[Kenny B]

Lately I've been spoiled a bit by adding a mag pickup to record solo fingerstyle playing along with 3 mics. So I have 4 inputs, two wide spaced pair, a center large diaphragm, and the magnetic pickup which is mixed in, added to taste.

So this is working good for me except now I don't hear as much of the unique characteristics of a particular guitar. In other words, it's making everything a little more similar sounding, homogenized. So if I'm playing the maple/sitka Beneteau CS, it can sound like my Collings OM IRW/German by just dialing in the magnetic pickup. Normally these two guitars would sound nothing alike, but now I have to listen very carefully to distinguish between the two.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing. The pickup really gives the bass a bump and I try not to let the "fakey" magnetic pickup sound win out or become dominate. I'm mixing it center as with the middle microphone, the spaced pair are mixed hard L and R.

So some of the guitars I'm recording do not have a magnetic pickup and I still play them and record them... but listening back, I'm not liking the sound as much. It's like I want to throw a mag pickup in there just to give it that bass bump. I think the trick will be to use a mag pickup and just mix enough to add the bass but not take away from the overall sound.

Comments, suggestions, welcome.