Re: Accoustic help needed.....
What qualifies as "regular" or "medium" for an acoustic is very different from electric. In fact, DR's 12-52 set of nickelwound electric strings, the heaviest electric set they sell, are labelled "extra heavy", while that same gauge is "light" for acoustic guitar. The heaviest that most retail stores bother stocking in electric is 11-50, and most won't bother with acoustic strings lighter than 12-52.
Go to the store and get yourself a set of Elixir Nanoweb 80/20s in the "light" gauge, which is 12-52. I like coated strings on acoustics, because a non-coated bronze string just oxidizes so fast, no matter what you do to protect it, that for double the cost per set, you'll end up tripling your strings' life. Put these on, tune to pitch, and play. They will still feel heavier than an electric, but much more manageable than a "regular" or "medium" set of 13-56 or thereabouts. I can usually go back and forth between my acoustic using these 12-52s, and my two electrics with 10-46s, without too much trouble, though I have an advantage in that acoustic is my primary instrument for most of my work.
If you find the guitar is simply unplayable even with these lighter strings, it may need a setup. If you know how to do that yourself, or you can trust yourself to follow the myriad instructions available online, do so (really the only permanent damage you can do to a guitar by performing a basic setup is snapping the truss rod, so just be careful adjusting it). If you don't trust yourself to do it right, take it to a reputable luthier and he'll get it set up for you. Mention that the strings are new, and most luthiers will try to save them (and knock off a few bucks, as they usually figure in the cost of a new set to the price of a setup).
Also, check that the top hasn't bowed up; this can happen on solid-top acoustic guitars if you're a little overzealous with the humidifiers, even in winter. The usual test is to take a ruler or other straightedge, place it against the frets at the heel of the neck between the two middle strings, and slide it out over the soundhole to the bridge. The end of the straightedge should just barely clear the wooden bridge before bumping into the saddle. If you hit the bridge, the top is too wet and has swelled. If this is the case, take the instrument and all humidifiers out of the case, and go over the case's liner with a hair dryer to dry it out well, then put the instrument back in the case, without humidifiers, and add a few packets of silica gel dessicant (the ones you find in boxes for consumer electronics, that kind of thing; you can buy these in bulk and keep them in a ziplock bag until needed). Check the action every day or two until the top levels out, repeating the case dryout as needed, and once the guitar passes the ruler test, get yourself a hygrometer to monitor the relative humidity in the case, and use the humidifiers or silica gel as needed to maintain around 40-50% RH.
If the top hasn't bowed, you might have a saddle that's too high; I'd trust adjustments for such things to a pro, especially if you have a piezo pickup, because these adjustments involve taking material off the bottom of the saddle, while keeping that surface flat. If you end up with a curved saddle piece, concave or convex, the response of the piezo pickup will be affected, and of course, you can't put material back on the saddle once you've taken it off; go to low and you're buying a new saddle.
If you want to build up your fingers on electric, take your Les Paul (if you have one; its nut width and fretboard radius are more similar to an acoustic than a Strat's) and put on a set of Elixir Nano "heavy" electric strings, which will be the same gauges as the acoustics. Practice with that guitar for a while, forsaking all others, then when you go back to your acoustic, you'll have a similar feel and you'll have developed the finger strength needed.
DO NOT use one of those spring-loaded finger trainers. First off, they don't help you develop thicker callouses, which is half the battle for dealing with the heavier-gauge strings. Second, they might build up the big muscles, but they don't help your precision or flexibility, which are key on a fretboard. Lastly, they don't give you any feedback about proper technique; you can curl your fingers like you're playing a trumpet, or hold them straight (bent backward, more like), the trainer doesn't care, but your strings will. You have to develop strength in the small tensor and flexor muscles all along each finger in order to be able to hold an even pressure along all the strings, and the best way to do that is simply to play often and a lot.
Lastly, remember that you're just not going to play an acoustic the same way you do an electric. Acoustic guitars are a different instrument, firmly in the rhythm category, and when playing one you tend to take a step back and slow down (though don't tell Django Reinhart I said that)
Good luck my man!
