Recording Guitar and Bass
Getting a Great Sound Every Time You Record

A Book Review By: Gary Allen

I can not even begin to tell you how many times that I have read
articles on how to record electric, acoustic, and bass guitars. The
information available is so vast, but unfortunately much of it is
contradictory. There is the argument of recording with microphones
compared to recording direct. Some recording professionals praise
the power of compressors, while others warn of the dangers of using
them at all. Who are we supposed to believe?

Most of these article writers are highly respected professionals in
their field, and have recorded hit songs and albums that back up
their views. After years of struggling with the confusion it finally
hit me one day when I was talking to another guitar player. He was
telling me how he did not believe in using effects at all with his
guitar rig. Me, being a total gear junkie on the other hand could
not comprehend why he did not like any type of effect. I had heard
him play and he sounded really good, but I also liked the sound of
my guitar with effects.

It was at that point I was able to draw a parallel in the
controversies surrounding the recording of guitars. It suddenly
occurred to me that all these different recording ideas were not set
rules, but more a personal preference of the recording engineers
that were writing these articles. I was then better able to analyze
the different articles I read, by not trying to figure out if they
were right or wrong, but rather if a particular style of recording
would work better for me in one situation than in another.

I recently received a book from Backbeat Books called "Recording
Guitar and Bass – Getting a Great Sound Every Time You Record".
After I read this book I finally felt that my new thought process
had been validated. The Author of this book, Huw Price, seemed to
share many of my own views on the subject of recording. I would like
to share my thoughts of this book with you.

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