Electric Vs Acoustic for singing

[Bernie69]

Happy new year guys

 

and plenty of new axes, even if we cannot afford them, they are a pleasure for the eyes .

 

I have spent the 31th December evening with friends, and, like many of you after a few glasses we sang some old Dylan and Cohen's

 

songs,and as I was too lazy to go upstairs fetch my cheap acoustic guitar, I used my es 359 and Vox amp AC4TV

 

all set to a very low volume tu strum some chords going with the songs.

 

To my surprise, it worked extremely well, and raised the question: why use clumsy and difficult to tune

 

acoustics as our amazing ESsss can do the job better , better tuned , wonderful sound to do the job !!!????

 

Remember Jeff Buckley's version of Allelhuia, ans some T Chapman songs!!

 

So why singing folk songs automaticly implies the use of acoustics ? B)

[ErickC]

Because a lot of folk musicians are like Gibson purists. It has to be done like it was done fifty years ago, or it's bad.

 

They used to boo Bob Dylan because he used electric instruments. Think about that.

 

Also:

 

[Versatile]

A good question and topic for friendly discussion...

 

Personally I love the sound of an acoustic to accompany vocals

 

Have sung with bright sounding Fenders and an ES 330

 

Electrics in general IMO are more challenging to play finger style...

 

V

 

[cody78]

I say either can work great for accompaniment to vocals. Over the past few years I've used both for a couple of folky/ songwriter musical ensembles I've played with. Fingerstyle can be more tricky as versatile says on solid body electrics, but on archtops it is a little easier and closer to the acoustic feel. Having said that, I use solid body electrics for folky stuff too but normally use fingers to play as opposed to fingerpicks. I would only use fingerpicks for acoustic playing really. A lot of people are too stuck in tradition of certain types of music and musical 'rules' were made to be learnt to the highest level you can and then broken .

[Larsongs]

Dylan did go Electric! Both are good.

 

In the early days it was easier to hop Freight Trains with Acoustic Guitars for the Hobo Musicians?

 

Liberal Folkies think Acoustic Guitars aren't as environmentally unfriendly as Electric's with Amp's & PA's & Mic's & Cables & FX & etc.?

 

Acoustics are mobile & all a Singer really needs?

 

Lars

[Bernie69]

All your answers are very relevant !

 

it's true that what is more striking than an Emmylou or Dylan

 

with a J200 or J45 ???

 

But if the street buskers need only a guitar and a hat; the acoustic performers

 

in clubs or pubs use nowadays a lot of hardware : pedals, amps; FX etc etc

 

I have also noticed that the acoustic strumming tends to even the sound and rythm of the songs

 

and make them all sounding identical and it can be boring , the electric guitar have more dynamic

 

and the player can change the attack and the rythm more easily

[charlie brown]

Well, there's a warmth, and intimacy, to a singer with just an acoustic guitar!

It actually encourages/forces the audience to quiet down, and really "listen!"

Not saying electric guitar accompaniment can't be "intimate," it can be. But,

generally, not in the same way. A lot of folks, these days use both, in their

ensembles, got great effect. Acoustic, for rhythm or finger picking, and electric

for some of the more "gritty/bluesy" leads. But, there's really NO 'rule'...just

"traditions," and personal preference...IMHO.

 

CB