I'm musing on doing some solo voice and acoustic work (and performances) using effects for extra tonal variety and to add atmosphere. I'm thinking about getting a new (to me) guitar that is suited to that sort of thing - easy to play, maybe with lighter strings than the 12s I usually use and a thinner body depth for a bit more comfort. As it will be amplified, I don't care how it sounds acoustically, just how it sounds when plugged in. Either plugged into an acoustic backline amp or straight into a PA.
What is out there that I should look at? No budget in mind but inexpensive is good, here.
Ta.
PS: I might just do it with a Tele instead, but they don't sound as good when you're strumming them hard.
Comments
Really - I was playing one yesterday, it sounded very good plugged in. If anything it was strung too much like an acoustic, with bronze (I think) 12s - it would have felt better with lighter strings.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Do keep them coming if you've got anything else to suggest.
I'd honestly rather use an acoustic simulator pedal or even just DI the normal electric guitar pickups than use them. I've actually DI'd my Rickenbacker a few times, it sounded surprisingly good - although it is a more fully hollow one than most.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Units like the Axefx can help with this, by adding guitar-body impulse responses and detailed EQ and multi-band compression tweaking
It all depends how authentic you need to be, and how many gigs you are planning to need this capability for
But I'm looking to rearrange some "full band" compositions of my own into a solo package and that will need some extra tonal options and sort of destroy the natural sound at times. So I started thinking "Why not get a smaller acoustic with a shallower body and maybe a cutaway so it's easier to stand and play it?" As I'm amplifying and processing the sound, the acoustic un-amplified sound is unimportant as long as it sounds decent through the PA.
So, not too authentic. I'll often be adding some modulation or delay as part of the "re-imagining". I own an HX FX, and that looks fairly promising from the FX perspective for this project. It's the guitar that I'm not sure about.
Or I might get a bit down the road and decide not to do it at all - but I'm full of good intentions at the moment!
I had a nylon one, never really gelled with it myself, I think a steel strung one would be fine, and can open up midi synth control too - one of those through a vg99 or vg88 could be an extra option, Bill Bailey used this arrangement (I think it was Roland-based) via his acoustic for a show I saw on TV. Then you can do allsorts: Banjos, bass, 12 strings, alternate tunings