How to Make an Electric Guitar Sound Like an Acoustic Guitar?

Are you a music enthusiast and roaming around to find the answer to how to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar? If you do, then it’s time you put yourself at ease because we’re here to clear your queries. 

The best way to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic is to effectively use the ‘acoustic simulator’ with the help of a pedal, digital effect unit (DEU), VST plugin, guitar, and strings settings.

If we talk about electric and acoustic guitars, then both are perfect on their own. They have their uniqueness and specifications. However, most people prefer to buy an Electric guitar and make it sound like an Acoustic guitar. 

Things you Need to Know About Electric and Acoustic Guitar

An electric guitar requires one or more pickups to change the vibration of its strings into electrical signals, which eventually are represented as sound by the speakers.

On the other hand, an acoustic guitar is a fretted dulcet instrument that creates sound via reverberating strings above a resonant chamber in the guitar’s body. The vibrations transmit through the atmosphere and do not need electrical amplification.

How Electric and Acoustic Guitars Are Different from Each Other?

Before we talk about real business, you need to make yourself familiar with the mechanism of both guitars. Also, you’ll get your answer about why an ocean of music admirers make their way toward the electric guitar. 

Electric guitars are known to be much more comfortable to play than their acoustic counterparts. The reason behind this is that; the electric guitars have comparatively small bodies and necks and have standards softer than those on an acoustic guitar. Thus beginners are preferred to use an electric guitar due to its ease of use. 

Also, an acoustic guitar is harder to play; so, a beginner may give up from the stress at the start.

Benefits of Using the Electric Guitar

1. Firstly, pressing down the chords is much easier, as the perimeter of the neck will normally be closer together on electric guitars.
2. Moreover, the strings on an electric guitar are much more malleable, making playing the guitar easier on your fingers.
3. Also, studying to play barre chords is much more comfortable on the electric guitar because of the softness of the strings.

Benefits of Using an Acoustic Guitar:

1. First and foremost, if you can play well on the acoustic guitar, then playing on an electric guitar will not be an issue.
2. In addition, many people will fancy the generally peaceful and more relaxed tone of the acoustic guitar. 
3. Furthermore, an acoustic guitar may be bigger, but it is way lighter than an electric guitar.

How to make sound an Electric Guitar Like an Acoustic Guitar?

Well, not everyone can purchase a new Acoustic guitar after learning an Electric guitar; thus, the simple solution to this problem is to make your electric guitar sound like an acoustic. There are four basic tips through which we can make our electric guitars sound like acoustic guitars.

Amp Settings

The most straightforward and the most affordable way to make your electric guitar sound like an acoustic one is by carefully managing AMP settings

It is a crucial move that can result in major issues. But remember, modifying your amp settings will not have a big impact, and the conclusion you have will rest on your amp and your guitar’s model. Hence, do not think that it will sound completely authentic. Other than this tip, you will have to apply the others from the list to have a better acoustic sound.

Amps are always created differently, hence, the ability to make an electric sound can vary. Then the only query that arises in our mind is, so which amp is best for producing acoustic sound?

Usually, it includes amps that lean towards a clean tone. Such amps are best at providing a more acoustic sound. Some of the best amps to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic are:

• Clean channel 
• Brass
• Treble 
• Mids 
• Reverb 
• Presence

Use an Acoustic Simulator Pedal 

Using an acoustic simulator pedal is the most reliable way to make your electric guitar sound like an acoustic. If you’re new to effects pedals, you should know that they connect to your guitar and amp to change the produced tone. There are tons of different types of pedals out there, of different models and brands. These Acoustic Simulator pedals are cheaper than buying an acoustic guitar, time-saving, and more convenient for recording. They require a microphone and good room acoustics to record a physical acoustic.

How do the Simulator Pedals Work?

These are specialized pedals that help in replicating the acoustic guitars in order to produce different types of sound.

How to Set Simulator Pedals Work?

Effects pedals are extremely easy to set up. However, when one is using a guitar with pedals the only option to play is by connecting the amp to the guitar.

First, you should attach your guitar to the pedal and then attach your amp to the pedal as well, linking your equipment together, but without having your guitar and amp directly connected. If you’re using more than one pedal, you can attach them in a chain using short patch cables. They keep everything neat. 

You will also need to make certain that your pedals are attached to a power supply.  Most boards and paddles already have a power supply but if in some cases it doesn’t then the users are required to attach them with the power.

The best part now is that one can simply join the pedalboard with the power supply instead of an individual pedal.

Guitar Settings 

Next, we have to change the guitar settings. It’s another manageable, simple, and free way to modify your electric guitar’s sound into an acoustic one. Usually, the guitars come with around 3 to 4pickup options. The first one brings on the neck pick up the second one refreshes the bridge pickup while the third one allows activating both pickups.

Usually, the neck pickup is good for an acoustic sound, but you can also try the combination of both pickups. The neck pickup substantially dulls out your pitch, and it does not sound good; however, it is great if you want to play like you are playing an acoustic.

Change the Strings 

The strings of the Guitar have a huge impact on the sound however, most people don’t know this and most people ignore this, and then they fail to produce the perfect sound. For an acoustic guitar, it’s very important that the strings are either brass or bronze, or else the sound won’t be that good.

It is true that Bronze strings are able to give a very nice and subtle tone as compared to the other strings while Brass strings provide a much clearer sound as compared to other strings. However, electric guitars are using nickel strings. The size of the strings also plays an important role in the sound produced by the guitar. Thicker strings play a bit darker and denser, and thinner strings usually sound brighter and tangier. 

While playing an Electric Guitar, you should avoid heavy strings; however, you can slightly increase the gauge to replicate an acoustic guitar’s tone.

Conclusion

We thoroughly made you familiar with how to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar? As there are a number of ways to do this work, but it again depends on your ease and budget. However, to electric and electric guitars have their own sound and user experience. Now, get the job done and stay tuned to get beneficial information about the music world. 

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