Guitar Tone

[we are analog]

So lately I've been experimenting with getting a good guitar tone...something nice and clear.

I did build a gobo, that helps a little bit. I track guitars in a pretty large open room with high ceilings...Any other suggestions? I'm upgrading to an Universal Audio LA-610 mic pre , and I use mainly an SM-57, Sennheiser e609, or Audix i5 on my guitar cab.

[redstudio]

what kind of guitar are you playing? The sound source plays a big part...


C

[tINY]

move the amp and mic around the room, put the amp up on a chair.....




-tINY

[Kenny M]

Royer 121 center of the speaker into Chandler TG2
57 where the dust cover meets the speaker into a Chandler Germ.
Make sure both mics are physicly in phase and mix to taste.

I recently went through many different mics and pres really honing in on my guitar sound. That's what I ended up with that I thought was best.

I've been playing since the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan and I wish I could go back and cut every guitar again with the Royer.

[Jack Pettit]

If I want "nice and clear" I usually reach for my Fender black face Deluxe
and my Royer 122.
I run that into a Manley tube pre or an API but any good quality pre would work just fine. I am a fan of Royer microphones for guitar.

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Kenny M

Royer 121 center of the speaker into Chandler TG2
57 where the dust cover meets the speaker into a Chandler Germ.
Make sure both mics are physicly in phase and mix to taste.

I recently went through many different mics and pres really honing in on my guitar sound. That's what I ended up with that I thought was best.

I've been playing since the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan and I wish I could go back and cut every guitar again with the Royer.

Great post.

So we are analog, take a look at all the posts so far and you will start to see that there is no one magic bullet.

The guitar makes a big difference as does the amp and hell even the cables between them all. Go get a Buzz Feiten Tuning System nut installed on your guitar, YES it makes a difference in the overall intonation of the guitar. Then get yourself a good tuner. You would be suprised how a really well intonated and tuned guitar can help clean up your guitar sound. Even a guitar that seems in tune will sound better when it is "exactly" in tune up and down the neck.

After that it is the room, move your amp around like tINY said, the room has allot to do with the sound even when close mic'ing.

Putting amp on a chair or on top of another cab is a good idea as well. It helps to minimize reflections from the floor into the mic's and it can help a little with subsonic isolation.

Try combinations of mics and something that has not been mentioned here yet. Move a mic 1/2 and inch in any direction you will get a different sound. Try some white noise into the amp and then use your headphones (cranked unfortunately) or have someone else do the work and move the mics around until they get the best blend of highs and lows from the speakers.

Also try a Little labs IBP Jr. to help with phase between the mics, that is a big help.

All of these things and more are just tiny steps to getting better sounds but it is the combination of these little steps not any single technique that will make the biggest improvement overall.

Good luck.