4. Listen To The Room

Listen to how the guitar resonates in the room. Does it enhance the instrument’s sound? A good room will definitely compliment the sound of an acoustic guitar.

Consider whether the room is worth miking. Do a quick check of the room by loudly clapping your hands and listening for any unwanted echoes or reflective ‘pings’.

If the room isn’t great, it will dictate the type of mic you choose because you’ll want to pick up less ambience in the recording.

However, if the room does sound good but has too much reverb, your sound can end up sounding cloudy and less defined. You can sometimes overcome this by setting up on a rug instead of the hard floor to keep the reflections to a minimum.

A short, bright room sound is best for acoustic guitar recording, especially when it includes any combination of wood, tile and brick. Carpeting will deaden the sound, depending on the thickness, so use it sparingly. To get a woody room tone in a carpeted space, lay down an area of wood tiles, like the kind you find in a hardware store.

The sound of the guitar will reflect upwards off the floor, depending on the type of wood and how much you’ve lain down. Having the guitarist face a heavy wooden door is another great trick to get some additional positive reflections, if needed.

In mediocre to poor sounding rooms, consider close-miking close the guitar with a tight cardioid mic to keep the sound focused only on the projection of the instrument. Avoid using omnidirectional mics in poor sounding rooms as the 360-degree recording pattern will capture unwanted room reflections that will not compliment the overall sound.

5. Stand Back From The Instrument

If possible, have someone else play their guitar, using the same technique as the artist do (pick or fingers), since what you hear is different from that of the players’ position and different than what the mics will hear.

Close your eyes, move around, and to try to listen for that sweet spot where the guitar sounds best as it’s direct sound combines with the reflections of the room. Is the best sound on the neck, on the body, or both?

Does the instrument resonate better a few feet back or up close? The only way to know is to listen. The results may surprise you, as different acoustic guitars project in different ways. Remember that the sound hole may not always be the best choice for mic placement. All of this listening will help you make suggestions to the engineer (or yourself!).

6. Consider The Guitar’s Part In The Production

Is the part supposed to fit into a dense mix, a sparse mix, or is the guitar to be recorded solo? Discuss this ahead of time, as it may dictate not only the type of guitar you choose, but also the amount of mics you select to use on it.

The more mics you use, the wider the sonic space you can create in the mix, but this might not be what the song calls for. Do you really need to use stereo mics? If possible, think about the guitar’s place in the mix before you begin.

7. Have Them Take Off Their Clothes

Well, at least have them take off any offensive items such as watches, rings, or jewelry that may bang against the instrument.

Also, certain jackets and/or shirts may have buttons that can cause a problem. And no big belt buckles! Big watches are also usually a problem, so don’t forget to take it off before you begin tracking.

Many great takes have had to be redone because of extraneous noise from clothing and jewelry, so remove the problem even before it becomes one.