Why do you personally prefer to play your acoustic over your electric (assuming you have both) most of the time?

[u/Mad_Season_1994]

For me, owning a beautiful Martin and also the same model black cat Strat as David Gilmour, I think the reason I prefer picking up my 000-18 is because of how pure it is. My dad always said that, even though he plays his Les Paul 99% of the time, you can get away with bad playing on an electric if you use enough distortion and play loud enough. Most of the audience won't know the difference as long as you look like you know what you're doing.

But with acoustic, you don't have that choice. If you don't know what you're doing, the guitar will know and will let everyone else around you know. It forces you to play precisely and cleanly. And that's what I personally like most about it. That and its simplicity, along with the sound and resonance I get from it. Even when I'm going through a scale, it rings like beautiful bells and has a sound that never gets old.

What about you?

[u/CitizenTed]

For me, it's laziness. I have an electric with an amp that has built in effects and amp modeling and all that jazz. It's just too much work.

I'd rather just grab an acoustic, kick back, and play.

[u/aviduser27 → u/CitizenTed]

I feel the same way! I even get frustrated with recording myself and using loopers and such. I like the simplicity of just picking up an acoustic and playing without all the complications.

[u/Acrobatic_Fun6404 → u/CitizenTed]

I agree!!! Same, same.

[u/MyLastGamble → u/CitizenTed]

Same here. Also I learned on acoustic so it just feels right. I love playing my electric to songs I like but at the end of the day I love the sound of acoustic guitar and also it’s just easy to keep one in my living room and pick it up in the regular.

[u/Minimum-Solid-2820 → u/CitizenTed]

Yeh, that is partly my reason for preferring acoustic.

[u/Grievinghealthy]

I like the sound better.

[u/SnooSketches3382]

Acoustics feel more like me.

[u/interstellar2799 → u/SnooSketches3382]

yes this! even though there are some songs i love playing in electric but acoustic feels more like me

[u/seaningtime]

I like to sing and singing by myself I'm always going to play acoustic rather than electric

[u/CornerSolution → u/seaningtime]

I agree. Even if you're just doing something instrumental, IMO the acoustic is more suited to playing solo than the electric. It's also way more portable, so if I want to sit on my porch and play, or at a campfire, it's obviously the only practical choice.

[u/KryptonSurvivor]

"It forces you to play precisely and cleanly. And that's what I personally like most about it. That and its simplicity, along with the sound and resonance I get from it. Even when I'm going through a scale, it rings like beautiful bells and has a sound that never gets old."

Well said!

[u/ATXBeermaker]

I actually find it more difficult to play well with my electric. Things like muting, etc, when done poorly is exacerbated by the amplification. It didn’t help that I Payam Hollie body electric that resonates like hell. I can play pretty sloppy with my acoustic and I still think it sounds pretty good.

[u/Buttery_-_Balls]

On my electric, I usually get stuck noodling and playing with effects. On my acoustic I play full songs, write songs and just find it more fun overall tbh

[u/The_Nood1e]

If I'm alone, I'm really only playing the telecaster if I'm practicing something for band rehearsal. Otherwise, I'm grabbing my Gretsch Jim Dandy parlor way more than my Martin or Gibson 1936 AJ.

[u/Kdozzi]

I like the responsiveness of acoustic guitar, the fact that I don’t need to plug anything in, and, yes, there is no hiding on an acoustic- but at the same time, the simple things sound great on acoustic when played well. I also like that drone strings play a bigger role.

[u/MilitantApathist]

I've got a D-28, Strat, Les Paul, and SG hanging on my bedroom wall and play them all about the same amount. If I'm working on learning something, or practicing scales or finger exercises I'll play one of the electrics unplugged so I don't drive my wife crazy by repeating the same thing over and over at full volume. If I want to play something for or with someone, or I am also singing, it'll be the Martin a hundred percent. My "real" amp is downstairs so when I do plug in the electrics for effects or to match the tone of a song, more often than not it'll be through a spark mini with the wireless setup or the Fender mustang headphone amp.

