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There's a lot of uncertainty about using acoustic guitar distortion. Does it actually work?
This is an abridged version of the Overdrive Pedal for Acoustic Guitar Guide article, published at Guitar Chalk.
There's a lot of uncertainty about using acoustic guitar distortion.
Does it actually work?
Will it cause too much feedback?
What pickup or pedal should I use? Should I use an amp or go straight through a PA system?
The topic is ambiguous, at best.
But, I can tell you for certain, overdrive and your acoustic guitar can play nice. Moreover, I can give you conventional wisdom and the best practices that will allow you to do the following:
1. Add a slight boost to your acoustic signal
2. Use a moderate amount of distortion
3. Move back and forth between a clean and "dirty" sound
4. Avoid feedback.
Before we look at pedals, let’s try and answer some of the above questions.
Amp or PA system?
In my experience, and in most cases I've heard of, it's better to run a distorted acoustic guitar through an amplifier, as opposed to going straight into a PA system.
This is because feedback typically stems from a PA system’s monitor facing an acoustic guitar, which sends sound waves from the source (the guitar) back into that same source, thus creating feedback.
Because of this, you'll have better luck getting your signal into an amplifier, distorting it via a pedal and then sending it to a PA system by micing your amp. This also will reduce the need for your guitar’s signal to be in the monitors (you’ll hear it directly from your amp).
However, experiences will certainly vary, thus exceptions to