FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Amp Acoustic

Question:
I am wondering whether one uses the amp with an acoustic guitar the way one uses it with an electric guitar. or is it used only to amplify the sound I am a beginner and bought a Taylor acoustic electric (NO I am not rich.) last week. and I am wondering if I should get an amp too. I saw an obvious advantage when I tried playing with the amp. It was much clear and easy to identify what I was playing since the sound was coming from a different source (amp).

Answer:
if you use an amp with an acoustic, it is used for the same reason an electric guitar player uses one - to amplify the sound. Now, electric guitar players usually like to overdirve the amp to get some distortion which is not what an acoustic guitarist usually wants. I have a Taylor acoustic/electric. As for the amp, let me just put it this way... you won't believe the kind of cool jangly sounds you can get with a half-decent acoustic guitar amp. It;s different than playing acoustically; an amp takes your playing to different places. Sometimes I practice with the amp, somtimes without. I have a Fender Acoustasonic JR ($400) and am very happy with the way my taylor sounds through it. Don't buy an electric guitar amp. your Taylor will sound like crap. The piezo pickup just does not fit an electric guitar map. So, if you get an amp, make sure it is an acoustic amp. You can also play electric guitars through the Fender acoustasonic and they sound good. Another option....rather than buying an ampdesigned for acoustic/electric guitar, consider buying a small PA...you can run the guitar thru one of the channels and still have room for other guitars (yer friends) as well as vocals...kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak.