Studio Success Guide P3. Guitar

In this section of the Phosphene Productions Studio Success Guide, we will discuss what it takes to achieve a great sounding guitar take, be it rhythm or lead, when in the recording studio. But before we begin, let's take a look at what you'll need to bring along to the studio and what you should do to prepare.

I'm going to assume that everyone understands that being well-rehearsed is a large part of getting that 'great' sounding take. Showing up unrehearsed can lead to a train-wreck and cause major setbacks and waste a lot of valuable time. So practice, practice and practice some more!

Having said that, we can move on to our first order of business: Strings, picks and tuners. Always bring an instrument tuner along with you to the studio; tuning between every take will insure that everything we record will be in tune (nothing worse than nailing that solo and your 'High E' string was out of tune!). Now that we're all tuned up, do you have your pick? Some guitarist don't like to use a pick, and that's fine! If you do use a pick to play, be sure you have plenty of extras with you. We all know how those pesky things can vanish from our fingers in the blink of an eye.

Next, guitar strings. When was the last time you changed those things?! Changing your guitar's strings a few days before you enter the recording studio will do wonders for the tone of your guitar. Changing the strings a few days in advance gives them a little time to stretch out, and for your fingers to wear them in. Newer strings are generally brighter than older worn-in strings. When recording your takes we want the guitar to cut through the mix, not be lost and muddied up with the bass guitar. Change those strings and let your guitar's tone do the talking.

Next' let's talk about the amplifier. When entering the recording studio your engineer will likely record a Direct Injection (input) signal straight off your guitar, as well as via a few additional microphones on your amplifier. Capturing the tone of your amplifier is the goal here, and this is where many guitarists overlook what's producing their sound. Start by playing in the room and adjusting the tone of your amplifier, adding some EQ, gain or distortion. Insure that your guitar's tone allows all the notes you intend to play to ring through clearly. I like to play my harmonics on the 12^th fret of every string and adjust my tone to insure everything rings through clearly. From here, of course, you can darken or brighten your guitar or amplifier tone to suit the song in production.

Another good point to note is the size of the amplifier. In most cases, bringing a huge amplifier stack is unnecessary. Capturing an amplifier's guitar tone is about texture and playing dynamics, not loudness. Your engineer will be able to bring the guitar tracks up to par with the rest of the recording, focusing more on a volume that is comfortable and not overbearing. Generally, a good size amplifier for studio use would be something like a 15-watt (all tube), single 12” speaker combo (or half stack). Remember, we're focused on even tone and pick dynamics, not playing a stadium gig.

Notify your engineer of any pedals you may be using in the recording, keeping in mind that pedal order does affect tone! Holding off on effects such as reverb or delay is generally a good idea. Your engineer will be able to add the effects in post production with much higher quality and control than an average guitar pedal can achieve. Splitting up different toned parts is also a good idea when recording in the studio. Your engineer will be able to balance out multiple takes in post production, separating a clean guitar tone from a dirty fuzzed-out tone. This will help your song maintain clarity and keep those pesky bypass switches out of the recording (and there's nothing worse than hearing weird clicking noises when you switch to a clean tone).

Acoustic guitars are even easier! Change your strings a couple days prior to recording and stay in tune.
And that's pretty much the cake! Keep these tips in mind the next time you're getting ready to go into the studio, and discuss any concerns you may have with your engineer. Any engineer worth his salt will be able to help you achieve exactly what you're looking for and produce a fantastic-sounding guitar track.

Good Luck and Happy Recording!

Phosphene Productions~

“I rely on effects, fuzz-boxes, anything that I can lay my hands on.

Then I just try and make nice, sort of, melodies with it, like try to make it sing.

I try to imagine that the guitar's kind of singing, you know?”

- David Gilmour