10 tips for better recorded acoustic guitar sound

Get the tone you've always dreamed of

Guitarist magazine August 07, 2012, 12:20 UTC
Whether you are a seasoned pro or an absolute beginner when it comes to recordin
g acoustic guitars, here are 10 snippets of advice that will help you get a bett
er recorded sound.
1. Try a different guitar
Whether you choose from your extensive collection, or you borrow a guitar from a
mate, it's worth trying at least a couple of different guitars when recording:
they can sound radically different.
2. Practice makes better
This is obvious. If you know what you're playing and you're playing it confident
ly, it will sound better by default. If you don't, it won't and all the tonal 't
rouble' you're having will snowball.
3. Be aware of reflections
What's beneath you, to your sides and above you when recording? For example, you
'll notice that recording on a hard floor sounds very different than when you're
on a thick carpet, because of the reflected sound (or not) coming back to the m
ic. Experiment, listen, learn you don't have to kill the reflections, but you do
have to be aware of what they're doing.
4. Sometimes, lo-fi works
Jez Williams, Doves: "Sometimes, in the studio, I like the [acoustic] guitars to
sound quite trashy, like an early Bowie sort of sound, and you can get that by
using dictaphone microphones, and blending it with an expensive mic signal. It p
uts a load of middle crunch on it."
5. Try a different plectrum
If you're layering a strummed rhythm part, try using a thin plectrum. Different
thickness picks can have a remarkable effect on tone, so before you stampede for
the EQ knobs or buy that expensive mic, first try shelling out 79p on a thin pi
ck.
6. Try an X-Y crossed pair
A step on from basic mic techniques, take two cardioid mics close together, arou
nd 90-degrees to one another, around a foot from the guitar. Point one towards t
he neck/ body join, the other towards the soundhole: a classic Nashville recordi
ng technique. Rode makes a single mic for the job, the NT4.
7. EQ gently
If you find you're needing to EQ things radically, you probably have a fundament
al issue with mic choice and placement. Get that right in the first place and yo
u'll save yourself a great deal of work. But...
8. Cut bass
You might like your acoustic all fat and bassy. It can be good when solo, but it
's a problem in a band mix because the acoustic may clash with the bass. Try rol
ling off frequencies below 100Hz, creeping up to around 350Hz to taste. Notice h
ow mixing just got easier?
9. Flock of seagulls?
If you've ever tried to mic up a guitar with brand-new strings, you'll know all
about finger noises: we call them seagulls. To avoid them, get a good few hours
on the strings before recording. Coated strings (such as Elixir Poly- or Nanoweb
) can reduce squawks too.
10. Just feel it
Dan Auerbach: "I just put the mic in front of me, it really doesn't matter. I me
an, some of my favourite acoustic sounds are field recordings a really cheap mic
picking up the vocal and the acoustic. I don't like perfection; it really bores
the shit out of me."