Help w/ that Dylan, Cat Stevens acoustic pick sound

[Das Poop]

I'm trying to heavily excentuate the pick sound on a new recording. It's a strummer, and so far, I haven't been successful.

The best comparison for what I'm going for is "Desire" era Dylan or any Cat Stevens. On these records, the acoustic guitar almost works more as a rhythmic instrument in that you heavily hear the pick during the struming and not much fullness from the guitars (but they don't sound "thin"). This is hard to describe, but if you listen to these examples, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Any time I try this by sweeping an EQ (have tried with both the UAD Cambridge and the 88RS), I seem to be able to find an area which a boost helps, but if I boost too much it starts sounding much more harsh than these records. They seem to magically get that pick sound but with a certain "softness" to the sound.

Likewise, if I do a small boost but then do drastic cuts in the mids, it just starts sounding thin.

Any ideas of how to achieve this type of acoustic guitar sound?

 

[mixsit]

I'd bet to a very large degree it's not going to be found in eq. If what I'm thinking the sound is it would start with a light pick.
Think waveform shape.

 

[Track Rat]

It has to do more with the pick (a thin one) and the way he plays. The guitar is almost dead with a lot of "click" from a thin pick. Check this Cat cover I helped a friend of mine do. It's "Trouble" from Harold and Maude.
http://www.myspace.com/timebrewer

 

[TexRoadkill]

Close mic high on the neck around the 5th fret. That usually gives me a lot of pick attack and a thinner sound.

 

[danny.guitar]

It's all in how you play. I've brought out the pick sound before with EQ but it also comes with some downsides as it effects everything else.

Dylan also uses a thin pick in a lot of songs which will give you that sound right away. But I've actually achieved a better sound using a heavier pick.

The heavier the pick, the looser of a grip you should have. A lighter pick calls for a tighter grip.

To create that 'click' sound you need to strike the strings at a slight angle with just a little more than the tip contacting the strings. On a light pick, you can get a 1/4 of the pick to hit the strings and get that sound.

The rest is mic placement. If you want a full sound, but not "upfront and detailed", more like "in the background, but percussive and balanced" you should mic probably about a foot back and point it at the sound hole.

Experiment with different picks and mic placements. You would think that miking lower on the fretboard would pick up more pick sound (and maybe that's the case for other people) but I've had better luck miking the soundhole near where the picking hand is and where it makes contact with the strings.

Distance of the mic should be considered to prevent boominess and find the sweet spot to get a balanced tone, yet something that stands our more as a percussive instrument and not a full-bodied acoustic guitar sound.

Also, take into consideration the rest of the instruments in the song. They will effect how the guitar sounds as well.