Looking to build a guitar rig? Anyone with aspirations to take their guitar playing seriously has to have the correct gear and equipment, Much like athletes or artisans, a guitar rig can largely determine the quality and consistency of your playing. In today’s article, we’re going to look at building an ideal and accessible guitar rig for studio recording.
There’s a fair amount to consider when building your own studio ready guitar rig. Part of the challenge and charm of finding the right rig is that variety of parts, and the context of their application. While it may seem intimidating and expensive, you don’t have to break the bank to build a good guitar rig. We’re going to provide a brief guide to building an affordable rig that will cover a fairly broad spectrum of genres, and also one that caters to any skill level.
The Guitar
It’s quite obvious that the most essential item you will need in a reliable guitar rig is a good guitar. If there is any area of your rig to prioritize your budget on, it should be your guitar. A reliable guitar should be easily playable in your hands, providing players with a strong and consistent tone in every pickup configuration. There are still a lot of good guitars for any budget.
Below are a few considerations to make when looking for a studio quality guitar:
- Check that each pickup is clear and gives you tones that you can use for various styles.
- Be sure to check the intonation of the neck, as well as for any fret buzz at point along the neck.
- Check that the weight of the guitar is comfortable, and that it sits at a good position while playing standing up and sitting down.
- Make sure that you plug the guitar into a few amps if possible to check that the electronic signal is strong and clear across all the pickups. Also check the input jack to make sure that it is well fitted and won’t come loose easily.
- Most importantly, play your most familiar exercises and compositions on your desired guitar to get a feel for how it plays in your hands. Be sure to give a lengthy test to check how long your hands can play before tiring, as long hours are a common practice in the studio.
Try to pick specific adjectives, phrases, metaphors, or other words that best describe any of the memories that you have listed above. You might be surprised at how quickly a stream of thought enters your mind and sparks inspiration. Make sure to keep this list on hand if you are ever short on ideas, and also be sure to update it from time to time.
Popular Choices: Fender American Stratocaster, Gibson Epiphone, Fender Telecaster
Amplifier
Even the best guitar is useless without a great amplifier. Guitar amplifiers are responsible for converting the sound you generate from playing guitar into an electronic audible signal. The amplifier also houses the speaker through which this signal is played. This is what gives your guitar its ‘’electric’’ tone that is synonymous with guitar amplifiers.
Traditional guitar amplifiers are generally split up into two sections: the amp head and the cabinet. The amp head is responsible for all the electronic conversions and amplification of your guitar’s incoming signal. This signal is then passed from the amp head and into the cabinet which holds the speaker that generates your final output signal.
There are two primary types of guitar amplifiers:
Tube Amps: These are the original, classic amplifiers and work using vacuum tubes to amplify your signal. Increasing the amplification also introduces harsh overtones and harmonics, and gives the electric guitar its signature biting tone. Valve amps are generally the more popular choice for studio guitarists, as they usually provide a richer and more responsive tone than solid state amps. However these amps are also considerably more expensive,fragile and can be tricky to repair.
Solid-State Amps: Solid state amps work in a similar fashion to tube amps, except that they use transistors to amplify your signal and not vacuum tubes. Solid state amps were introduced to the market as a cost friendly solution to tube ams, that break down more easily. The downside is that solid state amps rarely achieve the analog richness that classic tube amplification generates. However, some solid state amps come with incredible digital modeling units that can get pretty close to tube amp tonality, especially to the untrained ear.
There are a wide variety of tube and solid state amplifiers for guitarists to shop through, and thankfully studio guitars do not need to be overly sized or ambitious in order to be effective. The most crucial element of your guitar amplifier is how well it pairs with your guitar.
Popular Choices: Fender 65 Deluxe, Vox AC30
Effects Pedals
Guitar effects can be used to build a more definitive character to your guitar tone. There are numerous classic guitar riffs that can contribute their popularity largely to the guitar effects that were used alongside them. Below is a list of the primary types of the guitar effects pedals used in studio guitar rigs
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- Tuner – The tuner has no tonal effect on your guitar, and is instead used to check the tuning of your guitar strings. This pedal is an absolute must for all guitar players. Popular Choice: TC Electronics Polytune 3
- Boost/Compressor – Boosters and compressors adjust the dynamic response of your guitar signal, and can be used to either tame your guitar tone or make it louder for certain parts of a song. Compressors and boosters are usually first in the order of a pedal chain. Popular Choice: MXR M133
- Overdrive/Distortion – Distortion and overdrive can both add some grit and harshness to your guitar signal. These pedals are particularly useful if your amplifier does not have sufficient drive or comes without a separate overdrive setting. Popular Choice: Boss OD-1
- Modulation – Modulation pedals are used to create dreamy intriguing textures to your guitar signal. These pedals and effects like Chorus, Flanger and Phaser, and are generally used in more psychedelic and experimental styles of music. Popular Choices: Boss CH-1, JOYO JF 06, Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress
- Reverbs/Delays/Echos – Spatial effects like reverbs, delays and echoes are perfect for making your guitar sound larger without adding overdrive or distortion. These effects bend the sonic image of space and time to create some stunning and often dizzying results. Spatial effect pedals are generally placed at the end of a pedal chain. Popular Choices: Strymon Timeline, Boss DD-1, TC ElectronicHall Of Fame
- Multi Effects – Multi-effect pedals combine various effects into a single unit by using digital modeling systems. These effect pedals can often save you considerable amounts of money when building a pedal chain for a studio. However, much like solid state amps, they don’t often sound as good as traditional analog, single purpose pedals.Popular Choice: Boss GT-10
Accessories
Once you’ve accumulated the essential electronic components above, most of your guitar rig should be studio ready. With this in mind, there are a few smaller accessories that professional guitarists often purchase for use in the studio. Most of hse accessories ensure that their equipment is safely stored, is always playable, and has the necessary components for a reliable signal flow with every use:
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- Tuner – If you do not wish to use a pedal tuner, it’s handy to know that there are clips on tuners and similar devices that work just as well. These turners are also much easier to store and transport, though they can be hard to use in noisy environments.
- Strap – Studio guitar players understand that they may need to spend long hours carrying and holding the weight of their guitar while playing. A good strap can ease this task up considerably, and can also determine a guitar player’s freedom of movement and comfort while playing.
- Travel Case – A strong and appropriately sized travel case is crucial if you wish to preserve the quality and lifespan of your guitar and equipment. There are soft and hard case options for guitars, pedals boards and amplifiers. Wherever possible, opt for the hard case option.
Final Thoughts
Building a sturdy and effective guitar rig for the studio might seem like a costly endeavor, but it’s helpful to know that there are affordable and scalable options to make the journey a bit smoother. You can use the pointers above to map out the necessary stepping stones and budget plan for building your ideal studio guitar rig.
Remember to take your time when selecting each element in your guitar rig. You want to buy each item on your list once, and only have to upgrade and replace them when absolutely necessary. Also be sure to reach out to your local dealer, teacher or technician for any hands on advice on bundling the best studio guitar rig for your needs.