Making Acoustic Guitar sound like Electric Guitar

[Aequitas123]

Looking to get an electric guitar soon, but in the mean time, does anyone have any tips for making an acoustic guitar sound like an electric guitar; clean or distorted.

I normally record it with a sm57 and/or a Condenser ran through my pre's. Sounds pretty good for an acoustic. I've been playing around with running it through Amplitube with mix results.

Any tips appreciated.

[mesaboogiewes]

You might could get a somewhat usable distorted guitar sound if you eq'd and compressed it just right, but as far as a night broken up clean sounding electric - no can do on an acoustic IMO.

[arachnaut]

Using just Live effects, start with the saturator and pick a hard sine shape with lots of drive.
You can follow with another saturator using the wave shaper option and play with the shape.
Then use a dynamic tube effect to simulate the cabinet.

The new Overdrive effect in Live 8 could also help and maybe even the MultiBand dynamics, but the saturator is essential to get the distortion needed for the electric guitar.

I usually add a phasor and flanger and/or chorus, but the sound can get muddy real fast if you stack on too many effects.

[pepezabala]

EQ! Electric guitars have less low frequencys if you compare with acoustic guitars.

You could use Eq3 and turn off low and high frequencies. Then add some distortion or saturator.

[Guff Tong]

How about using a transient designer to scuplt the attack?

Flux 'Bitter-sweet' is free though slightly limited:

http://www.fluxhome.com/products/

[Aequitas123]

Hey guys, appreciating the comments. I have played around with saturators with decent results.

I could use some more information on EQing the input signal to get it sounding more like an electric guitar DI. I assume taking of some low and and possibly carving off some really high frequencies.