How was this done? (Guitar tone)

[solo.guitar]

Any ideas on how to get this, or a similiar guitar "tone"? I'm talking about the rhythm guitar in Learning To Fly by Tom Petty. It sounds very "thin". I tried some EQ, which I'm not really good at, and it just sounded bad.

Here's a real short sample (~400 KB)
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=FDA4EBE50965E531

 

[zacanger]

Well, besides only using the top three or four strings....

 

[solo.guitar]

Yea...besides using the top three of 4 strings...

 

[zacanger]

No, see, that's all there was to that.

 

[scrubs]

If you're talking about the acoustic, it sounds like a 12-string.

 

[zacanger]

Oh, ja, definitely. A 12-string only playing the first 3 or four courses, sorry. As for the thinness, it doesn't sound particularly thin to me, so I'm a little confused.

 

[solo.guitar]

If you're talking about the acoustic, it sounds like a 12-string.

Yes it does but I'm pretty sure it's not a 12-string.

It sounds real soft, and "airy". I've heard similiar tones in a lot of other songs, and I've wondered how they did that. Like mic placement, which mic, EQ, etc.

Obviously the kind of guitar matters a lot too.

 

[solo.guitar]

Ok, maybe it is a 12-string. But it still has that airy sound to it.

 

[BigRay]

it is a nashville tuned guitar.

http://www.guitartips.addr.com/tip164.html


it is a big reason behind the Byrds jangly sound..

http://www.sputnikmusic.com/lesson.php?lessonid=240

* Nashville tuning

This is achieved on a high-strung guitar - a guitar strung with only the high strings of a 12-string guitar set. This is known as "Nashville tuning" when the strings are in standard tuning.

http://www.fretsmag.com/story.asp?storycode=14811

 

[solo.guitar]

Ah, thanks Ray.

 

[David Katauskas]

Another way to get a 'similar' sound is to record your acoustic track(s), then record another track(s) by micing an electric git as you would an acoustic. It give a little extra sparkle.

 

[scrubs]

Yeah, I was gonna mention the nashville tuning. I have one of my guitars strung up that way now. If you combine it with a regular acoustic track, you get the sound/feel of a 12 string without having to own/maintain one. Soloed, though, the nashville guitar sounds very thin, since it is tuned so high. D'Addario makes a nashville string set if you ever want to try it out (might need to tweak your truss rod, though, since there is less tension with the nashville set).