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.


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



The Sonic virtue of a record is determined before you even hit the “record” button. It is easy to acquire top-notch gear these days, but without the knowledge and expertise to maximize that equipment’s potential, your investments and best efforts might be in vain.
Huw Price †

Many of you who have read my reviews on other books have heard me say “knowledge is power”. The more you know on a specific topic the more you will be able to speak with authority on that topic. To help us all gain more knowledge Huw Price has written a book called “Recording Guitar and Bass – Getting Great Sound Every Time you Record”. Huw Price draws on many years of experience as a freelance engineer, producer, writer and teacher. He contributes to The Guitar Magazine and has worked with acts like David Bowie, Primal Scream and the Blockheads.

Unlike many other recording books, Huw has done an exceptional job of bringing forth many different style of recording. The first section of the book is like an audio primer. You will learn the basic of sound and how it moves and travels. This is important for understanding why sounds are different when microphones are placed at different angles and distances from the original sound source.

He then features some of the most popular microphones used in professional studios today. Many of these microphones are quite affordable even to the home recording novice. He explains the different styles and their best uses. The pictures of the microphones are not shiny new manufacturer sponsored advertising pictures, but pictures of microphones that you can tell have seen some serious use and abuse in the studio. (Nice touch Huw!)

After he explains the different microphones he jumps right into the different ways to record with them, and which ones to use in each situation. He breaks this down into three sections. Electric guitar, bass guitar, and acoustic guitar. He covers a variety of different microphone positions specific to each kind of guitar. There is even a small section of recording the upright bass. Each of these microphone position examples has a clear picture that shows you how to set them up. These picture make a great guide for understanding the in depth explanation that goes with them.

Huw then moves on to explaining how to incorporate effects and studio tricks to your sound. He touches on the uses of equalization, compression, reverb, delay, and many others. This section is very helpful for attaining comprehension on what these effects are designed to do and how to get the most out of them.

In the final main section he highlights the different opinions of sound engineers. Through interviews with some well known engineers and artists you will see the different approaches that they take in a studio. This section is very interesting and it reaffirms what I said at the beginning of this review. Some engineers are very set in the way they do things, and many of them have conflicting opinions. The value in this section is to se the different approaches and try them all until you find what works for you.

Included Resources

“Recording Guitar and Bass” comes also includes a 63 track CD that lets you listen to and compare the different recording options and microphone placements that are covered in the book. This is a great resource to have on hand when you are trying to decide how you want to capture the sound you are looking for.

The book also boasts a large glossary of recording and gear terms to help you better understand what you may hear in a studio. This section is very comprehensive and the definitions are put forth in an easy to understand manner.

Final Thoughts

Huw makes a statement at the end of this book that I would like to share with you. I believe that this statement is important to all musicians and recording engineers and deserves some thought.

It’s tragic to reach a point in one’s life where everything stops and new ideas become a threat to a carefully constructed sense of reality. Cherish the past and embrace the future – you’ll be a happier person.
Huw Price †

“Recording Guitar and Bass – Getting Great Sound Every Time You Record” receives the Guitar Gear Heads™ Approval award for 2004.



Author: Huw Price
Publisher: Backbeat Books

Gary Allen


Copyright © 2005 Allen & Halberg Publishing, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Guitar Gear Heads™ is a Division of Allen and Halberg Publishing, Inc.

†Copyright © 2002 Huw Price
Used from “Recording Guitar and Bass – Getting Great Sound Every Time You Record”All Right Reserved