Do I really need an electric acoustic?
 

I have several acoustic guitars and am thinking of getting an electric next. I just like to play amateur stuff.

They're good to have if you anticipate doing any live work. Microphones are ok, but musicians rarely keep their guitar within the same proximity of the mic, so that really takes away from the consistency and quality of the sound. At least from a sound tech's POV.

microphone + acoustic instrument = REALLY HURTFUL FEEDBACK unless you have a sound person permanently keeping track of your levels and movements.

an electric acoustic will not give you better tone than any of your already owned guitars. if you want to start performing with friends in more of a band setting (even as amateurs) an electric/acoustic would definitely be the ticket.

on the other hand if you're just thinking about being a little louder around a campfire by hauling a little practice amp or one of those battery powered deals. i'd say keep the real thing.

takamine is known for making quality electric acoustics. same with ovation but i can't stand the synthetic round backs of their guitars.

I hate them too

The ovations are a mixed bag. The few DEEP bowl models they do are excellent and give a wonderful sound. The shallow and mid bowl designs they do are much easier to sit with but are also correspondingly weaker in tone.

If you play live shows with an acoustic then it will be useful. If not then its not worth the extra money. Also, you can always use a pickup thing on your normal acoustic. They cost a bit though.

well depending on what you get...
electric acoutics allow you to play whenever wherever without having to worry about equipment and stuff

I suggest ovation

Aren't there such things as pickups that you can insert into the acoustic when you need it and take it out when you don't? That sounds like just what you need.

When I record acoustic guitar I like to use two tracks. One for the mic and another for a direct line from the guitar, so for me having that option is nice. When mixing the guitar track recorded I like to get a nice blend of the two tracks for a more natural sound.

Also, as mentioned in this thread already, for live purposes it really makes life much easier for you and the sound guy.

I'm with you there! Got a nice Fender electric acoustic a couple of weeks ago.

Takamine, Yamaha and Taylor also make nice ones.