What acoustic guitar record best ?

[jrlemonz]

Vox - I play a 12 string Yamaha APX, and I love the thing. I run it as an 8 string (leave the unison strings on the B and E, but not the octave tuned strings, can't get enough meat on my barre chords that way, and I need them). It gets a huge ringy open sound on open position chords. best $300 I ever spent on a guitar thats for sure. It records best I think when you mix the DI sound and the mic'ed sound.

Jake

 

[toyL]

hi Jon X...I agree that it's "always better to get the best sound source possible", but like you said, most of us are recording "at home"...how do you propose that one could get the best sound source possible "at home"?...no one in my home "has" the "best sound source possible"...I'm not even sure what the best sound source "possible" is....all I'm saying is that I have successfully used the EQ and effects in CuBase to "reproduce" what I hear
"while" I'm playing my second-hand bull-shit washburn...it does have a spruce-top, and I believe that's "important" in getting a "nominal" signal to the hard-drive...applying the EQ and effects to what I've recorded, I can actually "hear" all six strings in much the same manner as when I'm "playing".

 

[Jon X]

I'm talking about getting the best sound source that's possible while still being affordable, it doesn't have to be a $3000 guitar. All that means is you get the best guitar, drums, (whatever you are recording) that you can afford in order to get the best starting point you can. Then from there you add effects/EQ as needed to get the sound you want. I brought up the "at home" part because you mentioned something about not being able to get a great sound without a high-end condenser. I'm just making sure that people know you don't need a high end condenser mic to get good results. I only have a couple $75 mics and a $200 preamp, and I'm sure glad I put the majority of my budget into an acoustic. I think it's better to spend the money on a nicer guitar than on hardware/software with better effects and EQ. If you spend $500 extra on a guitar instead of putting it into effects you are probably gonna be better off. That's not saying you have to buy a top of the line acoustic, but the best one you can afford is gonna be better than getting a cheap one just so you can put that saved money in effects.

If effects along with your guitar are working for you, then that's great. I was just simply stating the other viewpoint, so people trying to get info about buying a guitar from this thread would see both sides of it.

 

[Dog]

Bottom line

Get the best Guitar you can afford and the best mic and pre you can afford. You may get good results with low end products but you'll get what you pay for at least for the "Home Market"\

just my 2 cents

 

[tdukex]

Definitely get the best guitar you can afford--within reason, of course. There are plenty of very good-excellent guitars in the $600-$1,000 range.

 

[ShakesTheClown]

Taylor
Martin
Breedlove or Laravee tied for 3rd

At least thats what I have experienced in the studios here, almost every session guitar player playing is either playing a Martin or a Taylor then you get the other 2. There are a lot more but for the most part I would say thats the top 3.. I played out lastnight at a writers night and did around with 4 others at the Hall of Fame and out of 4 out of the 5 were taylors and I don't know what the other one was.. I was to busy wishing I had a 910 instead of a 510 Taylor. IMHO the Taylor is one of the best acoustic guitars for recording or for singer/songwriters playing on stage the tone is phenominal..

 

[samich17]

record with my Martin DX1 plugged in or mic'd?

i just got a brand new Martin DX1 with a Thinline 332 pickup installed...should i plug straight to my track recorder or mic this beautiful baby? obviously i should go with what sounds best to me, but i was just curious to get some other peoples feedback...perhaps you'd like to hear the difference in the recordings...if so, email me at : samich17@hotmail.com and i'll send you an mp3.. thanks guys..i am learning a lot from these bulletins..

 

[Jon X]

Just for something to try... I do both with my Taylor. One track with the mic, and another plugged in at the same time. I can mix the sounds and get more of the sound I want this way. I get a more natural sound from the mic, and the line out gives more definition and sharpness to the sound if I need it.

If I had to pick one by itself I'd pick the mic... but like you said, whatever sounds the best to you.

 

[illdivine]

Treeline your totaly right its all about the design and material than brand although some brands are further dedicated to quality than others every brand has at least once before put out a piece of crap. As for my own recorded guitar experience well actually my brother's, he recorded on a mic'd (is that how you spell it or is it miked I probaly sound retarded but its slipped my mind) Takemine and it sounded great. I've been told mic'ing(?) is the best way to get the most out your sound in the studio but maybe thats all on preference. Do think by mic'ing an amplified acoustic it would eliminate alot of noise like the slides across the strings that can be very noisy. My brother recorded at a local studio and had only 4 hours and did 6 acoustic tracks and one of them picked up alot of finger sliding across the strings and he threw it out but that wasn't the only reason being that when he went to record the vocals he realized he left out a verse. But they were very loud. Is there a technique or do you have to just learn to play without making those noises I guess I already know that answer but I was just wondering.

Thanks
Illdivine

 

[Jon X]

To me those noises are part of the natural beauty of the instrument... as long as they aren't so distracting that they take away from what's being played. Gives more of an intimate feel when it's a fingerpicked acoustic guitar. I just like being reminded that it's a combination of wood and steel being worked to create music.

