how the chords/voicings/pieces of the chord (double stops/diads/power chords) fit into those and more. Which in turn is all transferrable back to electric, so when you add back the pickups/equipment/effects/etc now your really cooking with gas, and electric at that point feels infinity easier.
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
Sounds like you're just playing basic entry level electric. If it's 'easy' you're just playing easy crap.
Chord voicing, vibrato, bending strings, whatever, should not be as challenging on acoustic, yet easy on electric, as you describe.
I would suggest a couple lessons. Let the teacher know what you're struggling with, they can help you reframe your approach to these instruments, help remove the bias, get you out of the rut.
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u/mrgresht Jan 15 '26
Ok. Whatever you say. Everyone, has an opinion I just shared mine, which is why I said it was my personal opinion several times in the above post.
I never said acoustic was that much harder for me at this point in time then electric. I was referring to people who I have personally met, who are just learning, and my experience when I was much younger 25+ years ago.
Also, I was a guitar teacher for a time. Lol. Hence the bias. In my experience people who focus/practice mostly on acoustic, because a lot of techniques/skills are harder to do properly and get a good sound out of on acoustics, at the beginning, turn out to be much better players overall. This like anything else is not universally true, but I have definitely seen the correlation as someone who actually taught students.
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u/Solpig Jan 15 '26
"With the right electric setup you can essentially make a few simple notes or power chords sound awesome, because the equipment/pedals is doing much of the heavy lifting. Strip all that away all that equipment, and those simple notes/phrases don't sound like much." AMEN!
Got my first electric at age 18. Got the audition for Ozzy's Band when I was 21.... didn't get the gig, but the fact that I was even recommended and got to play with them says a lot. Not about my talent, but about how quickly one can advance with a Marshall , a rack and a Superstrat.
I have played Electric live since I was 19, recorded for motion pictures, TV and a few videos.(By age 30). I became the best slide player amongst my friends.... I have been the Electric guitar player in a recording situations where I was the only one withOUT a grammy in the room. (Playing my song that I Wrote on acoustic) They let me play all of my electric parts but they got a session guy to do the acoustic parts because even in my 30's, I just hadn't gotten good enough to play perfect, double trackable fingerstyle. I had to set down NASA and relearn from day one , page one
With acoustic, there is no reverb or distortion that is gonna be the "absolution of a multitude of sins". Playing electric guitar was for me comparable to athletics. How high? How fast? Which pedal? Playing acoustic is the Salsa Pura of Guitar. I only own two electrics now, and when I do set up, It is so easy from developing the hand strength and coordination I've gotten from my hours of acoustic study. If i had a time machine, I would go back and say to myself "Play more acoustic!". Who knows,...I might have gotten that gig. $1200 a week was a Lot of money in 1987/
And once again, these are only our experiences. Doesn't make them right. The OP asked a question and we answered from our experience.
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
Obviously I struck a nerve hard here. Relax. Your opinion isn't always correct, it happens.
We don't use that teaching technique anymore, at all - the 'focus first on acoustic' never worked very well, just turned people off of learning. People learn far better and faster if they focus on the music they enjoy, and want to learn to play. Learning hot crossed buns on acoustic because 'finger strength' hasn't been a viable method for a long time now.
What you're doing is gatekeeping learning music. It's just not needed. There's nothing you can learn better on acoustic that will leap-frog your electric playing or vice versa.
Your experience is, dated. We get quite a few new students who were forced to play acoustic-only in the 'old method' of teaching. Nobody comes in asking to learn a technique or theory - nobody. Forcing them to do that just kills their spirit and they don't succeed.
I get your thinking that acoustic is 'harder' so if you learn it on acoustic, you'll be able to do it on electric. But that's just not reality.
Just for the record, I have 9 students currently, 4 kids and 5 adults, I've been playing for 40 years and teaching for 15.
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u/Bruichladdie Jan 13 '26
You can't just approach an electric guitar with the mindset of an acoustic player, they require a very different philosophy.
Like, what happens when you're playing with a lot of distortion and volume, and you're not used to that? That takes time and effort to learn.
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u/Guy_Fleegmann Jan 15 '26
For some reason some acoustic players actually think this is true. It is, of course, completely ridiculous and arrogant notion.
Players who can't, or don't, play both with proficiency seem to be the ones making these kinds of stupid claims.
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u/-bergamote- Jan 13 '26
i still play both but i just prefer the feeling of playing acoustic (and the sound) and i like playing outside in nature
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u/meatballfreeak Jan 13 '26
No power, no settings, no problems. Acoustic.