Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

[Lazarus1140]

Does anyone have personal experience with a guitar like the Hamer Duo-Tone or the Taylor T5 Series? I'm specifically interested in something with a very believable acoustic tone, but with the playability of an electric. Although the amplified acoustic tone is important, I really care little about the pure electric side of things.

My hands are weak and I'm having too much trouble trying to adjust to the string tension on even a well dialed in acoustic. I need options as I'm interested in some open mic opportunities where regulat electrics are disallowed.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Does anyone have personal experience with a guitar like the Hamer Duo-Tone or the Taylor T5 Series? I'm specifically interested in something with a very believable acoustic tone, but with the play-ability of an electric. Although the amplified acoustic tone is important, I really care little about the pure electric side of things.

My hands are weak and I'm having too much trouble trying to adjust to the string tension on even a well dialed in acoustic. I need options as I'm interested in some open mic opportunities where regular electrics are disallowed.

I tried a T5 and did not like it all. I'd rather have a piezo type guitar such as a Parker. Just my personal experience though as I've known some folks who raved over them.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Have you tried one of the smaller Taylors like the 512ce? Lighter strings will get the top moving and the Taylor piezo system is decent. They were extremely easy to play in my opinion. Also, the Ovations I've played have felt like electric guitars.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I tried a T5 and did not like it all. I'd rather have a piezo type guitar such as a Parker. Just my personal experience though as I've known some folks who raved over them.

I'm the opposite, I had a Piezo guitar (cheaper Parker) and didn't like it, the B and e strings were really weak sounding on it. I've tried the T5 a few different times at a few shops, both through electric amps and acoustic amps. I found the tone through an acoustic amp to be very realistic sounding. The electric sounds were really good as well. A T5 has been on my wish list for a while.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I played a Taylor that I liked but I don't remember the series. I think it was about $1,000.

Are all acoustics 25-1/2" scale length? I think that could be the problem ... long scale with 11s or whatever.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Some Gibsons and copies of those styles are 24.75". There are also shorter scale Martins. I certainly wouldn't call Gibsons easy to play though, and Martins are pretty traditional as well. Once you get to the level of small builder acoustics there are tons of options, but those are pretty pricey.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

The band I work with regularly uses a T5. In the last year Taylor has developed an even smaller T5 and reduced it's neck/fretboard radius from 16 down to 12 inches. The T5 sounds great out of an acoustic amp and really good out of a regular electric guitar amp. We don't use the T5 for electric guitar roles in songs but I've played it using effects and an electric guitar amp and if that's the way you want to go the T5 will do fine.

I am also planning on buying one soon...looking for the Koa model.
Good luck!

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Thanks for all the reponses. I recently purchased one of the less expensive Breedloves and it sounds OK acoustically and sounds great through my crappy acoustic amp. I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to adjust to playing it. It may be a combination of scale length and fretboard radius. I don't know, it just doesn't work for me and for being only a little above their entry level models it was still fairly expensive. Maybe I should have gotten a $300 Ibanez.


Edit: I just put a new battery in my digital caliper. The low (skinny) E is a .014". I bought a set of D'Addario Coated Phosphor Bronze strings, .012 - .053. The genius at GC was confident that was the exact set the Breedloves are strung with from the factory.

sigh

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I have no experience with the brands you mentioned

I do have a
Martin 000CE1 smaller bodied AE
Yamaha APX500II again a smaller and thinner AE

I too look for necks that play like electrics
I have found that the ones I have are good examples of this

I am Ehdwuld and I approve this post

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

There are a couple of other companies building guitars with a similar concept to the Taylor T5.

I was very interested in the T5 when they first came out, and thought the T5-12-string would have fit my needs perfectly. Alas, it was not to be.

The guitar just tries to do to much. As a result, it doesn't really sound like an acoustic, nor does it sound like an electric. It is something unique and different and in that role it is very good. But don't expect to go from John Denver to Metallica with the flip of a switch. I wanted to use the 12-string to cover ground between John Denver to The Byrds, and it just couldn't do it. You can push it one way or the other by using the appropriate electric or acoustic strings, but to me it never really did anything really well.

