Working on guitar tones

[pokinatchapunk]

So I have been having issues with really getting guitar tones that I would feel sit in my mix well. Right now my only concern is the tone of guitars. So let's get some of the annoying crap out of the way:

I'm using Positive Grid Bias Desktop for the Amp Sim. I have an Orange Rockerverb 50 but neighbors call the cops anytime I crank the damn thing. I know that nothing beats a mic on a good cab/head. Sadly not an option.

I have started doing some subtractive EQ as well and light compression.

There's 3 version of the song on Soundcloud.

I'm not concerned about the drums or bass right now because I know they will need work. But I've gotten bass and drum tones in the past that I really liked. Some reason guitars just sound funny to me and I'm super picky. Probably because I'm a guitar player before anything else.

Any recommendation or ideas are welcomed! lp63 | Free Listening on SoundCloud

 

[participant]

What kind of a sound are you going for? I listened to the mix "Punk Rock Updated 2" and the guitar sounded fine to me, but I'm not sure what you're looking for. In what I heard, the guitar wasn't up front but it was kind of the meat of the track and not buried.

If you have an idea of the type of sound you're looking for and another band has that in one of their songs, try loading up a reference mix of one of their tunes and put it on a stereo track in your DAW. Lower the volume of it so it sort of matches your tracks in volume, and keep it muted most of the time.

Play your tune back a couple of times, then switch over to your reference track. Listen to it through the same monitor set up you have. Listen for the differences in guitar sounds/tones. You should be able to tell what you need "more" of by doing that. It will also help you learn your monitors. Good luck.