Best Microphone For Recording Electric Guitar

Sources

1. Jon Bare, Recording Magazine, 20170515
   Miking the Electric Guitar

   “As for mic placement, I would like to put forward a radical idea: always start with a Shure SM57 close up on the grille cloth and angled slightly away from the center of the cone. Why? The Shure SM57 usually sounds pretty good on guitar amps. It can take a lot of level without distorting, and it’s cheap. It makes a great jumping-off point for further creative possibilities with microphones.”

2. Mike Senior, Sound on Sound, 20070801
   Guitar Amp Recording: Pro Techniques Put To The Test

   “When it comes to recording electric guitar, Jay Graydon's views on mic choice are pretty clear: "I have tried so many dynamic mics over the years, and always come back to the Shure SM57." He's not alone: this robust, cardioid, dynamic microphone is more often mentioned in relation to electric-guitar recording than any other. Why such a strong preference? These days, force of habit has got to be part of the answer, but there is also a lot about the microphone's frequency response which suits guitar recording. For a start, the sub-200Hz response roll-off reduces low-end cabinet 'thumps', which might otherwise conflict with the kick drum and bass in the mix. This also compensates for proximity boost when the mic is used very close to the speaker cone. However, there's also a slight 'suckout' at 300-500Hz, an area where muddiness can easily occur, and a broad 2-12kHz presence peak, which adds bite and helps the guitars cut through the rest of the track.”

3. eds1275, Guitar.com, 20170516
   Mic Review: Sennheiser e609 Silver

   “Now onto the sound: This mic is rounder in the bottom end and smoother on the top than a 57. Is that good? Yes! Is it better? Totally subjective. If you find your sound a little shrill through a 57 then give it a try. If you record a bunch and are looking for a quality inexpensive addition to your mic locker, try it. I found the extra roundness was a welcome addition for clean guitar, I actually prefered it over a 57. When I did some heavy palm muting in drop-d the roundness of the bottom end was a little bigger sounding than the 57 but not as tight - however the level stayed much closer to the un-muted parts, whereas the 57 jumped up in volume substantially. Another noticeable feature of the e609 when compared to the SM57 is the noise. A 57 has more "bite" to it, and I think that presence boost is one reason that the 57 picks up a lot of amp hiss. The e609 however is really quiet. It has plenty of top end but just doesn't seem to get a lot of amp hiss. As a result I had less to edit on a rock track I wrote that has lots of stops in it. I double-tracked one guitar with the 57 and the other [double tracked, same amp - same guitar - same settings] with the 609. I ended up gating the SM57, but there was no need with the 609. Were I still a gigging musician I would get one of these for live use. The ability to hang it by the cord from the guitar amp and have the capsule pointed in the right direction is worth the ten dollars extra this mic is over a 57. That's one less mic stand to carry to a gig! I have seen people do that with a 57 but the tone was really lacking.”