Faking acoustic sound with electric?

[Lunatique]

My Takamine EAN-10C acoustic/electric got stolen recently, and I really loved that guitar. I'm debating whether to buy another one, but at the same time, I'd like to get a new electric (my electric is currently a Mexican-made Strat). I've seen some stuff about how certain companies make electric guitars that can mimic the sound of an acoustic--either through on-board modeling, or amp sims, or software amp sims..etc (Parker, Line 6..etc). I'm curious as to how convincing these options are. Can you really get that beautiful shimmering acoustic guitar tone with those options?

[mikegee]

Originally Posted by Lunatique

My Takamine EAN-10C acoustic/electric got stolen recently, and I really loved that guitar. I'm debating whether to buy another one, but at the same time, I'd like to get a new electric (my electric is currently a Mexican-made Strat). I've seen some stuff about how certain companies make electric guitars that can mimic the sound of an acoustic--either through on-board modeling, or amp sims, or software amp sims..etc (Parker, Line 6..etc). I'm curious as to how convincing these options are. Can you really get that beautiful shimmering acoustic guitar tone with those options?

yea, i personally own the variax 300 guitar, which does model 5 different acoustic guitars (three 6 string models, and two 12 string models). i gotta tell ya, the 6 strings are very impressive. they do sound beautiful, for sure! the 12 strings, well, not as great, because, even though they dont admit it in the line6 literature, i still think they pitch-shifted the 6 strings to sound like 12 strings. if you play a real 12 string guitar, you will obviously hear a very slight delay in the octave strings (like, the sound of two strings being plucked, for instance, if playing a melodic line...), but i dont hear that out of the variax, it sounds a bit muddled. other than that, it really does sound pretty convincingly real.

[dagosto]

I have personally never heard a convincing acoustic simulator. I've heard the variax on the promotional videos line6 put out about it. It doesn't sound bad but you can tell if you know what an acoustic guitar actually sounds like. Same thing with the parker.

The boss AC-2 does an ok job. It's more like an effect that a simulator though. I kind of like the sound but it is not all that convincing.

[mikegee]

Originally Posted by dagosto

I have personally never heard a convincing acoustic simulator. I've heard the variax on the promotional videos line6 put out about it. It doesn't sound bad but you can tell if you know what an acoustic guitar actually sounds like. Same thing with the parker.

The boss AC-2 does an ok job. It's more like an effect that a simulator though. I kind of like the sound but it is not all that convincing.

yea, owning the variax, i shoulda mentioned, the acoustic models sound like an amplified acoustic, of course, so, it really doesnt sound like a natural, un-mic-ed, unamplified acoustic. that would be a neat trick! hehe

[gtrdr]

I used to play a Parker NiteFly with the Fishman piezoelectric bridge. I really never got into that sound - it was interesting, especially when mixed with the electric, and certainly woody sounding, but the solidbody just couldn't give it the fullness and harmonic range of a real acoustic. I eventually sold the NiteFly and built myself a good, real classic sounding Strat (the nitefly's electric sound was kinda flat, I thought - the original design, though it seemed out of date, was in fact better than Ken's updated version...another post...), and I set up a mic system for my Guild acoustic. I mike it with a Blue 'The Ball' through an ART Tube MP into the PA, and it sounds better than any pickup or onboard system i've heard, though I am tethered to The Ball for my acoustic stuff, which I've gotten used to (and the mic is so cool that I enjoy playing 'to it,' as does my audience it seems - always awesome when a mic's aesthetics can have as much of influence on the performance as its tone can).

Moral: In trying to get one guitar to do two things, it won't end up doing either. Get 2 guitars if you want to do 2 things. Or get a Variax, if that's your thing.

[Ol'boy rivers]

An electric guitar will NEVER sound like an acoustic. An acoustic guitar will NEVER sound like a solid body electric. There is NO program, NO guitar, NO amp, NO pick up that will COMPLETELY replicate the sound of a NATURAL acoustic guitar.

Now, With that said; Piazo ( typo. ) pickups are your best bet in electrics ( Most of the time they are in the saddle. ) If you can't afford that, Lipstick pickups are your neck closest thing to an acoustic sound. ( You get the twang, No matter what position you put it in. ) Bottom line, Buy another acoustic brah.