Get an acoustic-electric or just a pickup

I'm going guitar shopping later today and I'm wondering if I should be considering the acoustic-electric guitars, or just get the best sounding acoustic guitar and use a soundhole pickup later down the road if I ever feel the need for one. I won't be gigging anywhere, just might want to do a little recording as I get to be a better player. Is there a real advantage of having an in-built pickup versus just a soundhole pickup?

Hi Gary,

Some acoustic/electrics have a little eq on the top of the guitar so you can adjust the tone a little and I would prefer one of these for gigging just cause it's quick and easy to plug in, you can adjust the tone while on stage if you're not getting good sound in the P.A. and you don't have to worry about the little cord hanging off the front of the guitar from a sound-hole pickup.
Personally, if I wasn't gigging I would probably choose the best sounding acoustic and have a pickup handy.

Originally Posted by: Neal WalterPersonally, if I wasn't gigging I would probably choose the best sounding acoustic and have a pickup handy.

This would be my choice as well. You get better sound from a 'dedicated' instrument imo. And, there are some really nice pick ups on the market these days for those times you want to record.

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up getting a Seagull Performer Cutaway with the built-in pickup. It was by far the best sounding guitar in the store, even unplugged. So even though it was twice as much as I was prepared to spend, I went for it, especially since the shop was nice enough to give me a full refund on the Seagull Entourage I bought there 2 months ago.