Do you practice on an acoustic?

[newpedals]

I play an hardtail HSS strat.

Today I had borrowed my friend's acoustic (Yamaha) for practicing. After getting used to the thicker strings, it felt liberating. It has a built-in tuner. He had got a setup done on this from a professional.

I switched over to my electric only when I needed to practice a song which has an overdriven amp sound in the recording.

How many of you on here practice on an acoustic guitar but perform on electric?

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

I play an hardtail HSS strat.

Today I had borrowed my friend's acoustic (Yamaha) for practicing. After getting used to the thicker strings, it felt liberating. It has a built-in tuner. He had got a setup done on this from a professional.

I switched over to my electric only when I needed to practice a song which has an overdriven amp sound in the recording.

How many of you on here practice on an acoustic guitar but perform on electric?

I play my electric hollowbody 98% of the time. About once a month, I pull out an acoustic just to keep myself true (no effects on voice or guitar, just play acoustically - usually do that on a full moon at the beach if weather permits). After seeing a recent Al DiMeola interview, I am kind of jonesing for a nylon string acoustic (but I have zero budget available for such an acquisition)!

 

[AutomationBias]

Almost never. I don't really listen to much acoustic guitar music, either.

 

[maguchi]

I try to practice on acoustic guitar at least 3 or 4 times a week, just to keep my hand in. I perform mostly with electric guitar, however I do play acoustic at shows too sometimes. I try to keep the strings down to 11-50 so the string tension is not too hard, but I do have a couple acoustics strung with 12-52s also.

 

[Dadbodblues]

For technical playing, I mainly practice on my electrics because my hands have adapted to their string spacing and neck width; for others, I don't really mind which guitar I practice on.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I would never do that. I want to play the guitar I'm most familiar with. Around here, I'm probably way in the minority, in that I only play 2 different models of guitar, and they're both JP's signatures, so they're both very very close to each other, ergonomically. I focus my efforts on very challenging stuff, so I want..., no, need, the guitar to remain as familiar as possible. Plus, I just love them so much that I'm not even interested in any other models.

Crazy, I know.

 

[TSJMajesty]

my hands have adapted to their string spacing and neck width;

Yep. Exactly that!

 

[newpedals]

I am no expert on these things but while switching electrics I have noticed that fingerboard radius plays a role in playability somehow.

I once played a friend's superstrat which had a radius of 12", I think. It was easier to play notes on it. While on guitars with radius of 9", 7.5" etc. it somehow seemed easier to play chords on it. I guess its a matter of personal preference. I dont even know if acoustics have similar radius to electric guitars.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I think, at least for me, the shape of the neck impacts how I relate to a guitar much more than the fretboard radius. The last different-to-me guitar I played had, what felt like, a very round neck, and I did not like it at all.

It wasn't so much that I found things harder to do, it just made my hand feel quite unnatural. (My necks are on the thin side.)

 

[Aelred]

Fwiw, loving the compound radius "Modern D" neck on my Ultra SSS Strat.

 

[TSJMajesty]

If you're unsure what would work for you the best, I'd recommend spending a half day at a music store trying all the various shapes. Then once you decide which you like best, personally, I'd stay with that. My thinking is- the less variables, or changes to how a guitar feels to you, the easier it will be for you to learn new things. YMMV and all that jazz, of course.

 

[metropolis_4]

Yes, I practice on acoustic a lot!

The great thing about practicing on acoustic is that there is no other gear involved, so it forces you to just focus strictly on playing and not gear or tone. You pick it up and you play, you don’t even have to turn anything on or plug anything in. It’s just you and the guitar.

I also just really love playing acoustic (both steel string and nylon string). As a drummer I’m drawn to the very percussive nature of playing an acoustic.

 

[newpedals]

I usually use a pick, irrespective of whether I am playing an electric or an acoustic. I can fingerpick for a very limited time, it tires me out. I don't know if one of the reasons is that I have finely trimmed fingernails.

Just like my shoulder-length hair, I am lazy when it comes to maintaining longer nails. I don't like the hassle. I appreciate a fellow guitarist friend who maintains waist-length hair inspite of being a guy. He plays slide guitar.

I was amazed by a guy on youtube who can play fingerstyle on an electric.

While learning new songs to play and sing, trying to play it fingerstyle tires me out.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Every once in a while. I don’t really like my acoustic though. It’s a Taylor and i think it needs some work

 

[TVvoodoo]

I play about 50/50. I enjoy songwriting and find an acoustic much more friendly to that process... but it may also be more the style I prefer to create in. When I try to write with an electric, I seem to revert to rather unsatisfying Dad Rock sort of tripe, rather than my regular much-preferred folk rock tripe

 

[aerial7]

Every once in a while. I don’t really like my acoustic though. It’s a Taylor and i think it needs some work

I also have a Taylor; I almost never play it any more, but every time I do, I wish I had more time to spend with it. Easy to play, sounds great.

For me, it's simply a lack of time. I can barely keep my electrics in rotation, nevermind spending any time with the acoustics...

 

[FuzzyAce]

When I write or practice something on acoustic it normally will not be something I'd play the same on electric. I might be more likely to write something on electric and think it's be more appropriate for acoustic though.

 

[OrganicZed]

I do the opposite; I practice acoustic guitar parts on an electric (PRS P22) and then play live on an acoustic guitar.

 

[DrewJD82]

My acoustic usage pretty much begins and ends with “This part would be cool with an acoustic strumming some chords in the background” and then it sits on the wall until I have friends over for drinks and I start busting out AIC tunes.

 

[RFGGUY]

I’m the opposite of most here I suspect. I built acoustic guitars for several years in a shop and played acoustic almost exclusively at that time. That time (plus a recent hand injury) ended up causing the biggest change in my guitar preferences: I have to have a huge neck with lots of shoulder. Outside of the PRS 594 I’ve been messing with almost all my electric guitar necks have dimensions at or approaching a warmoth fatback or boat v.