If you're looking for a stage-ready acoustic guitar that can be played amplified as well as unplugged, then an electro-acoustic guitar is a ready-made solve.
Electro-Acoustic Guitars
Almost everyone will be familiar with the sound of the acoustic guitar, whether it's a steel-strung acoustic or a nylon-strung classical guitar. Because they're played so much in popular music, steel-string acoustic guitars are the most common and while they already have a naturally loud sound, if you're playing on stage, an acoustic guitar can still be too quiet to reach the back row so it'll need to be amplified. You could use a microphone, but it's actually much easier to play an electro-acoustic guitar, which gives you full acoustic sound but can be plugged into a PA system or acoustic guitar amplifier. Electro-acoustic guitars are essentially exactly the same as normal acoustic guitars but have an additional built-in pickup to capture the sound of the strings and a jack output to connect it to an amplifier. Besides a pickup, most electro-acoustic models will also have an integrated preamp system with volume and tone controls so you can adjust the amplified sound. For maximum convenience, a lot of models will also have a bonus built-in tuner. You can also get electro-acoustic classical guitars with the same or similar setup.
12-String Electro-Acoustic Guitars
Just like normal six-string electro-acoustic guitars, twelve-string electro-acoustic guitars can be played amplified as well as unplugged. Twelve-string models will also come fitted with a pickup and preamp system, often with a set of tone and volume controls and maybe a built-in tuner. These guitars give you that lush and glittering twelve-string sound and some extra flexibility on top - since you can plug it in.
Acoustic Guitar Amplifiers
If you want to play amplified, you're going to need some form of amplifier to plug your guitar into. So, you could plug into a DI box that's connected to the mixer of a full PA sound system, or you could plug directly into your own acoustic guitar amplifier. In any case, it's never a good idea to plug an electro-acoustic guitar into a normal electric guitar amplifier. They're not designed for the job and you'll lose all of the natural sound of your instrument. Acoustic guitar amplifiers are specifically designed to raise the volume of the natural sound of an electro-acoustic guitar. Some models even feature built-in effects like reverb or chorus as well as banks of controls for adjusting the tone and volume, giving you full power over your stage-sound.
Semi-Acoustic or Electro-Acoustic Guitars?
It's easy to mistake the term semi-acoustic guitar for electro-acoustic guitar, so when some people say one thing, they might mean the other. While both sit somewhere between an electric guitar and acoustic guitar, they're actually very different instruments. A semi-acoustic guitar is essentially an electric guitar but with a few acoustic style characteristics like a hollow body, while an electro-acoustic guitar is essentially an acoustic guitar that can be plugged in and amplified, whether it's a steel-string acoustic model or an electro-acoustic classical guitar.
Frequently Asked Questions About Electro-Acoustic Guitars
What's the best electro-acoustic guitar for beginners?
You can easily pick up a decent electro-acoustic guitar for around £90, and the price will go up from there. If you need a little more help in finding the right model for you, take a look at our Electro-Acoustic Guitar Buyer's Guide.
