RECORDING June 2022 - 72

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Guitarists
Be a pro and be prepared!
Guest Editorial by Marc Urselli
I have worked with literally thousands of guitar players
throughout the past 25 years, everyone from young kids in
punk bands to guitar heroes and legendary rock gods. They
all have the same six strings (yes, some do have seven or
twelve...), but no two guitar players sound alike.
Just like there are countless different music styles, guitars,
amps and pedals, there are also different levels of preparation.
This is what separates the professionals from the pack!
Bring Your Own Tools
When you call an electrician or a plumber, they always
bring their own tools. Tools they trust and know are right for the
job. The same should be true for any guitar player. Playing a
different guitar or amp is not the same as playing your own. If
you are the kind of guitar player who spends hours tweaking
and crafting your perfect tone, you should stick to your tools
and bring them along. I know it's tempting not to bring your
amp because it's heavy, but why twiddle knobs trying to recreate
a sound if you're already happy with it?
Strings
Guitars and basses always sound better with fresh strings,
so it's good to change them before a session. Some people
change them on the day of the session, but my advice is to
change them a few days prior. That way, they have time to settle
in and stay in tune better when recording takes in the studio.
It sucks to have a great take only to realize the guitar went out
of tune halfway through!
Also, you should always have at least one complete set of
fresh strings in your guitar case ready to go. You don't want to
break one in the studio and have to run to a music store while the
studio clock is ticking and everyone is waiting around for you.
Stay Tuned!
Speaking of fresh strings, how will you keep them in tune if
you don't have a tuner with you? ALWAYS have a tuner on your
72 RECORDING June 2022
Jacked Up!
Have a spare 1/4
" cable or two with you at all times! The
professionals always do, so they don't have to ask the studio
for cables. The only cable the studio should provide is a DI (direct
input) to the amp, when recording your guitar with a direct
box. If you are a real pro and want to control which signal
you send them (e.g., guitar before or after the pedals), have a
direct box built into your pedalboard.
May the Force Be With You!
The single most frequent (and annoying) request I get in
the studio is, " Do you have a spare 9V battery? " Most studios
don't have spare batteries lying around, so be smart and
change all your pedal batteries before going to the studio AND
have some spares with you!
Better yet, equip your pedalboard to deliver electricity to all
your pedals or bring multiple 9V power adapters. Also, please
bring your own high-quality power strip to plug them all into
so you don't have to scramble for power outlets. If you travel
with a Truetone 1 SPOT 9V DC adapter that powers multiple
pedals, you are already one step ahead. However, you can
still impress the local audio engineer if you also bring your own
extension cord.
Be a pro and be prepared. Arrive, set up and play. No lazy
questions, no faulty gear, no problems. Then aim for the same
readiness when it's time to rock!
pedalboard-it's essential! It's also a bypass/mute button for
your rig. I can tell you that the engineer and the amp will hate it
when you plug and unplug your pedals or guitar while the amp
is on, especially if it's going through everyone's headphones.
Be Organized!
Nobody loves a spaghetti mess. Test your pedals at home
and make sure they work before you get to the studio. Don't
get caught unplugging every pedal to find out which one
just failed!
Clicks and Pops
I have yet to understand why pedal makers insist on using
the loudest clicking stomp switches. If you are recording in
the same room with your amp or the band, the mics always
pick up that annoying clicking sound. Plus, cheaper pedals
can introduce thumps and pops into your sound. One solution
is to get a true bypass looper with silent switches. It will
also improve your tone when unused pedals are out of the
signal chain.
RECORDING June 2022

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