Put a mic to record an electro-acoustic

[jilou]

Hi, I am the happy owner of a Godin A5 fretless that I bought because of its lovely sound. However it seems like I even prefer the unplugged sound compared to any thing I have heard from this bass on any amp so far. I figured that if I could just get the unplugged sound amplified I would never even look any other bass ever in my life.

This led me to a question: is there a compact and easy way to mic an electro acoustic bass like you would on a double bass? Could double bass mics do the job?

Depending on the job I would probably blend this signal with some 'normal' magnetic/piezo pick up signal too

Kind regards

 

[DirtDog]

Condenser mic pointed at the sound hole. Large diaphragm condenser will work, but a small diaphragm condenser is the preferred tool (like a Rode NT5 or similar).

 

[And I]

considering the A5 doesn't have a sound hole, that will prove challenging. i would use a ribbon or large diaphragm condenser, and move it around until you find a spot that sounds good.

 

[Tosh]

The slots where the controls are located serve as a sound hole. If possible, get your mic overhead, pointed downwards, as close to those slots as possible. Try to hold the guitar away from your body a bit - a lot of sound is emanating from the back of the guitar.

I have a 1" condenser mic, and an active ribbon mic - I prefer the condenser for this task. My Godin is an Ultra A4 SA, fretted.

 

[seamonkey]

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They can add the "body" into the sound.
No mic needed, the Godin already has the best built in.

 

[silky smoove]

For this task I would use a combination of the direct sound, a condenser with high sensitivity, and possibly a Countryman IsoMax physically on the body of the instrument.

 

[Tosh]

yes to that - and if your A5 is like my A4, you can run the magnetic pickup into one channel, with the piezos into another channel

so many options

 

[Mike Caldwell]

What is the stage environment you play in? If it's loud'ish micing the guitar may not work well.
In the studio no problem.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I covered multiple recording techniques for Acoustic Bass Guitar in this video:

 

[Brian Patterson]

Conventional wisdom suggests a mic close to the 12th fret (off the sound hole) to prevent 'booming', and a second mic near the larger bout for a stereo effect has real potential. Must pay attention to the pickup pattern on the mic to get the best sound and rejection results. I can't wait to try this approach out...it should add some 'dimension' to your sound vs. built-in pickup technology. YMMV