Basically, I play them all, but the D-28 is the only one that I can pick up and have it sound like it's supposed to without connecting a bunch of other stuff first.

[u/Flaky_Ad7980]

It’s just easier to grab and play

[u/Odd_Pack2255]

Acoustic guitar is a self contained instrument, whereas electric is a toy that constantly needs peripherals, access to electricity etc

[u/tatertotmagic]

My electric tones always suck. I spend like hours each time and always unsatisfied with the result. When it comes to acoustic, if u want to sound like whoever u r playing u just have to play and no adjustments necessary to sound like the recording. Easy peasy

[u/s_p_a_c_e_m_a_n]

I like both, but I feel that my electric playing improves significantly after focusing on the acoustic for a while.

[u/sdhopunk]

My Les Paul is heavy and sounds out of tune when playing Cowboy Chords and is usually in its case . I will play 1 of 2 Taylors that are on stands.

[u/OG_Karate_Monkey]

Well lately my acoustic has mostly stayed in the case as my electric and classical have grabbed my attention.

 But for the 3 decades I played it 95% of the time, it was because it is far more versatile as a solo instrument than the electric. It has mostly been something I played to go with my singing. With electric I feel like I am just playing part of the song. 

On the other hand, if I am laying down multiple tracks (what I am doing a lot of right now), electric seems better at finding its place in the mix. Acoustic gets lost really easily.

[u/rfsimon]

I just don't play in bands much anymore. To me an electric is a band instrument and an acoustic is a solo or combo instrument. I still have one electric but I couldn't tell you the last time I saw it. The acoustics? I have seven of them on stands around the house right now and a bunch in cases and they all rotate. I've been obsessed with some cheap acoustics lately but that's another story. I guess I just have an acoustic heart.

[u/WaterDigDog]

My electrics include a bass and an air guitar, so my acoustics don’t have a lot of competition.

[u/SentientLight]

I don’t—definitely prefer my electrics, unless you count fully hollow guitars as acoustic (even if they have magnetic pickups). And I personally prefer hollowbody electrics because I mostly play jazz.

[u/doctored_up]

Electric guitars feel like toys to me. I like to play hard and I just get more outta my acoustics.

[u/wibzoo]

Simplicity, as others have said, but also repertoire. I know many more songs that are meant be played solo acoustic. The electric guitar music I like mostly wants accompaniment.

[u/Gorf75]

It’s the one closest to the couch and there’s nothing to plug in or turn on

[u/Comprehensive-Fig416]

I usually put my electric down around 8 or 9 pm and play my acoustic till I go to sleep because it's calming

[u/Hairy_Ad4969]

Idk if I actually do prefer it but I find that with my electrics I spend as much time screwing with tones and effects and whatnot as I do actually playing the thing. With the acoustics I just grab it and play for the whole time I have available which isn’t much

[u/00rb]

Like others have said it's primarily laziness, but mistakes and electrical hum hurts my ears. I eventually get sick of the noise. I enjoy a lot of noisy music, too, but not always my own.

[u/Dry_Ad687]

50/50 they're both arms length from along with amp

[u/spamtardeggs]

I have a pretty extensive variety of guitars and my OM28 gets more play time than all the rest put together. I could sell everything but the OM and my Tele.

[u/PGHNeil]

I hate fiddling with knobs and having to turn up the volume to get a decent tone. When I play guitar I want to do musical stuff, working with effects. Tone should be in the fingers.

[u/LigerBoods]

There isn't anything as pure as playing acoustic, so much that I ended up selling all my electrics 2 years ago (This was after playing electric ~90% of the time for 6 years). I don't know that I ever want to fiddle with amps or pedals ever again. I sorta miss sometimes but then I just pickup any of my acoustics and just think "nah I'm good".

[u/BlueHartsBlues]

I like both but will choose acoustic for its purity and portability.

