THE ACOUSTIC ISSUE

To play an acoustic guitar is to experience the instrument in its purest form – and it will make you a better all-round musician, too. Here’s why...

For many players, the acoustic guitar can be a bit of an afterthought. It’s ironic that many guitarists for whom only Custom Shop stuff will suffice for their electric needs will content themselves with a single modestly priced acoustic to cover their unplugged music-making. No-one’s suggesting that you have to spend thousands on an acoustic, but take a look at the music that defined rock’s golden era and you’ll find as much great acoustic tone as you will amplified. From Joni and Neil Young to The Beatles, the backbone of their most famous work is acoustic guitar. Same with ostensibly heavier acts such as Led Zeppelin and prog legends such as Pink Floyd.

Even if you’ve no aspirations to earning a platinum disc, we’d argue that getting serious about your acoustic game will enhance and improve all areas of your guitar playing and enjoyment of the instrument. Firstly, there’s the simplicity of the thing. You get out of an acoustic only what you put in, which means you have to make music rather than noodle evocatively but aimlessly as is so easy to do on electric. This sounds daunting until you realise that a handful of simple chords will see you through a big chunk of the best songs ever written and keep a room full of people entertained far longer than the best solo you’ll ever play.

Develop a deeper relationship with the acoustic and there are further riches to discover. Fingerstyle guitar in both standard and alternate tunings is simply one of the most satisfying musical activities you can do on guitar, somewhere between a crossword puzzle and a poem, as you figure out how to make melodies dance from the strings in a silvery stream of harmonious sound. Those skills are transferable to electric, too – everything from rockabilly to Knopfler-style lead playing is enhanced by a right hand that’s learned some tricks from the masters of the acoustic guitar. That’s why we’ve put together this major feature on how to get more from acoustic, from improving your playing to finding the perfect guitar.