?I want to start this guitar recording article off by saying that the best recording engineers have a profound understanding of complex and subtle engineering concepts that the beginner will not. Sometimes there is a lot more going on than you realize by simply looking at the pictures of a major label guitar recording session. You need to keep in mind that the big boys are playing by a different set of rules in different situations than the average reader of these articles here at recordingreview.com.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, let's starting talking about using multiple mics on guitar cabinets. Actually, let's discuss the portions of the guitar recording chain that you have control over.

Guitar Players – This is, by far, the most important piece to the guitar recording puzzle. Changing players often results in a drastic difference in tone even with the same guitar, guitar amp, and settings.

Guitars – The guitar itself obviously has an impact on tone. I must admit that I've used some really cheap guitars and been very happy over the years as long as I run them through great amps. So with that in mind, I don't find guitars that sound “better” too often...just different.

Guitar Cables – Cables do make a difference when recording guitar. I highly recommend George L cables for their sound and price. They will improve your guitar sounds just a little bit.

Guitar Amps – As far as gear concerned, I think the amp is where the money is. As stated above, I've seen $200 guitars through $2,000 amps deliver mega mega pro tones. I've never seen a $2,000 guitar through a $200 amp even come close.

Guitar Cabinets – Guitar cabinets and speakers are not all created equal. Different speakers sound quite a bit different than others. Different sizes of cabinets and construction techniques can also make quite an impact.

Guitar Pedals – Let's not forget that guitar pedals can make a huge difference in tone. If I'm overdubbing guitars, I ALWAYS have an MXR EQ pedal in line before the amp. It's one of those “don't leave home without it” type of deals.

Microphones – Obviously the microphone used has an enormous effect on tone.

Mic Placement – From the engineering side of things, mic placement is the most important factor in recording any instrument, including electric guitars.

Room Acoustics – Almost always overlooked by home recording guys, the acoustics of the room can make a bigger difference to the tone than any gear ever will.

Microphone Cable - Just like a guitar cable, the microphone cable does make a difference. Due to impedance issues, a microphone cable is not quite as critical as a guitar cable, but there is a chance that using a cheap cable will have an adverse effect on your guitar recording.

Microphone Preamp – Obviously, the home recording forums seam to pay quite a bit of attention to the preamp used on a recording. I know the right mic preamp can make a nice difference in your recordings, the difference is usually fairly subtle compared to the factors listed above.

Analog to Digital Converters – Bad converters can reduce the fidelity of your recorded tracks. I purchased a set of pro converters long ago (Mytek AD96s) and the difference is noticeable.
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Okay...Really!! Do I Need More Than One Mic On Guitar Recordings?

Alright, I've beat around the bush long enough. Here's the way I see it. Can you can nail every factor mentioned above? That means you have a great guitar player, playing a great guitar, with a great guitar cable, through a great amp, with the right cabinet, in the right room, using the right microphone, in the right spot, with a good mic cable, the right preamp, and a great A/D converter I guarantee you that your guitars will sound great!

The reality is that it's very hard to get every single factor right in the home studio situation. Usually the room kills us, but at one point or another all of these factors present a challenge. Admittedly, most of these in the list are fairly subtle, but recording is a game of inches. It's just too bad that it costs thousands of dollars to gain a few inches sometimes. This is why I usually recommend that people focus on the big picture. You can get by with a cheaper converter, for example, if you go out of your way to record the best guitar player in town (who happens to have an amazing guitar amp).