Brighter Guitar tone

  • Thread starter Thread starter greenascanbe
  • Start date Start date
G

greenascanbe

New member
I've been doing some guitar recording and everything is coming on desent on the bottom end but I'm not getting enough mids or highs. I have a Genz Benz El Diablo 60-C and have been using a combination or destortion and EQ peddles without the desired results.

Thoughts?
 
You could try a higher value of capacitor in your guitar's tone circuit-that will let more highs through to the output.
 
are you running direct or through a cabinet?

If you are running a cabninet:

1) What type of amp
2) What type of cabinet
3) What type of mic
4) What mic placement

If you are running direct, there's most of your problem. When running direct from pedals and even many preamps, the low and low mids are going to be much more healthy than the high mids that you want to hear.

Also, record and playback. Adjust your EQ's to the playback - not what you hear "live"
 
If you want bright try a vintage British amp, bright up the wazoo. Actual advice, take all the crap out of your signal path, might be acting as a tone suck, dial in a useable tone on your amp and you'll be a lot happier. Pedals may sound good at practice, but I've found them robbing tone when you record.
Also, cut your mids a touch when you record, tends to make it stand out in a mix better. Hope this helps!
 
If you absolutely can't get enough highs you either have a shit mic or you've stuck it somewhere terrible and haven't tried to put it anywhere else.
I think it's about that simple.

Of course you could elaborate a little and then someone may be able to help!

;)
 
Clean or Dirty?

Speakers are important too.

I don't know this Genz Benz. I would love to hear a sample

Cheers, G
 
If your amp has a "presence" control, try turning it up, this will give the highs and high mids more bite so they will cut through. If your amp sounds good when just listening, but not when recorded you may need a different mic or try pointing the mic more toward the center of the speaker. Try a different amp if you can, some amps just record better than others. Or record the guitar track twice, once to capture the lower notes, then reset the amp to all treble and record again to get the highs, them mix/blend the two tracks to get a full sound.
 
1) What type of amp - Genz Benz El Diablo 60 watt combo

2) What type of cabinet - 1 x 12
3) What type of mic - SM57 and Seinhiser 609
4) What mic placement - 609 off to the side pointed straight, SM57 angled in towards the cone
 
What volume level are you recording at?

Those GenzBenz amps brighten up at higher volumes, and have a big bottom on their own, but especially when lower. That from personal experience. YOu may have to crank it more for whatever reason. Poor pickups too could be the problem.

just a few ideas.
 
Try recording with one mic. Listen, move mic to brighter spot on speaker. Does the recorded tone sound "hollow" (lousy description I know) if so, then you may a phase cancellation issue by using two mics.
 
to find the brightest spot, which is probably not the best spot, regardless...

with no input, turn up the amp and with the mic about 1/2 inch from the grill, move the mic around until the hiss is the loudest/brightest. next move backwards/forwards for the same. you'll find too close dampens highs and actually moved out some may be better/brighter... just depends.
 
Last edited:
gcapel said:
Clean or Dirty?

Speakers are important too.

I don't know this Genz Benz. I would love to hear a sample

Cheers, G
Click to expand...

I work on downloading some this weekend.

Thanks for the advice. I just want to know what I'm doing before I start throwing money at the problem.
 
Ummmmm...here's a question.

What kind of guitar are you using?
 
hiwatt357 said:
Ummmmm...here's a question.

What kind of guitar are you using?
Click to expand...

Charvel Model 2, Fender American Strat, Epiphone les paul with S.D. EVH pickups
 
greenascanbe said:
Charvel Model 2, Fender American Strat, Epiphone les paul with S.D. EVH pickups
Click to expand...

And the problem with the mids and highs are with all of those guitars?
 
greenascanbe said:
Would taking the back off help brighten the tone?
Click to expand...
Only in a relative sense. You won't gain anything in the middle or top, but you will lose some bottom and low-mid punch. This might help even things out a bit.

But people mic closed-back cabs all the time with great success.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top