Acoustic Electric Guitars Explained Do You Need a Pickup

An acoustic electric guitar is a normal acoustic guitar with a pickup built in. Unplugged it sounds and plays like any acoustic. Plugged in, it goes through an amp or a PA system without a microphone in front of it. Here is how to tell whether that is worth paying for.

How it works

Most acoustic electrics use a thin pickup under the saddle that senses the string vibration, and a small preamp, often with a tuner and tone controls, mounted in the side of the guitar. A nine volt battery powers it. The guitar still works fine with a dead battery, just not plugged in.

The letters CE

Model names ending in CE usually mean cutaway and electronics. The cutaway is the scoop in the body near the neck that lets you reach the high frets. The two often come together, but you can find each on its own.

Who needs one

• Anyone who plays at church, open mics, school events or with a band.
• Singers who record at home through an interface.
• Players who want a tuner built into the guitar.

Who does not

If you play on the couch, at the campfire or in lessons, you will never plug in. Put the money toward a better top and body instead. A plain acoustic at the same price is usually the better guitar unplugged.

Thinline bodies

Some acoustic electrics have a thin body made for stage comfort and feedback resistance. They are quieter unplugged and shine through an amp. The Yamaha APX series is the familiar example.

Step up models

At the higher end the electronics get better and the guitar underneath gets better too. These are instruments for players who already know they will be on stage.

Body size still matters most

Pickup or not, the body shape decides how the guitar sounds and feels. See dreadnought vs concert body sizes before you choose.

Every instrument we ship is set up by hand on our bench in Athens, Tennessee first. Read what a guitar setup is to see what that covers. We check the electronics too. Browse all acoustic guitars.