Playing or practicing acoustically only

[jdgm]

A question for you...???

 

At home, I play my solid-body electrics and ALL my guitars acoustically and unplugged about 90% of the time.

I had real bad neighbour problems in the last 2 houses I lived in and don't want to repeat that. So I rarely plug into an amp at home.

 

When practicing with the computer (I use Band-In-a-Box) I might plug into the USB mixing desk if I'm outputting audio to that and have guitar and playback together through the speakers or headphones.

But if I'm on phones, it's simpler to listen to the BIAB audio playback straight out of the computer h'phone socket and just play guitar acoustically. I use an 0.11 set and pick quite hard anyway.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages; tone is in the fingers as they say, but unless you routinely practice with the amp on you may not control your live sound (be the Captain of your tone! ) so well. I am guilty.

 

But I have to say I love the unplugged acoustic tone of all my electrics.

 

This could also lead into a discussion of picking; practicing acoustically allows you to home in on it - I've always done strict up and down 'alternate' picking and this has its drawbacks.

And I do some practice out of books too, but that's another topic....

 

Anyone?

[american cheez]

i know there are some people who disagree, but imo, playing an electric unplugged is 100% pointless. heeadphones were invented ages ago, as are small practice amps, and even usb to the computer. if i play my electric, i plug it in.

['Scales]

where noise is an issue (like here at the office) I use this into headphones. Surprisingly excellent range of gain stages, tone control and effects, and made in Japan so never any issues.

 

[quapman]

JDM,,, I love you man!

But I'm with Kuma on this one.

 

I have no problem with neighbors.

I have a J-45 to play acoustically.

So I NEVER play my electric acoustically.

 

I also don't see the point.

I'm also fine with playing my electric at low volume. Which is pretty much how I practice.

 

So lately for the rare chance I get to play quiet?,,,,, I will grab my J-45.

[Rabs]

Generally depends on what I want to do..

 

If I actually want to practice properly I usually plug in to my digital 4 track....

 

If I just however want a noodle around, say while im sitting watching TV or something I pick up my little Pignose travel guitar and just pluck away mindlessly... I do that quite often (yes I should probably practice properly more )

 

Ohh and to add to that... I have found that playing my electrics acoustically too much can lead to me getting a bit sloppy (make that sloppier).. When your mistakes arnt amplified you don't hear it as much, then you plug in and get a shock :)

[BigKahune]

Do you ever play your solid-body unplugged?

 

No. . Well, maybe on a rare occasion, when I'm looking for a problem noise/buzz.

 

If I think I might disturb someone in the building or neighbors I use my headphones.

 

 

.

[deeman]

When I practice I use my small 2 watt Fender Greta. Got it specifically because it isn't very loud. I would rather not play a solid body guitar without an amp.

[StRanger7032]

When I had my ES-339 I'd play that unplugged quite a bit, mainly because you could actually hear a semi-hollow unplugged. My SG is surprisingly loud unplugged for some reason, possibly the roller bridge? I almost always plug in now since I sold the 339 and I have no neighbor issues.

[Tman]

I play my electric almost always acoustically at home unplugged. No neighbors. Maybe just laziness. I often fall sleep with it. Only fallen on the floor twice that I can remember.

[pippy]

I hardly ever plug-in.

Mostly because of a matter of timing. When I'm home there's usually lots of other stuff going on and by my 'playtime' it's far too late (family) to plug-in.

Sometimes, though, if I'm home alone during the day I'll plug-in for an hour or so (yesterday was one occasion) and have a bit of fun but we also have neighbours 'through the wall' so showing consideration for their life means that things have to be kept down to a reasonable level.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages; tone is in the fingers as they say, but unless you routinely practice with the amp on you may not control your live sound (be the Captain of your tone! ) so well...

 

But I have to say I love the unplugged acoustic tone of all my electrics....

...I have found that playing my electrics acoustically too much can lead to me getting a bit sloppy (make that sloppier).. When your mistakes arnt amplified you don't hear it as much, then you plug in and get a shock :)

Firstly on the subject of the jdgm's second point; as many here will have read I buy my solid-bodies on their unplugged tone so concur with jdgm's thoughts there.

I also play .011s and the tone of the LPs in particular is gorgeous.

 

But as far as the other bits both from jdgm and Rabs I must be in the minority in thinking that playing unamplified actually improves ones' control. I can hear my mistakes just as clearly and the 'tone' I get once plugged-in is pretty much exactly the same as it is when unplugged. Then again; perhaps it's because I'm not trying anything too fancy/technically challenging/experimental and my plugged-preference is for 90% clean in any case so all the amp does is, erm, amplify what I'm doing anyway but the tonal differences by utilising different pick attack, technique and pick-positioning can clearly be discerned un-amplified.

 

But perhaps I'm mistaken. Perhaps I'm just the Lance-Corporal of my Tone(*) after all?

Next time a mate is over I'll ask if they can hear much difference in my playing/end-tone in both configurations.

 

Pip.

 

(*) No slight to the Lance-Corporals of the world either inferred or intended!

