Is it better to record an acoustic electric guitar with a microphone or by plugging it in?

guitar electric ibanez image

sportylilc

I own an acoustic electric ibanez and I want to know if recording a guitar like this would sound better plugging it in or by mic?

Any help would be awesome! :)

Answer
You'll achieve a better sound by recording with a microphone instead of plugging in. Guitar pickups are very convenient for a live setting, but when you record with them, it often sounds twangy. A microphone is more likely to give you a nice, warm sound. That being said, if you don't have a proper microphone, you won't get a good recording anyway.

I recommend you record with a directional condenser microphone, pointed towards the opening in the guitar from a few inches away. If you want to test this advice, record two identical takes (one with a microphone, and one with the pickup) and compare them.

In any case, once you've made your decision, you should try recording the same thing twice on two separate tracks and pan one all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right and you'll have a sweet stereo sound. That's if you want to go all out. I hope this helps!

Powered By Y! Answer Blogger Poster