When Leo Fender developed the Telecaster in 1950, he threw the musical world into chaos. By widely marketing the electric guitar, Fender created a war between traditionalist players and those who wished for music to stay close to its roots. The two sides eventually manifested themselves into organized categories; acoustic guitarists, and electric guitarists.
Naturally, when a guitarist starts learning to play his or her instrument, they gravitate toward the electric guitar. The appeal of rock music and its big names is extremely influential to new musicians, and the crushing leads and soaring solos that made the style famous are often things that drive new players to haphazardly purchasing pawn shop electric guitars and busted, cheap amps; all in the pursuit of the impact of famous guitarists such as Hendrix, Slash, and Zappa. In recent years, the focus has shifted even more to technical guitarists that have a complete mastery of the electric guitar, such as Joe Satriani or Steve Vai; but there seems to be a conflict of interest in these guitarists, due to the fact that their playing is technical to the point of losing the feeling of playing. Critics often say that they’ve taken the soul out of the guitar.
On the complete other side of the spectrum are dedicated acoustic players. Generally the first thing a parent buys their child when they say they’re interested in the guitar is a traditional steel stringed acoustic guitar, much to the dismay of many young musicians, who tend not to picture their favorite artists out on stage, shredding on a large piece of hollow wood. But, the acoustic guitar does have its fans. As indie music increasingly inserts itself into radio play, and the growing popularity of the singer-songwriter takes hold, the acoustic guitar becomes more and more prevalent in modern music. Even folk music, which has been possibly the largest advocate of the acoustic guitar over the years, is reaching a mainstream audience, with Marcus Mumford’s frantic strumming and wailing vocals soaring to the top of the charts. And who can forget Bob Dylan, the forefather of modern folk, who holds a whopping 11 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe award, and even a Presidential Medal of Freedom. The acoustic guitar holds more underlying ground than many people believe, and the truth is that it may be more prevalent than the electric in many ways.
But what are the pros and cons of each style of guitar? Well, the topic is hotly debated. Any experienced guitarist will argue for both sides equally.
“They are used for different purposes.”, said Guitar Club Sponsor Mark Harris. “What matters is what sound and presence one wants to achieve.”
Conversely, many young musicians dedicate themselves religiously to one style or the other. But the fact remains, each style has its own purpose. For instance, an electric guitar can be run through multiple effects to create a wide variety of sounds, as stated by Senior Patrick Coronado.
An argument against this can be made against the electric guitar as well. Many people would argue that acoustic guitarists are naturally better, as they can make things sound good without all the extras.
As it stands, the argument is at a stalemate. No one guitar is better than the other. But experienced guitarists, again, hold the fence for both sides, with a neutral argument. Harris said, “… the bottom line is that effects cannot mask poor skill. If you can’t make it sound good on an acoustic, it’s not going to sound good on the electric.”