6. Recording Guitar and Bass

Obviously there are a lot of instruments out there besides keyboards. The most commonly used instrument besides keyboards and voice is the guitar. Guitars come in at least as many varieties as keyboards. Acoustic, electric, and bass guitars only scratch the surface. Because there are so many types, this chapter is dedicated to recording strategies only for these popular instruments.

Most guitar players can easily transition to a wide range of acoustic instruments: banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, 12-string guitars, high-string guitars, fiddles, pedal-steel guitars, nylon-string guitars, steel-string guitars...the list goes on. The sound of electric guitar can vary greatly by not only the type of guitar but also the type of amplification and effects used. When it comes to bass guitars, there are 5-strings, 6-strings, fretless, and upright acoustics, just to name a few.

A lot of what you have learned so far in this book can be applied to recording guitar and bass in Cubase, but there are specific, basic recording techniques you should be aware of to best record acoustic and electric guitars. Acoustic instruments and electric instruments should be handled in completely different ways. Because of this, I will break them up into two separate groups.