Possibly the dumbest guitar question ever, but I'll take my chances

[WC_Guitarist]

I'm literally so embarrassed to ask this question...

This guitar:

X-175B Manhattan Blonde | Guild Guitars

The X-175B Manhattan presents the same exceptional appointments as its brother, the X-175 Manhattan, including a gracefully sculpted hollow body, rock-solid three-piece neck and electrifying dual single-coil pickups, but also features the addition of a Guild Bigsby tremolo/vibrato bar tailpiece...

guildguitars.com

Do you have to have an amp to plug it into? I know you can play it unplugged like an acoustic guitar because it's a hollow body, but if you want it to sound like an electric guitar, do you have to plug it into an amp? Or can you just turn on the power, and it's got some internal speaker system that projects the sound?

I'm over my bout of Dreadnought Fever (for a minute), and I'm thinking one of these acoustic/electrics might make a nice companion for my Martin 000-18. It will for sure be lighter weight and easier to handle and play. Please don't laugh me out of the LTG forum. I looked at a few reviews on YouTube, and I can't tell if it's plugged in to an amplifier or not.

Thanks!

Janine

PS I need to know for budgeting purposes. The guitar is about $1,200 but I don't know how much an amp would cost, plus all the cables, etc.

 

[BradHK]

Yes, you will need an amp to use the pickups and the group here is very nice so don’t worry about getting laughed at for asking questions about guitars! I have asked MANY very basic questions

 

[WC_Guitarist]

Thank you! I'll add that to the budget! I want to see if I can try one in person before I decide, but that one is definitely on my radar. It's maple. It's a Guild. It's beautiful. It's not too huge and doesn't look too heavy, yet can still make a big nice sound (when plugged in). Who needs a dread?

My next question will be, does anyone have one of these, and what do you think of it?

 

[mavuser]

hello Janine, you have very nice taste!!
you will get a lot of opinions, just my 2 cents...
first, hollow and semi hollow electrics sound very cool unplugged. they can seem pretty loud at times, but just to be clear- it does not sound like an acoustic guitar in that regard, not nearly as loud. an "acoustic-electric" is designed to be played plugged in or unplugged (just an acoustic guitar with electronics). a hollow or semi-hollow electric is really designed only to be plugged in. again it is a nice feature to be able to play them unplugged, but for any real audience (or recording for sure) you would plug into an amp.

also, most full hollow electic guitars like the one you are eying, have a floating bridge and archtop tail piece. it is really different geometry than a solid body electric, semi-hollow, electric, and acoustic. An electirc with a drilled "stop tail" and bridge will play a lot more like your dread acoustic. for example this guitar:

Starfire I SC Vintage Walnut (DISCONTINUED) | Guild Guitars

An affordably priced, single-cut Starfire has arrived. Available in Seafoam Green and Snowcrest White finishes.

guildguitars.com

will give u the drilled tail piece and still have a 14-fret neck like your dread acoustic. it is actually a fully hollow design that they turned into a semi-hollow, specifically to have that stop tail. it looks to be less $$ than the X-175B which will leave u room for the amp/speaker, which many of us will tell u- that is where the tone really is (certainly it is a combonation of many things).

have fun!

 

[JohnW63]

"My next question will be, does anyone have one of these, and what do you think of it?"

Yes, I have one. It's a cool guitar. It plays easy. The pickups sound closer to single coil than humbuckers. This is not a bad thing, really. It can be pretty versatile. Here is the good news. I'm selling it because I got a brand new one in sunburst without the " wammy bar " so I don't need this one. It's very clean.

I'm thinking $550 plus shipping.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm glad you're not figuratively embarassed! That would be weird. To answer your exact question: To plug it in, you need something to plug it into. That'd be an amp.

And yes, you can play it unplugged, but it won't sound like an electric guitar. It'll sound like an acoustic guitar. Only an amp hears pickups. And it won't be very loud or complex. But it won't sound bad. Keep in mind that it's a plywood guitar, and plywood isn't as resonant as solid wood. That's why all-plywood guitars are usually electric.

So as folks above have already said, it wants an amp. That's what it's designed for, so that's what it needs to sound like it should.

Looks like a fun little axe. Enjoy!

 

[chazmo]

I'm literally so embarrassed to ask this question...

This guitar:

X-175B Manhattan Blonde | Guild Guitars

The X-175B Manhattan presents the same exceptional appointments as its brother, the X-175 Manhattan, including a gracefully sculpted hollow body, rock-solid three-piece neck and electrifying dual single-coil pickups, but also features the addition of a Guild Bigsby tremolo/vibrato bar tailpiece...

guildguitars.com

Do you have to have an amp to plug it into? I know you can play it unplugged like an acoustic guitar because it's a hollow body, but if you want it to sound like an electric guitar, do you have to plug it into an amp? Or can you just turn on the power, and it's got some internal speaker system that projects the sound?

