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1) Sometime ago I was wondering to myself, (wondering, not talking) what an acoustic guitar with a soundhole pick-up would sound like with electric strings. (You can adjust for tension) 2) If the guitar had a piezo pup under the saddle, how, (if at all) would the sound/tone be altered. 3) Same scenario with a 12 string acoustic: Alternate between acoustic and electric strings? LOL!
I should lie down, I'm getting a headache....
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I saw your post yesterday, started to reply... and decided my limited knowledge about such things would only take up space. Thank goodness Les Paul had the courage to experiment with guitars. Keep us posted when you have time... if you "take the plunge" and make alterations to your acoustic. I hope it isn't your only one... 'cause a man without a guitar is worse than being up a creek without a paddle. LOL!
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I have a 12 and a 6 string acoustic Dave. They have no electronics and I was thinking of getting a soundhole pup. I wondered if anybody here had experimented. You could never take up space Dave: you're like a well loved fixture!
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I'm down to only one six-string acoustic and my ancient fingers cannot even imagine hitting all those wrong notes! LOL!
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I have put electric strings on an acoustic guitar before. It was mostly an economical decision back in the day...."hey, i have a set of electric strings right here, let me try that"
It worked but did not really do a good job. It gave you a little more flexibility since the strings were easily bended, and a bit easier to do solos on an acoustic. But the overall affect left me saying "this is why they make acoustic guitar strings for acoustic guitars". It affects your strumming, picking, and it affects the sound. It gives the acoustic a very thin outlook, and it goes out of tune very easily. The acoustic pick up will just amplify that mess.
Not recommended...unless you are learning the guitar and find the electric strings easier to press.
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 01/04/19 12:57 PM.
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Interesting. Thanks for the input! -Mike
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Well, I assume you are talking about Flat wound strings versus Round Wound Strings. Most likely Round Wound Strings will give you a bit more volume than Flat Wound Strings. Strings come in more than one gage so it's something you will try for yourself.
Ray E. Strode
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That's a whole other line of inquiry Ray, (Yikes!) Actually I was most concerned with the amplified sound/tone Ray, as the electric strings are meant to perform with a pick-up... Thanks for dropping in!
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That's a whole other line of inquiry Ray, (Yikes!) Actually I was most concerned with the amplified sound/tone Ray, as the electric strings are meant to perform with a pick-up... Thanks for dropping in!
I would gather the same effect could be had by putting acoustic strings on an electric and playing it through the amp. But the sound is one thing, the feel is way different. Electric and acoustic guitar are very different, even though very similar.
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 01/04/19 03:42 PM.
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It's an idea but apparently phosphor or bronze does not engage with the magnetic field generated by pick-ups in the same manner as electric strings. Still, it would be an interesting comparison experiment....
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If you ignore nylon strings, all guitar strings are made of steel. The various designations you hear such as nickel, phosphor bronze, etc. refer to the plating on the windings. So an electric guitar string on an acoustic or vice versa would work, although the tone might be affected a bit. The gauge of the string is often lighter on an electric guitar, but you can buy almost any gauge you might want. A piezo pickup responds to vibration so it doesn't care what the string is made of. A magnetic pickup responds to the iron in the steel and will respond to both acoustic and electric strings. Nylon of course does not contain any iron so a magnetic pickup will not respond but a piezo will.
Don't be afraid to experiment. You can buy a decent set of strings for under $5.
Last edited by Colin Ward; 01/05/19 07:30 AM.
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Great to hear from you Colin:
This is not my thread... and I bring little to the "Dance"... other than a deep appreciation for good guitar music... and all the things associated with it. Your input is invaluable because you perform with a group that uses the guitar in various forms as the primary method of conveying your songs. Thanks for "chiming-in!"
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By comparison...and depending on the gage....electric strings will sound thin and tend to rattle on an acoustic.
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Thanks guys! Martin, do you think they would still sound thinner amplified?
