Can electric guitar sound like acoustic? If you play the guitar long enough, you’ll ultimately find yourself in a circumstance where your guitar is inappropriate for the situation. You might need to play an acoustic tune now and then, but all you have is an electric guitar. Can electric guitar sound like acoustic?
By adjusting your electric guitar and amplifier settings to eliminate distortions, you may make it sound like an acoustic guitar. Pedals that change the sound can also be purchased. On the other hand, electrics will never sound exactly like an acoustic, so if you can, use one.
This tutorial will show you how to make your electric guitar sound as natural as possible. You can turn your “wrong” guitar into the “right” guitar using a few tactics and tools in a pinch.
Can Electric Guitars Sound Like Acoustic?
Electric and acoustic guitars are two very different types of guitars. After all, one depends on electricity while the other does not! Although they appear to be quite similar, learning how to play one typically indicates you can play the other, but this is not the case.
So, what’s the difference between electric and acoustic guitars? The source of their music and how they project the vibrations of their strings are the answers.
The following is the distinction between electric and acoustic guitars:
How Electric Guitars Work
The pickups on electric guitars are the only thing that makes noise. Pickups are magnetic transducers that convert the strings’ vibrations into an electrical current, which is then sent to the amplifier to generate sound.
As a result, the sound system of an electric guitar consists mostly of pickups and strings. The guitar’s body will have a slight effect as well, but it won’t make much of a difference in the end.
As a result, until the electricity is plugged in, it will create just a weak noise. When plugged into an amp, the electric sounds are sharp, bright, and crisp. It can also be altered with pedals and effects, typically distorting the sound.
How Acoustic Guitars Work
On the other hand, Acoustics make sound by using their hollow bodies. When inspecting an acoustic, you’ll discover a big soundhole in the body’s center. The soundhole is connected to the guitar’s hollow body or chamber.
The strings’ vibrations on an acoustic guitar reverberate in the guitar’s chamber. These vibrations build up inside the chamber, bouncing off the back and ringing out the soundhole to produce the acoustic sound.
The sound of an acoustic guitar is significantly more warm and genuine since it uses a resonating chamber rather than pickups and amplifiers. This is why playing an electric guitar in an acoustic guitar style is so tough.
How to Make an Electric Guitar Sound Like an Acoustic Guitar
Fortunately, there are techniques to make your electric guitar sound more acoustic by adjusting the settings. It will take some trial and error, but understanding the tonal properties of acoustics is an excellent place to start.
Acoustic guitars have a lower treble and a higher bass than electric guitars. You can make a few tweaks to your guitar and the amp you’re using to duplicate this.
Adjust the Guitar Settings
To begin, tweak the parameters on your guitar so that it has a crisper tone. It will require some trial and error but a few guidelines to follow.
Set the pickup selection on your guitar to a neck pickup if you want it to sound like an acoustic. The pickup selector is a switch located on the body’s lower half. Neck pickups will boost the bass and drop the treble, making the electric sound more acoustic.
On your instrument, there should be some tone control knobs as well. Roll them down to zero. The tones should now be as clear as possible.
Adjust the Amp Settings
Changing the settings on your amplifier is even more important than modifying the settings on your instrument when it comes to changing the tone of your electric guitar.
To begin, change the guitar’s channel to clean. In most cases, the level of distortion in a channel is varied. The majority of amplifiers have two to four channels, some of which include distortion and some of which do not. Make sure you’re using a channel that isn’t distorted.
Then, match the frequencies of the amplifier to those of an acoustic. An amplifier controls the treble frequencies, midrange frequencies, and bass frequencies. These factors influence the high, middle, and low frequencies.
Set your amp’s midrange and frequency very low when trying to emulate an acoustic. The bass should be the focal point of the mix (though not too high to prevent it from sounding unnatural).
If you want to simulate a guitar with more “twang,” play around with different treble settings. The treble, on the other hand, should not be overly loud.
