How To Record Acoustic Guitar

The main thing to remember when preparing to record acoustic guitar is that the sound is made up of the brightness of the strings and the low frequencies of the body.
So when we position the microphone close to the head-stock of the guitar the sound captured will be brighter and when we position the microphone near the sound-hole, the sound which we record will have more low frequencies.

Microphone Positioning

BEFORE YOU START RECORDING

Before you start recording the first thing to do is make sure your guitar sounds nice to you as you are playing live.

Follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure your guitar sounds good, is in tune and has been re-strung recently.

Tune the guitar strings and just briefly check your that you are still in tune after each take recorded.

Also if the guitar sounds a little bit dull and lifeless it may be worth putting on fresh strings as this can really bring an old guitar back to life!

2. Use the best microphone that is available to you. Condenser mics work best but a dynamic mic will work a better choice if the room acoustics are not great.

We recommend the Rode NT1A Condenser Mic or Shure SM57 Dynamic Mic.

3. Start by positioning the microphone about 12 to 18 inches away from the 12th fret and record the first take.

Try Using 2 Mics For A Beautiful Stereo Guitar Recording

You can get great results using a single microphone and that is the best approach to use if the guitar is part of a band with other instruments playing. However, if the whole song is mostly a single acoustic guitar (usually accompanied by vocals) it could be worth recording the instrument with two microphones to pick up every nuance of the performance and give the sound some width.

A great way to do this is by using the X/Y stereo technique.

X/Y Stereo Technique

The X/Y technique is an easy stereo recording method. All you have to do is place two condenser microphones touching each other at a 90° angle.

Keep the mics as close as possible to each other to avoid problems with phasing and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous stereo sound.

top tips for recording acoustic guitar

1. Re-String your guitar

If the guitar sounds dull a re-string is in order. Just make sure you strum the guitar for a few hours afterwards to let the sound sink in.

2. Use a condenser microphone

While you can still get a great recording with a dynamic microphone, the increased sensitivity of condenser microphone make them ideal for acoustic guitars.

3. Avoid placing the mic at the sound-hole

This is a common mistake which always makes the guitar sound too boomy.

4. Place the microphone about 14 inches away and aim it at the 14th fret

This will give you a nice starting point for recording, which will sound natural with a nice blend of high and low frequencies.

5. Record in Stereo (if available)

Recording in stereo with the X/Y technique will capture a nice full and wide sound. Very useful for songs built around the guitar part. If you only have one microphone you can record the same guitar part twice and pan them left and right.

6. Record Direct (if you have no other choice)

If you just cant get a nice sound from the microphone then plugging your guitar (if its electro-acoustic) into the audio interface can often save the day. This approach is often used when recording a live performance with a band.

Now that you know how to record electric guitar like the pro’s, why not add some inject some additional life into your songs by learning how to record Electric Guitar too!