can somebody please give me some tips on recording an acoustic guitar.

http://www.humbuckermusic.com/acguitrectec.html

Ok read this for the how to only don't worry about all the high end mics  he's talking about .  I mic mine different  ways.  Usually I just  use a cheap large condenser but if I want to really get a good sound I use a large condenser with a  small diaphragm uni directional mic.  You can get good recordings with just a  shure sm57 or 58 . I also have a cheap shure prologic uni directional  small dia.  condenser mic  that gets a pretty good recording  too.

I just posted this for the technique only,  it shows you pretty much how to record the correct way (whatever that is).

I purchased a relatively cheap book on recording techniques from amazon. I currently use two mics, a standard vocal sure SM57 positioned approx 12 inches from the bridge, and a condenser mic approx 24  inches away about half way down the neck. The idea is that the standard mic will pick up more of the direct sound and possibly more bass. The condenser mic will pic up the ambient, more subtle tones of the guitar. It's always best to put on headphones whilst experimenting with the positions of the microphone. Record the guitar dry [without any effects], this will give you a better quality recording. When mixing I add hall reverb, but not too much, just enough so that you can hear the reverb kick in. In the pan I normally have them at the two extreme positions.

Hope it works for you.

Denis

The day Bill Lawrences were released I got two of them..
One burned up in the studio fire that also claimed my
1972 gibson jumbo humminbird 12 string... but I still
have one of them and a "lace" acoustic p.u...... dean
markley made, makes one, DiMarzio, seymore duncan.
and most of them run about half of what a good sm57
sells for.. I'm not into anything that scars instruments
or that you have to alter one either!!
 On the downside, if you're gigging live with one of
these, you would do well to get a piece of any number
of fabrics, black and cut in a square just larger then
your sound hole.. I would use some of the little
playdough type non-permenant adhiesive stickum,
put it on the corners of the fabric splotch and you can
place it inside of the guitar covering the sound hole
loosely, then put your acoustic pickup in... this little
trick works for most of the little pickups like the  little
transducer mics/p.u.'s out there... this helps to cut down
on excessive string vibaration that causes a feedback
from the amp and across sound systems..  and since
they have started the molded plastic dampers for any-
where from $20 - $40 dollars, that's kinda outrageous
when you can't be sure if it will work with the specific
pickup you choose...
 Now recording, well you are in control of the volume..
a very minor guitar preamp might be needed depending
on this p.u. you decide upon, also.. may not..
 The reason I got the Bill Lawrences all those years
ago was because I had seen the Eagles using them in
a couple of their guitars... so yea I just had to have
it!! (lol) I think volume 11 or so, of the hand printed -
bound Sam Ash catalogs had them for near $49 each
so I went to the local music store and had mr forbes
order me two... gave $29 each.. that was in 1976 when
the duet I was with, was doing ok..  here is the url
with a pic of them..  and then below it is the url from
musicianfriends.com of there acoustic pickup lines..


blessings,

Dan


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/cassytn/pickups1.jpg
(my pickups, notice the 14" male on the lawrence, and the little
loop of the cable just above the 14" female connector. this was
factory, but I had learned that trick from the guys at Wishbone
recording studios in "MuLLeT Shoals" bama... grandpa use to
call all us kinds "mullets" and "pot lickers".. )

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitar/navigation/acoustic-guitar-pickups?N=100001+304395&page=1

Sorry, but you can't match the sound of a well mic'ed guitar in a good room (with good guitar player of'course)

What I currently do is using a Geffel condenser on 8-figure positioned about 15-20 cm from the neck joint, through a copy of Gyraf tube preamp and then a ShinyBox 23 ribbon mic for distant miking in variuos positions (probably 1 meter away or 30 cm above my shoulders or any other position that me finds sounds good ) depending on the sound I want. In most cases, where you need a solo acoustic sound I would just use the Geffel track.

I try different things.  My favorite setup is to use a guitar with a bridge pickup, and direct input that.  Along with that, I use two SM57's.  On is at 45 degrees pointed up the neck positioned about 8 inches from the bridge.  The other is pointed down the neck at 45 degrees about a quarter down the neck from the nut.

If I can get a third mike, I'll record it for ambiance.  This is only useful in a room with good acoustics.  I'll keep it about 4 feet away in front of me, high and pointed down towards the body of the guitar.

So you'll end up with three or four tracks.  I'd leave the miked tracks dry or add some eq to them.  The DI (given that you have a good bridge pickup) should be where you should work from.

I think this is a topic which changes from person to person.  I find that certain setups don't sound good to me, while other people like them.  It really depends on the sound you are going for and the style of music that you like.

Good luck.

I typically put an sm57 up close to the guitar, somewhere between the sound hole and the 12th fret (depending on how much bass I want in the mix) and my at3035 cardioid LDC a few feet away, just above the players head, angled down towards the guitar. I really like micing this way because the two mics complement each other (one gets mostly bass and low mids, the other gets mostly highs and high mids) and the strumming noise comes through very distinctly, which I like hearing in the mix.

When I have enough extra cash lying around, I plan to grab another 57 for various uses, but one will likely be moving to basically what avinashv said, using the 57s in a stereo configuration, and the ldc as a third room mic. Just make sure your in a somewhat small carpeted room, preferably with something up on the walls (for sound diffusion) before you use a room mic.