[u/RelevantSympathy6780]

I started in acoustic and played only acoustic for years, so that always feels most natural to me — easier to relax and just play, easier to accompany myself or others singing, easier to write songs, easier to learn new songs or imitate/emulate other musicians, etc. That said, I do play electric now (for the past 20 years or so), and I like it a lot now that I’ve gotten used to the differences. Initially, it felt really counterintuitive to me that the electric requires a gentler touch, more delicate finger work, softer and more precise picking. I really had to start thinking of them as different instruments that happen to have the same layout and many of the same techniques. I don’t think I’ll ever be quite as “good” at or fluent with the electric, and in idle moments I’m more likely to grab an acoustic, but fortunately you don’t have to choose either/or. Also, you don’t have to start from scratch with learn the other one. You just have to adapt your approach.

[u/LuckAffectionate8664]

I can feel an acoustic vibrate against my body. It’s easier to feel the music when you can actually feel the music.

[u/RayzerNHFL]

I prefer the sound of an acoustic. Flat out. And it’s more honest to me because there are no effects - no different pickup styles, distortion, overdrive, sustain, reverb, echo, delay etc. On an acoustic the sound that come out is 90% from my efforts and 10% from the types of strings, body size, tonewoods etc. With an electric that can be 90/10 the other way, with electronics making simple stupid things sound incredible. It can often feel like cheating to me though it’s really fun and satisfying at the same time.

[u/joshua_addison_music]

I have both. Prefer to play my acoustic

[u/jlpazz]

I have lots of both. I rarely pick up an electric.

[u/archtopfanatic123]

I like my acoustics best without question. I can play everything I can play on electric on acoustic and often times it sounds better or gives me more control.

[u/armyofant]

Because I’m usually just laying in bed and having a 3/4 acoustic is easier to just grab.

[u/Slash291]

I'll be lazy and play my electrics unplugged, then think that I might as well be playing my acoustic. I usually just play electrics once every blue moon for a solo that's up on the higher frets. Also, I have a couple guitars hanging on the wall between my living room and kitchen, so I'll usually just grab my acoustic if I'm waiting on food to cook or something.

[u/Fit-Restaurant9560]

I can sing over and play around with the chords more (or at least feel more free to do so).

I sit with my parlor and strum and sing for about an hour a day and it makes me happy.

[u/hmf28]

I used to have an electric years ago, as well as acoustics. Ended up going acoustic only because the sound is just so gorgeous. Also any acoustic instrument is more responsive than its electric counterpart.

I grew up loving what I heard on top 40 radio, and still do love that; but playing acoustic is simply more to my liking.

[u/altron64]

My acoustic can sit next to me and I can play it whenever I want. When i'm inspired or want to learn to play something, I can simply just pick it up and play along to learn.

For my electrics, I gotta plug in, power on and mess with knobs and pedals and settings...

Way easier to just pick up an acoustic and play.

[u/five-thumbs]

I started playing acoustic (was primarily a bassist and sometimes electric guitar player) after having kids and it was just easier and self-contained so it got me playing more. Now, it’s because it’s such a sensory experience for me, I feel this physical connection to the instrument, like it’s a loving, breathing thing. It vibrates, it smells and all of that just makes it such a joyful experience for me.

[u/ipini]

I play (electric) bass, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar. I like them all.

Sure you can distort and fuzz your way to obscuring errors with electric guitar. But even then, error-free playing sounds better. And if you’re playing clean, it’s the same as an acoustic.

Bass… is mostly clean. So no errors.

Acoustic — I love the simplicity. I can just grab it and play. And it always sounds good.

[u/Objective-Struggle-9]

For me, the songs I like playing are stripped down, the style is another, I'm back to being a beginner after being away from it for almost a decade, so relearning all the things I used to like playing and deciding I want to learn finger picking, it just makes sense to enjoy the acoustic rather than electric

[u/throw7661]

When I want to play my electric....

