Tracking Guitars, reverb or not?

[Stevedresser83]

I would say go for the sound you want and if that means getting a cool sound with reverb do it.

[johnwayne]

There is no digital reverb that sounds like my 74 Twin. Although I do like TL space, but not for my guitar tones. You'll need to also know before hand how much reverb you think you'll need in the mix.

[ColourSurround]

It definitely is all about the sound you want. If you generally want a punchy and clean guitar track with a touch of verb for added depth then I say put it on afterwards so you can experiment with different styles and see which verb best fits your mix. If you're like me however and you do heavily atmospheric music and it's part of your sound (when playing live for example) than by all means record with it on. Sure you can't change it afterwards but it will give better flow to the track as that is the sound you're looking for anyway. It will also save you countless hours going mad trying to find the right verb to fit the taste of the tune afterwards.

[J.C.]

Thanks guys, the info coming in is great. The band will be doing like a modern Rockabily, and the guitarist will going playing through a hollow body (Gibson or Gretchen) into a Fender Twin.

[Jay Dee]

For rockabilly you might want to use delay instead of reverb. I'm talking a good strong single-tap slapback, using a delay pedal between the guitar and amp, so the guitarist can get the right sound and vibe upfront.

[cavern]

Originally Posted by J.C.

Thanks guys, the info coming in is great. The band will be doing like a modern Rockabily, and the guitarist will going playing through a hollow body (Gibson or Gretchen) into a Fender Twin.

rockabily&fender twin.
yeah baby, record that bitchin spring reverb.
but hey, that's just my 2 cents.

[AntillesSound]

As stated, go for whatever sounds good. But remember that too much reverb on an amp [or on any source that is so mid-range/mega harmonics laden] can muddy things up quickly. If your guitarist loves it soaked, then 10-20% less from that point will probably record really well. Just use your ears. no rules!

[ColourSurround]

Hollowbody Gibson or Gretsch through a Fender, DEFINITELY track with the verb on. You really can't go wrong there (unless his playing is sub-par).

[pichu]

as people have stated it all really depends on the sound you get, use your ears.

my ac-30's longgg tail reverb is something you just can't really accomplish in the plugin department.

listen, decide, record!

[RockManDan]

while their seems to be a lot of sentiment about recording with the reverb on for vibe, id advise if you're not super sure and confident about it, then be sure to record a DI track of the guitar for reamping later if you decide the reverb doesnt fit. THis way you can always run it back through the amp with no verb if you want to change the wet/dry mix. watch for phase though.

[J.C.]

Almost everyone seems to be confirming what I thought would be best, which is use the amp's own reverb. I guess I just need to watch out not to go overboard. RockManDan, I'm gonna try and put your suggestion to use (great tip) as a safety. Thanks to all for chiming in and helping me out here.

Jack

[feyshay]

With the spring reverb (if you want it).
DI it so that you can reamp if you've overdone it or don't want it later.

[feyshay]

Sorry, I didn't read the last 2 posts. Don't I feel silly.

[bradb]

be careful with solos, with too much reverb and some kind of boosted gain you can end up with something sounding very far away.

so take the advice to back off the reverb a little bit.