The easiest approach to get the sound correct is to try it out on a regular acoustic guitar. Experiment with the different noises!
When To Invest in an Acoustic Guitar
If you have trouble adjusting your guitar regularly, consider purchasing an acoustic guitar.
An electric guitar will never have the same resonant quality as an acoustic guitar. It is impossible to mimic the natural sound of wood vibrations fully. Acoustic effects pedals can help you generate a sound that sounds a lot like an acoustic guitar, but they’ll never quite match the genuine thing.
If you want to buy an acoustic guitar but don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Fender Squier Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar is good. It costs under $200 and is made by one of the most well-known guitar companies.
However, there are instances when using an acoustic effects pedal is the ideal alternative, particularly when you don’t have access to your acoustic guitar; for this reason, it’s best to be ready for everything.
Best Acoustic Guitars
1. Fender CD-60S Acoustic
Fender’s classic design series offers an economical and playable option with a solid mahogany wood top. It features a nice spectrum of tones, a comfortable rolled fretboard edge, and decent sustain.
With economical, entry-level acoustics, Fender lifted the standard, eliminating common flaws like tuning irregularities and absurdly high action that plagued cheap guitars. The sound is accurate despite the minimal budget.
Pros:
- For tonal clarity, a solid wood top is used.
- Beginners to the guitar will like the rolled fretboard edge.
- Playability and affordability are combined in this guitar.
Cons:
- Laminate back and sides
2. Takamine P3NY
Picking is a specialty of bodied parlor guitars, and the Takamine P3NY is no exception. It has a solid cedar top with Sapele’s back and sides for a clear and bright tone. String-to-string picking is crystal clear, and modern electronics expand your options.
The sound produced by the little body is much louder than you may expect. With a pathetic pickup that picks up individual sounds from strings for minimal feedback and muddiness during fingerpicking, it can handle any volume.
Pros:
- Fingerpicking is possible with the Parlor body and pickups.
- For a small body, a big sound
- Tones in the midrange that are appropriate
Cons:
- Bigger investment for a small guitar
Thanks to the strong Sitka spruce top and grand symphony type body, Taylor’s GS Mini is a great small-bodied guitar with a rich spectrum of tones. Despite the usage of laminate on the back and sides, the tonality is distinct, if a tad on the bright side.
The highs are as nice as any original Taylor guitar, and the low end, whether amplified or not, is quite tight. It’s designed for small-bodied players who enjoy the symphony’s qualities but can’t quite fit inside a full-sized instrument.
Pros:
- Smaller body types can benefit from the compact symphony body.
- True, unmistakable peaks
- Excellent playability
Cons:
- Laminate back and sides
Thanks to Guild, the full-bodied sound of a dreadnought is balanced by a thinner, more playable neck. The Adirondack bracing enhances each note’s distinct personality. The modest motion may put off Fingerpickers that want to dig in, but casual strummers will enjoy it.
Aside from that, Guild manages to combine loud and soft capabilities, providing players with a wide range of strumming and picking styles to choose from. While the inbuilt electronics do the guitar justice when plugged in, Sitka spruce and Indian rosewood aid in sustaining and differentiating tones.
Pros:
- With tiny hands, it’s simple to play the guitar.
- For optimal clarity, use solid, high-end wood
- Neck with low action and easy access
Cons:
- Classically trained finger-pickers may be disturbed by the low movement.
Conclusion on Can electric guitar sound like acoustic?
Can electric guitar sound like acoustic? An electric guitar can sound more like an acoustic with a few modest tweaks. You should be able to perform an acoustic-style song with an electric guitar by adjusting the amplifier and guitar tone settings to match an acoustic musical character or even investing in an acoustic tone pedal. If you use this method frequently, it may be worthwhile to buy both an acoustic and an electric guitar.
On the other hand, versatility is one of the most valuable qualities of a guitarist. Learning how to play an electric guitar acoustically can help you improve!