Electric or acoustic?

Ah yes, the eternal question. Since Dylan pissed off an entire generation of folkies by plugging in and cranking it up it's been a controversy, though not really. Not that this is a fair comparison, the audience I'm most likely to piss off would be my downstairs neighbors. And with the electric, at least I can turn it down in a pinch.

For me it should be a matter entirely of the heart, but it's also logistical. The acoustic is easier to carry, no amp. Also, in the first band, many blue moons ago, I watched my guitarist pals endure endless cycles of anxiety and despair in search of the perfect guitar. And, just as the climbers of Everest realize when they reach the summit that their journey is only half complete, obtaining the perfect guitar meant beginning the search for the perfect amp. So I was wary of the electric.

The acoustic has just always felt good to me. I like it on my body, the vibes are good, to hear it is to also feel it. But I've been playing the acoustic for many years now, and it just seems a time to change it up a bit. I have an electric that I picked out with Ed many years ago, and it's been my go-to for recording. It's my poor-man's partscaster, I've changed pickups willy nilly to try things out. I've always plugged right into the board through a little direct box of some sort, and a couple of years ago Ed sent me a little multi purpose guitar amp, which is fun and useful.

But I wanted more, after all, variety is good for the brain and fingers, keeps 'em curious. So in a fit of retail therapy, I bought a decent electric and an amp in one throw. I have to say I fell in love with the combo in the store, and I'd been itching for a new sound for some time. I don't want to get into brand names, I'm not really superstitious in that way. Because I know that just as the gods of tone love may smile down upon me with that thrummy feeling of playing a nice instrument, I may find myself one day falling out of love with it. I hope this never happens, but I've seen it before and I worry.

Until then, I've got some switches to flip and knobs to turn. My new favorite old thing: tremolo. Dang.