An acoustic-electric guitar, or electric acoustic, is an acoustic guitar with a pickup and preamp built in, so it plays unplugged or runs straight into an amp or PA.
An acoustic-electric guitar, or electric acoustic, is an acoustic guitar with a pickup and preamp built in, so it plays unplugged or runs straight into an amp or PA.
About Acoustic-Electric Guitars
An acoustic-electric guitar, also called an electric acoustic guitar, is a standard acoustic with a pickup fitted inside the body. Unplugged, it plays and sounds like any other acoustic. Plugged in, it solves the acoustic guitar's biggest limitation, volume, letting you run into a guitar amplifier or PA system through a regular guitar lead instead of relying on a microphone.
That makes an acoustic-electric the simplest path to playing live or recording direct, with no retrofitting required. Compare the full range of acoustic guitars, pair your guitar with an acoustic guitar amp and quality guitar cables, or if you already own an acoustic you love, add an acoustic guitar pickup instead. Chasing a different sound altogether? Browse our electric guitars.
The only real difference is the built-in pickup, and on many models a preamp with volume and tone controls. Unplugged, an acoustic-electric sounds just like a standard acoustic; plugged in, it can fill a venue without a microphone.
No. A semi-acoustic usually refers to a hollow or semi-hollow body electric guitar, built primarily to be amplified. An acoustic-electric is a true acoustic guitar first, with a pickup added so it can also plug in.
An acoustic guitar amp or PA system gives the most natural result, as both are voiced to reproduce the guitar's acoustic character cleanly. A standard electric guitar amp works in a pinch but will colour the tone.