recording a 12-string for blues

[garww]

Got my used cheapo 12-string today(might be 40 years old)and I want to record some basic blues lines with maybe some floor stomps and spoons. Certainly, I'm having a tuff time with the guitar. I can't do a bar chord on it and don't know yet how I'm gonna tune it. It's got good action and seems to be holding well since I brought up the tension. For certain, I don't want to be changing tunings on this 'cause the pegs are bear.

I got some slight compression and reverb on this and had to cut bass around 60Hz.

Do you think these setting will be alright for stomps and spoons ?

I don't know if I have the co-ordination to play spoons anymore !! Ha !! But I got a washboard and tambourine that might work.

http://forum.recordingreview.com/pic...=1&pictureid=2

[fHumble fHingaz]

Recording & tone sound good... nice'n earthy.

[JD56]

Sounds really nice and full, good tone. Yeah 12 strings take a bit of playing to get use to doing bar chords if I recall. I use to have one years ago.

[garww]

Thanks for the replies. I may be on a usable track with that. I can bar one fret if I grit : )

I gave up on spoons and used my walking staff over a doubled carpet for bass and wrapped the tambourine in my t-shirt and slapped the thigh real light. Nothing fancy - a slow two-step. I'm not sure how I'm gonna' try to put that together.

I'm not gonna try for anything fancy - just learn some mix

[mikewell]

Sounds good garww. Don't give up on the bar chords and they will come!

[garww]

Most of you people leave the rig in standard tuning ?? The guitar is a robust bolt-on neck, but it is getting old. It's been suggested that some people detune a bit and use a capo just to take the tension down a notch.

[OldDog]

I dropped mine 1/2 a step and generally use a capo so I can use open chords. I was told that unless you use a really thin set of strings or have a quality axe the necks do tend to warp if they are tuned too tight. I just thank the stars for digital tuners!

[garww]

I will plan on doing this. The neck shows no signs of failure. The top(sound) board developed a crack under the players elbow and the bridge is distorting that a bit.

[Vanan]

Sounded great coming out of my shitty home stereo. Just curious as to what kinda mic you're using on it. Really wide frequency range for a condenser. Or maybe I just need to upgrade mine.

[garww]

Hay, V !! Tanks for the comment !! I have a used Global Audio xl2400 which I assume is like all those other xl2400. I ran it through the Tascam US122, but I aimed it differently this time. I aimed it more at the carpet on the floor, but tilted to catch the sound from a non-direct angle a few inches off my strum hand. I just noticed it may have caught my heavy breathing(wheezing) trying to manhandle the 12-strings : ) So, I was not playing direct into the MIC. The floor stomps I recorded later are pretty good.