Of course it all depends on the sound you are going for, and mic placement can help reduce finger noise in my experience. Pointing the mic more towards the bridge end of the guitar and positioning it more on the sound hole instead of up around the frets helps. Although doing so could easily change the sound of the guitar recorded from something that you wanted, and you might have to find a balance between the tone you want and the amount of finger noise. I've actually had one guy request me to move the mic so it picked up more of the fingers sliding on the strings cause he liked what it added to the overall sound. Of course, like you said, learning to reduce those noises while playing would really help as well in a case where you wanted to eliminate them.

 

[foo]

Depends what you're going for . . .

Fingerpicking - Collings OOO-2H

Big Western Swing Rhythm - probably a mid-50's Gibson J-200

Bluegrass solos - Martin D-28 (any 60's or earlier)

Blues - Martin OO-18 (okay, a pre-war OOO-28 if you have to!)

Pop music rhythm - Gibson J-160E (or a J-45/50 with mic)

Jazz solos - D'Aquisto anything

Blues Slide - National Tricone Style 1

O'Carolan/Davy Graham et al Collings DS-2H (D-size, 12 frets)

Spanish Classical Repertoire - Ramirez 1a (big dark sound)

'Northern European' Classical Repertoire - Humphrey Millenium

P.S. - Bring lots of money!!!!

Nice to dream, huh?

foo

 

[trebles]

buying a guitar will always depend on how much you have to spend and what style of guitar you want

1200.00 usd will buy you a small bodied guitar a little like a parlour style guitar made in australia the brand is gillet if your smart and are willing to look further into this brand you like everyone i know who ever bought one of these hand made beauties will forever be pleased you did ive spent many an afternoon out at gerrad Gillets Factory watching as their skilled craftsmen create guitars i only dream off

yeah i know the shop is in australia if your a little creative anything is possible even shipping so what are you waiting for give them a call ive know this guy all my life his name is pete tell him crestwood wayne sent you that will get him laughing ive know him since i was 17 im now 34



http://www.musiciansmarket.com.au/


http://www.musiciansmarket.com.au/gear/guitars.html#acoustic

theres only one gillet in stock in this list at the moment

 

[badgas]

Sorry to throw a wrench into the discussion, but it's a little like asking whether classical music is better or worse than western swing.

Brands don't determine whether a guitar will record well - designs and materials do. One of the bugaboos for recording is an imbalanced instrument. Mid-size acoustic guitars tend to do better in that regard because they tend to have a more balance response across the frequency range. Contexts of musical style, player's style, and purpose of the recording will affect the result as well.

I think tree said it all.

 

[weatherbill]

what guitar???

Try asking a better question. What mic are you using and how are you using it. That I think will have more of an effect on recording than say between a martin and a guild.

 

[muzeman]

I have a curley maple Guild,always gives a clean bright sound when recording,I think the type of wood has a lot to do with the sound you'll get.

Pete

 

[Speeddemon]

I did my first 'acoustic with piezo' A/B-session an hour ago...

The winner in my opinion was: Crafter GAE-36, with B-band eq/piezo... I think it goes for around $650-750 in the USA...
It had this rich acoustic sound, with really nice bottom...

Yamaha APX 5/APX 7 were too thinny, IMO. APX 9 C is better, but around $750-800.
There was this cheap Takamine ($400) that I liked too, but I forgot the model no. It did have a very comprehensive EQ-section, with bypass, notch filter, etc....

The Yamaha Compass CPX 8(with piezo, and microphone in it) was very nice but more expensive (around $800)...

YMMV. Cheerz

PS, here's a link to the Crafter electric/acoustic stuff:
http://www.hohnerusa.com/2000/guitars/crafter-ae/crafter-ae.html

 

[Lopp]

Here's my list:

Best: Yamaha FGX-412C VS
Worst: Ovation Celebrity

Heh. That's based on the fact that those are the only two acoustic guitars I've ever recorded. I didn't like the Celebrity, I do like the Yamaha. Good thing because I sold the Celebrity to get the Yamaha (only $400).

If you want to hear a clip, I have one posted in in the MP3 mixing clinic. 'Scuse the "accidentals." The track was recorded very spontaneously and very quickly.


The Yamaha was recorded with a Marshall V67 using a Mackie VLS for a pre with RNC compression. Two rhythm guitars were panned L&R and a center one played the melody. All tracks are the same guitar.


Matt

 

[Lopp]

Whups. Here's the link:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47318

 

[JR#97]

wow, I must have missed this thread last year.
Anywho, great playing and writing, Lopp. Very nice. I love it when shredders put down the electric and pick up the acoustic.

ps.... congrads on your ascension into the 1k club.

 

[Lopp]

wow, I must have missed this thread last year.
Anywho, great playing and writing, Lopp. Very nice. I love it when shredders put down the electric and pick up the acoustic.

Thanks JR. How'd you find this thread?

ps.... congrads on your ascension into the 1k club.

You're almost there yourself.