I will offer Takamine as a brand that makes decent acoustics with good electronics. I've bought a 6- and a 12-string and they both played well.
Counter to the comments above, I think that most brands match their electronics to the guitar. Taking an acoustic and adding a pick-up can be hit-or-miss depending on your own knowledge and willingness to spend money.
I will offer Takamine as a brand that makes decent acoustics with good electronics. I've bought a 6- and a 12-string and they both played well.
If my state passed a law REQUIRING me to own an acoustic/electric... I'd probably start by looking at Takamines. Because their guitars sound good acoustically, in my experience, at all but the lowest price points. (Even then it's down to the individual guitar.)
Counter to the comments above, I think that most brands match their electronics to the guitar.
You must be joking. Why, then, do SO MANY of them when amplified sound like cigar boxes with rubber bands attached to them? Doink, doink, doink....
Taking an acoustic and adding a pick-up can be hit-or-miss depending on your own knowledge and willingness to spend money.
It's all hit-or-miss. Your odds for a true acoustic guitar sound when amplified are much better with a mic than a piezo. That's what I think, at least. I've never been proven wrong.
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
Lucky for you, Colorado is more into de-regulation...
Part of it comes down to the purpose of the A/E. Yes, a good acoustic guitar will sound best when picked up by a mic, assuming you don't move at all, and you don't have wedge monitors, and you're not playing in front of a drum kit. So if you're recording, use a good mic. If you're playing live and loud, an A/E may be necessary.
And my other point, as an A/E that has a built-in Furman system will cost less than if you buy a Furman (or whatever brand works for you) to put in your acoustic guitar.
If you're playing live and loud, an A/E may be necessary.
Under those circumstances I'd opt for a clean sound from a true electric rather than a tweezy, fake-sounding A/E. But I'm not normal. My electrics are set up like my acoustic, with .012s and higher-than-usual action, and I keep my amps pretty clean anyway, so probably nobody should listen to anything I say.... :)
"You can't write a chord ugly enough to say what you want to say sometimes, so you have to rely on a giraffe filled with whipped cream." - Frank Zappa
If you're playing live and loud, an A/E may be necessary.
Under those circumstances I'd opt for a clean sound from a true electric rather than a tweezy, fake-sounding A/E. But I'm not normal. My electrics are set up like my acoustic, with .012s and higher-than-usual action, and I keep my amps pretty clean anyway, so probably nobody should listen to anything I say.... :)
And so you should listen to a bass player...? 8)
Anyway, the original post was from an electric guitarist who wanted to get an acoustic to play a song with his loud rock band. Given that, I'd go with A/E. Under $500 - pick a Tak.
Your options are good too.
