Recording electric guitar

anton · #1 02-20-2021, 11:07 PM

I've been spending some time tonight trying to recording electric guitar, and wanted to maybe get some advice from the actual recording engineers here. I'm shooting for this sort of tone.

Martin is pretty active on Twitter, so I sent him a msg asking about his rig on this track. I'm wondering if its an acoustic with the D'Armond pickup into a Magnatone amp, as he has demonstrated on Youtube.

My setup is:

Guitar - Eastman T59 - a 335 type clone
Amp - Richter 5E3 - tweed deluxe clone, Weber 12A125S speaker
Mics - SM57 and AKG 414 setup in X/Y on the center of the speaker cone, similar to the article below.
Pedal - Boss Tremolo

https://www.audiotechnology.com/tuto...-in-the-studio

I am plugged into the normal channel on the less hot pair of inputs on the amp. I can never keep those straight on a 5E3. The active channel is on about 2, the unused one is up on 9 which scoops out some of the mids a bit.

I'm tuned to CGCGCD.

My Recording
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pqeto3um8y...xe-XY.mp3?dl=0

Recording electric guitar is totally new to me. I have played with various mic placements before, but so far this one has gotten the best results. It would be fun to get a ribbon to experiment with.

Does anyone have any general tips for recording electric, or thoughts on how to get a tone similar to what Martin is getting here? The biggest thing with the 5E3 is overwhelming bass and lower frequencies that can occur.

Ill let you know if Martin gets back to with his specific setup on that track.

S.bowman · #2 02-21-2021, 01:08 AM

To my ears, it sounds like an acoustic being played thru a Strymon timeline. Ive owned a couple in the past, and they sound exactly like that with some settings. May be other effects as well, but that is what I hear most.

Bob Womack · #3 02-21-2021, 09:33 AM

I'm a recording engineer/producer.

I'm hearing what sounds like the neck pickup of a Gibson ES-335 electric guitar with compression, a tiny hint of amplifier tremolo, some Leslie set on "chorale" causing physical movement in the stereo field, and a tiny bit of the classic Leslie effect (slow speed), followed by a quiet tape echo and a lovely reverb. I'd guess they occur in that order and it sounds a bit like both the Leslie and the echo are blended via a parallel chain. I think the echo send is faded in and out to create aural interest and is faded out at the end leaving just the reverb tail with the tremolo. Were I to guess, I'd venture that the Leslie is an effect rather than a real cab, but I don't know.

It's a lovely thing and sounds like the effects are carefully managed in the mix to be that lovely without turning the main guitar sound to mush.

Bob

Bob Womack · #4 02-21-2021, 09:36 AM

Also, there are all sorts of mods available on the 5E3 to reduce bass. Search on "Rob Robinette 5E3" for starters.

Bob

Brent Hahn · #5 02-21-2021, 11:03 AM

As another actual engineer, I don't have much to add about the gizmos involved. But it sounds to me like a bigger, more depthy guitar than a 335. And the low string has a different character from the other 5, like the pickup was a single coil for that string and a humbucker for the other 5. Or the low string is brand new and the others aren't. There's obviously a simpler explanation, but I don't know what it is. It works for the piece, but it's odd.

Rudy4 · #6 02-26-2021, 08:20 PM

Having seen Richard Thompson several times solo acoustic, there are parts of Simpson's recording that sound very much like RT's live acoustic rig, but sans panning and some of the gimmicky aspects of the performance.

You might check into some of his live videos to see if that's what you're looking for.

Thompson has many times used his signature Lowden with a Sunrise pickup, tube pre D.I., and then to any effects and stage monitor amp.

DupleMeter · #7 03-11-2021, 10:48 PM

I'm a professional engineer (it's what I do all day & what people pay me for):

To me it sounds like a magnetic pickup on an acoustic, tuned down. I also think it sounds like he is *not* using bronze or phosphor bronze strings. I think I hear nickel strings (from the way the react to the pickup). It might be a Sunrise pickup...just guessing from the overall tone of it.

I am digging that subtle tremolo, Very tasty. A little too much reverb for my taste. Sounds like the delay is ducked.

I'm not at the studio right now, so I didn't pull them up on my big speakers. I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow.

Bob Womack · #8 03-12-2021, 06:16 AM

Q. How many recording engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. 100. One to screw in the light bulb and ninety-nine to stand around with their hands in their pockets and say, "No, i think it was recorded THIS way."
A tip of the hat to my colleagues present who probably understand what I'm saying.

Bob

Brent Hahn · #9 03-12-2021, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Q. How many recording engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. 100. One to screw in the light bulb and ninety-nine to stand around with their hands in their pockets and say, "No, i think it was recorded THIS way."
A tip of the hat to my colleagues present who probably understand what I'm saying.

Bob

I'm sorry, I was busy measuring genitalia. Did you just say something?

KevWind · #10 03-12-2021, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I'm sorry, I was busy measuring genitalia. Did you just say something?

Ah ha perhaps your user name should be Dick Tracy

I'm not an engineer but play one in my bedroom, and am a comedic legend in my own mind

runamuck · #11 03-13-2021, 10:12 AM

Here's a guitar tone in the ballpark of the Martin Simpson recording. This doesn't have much reverb and no tremolo as the MS recording does. You can Google what the set up is here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL3mvkZ6mVk

anton · #12 03-14-2021, 07:06 PM

Thanks for the suggestions folks, unfortunately Martin never got back to me via Twitter, bummer.

In one video he demonstrates playing a Gibson 00 with a Dearmond pickup into a Magnatone amp, recorded with a Coles 4038. Maybe that was it.

I'm going to keep experimenting with my 335 clone and Dr Z Carmen Ghia or Tweed Deluxe, and see if I can get some sort of similar sound that I like. I thought it would be fun to perhaps one day record some solo guitar arrangements similar to his.

Howard Emerson · #13 03-23-2021, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anton

Thanks for the suggestions folks, unfortunately Martin never got back to me via Twitter, bummer.

In one video he demonstrates playing a Gibson 00 with a Dearmond pickup into a Magnatone amp, recorded with a Coles 4038. Maybe that was it.

I'm going to keep experimenting with my 335 clone and Dr Z Carmen Ghia or Tweed Deluxe, and see if I can get some sort of similar sound that I like. I thought it would be fun to perhaps one day record some solo guitar arrangements similar to his.

Hi Anton,
I'm not an engineer. I'm just a guitar player.

Here's a Strat style guitar I put together from parts. I'm using the neck pickup plugged into a Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue with a JBL D123 speaker, and the second input is bridged into my Fishman Loudbox Performer. I've got the vibrato on PRRI and the delay on the Fishman, but if I had turned on the Fishman chorus effect it would have a little more 'wash' to it.

In any case......I laid a Shure MV88 stereo mic on the floor in between them, a couple of feet away, and hit record.

High tech.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

Howard Emerson · #14 03-23-2021, 04:30 AM

Anton,
I think this video of Martin demonstrates a lot of what you're hearing in the video link you posted. It does sound like an electric pickup, but that amp is a big part of sound.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

lkingston · #15 03-23-2021, 05:30 PM

The direct out one the Yamaha THR30ii sounds absolutely wonderful: either through the line outs or USB.