Tech Tuesday—How to Get a Screaming Electric Guitar Sound

In this video, Steve Lamm, Grammy winner and instructor at Dark Horse Institute, demonstrates how to crank up your electric guitar amp at home without disturbing the neighbors.

Proper Amp and Mic Placement for an Electric Guitar

To create a huge guitar sound that is relatively isolated you’ll need an amp, two microphones and a closet. To begin, the amp should be resting flat on its back facing away from you in the corner and against the wall. By aiming the cabinet speaker straight up, the sound has more room to travel before it hits the ceiling then bounces back. This will avoid phase cancellation.

Next, place one microphone on the amp directly over the speaker in the center, on axis, where the brightest spot is located. Then, place the second mic next to the first one, off axis. Finally, you’ll adjust your amp settings to finish it off.

Watch this video above to learn in detail how to properly place your amp, mics and settings for an awesome electric guitar sound that can go full throttle.