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Acoustic vs electric chord playing


sboiir

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does anyone have an acoustic you can play chords, bars etc. as easily as an electric or close too. Electrics require so much less effort and wonder if anyone has an acoustic that plays as easy as an electric ? What guitar is it or what did you do to make it play so easy ? Other than standard set-up

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Electric guitars in general are strung with much lighter gauges than acoustic guitars and that is much of the difference. Also many players don't mind a bit of fret rattle in an electric that, when amplified, is not apparent to the listener, so electric actions can be set a bit lower. My Hummingbird is as close to an electric action as any acoustic I've encountered.

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They don't sound as full, but I've taken to playing triads and 4 string chords instead of playing full bar chords on my acoustics. I rely on another guitar playing the open position chords to fill in the lower end of the tonal spectrum to make up for it.

 

As to the original question, a Taylor is the closest I've found to an acoustic that plays like an electric. Having said that, I don't own said Taylor anymore because of the sonic qualities of the guitar.

 

Good luck with your endeavors

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All my guitars are set-up with very low action. For me, they are almost like playing chords on an electric. Of course, there's more tension on the strings with an acoustic, but nontheless, they are very easy to play....especially the Garrison and the three Gibsons. .............Good question. [thumbup]

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I remember having an Ovation some 20 or so years ago and think you're right about playability with em. I just never bonded with it or it with me and it went away with many others. I've had my Gib since '95 and hate to part with it. Maybe it's just getting older and less muscle. That might be it. Get one of those super clamps at the depot and build the muscle...keep the Gibson...sorry, thinking outloud, or on the keyboard as it is. Thanks all

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My flattops are not as easy to play I suppose as they wear 13s or 12s as compared to my Fenders that wear 10s, but I find chording accuracy to be better on a Gibson flattop because the radius and nut width helps. So I can play 'cleaner' full barre chords on my AJRI, J-45 or whatever than my Tele = less inadvertent muting of strings I didn't mean to mute. My flattops are not super-low action but set up well.

 

The guitars I've had that approached electric 'action' were a couple of '95 Taylor 510s and a '97 710. I really liked the Taylor necks before they went to the 'new technology' thing and those guitars set up lower with less buzz than any other flattops I've owned.

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