Best electric guitar and amp for an acoustic player

[Onnelalie]

So I have been asked at church to start throwing some electric guitar into the mix... only problem is I don't play electric. Heck I'm not even that great at acoustic. Right now I have a great Bob Login custom Tele and a Carvin Belair 2x12, both of which I got in a trade with a friend. Both are great pieces of equipment, I just don't think they fit my needs.

Everything I play is at church and I am a strummer at heart. The most lead I will be playing is picking through some chords and the occasional melody lead in the middle of a song.

I'm thinking maybe a hollow body would be best. The feel of my Tele in my hands just doesn't feel right and I'm always sharping the notes from pressing too hard. I'm so used to playing acoustic. I'd like something that I can play more like an acoustic. I know I will have to change my style somewhat, I would just like an easier transistion.

As far as the amp, I have no idea. I like the sound of a tube amp, but not with my Tele. Should I try a different guitar before I move on to another amp?
The sound I get from the Tele is just too "twangy" to strum chords.

Any help would be appreciated!

[danlad]

Funny I was about to suggest a Tele type guitar. Roll the tone knob down to minimise the twang. Don't strum as hard as you would your acoustic, but I bet the muscle memory kicks in and makes that difficult. Maybe the twang is being accentuated by you playing more forcefully than a pure electric player would, letting the amp do the work.

How have you got it set up? I'm thinking choose a heavier gauge set of strings, maybe even with a wound G string. Possibly even raise the action.


Dan

[10thTx]

I'm thinking choose a heavier gauge set of strings, maybe even with a wound G string. Possibly even raise the action.

+1

Taylor T3
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... o-sunburst

Fender Thinline
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric- ... 12774.html

Tom Anderson Crowdster plus 2
https://www.andersonguitarworks.com/crowdster-plus-2

PRS semi-hollowbody
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/PRS/S ... 5380463.gc

[MakerDP]

heh... yeah you can't get much more versatile than a Tele. The BelAir is actually a pretty great amp too, but maybe too much horsepower for your typical "zero volume stage" church setting. But that Tele and that amp make a great pair... made for each other.

As for amps, a Boss Katana might be just what you are after. Or a Fender Mustang. Both will sound great running direct into the church PA. (I know I know... it's blasphemy to suggest a solid state amp in a tube amp geek's paradise... )

But if you like the feel of an acoustic, check these out...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... w-sunburst

I have one and had it PLEK'd by San Francisco Guitar Works. Wow this thing plays and sounds amazing. Don't let that "Made in China" badge fool you... it may actually be the finest instrument made in the entire country. Seriously. The play-ability, the sound, the fit-n-finish, the quality of the components... it's all AAA+++ and will cost you oh about $2500 less than a real ES-335. I probably would have been very happy without having it PLEK'd but I wanted it to be perfect... and it pert-near almost is.

But yeah, don't dismiss that Tele so quickly either.

[xtian]

Yep, gotta +1 the above. The Tele is an awesome all around guitar, and SO many worship musicians choose them. Again, get heavier strings, like 11s, raise the action, and learn to love electric! Turn down the Volume and Tone knobs a bit on the guitar for a mellower sound, and strum away.

[telentubes]

I was going to say Telecaster with heavier strings as well. 011s at least. Maybe even 12s. It sounds like you already have a good tele. What I really like is a tele with Gold Foil Pickups. The feel under the fingers is more like an acoustic. Way less twangy, warm, with compression and decay more like an acoustic.

[M Fowler]

Most church players I know had to give up their amps due to the mix engineer requiring them to do so.

Find a great preamp and your effects pedal board and go direct to the mix.

Mark