[kidblast]

nope, never.

 

 

No neighbor or young children asleep issues here, I can play as loud and as long as I desire.

[jdgm]

Thanks to everyone, very good points made here -

 

I have headphones (and a bit of tinnitus ) and a tiny practice amp, but sometimes I get fed up with leads and wires.....<_<

[LPguitarman]

Rarely or never. I have an acoustic/electric for that. When I pick up my Les Paul, I always go through my amp and pedal board.

[kidblast]

Thanks to everyone, very good points made here -

 

I have headphones (and a bit of tinnitus ) and a tiny practice amp, but sometimes I get fed up with leads and wires.....<_<

 

I have a few small "practice" amps myself. one is a Mustang III, and it has a ton of sounds and built in effects, with a head phone jack.

If you shop your second hand markets, but you can find one for some short dough.. they're just over 300 brand new.

[brad1]

Sometimes, after playing plugged in for a while, I will turn off my amp (intending to stop playing) and start playing acoustically. I will play for 5-10 minutes usually. Not all the time, but a lot of times. I don't know why I do this, but I find myself doing it more and more. Sometimes I guess I just like to hear the guitar by itself.

[AlanH]

I generally go through amp and pedal board but I do also noodle about unplugged, especially when the kids have gone to bed. I do think it encourages bad habits though as you need to be able to control distortion and an amplifier.....well....amplifies your mistakes.

[Karloff]

I do from time to time. sometimes i'll sit out in the living room with my wife while she's watching tv and noodle about on the electric. she'll put up with it for awhile. sometimes she'll say "can't you stop playing long enough to watch something on tv ?".

it's still playing. I can hear it, and it's working your fingers. Also I'm one of those guys that firmly believes you can tell "the good ones" by playing them unplugged. you can hear the tone and resonance of the guitar. if it sounds good unplugged, just wait till you've got her cranked up.

[Tim Plains]

i know there are some people who disagree, but imo, playing an electric unplugged is 100% pointless. heeadphones were invented ages ago, as are small practice amps, and even usb to the computer. if i play my electric, i plug it in.

I'm one of those people.

 

I play electrics unplugged all the time. Just running the same scale over and over in front of the TV, for example, but I also do it to listen to my playing. I don't need an amp for that and it helped me become a much cleaner sounding player over time because I focus entirely on what is on front of me. May sound weird but it's true.

[capmaster]

I'm one of those people.

 

I play electrics unplugged all the time. Just running the same scale over and over in front of the TV, for example, but I also do it to listen to my playing. I don't need an amp for that and it helped me become a much cleaner sounding player over time because I focus entirely on what is on front of me. May sound weird but it's true.

Sometimes I do the same while viewing web videos on the computer screen, mostly scientific education containing speech only and no music at all. For me it is a convenient way of automating lines and chord progressions limiting my awareness for playing to the required minimum. This makes playing easier later when singing lead vocals same time.

 

Anyway, my most favoured way of practicing is playing through headphones amplified completely straight, without EQs, amp or speaker emulations and FX. I love magnetic and piezo tones as well doing so. Incredible how nice my guitars sound this way. Moreover, listening to all those great, pure pickup tones is really fascinating.

[pippy]

....my most favoured way of practicing is playing through headphones amplified ...I love magnetic and piezo tones as well doing so. Incredible how nice my guitars sound this way. Moreover, listening to all those great, pure pickup tones is really fascinating...

So for clarification purposes, cap, that's a 'No' vote for "acoustically only"?

 

Pip.

[cookieman15061]

I rarely plug my electrics in when I play them at home anymore. My pedal board and Fender Deluxe are at our practice place and if I'm home alone I will sometimes crank up my AC 30 in the music room.

Maybe I'm just lazy but most nights if I'm hanging with the wife and she's watching TV I'm working on technique and lead bits without any amp. Just sitting beside her on the couch.

[capmaster]

So for clarification purposes, cap, that's a 'No' vote for "acoustically only"?

 

Pip.

I voted "Maybe half the time or less" with emphasis on "less"

[SmokeyGhost]

While I occasionally use headphones or don't plug in an electric to avoid disturbing others who may be in my house, as I live on a relatively stand-alone home, when there is nobody else around, plugging in an electric is of no consequence as it will not disturb my neighbours. Anyway, I tolerate the kids, and their friends, of my neighbours who are a beginner garage band and sometimes they can get rather noisy - and discordant just like me - for an hour or so. Just part of living with others.

[Dennis G]

If I'm playing electric, I'm plugged in and amp'd, althugh I'm "volume aware", if you will. Otherwise, I play my acoustics.

[Retired]

When I'm playing, I almost always play plugged in. I also love experimenting with my new amp. When I'm learning a new song or practicing one, it's unplugged. Or the acoustic comes out unplugged. My wife gets tired of hearing my mistakes and I'm not keen on the neighbors hearing them either. When I play guitars at music stores I always play unplugged. Then if I find one I like, I'll plug it in to hear it amplified before purchase. Except for the Gold Top, it had a price tag on it I couldn't refuse.