Does installing electronics in my acoustic streel string guitar make it an “electric” guitar?
Installing electronics in an acoustic steel string guitar only enables the steel string sound to be amplified or made louder. So-called “electric” guitars, including archtop or “jazz” guitars (which have an acoustic cavity) have a much different sound, due to their unique construction and the pickups used to amplify their sound. Solid body electric guitars in particular have a sound much different from an amplified acoustic guitar. They were originally designed without an acoustic cavity to eliminate feedback, although feedback was subsequently utilized to create distinctive sounds for electric guitars. The unique sounds generated by “electric” guitars have created a complete genre of new music for the latter part of the 20 th century. It is not possible to duplicate these sounds on an amplified steel string guitar. Buying your child an amplified acoustic guitar will not satisfy his or her longing for an electric solid-body guitar!