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Thanks guys! Martin, do you think they would still sound thinner amplified? Having done this i can answer. I did it myself and just recalled when a guy in one of my bands did it on his 12 string, so that he could hook it to a distortion pedal, and press distortion on parts that needed it. First, you have to remember that an acoustic pickup that goes in the hole, is not the same type of pickups you get on electric guitars. It's more like a microphone. Your voice doesnt sound much different just because its louder when in front of a mic, although you can add special effects like reverb and eq, delay etc Id say it depends on your purpose. I wouldnt use it on your next album, but you could certainly use it for hackin around in your room. Yes, it will still sound thin, because those strings are like slinkys, acoustic strings are more akin to ropes.... if u can make that analogy. To me the big miss is the feel, it will seem like your playing electric guitar on a big awkward wooden guitar
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 01/05/19 10:31 AM.
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Thanks guys! Martin, do you think they would still sound thinner amplified? Having done this i can answer. I did it myself and just recalled when a guy in one of my bands did it on his 12 string, so that he could hook it to a distortion pedal, and press distortion on parts that needed it. First, you have to remember that an acoustic pickup that goes in the hole, is not the same type of pickups you get on electric guitars. It's more like a microphone. Your voice doesnt sound much different just because its louder when in front of a mic, although you can add special effects like reverb and eq, delay etc Id say it depends on your purpose. I wouldnt use it on your next album, but you could certainly use it for hackin around in your room. Yes, it will still sound thin, because those strings are like slinkys, acoustic strings are more akin to ropes.... if u can make that analogy. To me the big miss is the feel, it will seem like your playing electric guitar on a big awkward wooden guitar In 2019, I think that an audio-tech guy could make a cello sound like Jimmy Hendrix's strat. Electronics seem to be such that there is nothing audial that can't be imagined and done. But that's a lot of time and effort to put into compensating for something like electric guitar strings on an acoustic. I think that it would be easier to get light acoustic strings, or try to make an electric sound acoustic. My personal approach would be light acoustic strings. I have a Taylor. The action is fairly low and I typically put .012's on it and I get a balance between bending and rattling. Martin
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I mailed D'Addario, GHS, and Ernie Ball to get their take. I asked them to get their R&D to try a comparison. I wonder if they will.....
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9ne I just realized that I accidentally quoted you and FD when I responded. Not intentional. I was responding to your question. My response is very general. I may not fully realize what you want to do and why. Hopefully someone at D'Addario will give you a full answer. If you don't mind, let me know if you get a satisfactory response. I have some questions that I would like to ask them too. Martin
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I think without the internet, we'd all be dumb people....sarcasm.... here is a you tube video that may help you hear and see the difference. I think the player has alot to do with it too, Clapton on an acoustic with electric strings is still going to sound great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8afq3imnn4
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Thanks for posting. I actually thought the arpeggiating at about 3:00 sounded good with the electric strings. I'm still wondering what the electric strings would sound like through a soundhole pick-up.
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Thanks for posting. I actually thought the arpeggiating at about 3:00 sounded good with the electric strings. I'm still wondering what the electric strings would sound like through a soundhole pick-up. it would sound exactly like a mic was in front of it. It wont sound like an electric guitar if thats what you mean.
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I found this. but this is a pickup that tries to mimick electric pickups. u add distortion it gets distorted, my bandmate used to do this with his 12 string, but i wouldnt say its a good choice...lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51lM0OkzgIM
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 01/07/19 07:03 PM.
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My personal feeling is if somebody is going to go through all this trouble, time and expense to make an acoustic sound like an electric....when it still wont play like an electric, why not just buy a cheap electric guitar. Yamaha pacifica makes some decent guitars for under 200
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My point was that if you always played the acoustic amplified, what type of strings would sound better...
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My point was that if you always played the acoustic amplified, what type of strings would sound better... The acoustic strings. Because acoustic strings sound better on an acoustic guitar, amplified is just louder
Last edited by Fdemetrio; 01/08/19 12:19 PM.
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