Looking for a great recording guitar
 

Hi guys I am looking for an acoustic that will be great for recording. I’ve had a few high end a Lowdens with the F body shape and struggled a bit with getting good consistent recorded tone. Mainly due to the very complex deep and powerful overtones they gave. So I’m looking for something that’s a little more mid focused with a strong fundamental tone.

I’ve started playing a few Taylor’s in store that I like inc the K14CE builders Edition, which is Kos and also the 614CE builders edition which is maple back n sides.

Any thoughts on either of these two or anymore string contenders?

Thank you
Matthew

You might also want to check out Martin's M-36. Mic'd or with a K&K Mini, its pretty tough to beat.

Collings always sound great mic'd because of the balanced sound.

Have you considered other factors which may be causing a less than desirable "recorded tone"? Your room acoustics, microphone placement(s), signal chain and monitoring chain can each contribute.

Tell us about your recording space and the gear you're using. The guitars may not be at fault.

Studio
 

Hi guys. Thanks for the input, I appreciate you asking about the recording kit but its not that. I run a small recording studio that is very well acoustically treated and I use many different mic's inc Neumann 184's, vintage U87, Sontronics Mercury, Lewitt 140's....the list goes on. I also use a UAD Apollo interface and all very high end cables plumbing it all in. So its a really good set up.

The Lowden I had was a great guitar but it had a very warm tone, fine for using a pick but no good at all for finger style. I do about 70percent pick and 30percent finger style playing. So I am just after something a little brighter really and a bit more consistently balanced.

Thanks for any help guys
Mat

If you look in the encyclopedia under 'balanced tone' you find Larrivee ;)

Seriously, Larrivees tend to be a 'quick setup and record' instrument.

Of course it’s difficult on some levels because everyone likes different things in acoustic sounds. I have 3 I’ve recorded over the years that certainly for me, we’re extremely good in a recording scenario. The first was a very old J-45. It just excelled with almost any mic although a little post eq was needed since it had some below 300hz overtones. Still the end results were very, very good. Similarly, although widely hated here on this forum, is my PRS Angelus. I never have to work too terribly hard to make it sound great and it’s one of those wonderful sounds we're the fundamentals are there and the highs just seem to bloom out of the fundamentals.

Probably the best over all guitar for recording I’ve ever encountered and required almost zero post work was a friends 60’s Martin OOO-18. Spectacular in every way!

I think the Taylor GA body style is perhaps the most versatile I've played.

The Martin M36 (I haven't played one) I think is another good suggestion.

The Larrivee 'L" model might be another contender.

I’m not overly familiar with the Taylor bodies. I’d think an OM would be a very good fit; 14 fret body shape, not a deep body. Mahogany and Adirondack spruce. If this is too extreme for you (too much clarity, fundamental, and mid range focus), an OM in Cocobolo and Engelmann will given more overtones and less midrange but keep the bass tight and controlled. If you want it to be more melodic an 00 body style might be right for you. That’s how I hear them. YMMV.

In my experience, it would be just about impossible for someone to recommend something that will work for you because how a guitar sounds and records depends so much on who's playing it.

I also know that it's not necessarily the best sounding guitar in the room that sounds best recorded.

Not only who's playing it, but what the engineer/producer are wanting to hear. It's context dependant. Most pop songs with an acoustic are wanting a 6 string high hat. Almost no bass, basically a percussive instrument that will disappear in the mix but still add something rhythmically. A singer/songwriter will probably want a fuller sounding instrument with scooped mids to allow the vocals to sit on top of it. A solo fingerstylest probably wants an ever broader spectrum with full mids to bring out the melody, deep lows (especially for alt tunings) and a lot of shimmer on top, along with a lot of dynamics. This, IMHO, is where Lowden's shine.

I guess what I'm getting at is we don't have enough information to make a useful recommendation. What do you want to record?

plugged in or unplugged the Yamaha FGX5 has a fantastic tone and would record well.

This. I have made about 30 recordings with my most recent M-36 (and a couple dozen with a previous one) and love the recorded sound, very even, not too boomy but with plenty of resonance. Of course that describes the M-36 generally, which I think may be the best all-around guitar in Martin's stock line-up. I don't use the the K&K I have in mine for recording however, rather a couple of high quality mics run into my Spire recorder.

Gene

All subjective of course but if as you state your looking for something a little a little brighter and Yet balanced Seems like your on the right track with maple
in the Taylor line

Or two others to consider are either a USA Breedlove or a Bourgeois