Before I did anything else, I would have the Breedlove set up by a PROFESSIONAL luthier, and I'm not talking about the guy at the GC counter. Get the right set of strings on that guitar; make sure that the nut action and truss rod are set properly, and the string height adjusted. The one thing I will say about Taylor is that their guitars play very, very well.

But it may simply be a matter of time and practice. If you've been playing electric for a long time, going to acoustic will be very difficult. It takes time to build up the hand strength and the fingertips again. I go back and forth all the time, but if I don't for a week or two, I might have a few days of suffering ahead of me.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Well, I bought the Breedlove from a local small shop and the Luthier there is beyond exceptional. His guitars are set up really good before he puts them out for sale and when you buy one he asks you to play it for at least a month and then bring it back and he will check it and dial it in to suite your taste.

I put a set of D'Addario 12s on it and what a difference! It had 14s when I bought it and the 12s don't rattle at all. Surprisingly, they sound better to my ears than the heavier guage and now I can play it. In fact, I haven't been able to put it down.

 

[Matt42]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

14s are pretty beefy strings. I'm not surprised that you were able to play it a lot more comfortably on 12s. I switched from 14s to 13s a few years ago and it made a huge difference.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Owned several as I do mostly the modern worship thing. With a good set of in ears these guitars are fantastic tools when you can get a really good mix in your in ears and run both the electric side through an amp and the acoustic side through the system.
Best I have used are the Carvins. I have owned both a DC 400 with the Fishmen in the Wilky and a AE 185 in solid Flame koa with the Baggs. Both i thought were better guitars than the USA Hamers the PRS's, USA Parkers and the Taylors for much less $. I intend to at some point but another Carvin with the acoustic system and would consider nothing else the = of them i have ever played.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I have a godin lgxt. Sounds like an acoustic even though I have 9's on it. Only drawback is it's very heavy. Maple body...

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I have a 2002 Ovation Celebrity Deluxe CS257 that plays almost as easily as my electrics. I've tried out a few of the electric-styled acoustics over the years and just didn't like them... for the same reason that I don't like electrics for acoustic-styled stuff: they just don't feel as solid as acoustics are. The strings bend a bit too easily and sound more loose, which of course is exactly how they are supposed to act!

I haven't tried the Taylor you're talking about (love Taylors, but they're too expensive for my budget), but for what it's worth I suggest trying one of the mid-to-upper echelon Ovations. Nice "easy-on-the-fingers" necks, and the model I'm talking about even has the shallow bowl so it doesn't stick out so far from your body. Not quite as loud as other guitars unplugged, but sounds fantastic amplified.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I have a Brian Moore chambered electric w/ RMC piezos and synth output. The piezos really need some EQ, compression, & reverb to sound their best- as well as going into a full range amp (not a guitar amp).

 

[jef5f]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I play a Godin A6 Ultra. Sweet guitar. The acoustic sounds like an acoustic/electric plugged in and the electric pickup is warm and useable. However, when I tried a set of DR Zebra strings on the guitar, the acoustic character jumped out and it sound more believable as an acoustic, and is loud enough unpluged to play acoustically in a small setting fo 10-20 people. I use the guitar every Sunday at church. It is set up to play like an electric.

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

Haven't played a hybrid but recently watched a video of Chappers and the Captain putting a Taylor T5 through the paces. Pretty interesting guitar.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I have mental plans to make a hybrid. I already have some of the parts i just need a graphtech bridge.

Basically the idea is to use nylon strings on a graphtech acousticphonic setup. Of course it would need to be a hollow strat or something to really set it off.

Should sound a bit like that ^^

 

[Aceman]

Re: Acoustic/Electric Hybrids?

I heard a stunning Les Paul Ultra (Epiphone)

I also heard Daughtry run a 137 or something through who knows what

I'm thinking a good acoutsic sim will make whatever sound decent acoustic wise.