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January 5, 2005

How To Record Better Acoustic Guitar

I’ve gotten this question a lot in the past few weeks for some reason. My response — the correct one — should be a resounding “no clue!” but given my new resolution to napsterize everything I learn about being a DIY rawk star, I will instead divulge my most sacred, cherished secret of how to get a better sound out of an acoustic guitar.

Are you ready? Here it comes. The secret:

Don’t point the microphone at the soundhole.

Okay, there’s a little more to it than that, but that’s the most common mistake, and one that I made over and over again. If you’re using a directional mic, like a Shure SM57, you don’t want to point it at the soundhole, because all it’ll hear is boomy bass end. Likewise, if you point it at the neck, you’ll hear clicky-plucky fret noises. You’ll have better luck getting a natural, full bodied acoustic guitar sound with a condenser microphone, which functions more like a human ear and can pick up some of the room ambience as well.

When I was recording Gravel Road Requiem, I must’ve moved the mic placement fifteen times before I finally got a guitar sound I was happy with. Now, with my AKG C2000B (cheap!) I just drag the mic stand within six inches of the guitar and go for it.

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And Matt MacLeod did speak thusly:

I don’t record acoustic guitars often but on the odd occasion I do I’ve had great results by moving into my small bathroom, positioning my cheapy radio shack mic aimed at a point someways between the soundhole and the neck and going for it.
The positioning of the mic balances out the boom of the soundhole and the ‘plink’ of the neck sound, and the slight echo produced by the room rounds everything off nicely.
More luck than judgement, but a good result nonetheless.
But then, maybe it’s just my bathroom…
And scottandrew did speak thusly:

Yeah, there’s definitely a sweet spot between the soundhole and the base of the fretboard that’s a good tradeoff.

I’m pretty sure Sting recorded vocals in his bathroom. But he owns a castle.
And Howlin' Hobbit did speak thusly:

One of the best acoustic guitar “sweet spots” to point your mike at is the lower (i.e. closest to the floor) section of the lower bout.

My $0.02.

HH
And Mootkat did speak thusly:

Best of all is to close mic with a crisp condenser about three inches southwest of the sound hole, then set up an X-Y coincident dynamic stereo pair about five feet in front of the guitar at phantom audience ear height. Track all three mics separately, then mix them with discretion, rolling off the low end from your close condenser and rolling of the high end from the dynamic stereo pair. The plucking and overtones will be very present and placed in space, while the undertones will fill the stereo image with depth and warmth. (Like peeing in a swimming pool, but even better.)