There are so many questions that have conflicting answers on the internet today, and what is an acoustic electric guitar is one of such questions. Providing you with an answer to this question is why we have decided to bring you this detailed post, and the simple answer to this question is that acoustic electric guitars possess a magnetic, piezoelectric pickup, and a microphone. You can make use of this type of guitar for various musical genres.
The reason why they make use of the acoustic electric guitar in a live setup is because the use of volume is necessary, but one thing you need to know about the acoustic electric guitar is it has a different design and build from the semi-acoustic guitar. Featuring sound chambers in its body is what makes up the semi-acoustic electric guitar, but standard acoustic electric guitars are designed to have piezoelectric pickups.
You will need a preamplifier for you to work with a piezoelectric pickup, and it is interesting to know that a pre-amplifier also comes embedded in a guitar’s body for enhancing signals before sending it to the guitar amplifier. What interests us about pre-amplifiers is the fact that they come with a tuner and different types of tonal controls, and the fact that it comes with equalizer where you can make use of six frequency bands makes it exceptional.
History Of Acoustic Guitars
Eddie Lang back in 1920’s moved from making use of the acoustic electric guitar as a main solo instrument during a live performance, and sections and drums ended up overshadowing an acoustic electric guitar when they were all used during a live performance. This increased the search for an amplification by any means necessary, and the 20th century was when new innovations and designs regarding amplification started coming up.
The acoustic electric guitar shares some similarities with the regular acoustic guitar, but there is still a significant difference between these two instruments. The pickup controls and preamps are what separates the acoustic electric guitar and the regular acoustic guitar, and anyone who plays the acoustic electric guitar is known to have some level of advantage over anyone playing the regular acoustic guitar.
The first person to create an acoustic electric guitar pickup is Lloyd Loar, and Loar was able to move to Vivitone from from Gibson back in the 1920’s. Loar was able to discover the acoustic electric guitar after switching to the vivitone, and you can find electronics in its bass rim section’s removable drawer. This will result in the transferring signals from a wooden bridge to a metal plate.
Providing electrical output and amplifying output is the function of the metal plate, and the first commercial pickup to be available was Harry DeArmond’s pickup. After the introduction of this commercial pickup to the market, so many people went ahead to make theirs by adopting the same design. The reason why adopting this commercial pickup design was easy was because it didn’t require modification of any sort.
Now that we discussed talked about what an acoustic electric guitar is, its comparison with the regular acoustic guitar, and a brief history of the acoustic electric guitar, it is time for us to talk to you about other things.
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The role of the pickup is the conversion of sounds into electronic signals, making it easy for the preamp to amplify these signals. The combination of the preamp and pickup can also amplify sounds if you are working with an amplifier, a mixer, and a PA system, and this and more is the reason why so many guitarists will prefer working with the electric acoustic guitar over the regular acoustic guitar.
The fact that it provides players with the easy option of plugging and playing makes it stand out, and the way you amplify the sound on the acoustic electric guitar is very different from the way it is done on the regular acoustic guitar. Amplification of sounds can also be achieved by placing the microphone close to the PA systems soundhole, but the only problem with this method is it offers little flexibility.
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What Is An Acoustic Electric Guitar
Can You Play An Acoustic And Regular Acoustic Guitar The Same Way
Well, the answer to this question is YES. However, there are some conflicting opinions when you go on the internet and search for answers. When making use of the same body chamber and soundhole for amplification, the acoustic electric guitar and the regular acoustic guitar will sound the same way. Another thing is both instruments are known to amplify sounds by making use of the chamber.
This explains why both instruments will sound similar the moment they get plugged in, but there will be no flexibility when making use of an electronic pickup. You would not be able to add outboard effects or enjoy the convenience that plugging in offers when making use of the electronic pickup, and there are several drawbacks that comes with the tones produced by an electric acoustic guitar that is plugged in.
It is very essential that you position the microphone close to the soundhole when you find out that the type of tone you want is what you are getting, and this is one of the best ways you can enhance sounds and signals. You will not get much in this case if you keep making use of onboard pickup, and you can see the versatility of the acoustic electric guitar thanks to the external amplifier that is being used.
You can be able to expand your sound options with the opportunity this situation provides, and there are so many other guitar effect pedals you can make use of like the digital multi-effect pedal, reverb, and a chorus delay. These pedals are used in amplifying and modifying tones that an acoustic electric guitar produces. With the use of guitar effect pedals, you can be able to massively expand your sound range.
You can also create different tone touches and personal different touches when making use of these pedals, and you are guaranteed obtaining the type of sound you desire.
