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If your acoustic guitar isn’t capable of plugging into an amplifier or a PA System, you may have to resort to using a microphone. That’s OK. Pickups contained inside or mounted on guitars, horns, and pianos didn’t always exist. Some of the best acoustic guitar recordings were (and still are) recorded with MICROPHONES. This article will help you choose the best microphone for your acoustic guitar. Keep in mind that some of these microphones can be quite expensive.
Acoustic Guitars
Condenser microphones are best used when applying a microphone to an acoustic guitar. The sound is generally superior to that of the pickup in an acoustic/Electric Guitar. The way the acoustic guitar is built is with certain types of wood, and bracing. These two aspects have a big influence on the sound of the instrument. The sound exits the guitar though the guitar’s sound hole. Under the saddle type pickups pick up the sound by picking up the vibrations. They do a decent job considering the source but it’s not equal to a good condenser microphone like the Groove Tubes GT55 which goes for about $180 USD or the Rode NT1A (about $230 USD). The reason you want a condenser microphone rather than a dynamic microphone is because condenser microphones reproduce high frequencies much better than dynamic microphones. You need that for acoustic instruments. You see people using a dynamic microphone like the Sure SM57 to mic guitar amps and that’s fine. Electric guitars don’t require the transient detail that acoustic guitars do. Most condenser microphones are fine when using them with an acoustic guitar.
Microphone Placement
Most of your low end sound comes from the sound hole on your acoustic guitar. Most of the high end sound comes from the area of the 12th fret. It’s best to place your microphone about five inches away from the guitar in the area of the 12th fret. Experiment a bit by moving the microphone around a bit until you get your desired sound. If you want to send a stereo signal to the mixer or if you’re recording, place one microphone near the 12th fret as described above and another condenser microphone about five inches away near the bridge of the guitar. Pan one of them all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right. This should give you a great open and natural tone.
See? You can do it and you don’t necessarily have to break the bank in the process. Peter and Paul from Peter, Paul, and Mary, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, and John Denver just to name a few. Those are some of the best sounding acoustic guitar recordings in existence and it was all done with condenser microphones. Good luck.
What else can I help you with?
What sort of microphone do you use to record an acoustic guitar?
A guitar microphone, that attaches to the guitar itself will work great and not get in the way.
Can acoustic guitars be tuned with electric guitar tuners?
Only if the tuner has a built-in microphone, or if the acoustic guitar has a pickup which can be plugged into a tuner that only has an input jack instead of a microphone.
How can I modify my electric guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar?
To modify your electric guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar, you can install a soundhole pickup or a microphone to capture the acoustic resonance of the guitar. Additionally, you can use an acoustic simulator pedal to mimic the tone of an acoustic guitar.
What are acoustic guitars used for?
An acoustic pickup is used to amplify an acoustic guitar. Instead of amplifying an acoutic guitar's sound via a microphone, an acoustic pickup can be mounted on the guitar over the soundhole to provide sound amplification.
Where is the acoustic guitar played?
Any guitar without electronic pickups and with a hollow body is considered to be an 'acoustic guitar' Acoustic guitars are best played into a microphone, or played where they can be heard in terms of location. Otherwise Acoustic guitars may be played anywhere.
Can you plug a microphone into an electric guitar tuner to tune an acoustic guitar?
It should work but using pitch pipes is easier
What is the difference between an acoustic electric guitar and a standard electric guitar?
An acoustic electric guitar differs from a standard electric guitar in the fact that a standard electric guitar depends solely on the electricity of the amplifier to convert the string vibration. An acoustic electric guitar also has also a microphone which will magnify and convert the sound.
What is an acoustic electric guitar?
Acoustic-electric guitars are acoustic styled guitars with a pickup either outside or inside the hollow body. You plug a cable into it like you would a normal electric guitar and it can be used through an amplifier to make the sound louder. They can also be played without being plugged in just like a normal acoustic guitar
Does an electro acoustic guitar need an amplifier?
yes an electro acoustic guitar needs an amplifier as the pick mounted underneath the bridge can only act as a microphone, to get the sound amplified a user should use amplifier for the accurate bass and tone.
Does every guitar need a amplifier?
Electric guitars require an amplifier. Acoustic's will need a microphone and a speaker/amp if it is not acoustic/electric. Hope I answered your question well. Good Luck.
Can you use a guitar amp for a microphone?
No, a guitar amp is designed to amplify the signal from a guitar, not a microphone. Using a microphone with a guitar amp can damage both the microphone and the amp.
Which microphone gives the best clarity if I'm playing an unamplified acoustic guitar?
Sony makes excellent microphones with great sound clarity.
