It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

[benji657]

well, during the last 1-2 months, i decided to give my electric guitar a rest and practice on my classical and acoustic guitars.

now the classical guitar has a very big neck, a hell lot bigger than my strat's. but i trained myself to grasp around the chunky neck. now my strat neck feels like a twig. :laugh2:

the acoustic. higher action. more tension./it had gauge 11's. very thick compared to my 10's on the electric. more training for my hands. after the period of time, i didn't even notice the tension getting to my hands. i got used to it.

now, when i picked up my electric yesterday, gave it a good string change and i held the neck...OMG, i was confused at first because i thought i hadn't had any strings on. wrong, the strings were so thin compared to the acoustic that i couldn't even feel it. since tension was decreased, bends were so nice and easy. plus low action and i was flying up and down the neck :laugh2:

oh boy, whenever i think i need some more practice, that acoustic guitar's gonna get some playing.

just thought id share

benji :dance:

 

[nuntius]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

Yep, I play mostly acoustic over electrics, which is kinda ironic because i own 4 electrics (soon to be 5) and only one acoustic.

 

[DiminisheD-7th]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

what you're experiencing here is more so coming back to a realy small neck with loose strings after having a hard time playing on acoustic.
if you developed finger strength during acoustic playing, this will be increased.
be careful not your finger/hand strength too high (for electric playing) because this will have its effects on what i like to call "sound production" (by the fingers) and also on how accurate you're going to be.

that being said acoustics are EXCELLENT instruments. i use my classical mainly for playing sorts of music that cant be done on electric, and most importantly for writing.
acoustic guitars offer this sort of clean sound that allows me to come up with better idea's and generally i have better writing process with them. maybe its only with me.

 

[xerxes]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

hence why everybody should start on acoustics. it developes finger strength, you have to pronounce evrey note much more clearly, and there is nothing to amplify the sound so u have to strike every note clearly. and obviously there is no distortion to cover you a$$ (if u use it). (i started on acoustic, heheh)

 

[Skullkrusher]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

I noticed the same thing when I started playing acoustic more often. It's a good feeling.

 

[bryvincent]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

hence why everybody should start on acoustics. it developes finger strength, you have to pronounce evrey note much more clearly, and there is nothing to amplify the sound so u have to strike every note clearly. and obviously there is no distortion to cover you a$$ (if u use it). (i started on acoustic, heheh)

i started on a acoustic too, a very cheap acoustic with no truss rod , very high action, very thick strings and a huge neck. moving to electrics was a breeze.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

I always warm up and practice on my acoustic. Not just scales etc., but full out bar chords and other things are much harder. When I play my electric I'm like damn this is easy!

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

ditto. since playing acoustic my electric is far easier.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

I don't have an acoustic, but I agree with all of the benefits stated here. Everything I compose starts out clean. Hiding behind distortion is no fun. I may get an acoustic just to work on my speed and fingering techniques because it's great to be able to fly on an electric afterwards.

 

[presa_tito]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

It's kind of like a batter swinging two bats when he's on deck so one will be easier at the plate.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

whenever I want to get something down cold I practice on my 70s, yamaha 12 string with centimetre high action. If I can play something on that, I can play it on anything. I started playing acoustic, and remember how good my first electric felt, even though it was crappy.
dan

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

Yeah, I like playing tricky stuff on an acoustic for a few days, then picking up an electric. Another thing that makes you sound better with gain is to make sure you can pick everything with a clean tone. There's no hiding from sloppy technique. Then, you can play with more authority when you use your normal tone on an electric.

 

[Panzer]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

Yeah, I like playing tricky stuff on an acoustic for a few days, then picking up an electric. Another thing that makes you sound better with gain is to make sure you can pick everything with a clean tone. There's no hiding from sloppy technique. Then, you can play with more authority when you use your normal tone on an electric.

Yeah man, I ONLY practice with clean tone. I play clean for about 2 weeks, then when I play with distortion it sounds sooo damn good. :32:

 

[Creedis777]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

I must agree. I started on acoustic as well. When I first played an electric I also swore there were no strings! Acoustic has the amazing ability to force you to be good. Which is why I am sad I got rid of mine (Stupid decision on my part). I plan on getting a new one here eventually though. I miss the nice rich sound of the acoustic. Electric still sounds cool but sometimes you just want that "Back to Basics" sound!

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

It's kind of like a batter swinging two bats when he's on deck so one will be easier at the plate.

Haha... I actually used to do that all the time when I played baseball in different leagues :laugh2:

 

[Grandor]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

Its good stuff, I barely touch my electrics at home, its all the yamaha c-40...

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: It's amazing how acoustics can improve your skills

I started on the crappiest k-mart acoustic guitar imaginable, it was actually my Dad's, with ridiculously high action (we're talking 3/4" at the 12th people) intonation off by as much as a half step, super heavy strings....utter crap of a guitar. But early on it sure did help build callouses and finger strength.

I just got an acoustic again after years and years of not having one. I can feel the difference pretty much every time I switch from my acoustic to my LP.