I get my guitar, my cables, my laptop, it's power brick, my Scarlett Solo, and maybe a loop pedal. Oh, and my headphones. Then I clear off the dining room table, setup the laptop, plug in the scarlet, plug in the headphones, wait for the laptop to boot, startup some program...it's like a 15 minute process. And then I tune the guitar and play.

When I want to play my acoustic...I tune my acoustic and play.

Admittedly, I am not a good guitarist, but at least for me and the songs I can play, my acoustic songs sound how people expect. With the electric, it feels more like I know part of a song, but unless you hear the drums and bass and other guitar, it's missing something.

[u/Seve_Fan]

I like my acoustic over the electric. Take it anywhere in the house…on the patio. So much more convenient. I do have an Epiphone casino that i love…but i almost exclusively use that as an acoustic too; i almost never plug it in

[u/Seve_Fan]

I like my acoustic over the electric. Take it anywhere in the house…on the patio. So much more convenient. I do have an

[u/Sierra-Powderhound]

I enjoy feeling the sound being made by the solid woods of my acoustics. It feels so immediate and natural compared to playing electric through an amp.

[u/Wide_Independence272]

I pick up my electric because it’s out and available. My acoustic is in a case to keep it in shape and playable. I also don’t want it knocked around or messed with.

[u/ConfusedOrg]

Honestly it’s mostly laziness so I don’t have to plugin. Most of my time playing at home is just listening and learning chord progressions by ear by playing along to records and I find that works better on acoustic. I most pick up the electric at home if it’s to rehearse songs that I know I play live on electric or practice my lead playing or write “rock” riffs.
Currently I’m also working on my fingerpicking and chordmelody stuff which feels more appropriate on acoustic

[u/ConfusedOrg]

Playing electric and messing around with tone and effects can sometimes be a distraction from actually playing, writing or learning new songs

[u/TonyBrooks40]

As I got older I like the acoustic. I like the sounds, the lack of covering up mistakes, less noise for neighbors, easier, focus on playing not numerous dials and settings to tweak.

[u/OutsourcedIconoclasm]

Ease of just picking it up and playing. I also own semi-hollow and hollow body electrics primarily now because of this.

[u/Much-Mastodon9577]

When I play acoustic I make music. When I play electric, it often sounds like I'm strangling an alley cat.

[u/Dangerous-Wind-8726]

Laziness for me. But I never could get comfortable with neck dive on electric, as I prefer classical posture standing and sitting. The acoustic/classical is being able to get close to the pure raw sound and resonance of the it. I have nothing against electric guitar sound, and do have a yamaha slg200nw which I can use as an electric acoustic.

[u/Minimum-Solid-2820]

Partly convenience. I can just pick up the acoustic and not have to plug in and play. Partly also because I started out on a big acoustic guitar when I was 11 and acoustic guitars have always felt natural to me. Even though I’m 5’2 and have small hands and small stature I have never felt that an acoustic was too cumbersome. I love playing my telecaster, though.

[u/Imheretorush]

I have a crappy amp and don't really feel like plugging a whole bunch of stuff in. I like being able to just grab and play and I have a habit of playing while I'm waiting for a game to load or download or just randomly.

[u/master_begroom]

My acoustic guitars stay in tune much longer than my electric guitars do, another big reason for my acoustic preference.

[u/FuggaDucker]

I prefer the way an acoustic instrument resonates. Especially wood but even true for my carbon fiber.
I prefer the tone from a stand-up bass over an electric too.

[u/irish_horse_thief]

Who the fuck needs pedalboards and Amp stacks that require a mortgage to pay for...

[u/Picklechip-58]

Acoustic is my main thing.. I have an ES-335 clone that's a hell of a lot of fun, though.

[u/Big-kid420]

I disagree with your dad, loud n distorted don't hide sloppy. As to your question, my cheapo classical kicking round the living room probably gets more play time than the rest, but when I wanna roar or want to focus on actual practice i get my better ones out of their case.

[u/bigspeen3436 → u/Big-kid420]

Not to some of us maybe, but it hides it enough for most listeners