3 Must Have Acoustic Guitar Tones for Your Next Recording Session
Acoustic guitars are an essential element of most all genres of music and achieving the right tone at the recording phase can make all the difference in a final mix. The acoustic guitar can provide a range of tones, from bright and twangy to warm and mellow. Most times the genre and style of music will dictate which tone is appropriate. Like snare drums, I like to think of acoustic guitars in the 3 tone families. Let’s explore these different acoustic guitar tones and hear what they sound like when used appropriately.
Tone 1) Bright and Clear
The bright and clear tone is achieved by playing closer to the bridge and using a lighter touch on the strings. This produces a bright and twangy sound, perfect for country or pop music. To enhance this tone further, a pick or a light fingerpicking technique can be helpful. This tone is perfect for lead guitar parts, as it cuts through the mix and adds a bright and lively element to songs. This tone works great when the acoustic guitar is playing a more crucial part in the song. Country, bluegrass, roots music, and americana all frequently use these tones to help the acoustic cut through a dense mix. A great example of this tone is Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheel. Even with a very dense mix of multiple vocals, banjo, bass, fiddle, and spoons, the acoustic is clear throughout and cuts well.
Tone 2) Warm and Mellow
The warm and mellow tone is achieved by playing closer to the sound hole and using a heavier touch on the strings. This produces a rounder, more mellow sound, perfect for ballads or folk music. This tone is perfect for rhythm guitar parts, as it adds a warm and inviting element to the song. This darker tone allows the acoustic to sit in the back of a mix and make room for other parts. James Taylor’s Fire and Rain demonstrates what this tone can do well. Even with the guitar and strings hard panned left and right, the acoustic guitar is full, clear, and works well filling in the holes in between the vocal and string/piano parts.
Tone 3) Dark and Moody Tone
The dark and moody tone is achieved by playing closer to the fretboard and using a heavier touch on the strings. This produces a deeper, darker sound, perfect for blues or rock music. This tone is perfect for lead acoustic guitar parts, as it adds a heavy and intense element to the song. There is a cutting element to this tone that isn’t overly bright. Due to this, the darker tone can work well with dense vocal mixes and songs that have a lot of low-end information. The guitar can fill out the sound without sticking out too much. Pink Floyd’s Goodbye Blue Sky showcases this darker tone really well.
All three of these tone families are pretty broad and cover a lot of ground. The idea is to not go after a specific guitar, but rather to think of what family would work best for the song. Thinking this way makes the whole recording process easier. If I know I want a dark and moody acoustic tone for a song, that will influence the acoustic guitar selection, how the musician plays, and what mic, preamp, and outboard I record with. Knowing what your end goal is tone-wise will make all aspects of your recording session easier. Do you have favorite acoustic guitar recordings you like to reference in your sessions? Let me know below!