I'm over my bout of Dreadnought Fever (for a minute), and I'm thinking one of these acoustic/electrics might make a nice companion for my Martin 000-18. It will for sure be lighter weight and easier to handle and play. Please don't laugh me out of the LTG forum. I looked at a few reviews on YouTube, and I can't tell if it's plugged in to an amplifier or not.

Thanks!

Janine

PS I need to know for budgeting purposes. The guitar is about $1,200 but I don't know how much an amp would cost, plus all the cables, etc.

Hi Janine. Always best to ask!

Yeah, the sound will only change once you plug in to an amplifier and mess around with the settings. Nothing you do, unplugged, will alter the acoustic sound; there's no internal speaker in a Guild. Well, changing strings will make a difference, but it's not nearly as significant as when you do so on an acoustic guitar.

Having said that, most archtops have a nice acoustic sound (unplugged). You might enjoy that. Good luck!

 

[WC_Guitarist]

Thank you all for your replies! I really appreciate the information. Lots to think about. I'm just get started researching this topic, so not ready to buy one yet. Thank you, John, for the head's up that yours is for sale. I'm a "try before you buy" person, so I have to play one to make sure I like it. Also, I must admit, I am attracted to this guitar as much for the look as for the sound, but the idea of being able to play unplugged and plugged in is very attractive. It seems like you could use it for so many different styles of music, too. Here I go again... Let Janine's Journey of 1,000 Archtops begin!

 

[WC_Guitarist]

Here's another question... Will the action on an archtop guitar be low and fast like an electric guitar, or will feel be more like an acoustic, where the action can vary depending on the bridge, how it's set up, etc?

Do these style guitars come as solid wood? Is that something that will make a big difference when playing plugged in? For a regular acoustic solid vs. laminate does make a difference. For these, maybe not so much?

 

[Ixtlan]

I will try to answer:
Will the action on an archtop guitar be low and fast like an electric guitar, or will feel be more like an acoustic, where the action can vary depending on the bridge, how it's set up, etc?
Generally more like electric, especially for the modern guitars - but you can set it up to get to where you want it for the most part. People buy these to play as electrics.

Do these style guitars come as solid wood? Is that something that will make a big difference when playing plugged in? For a regular acoustic solid vs. laminate does make a difference. For these, maybe not so much?
Solid wood has more noticable difference for acoustic yes, and a laminate won't make much of a difference when plugged in, although some more expensive guitars have solid carved tops.
Edit: i think usually the hollow and semi hollows are laminates - until you want to spend a few more thousand. Some brands don't even offer a solid top.. I think...


I can't wait for to hear your excitement when you finally get a nice guitar and amp - your mind is gonna be blown!

 

[WC_Guitarist]

You know what, Ixtlan? I think you're right!

 

[WC_Guitarist]

I also guess you would not be using one of these to do a lot of finger picking???

 

[davismanLV]

Hey Janine, you absolutely have come to the right place. I have NO advice since I only play flattop acoustics, sometimes amplified but these people can guide you.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

I also guess you would not be using one of these to do a lot of finger picking???

A guitar is a tool...you can play it any way you like...many people fingerpick on electrics.

 

[Shakeylee]

I also guess you would not be using one of these to do a lot of finger picking???

a lot of people use hollow bodies for finger picking,

here's some examples

 

[Shakeylee]

a great way to find out something you don't know is to ask.

that guild X-175B would be great for fingerstyle,blues,rockabilly,swing,jazz etc!!

almost any inexpensive practice amp can get you started,until you develop opinions on what sounds you want to go for.

for example, a lot of people like different amps for different styles of music

 

[WC_Guitarist]

Oh, I love Merle Travis' guitar!!! Wow. I love that fret board! And I love the way he plays it, too. These are all so good. Thank you to everyone who replied.

 

[spoox]

Now if you'd like an archtop with a built in speaker:



The Aragon by National was probably the loudest of the bunch...no electricity or amp needed!
National single resonator cone inside a Kay archtop body. Wooden cover plate that was also arched.

 

[fronobulax]

There are no dumb questions here, at least when people ask politely and don't pick a fight over the answers.

Amps are a rabbit hole. Any amp will make your instrument sound louder but when you decide you want a particular amplified sound the amp will be just one of many things you consider changing in your quest. Since you mentioned "budget" there are two things you might want to consider. One is that you can get a new amp and change from $100 but the chances are pretty good you will outgrow it eventually. The other option is a basic headphone amp which will give you the electric sound but only if you are wearing headphones (or earphones or....). You can get change from your $20.

 

[chazmo]

Shakey, love that vid of Doyle. Thanks for sharing it.