This month, we're going to look at an underused recording technique that can add depth and dimension to your guitar tone. This technique involves two mics: placing one in front of your open-back combo amp or open-back speaker cabinet (like normal) and one behind. A closed-back cabinet (like a 4x12) won't work for this technique, for obvious reasons. This may seem counterintuitive, but, as you'll see, this technique can be very useful—especially when trying to get a more full-bodied sound from a smaller, single-speaker, low-wattage combo amp like a Fender Princeton, Blues Junior, Champ, etc. The Dojo is now open. Let's get started.
Let's talk about the mics first. This technique is extremely flexible and doesn't require that your mics be a matched pair (same make and model). In fact, I've had better results by mixing and matching all kinds of mics! I highly encourage you to experiment and be creative. For this example, I'm going to use a dynamic mic (Shure SM57, $109 street) and a ribbon mic (Rode NTR, $799 street), but, again, any two mics will work regardless of price.
This technique is extremely flexible and doesn't require that your mics be a matched pair.
Mic 1: Shure SM57.
Of the two mics, the mic you use for the front of your amp should be the one you normally use and are most familiar with when recording (Photo 1). This way, you'll be able to have a point of reference as we move forward. After you've gone through this a couple of times, then switch it up, swap mics, and compare the differences.
Mic 2: Rode NTR.
Before placing the rear mic, there is something of critical importance you must do: flip the phase on the recording channel for mic 2. Because this rear microphone is pointed in the opposite direction, it is 180 degrees out of phase relative to mic 1 (Photo 2). We must correct that by flipping the phase on mic 2's mic pre or recording channel. If you don't, when you pull up both mic 1 and mic 2 and listen to them together, you'll find that your guitar tone will sound thin, hollow, and weak—which defeats the whole point of this technique!
Photo 2
I'll explain why this happens in the simplest way I can. When sound waves hit the diaphragm of a microphone (which is a transducer), those waves are converted into a tiny electrical signal with alternating positive and negative charges. When using two microphones pointed in opposite directions with the sound source (your amp's speaker) in the middle, mic 1 will receive a positive (+) charge while mic 2 will receive a negative (-) charge (Fig.1). This is because your amp's speaker can only move in one direction at a time, and it can't send a positive value in both directions simultaneously. This is what causes the phasing issue and why we need to flip the phase of mic 2 so that both mics add their energy together rather than subtracting from each other. Further, if you forget to flip the phase and just listen to only a single mic (mic 1 or mic 2 only), you won't hear the phase issue, but if you listen to both at the same time you will! So … flip the phase.
Fig. 1
Finally, where to place mic 2? There's not a right answer here, because there are too many variables: the dimensions of the amp itself, how open the back is, where the speaker is located (center, off to the left or right), etc. But I've consistently had good luck with placing the mic outside of the amp in the open space about four to six inches away from the back panel of the amp (Photo 3).
Photo 3
This will give you much more low-end information and beef up your sound. Typically, I'll use an SM57 (or similar) on the front of the amp and a ribbon for the rear, as in this column's example. Ribbon mics naturally have a beautiful low end with significant high-end roll-off the further we go up the frequency spectrum. By placing the darker mic on the back of a small combo amp, I can make it sound like a much bigger amp and get some added mojo as well.
See you next month!
[Updated 8/11/21]
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Announced at the 2025 NAMM show, Cory Wong’s new collaboration with Ernie Ball Music Man scratched an itch—namely, the itch for a humbucker-loaded guitar that could appease Wong’s rock-and-R&B alter ego and serve as complement to his signature Fender Strat. Inspiration came from no further than a bandmate’s namesake instrument. Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart has a line of signature model EBMM basses, one of which uses the classic StingRay bass body profile. So, when Wong went looking for something distinctive, he wondered if EBMM could create a 6-string guitar using the classic StingRay bass body and headstock profile.
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II ReviewErnie Ball Music Man StingRay II ReviewDouble the Fun
Wong is, by his own admission, a single-coil devotee. That’s where the core of his sound lives and it feels like home to him. However, Wong is as inspired by classic Earth, Wind & Fire tones and the pop-punk of the early ’90s as he is by Prince and the Minneapolis funk that he grew up with. The StingRay II is a guitar that can cover all those bases.
Ernie Ball has a history of designing fast-feeling, comfortable necks. And I can’t remember ever struggling to move around an EBMM fretboard. The roasted maple C-shaped neck here is slightly thicker in profile than I expected, but still very comfortable. (I must also mention that the back of the neck has a dazzling, almost holographic look to the grain that morphs in the light). By any measure, the StingRay II’s curves seemed designed for comfort and speed. Now, let’s talk about those pickups.Hot or Not?
A few years ago EBMM introduced a line of HT (heat-treated) pickups. The pickups are built with technology the company used to develop their Cobalt and M-Series strings. A fair amount of the process is shrouded in secrecy and must be taken on faith, but EBMM says treating elements of the pickup with heat increases clarity and dynamic response.
To find out for myself, I plugged the StingRay II into a Fender Vibroverb, Mesa/Boogie Mark VII, and a Neural DSP Quad Cortex (Wong’s preferred live rig). Right away, it was easy to hear the tight low end and warm highs. Often, I feel like the low end from neck humbuckers can feel too loose or lack definition. Neither was the case here. The HT pickup is beautifully balanced with a bounce that’s rich with ES-335 vibes. Clean tones are punchy and bright—especially with the Vibroverb—and dirty tones have more room for air. Individual notes were clear and articulate, too.
Any guitar associated with Wong needs a strong middle-position or combined pickup tone, and the StingRay II delivers. I never felt any significant signal loss in the blended signal from the two humbuckers, even if I could use a bit more midrange presence in the voicing. The midrange gap is nothing an EQ or Tube Screamer couldn’t fix, though. And not surprisingly, very Strat-like sounds were easy to achieve for having less midrange bump.
Knowing Wong’s love for ’90s alt-rock, I expected the bridge pickup to have real bite, and it does, demonstrating exceptional dynamic range and exceptional high-end response that never approached shrill. Nearly every type of distortion and overdrive I threw at it sounded great, but especially anything with a scooped-mid flavor and plenty of low end.
The Verdict
By any measure, the StingRay II is a top-notch, professional instrument. The fit and finish are immaculate and the feel of the neck makes me wonder if EBMM stashes some kind of secret sandpaper, because I don’t think I’ve ever felt a smoother, more playable neck. Kudos are also due to EBMM and Wong for finding an instrument that can move between ’70s George Benson tones and the hammering power chords of ’90s Blink-182. Admittedly, the nearly $3K price could give some players pause, but considering the overall quality of the instrument, it’s not out of line. Wong’s involvement and search for distinct sounds makes the StingRay II more than a tired redux of a classic model—an admirable accomplishment considering EBMM’s long and storied history.
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay II Cory Wong Signature Electric Guitar - Charcoal Blue with Rosewood Fingerboard
