Mic Placement for Acoustic Guitar: 5 Essential Techniques for a Perfect Sound in 2026

Before you even uncoil a mic cable, your guitar and your room need to be ready. The best microphone technique in the world can't fix a dull recording at the source.

• Fresh Strings: Old, dead strings have no high-frequency sparkle. For a recording session, a fresh set of strings is non-negotiable. Put them on the day before to let them settle in.
• The Room Matters: Your microphone hears your guitar, but it also hears the reflections from your walls, floor, and ceiling. A small, untreated room can sound boxy. If you don't have acoustic panels, try recording in a larger room with soft furnishings like a couch, rug, or curtains to absorb some of those reflections. The goal is to capture the guitar, not the room.
• Tune, Tune, and Tune Again: Use a reliable tuner before every take. Nothing ruins a great performance faster than poor intonation.

While you can get a usable sound with almost any mic, certain types are designed to capture the nuance of an acoustic guitar. As of 2026, the clarity and affordability of condenser microphones make them the top choice for home studios.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common options:

A pair of Small-Diaphragm Condensers (SDCs) like the Neumann KM 184 or the more budget-friendly Shure SM81s are the industry standard for detailed stereo recordings. For a single-mic setup, an LDC like a Rode NT1 or AKG C414 offers incredible versatility.

If you learn only one technique, make it this one. It’s the most reliable starting point for a balanced, natural acoustic sound.

Why it Works

The 12th fret is the sweet spot where the neck meets the body. Pointing a mic here captures a near-perfect blend of the low-end resonance from the body and the bright, articulate attack of the strings over the fretboard.

How to Do It

1. Position a condenser microphone (an SDC is perfect here) about 6 to 12 inches away from the 12th fret.
2. Aim the microphone capsule directly at the fret. Don't point it at the soundhole, and don't point it up the neck. Right at the 12th.
3. Listen through your headphones. If the sound is too thin, move the mic slightly closer to the soundhole. If it's too boomy, move it slightly further up the neck toward the headstock.

This single position works beautifully for a guitar that needs to sit in a dense mix, providing clarity without overwhelming the low-end.

When the acoustic guitar is a feature element, a stereo recording can add incredible depth. The X/Y technique is the safest and easiest way to achieve a stereo image with no phase problems.

Why it Works

By placing two microphone capsules as close together as possible, you eliminate the time delay of sound arriving at each mic. This captures level differences between left and right but avoids the strange filtering effect known as phase cancellation.

How to Do It

1. You will need two identical microphones, preferably a matched pair of SDCs.
2. Position the capsules one over the other, as close as you can get them without them touching.
3. Angle them so they form a 90-degree angle with each other.
4. Aim the center point of this setup toward the 12th fret from about 8-15 inches away.

The result is a stable, clear stereo image that sounds wide but remains focused in the center. It will also collapse perfectly to mono if needed.

For a huge, cinematic acoustic sound, the spaced pair technique is unmatched. This is the sound you hear on many solo acoustic records where the guitar fills the entire sonic spectrum.

Why it Works

This technique captures the time and level differences of the sound arriving at two separate mics, creating a very wide and dramatic stereo effect.

How to Do It

1. Use two mics (SDCs or LDCs). They don't have to be a matched pair, but it helps.
2. Place one mic pointing at the 12th fret, about 6-12 inches away.
3. Place the second mic at a similar distance, but aimed towards the bridge or the lower bout of the guitar.
4. Crucially, follow the 3-to-1 Rule: The distance between the two microphones should be at least three times the distance from each mic to the guitar. If your mics are 1 foot from the guitar, they should be at least 3 feet apart from each other. This minimizes phase issues.

Listen carefully for phase. If the low-end seems to disappear when you listen in mono, you may need to adjust the mic positions or flip the polarity on one of the channels.

Once you've mastered the fundamentals, you can experiment with more specialized placements.

Over-the-Shoulder

This technique captures the sound as the player hears it. Place a microphone just behind the guitarist's head, pointing down at the guitar. It provides a very natural, if slightly less direct, sound. It's fantastic for capturing the feel of a performance but can pick up breathing or movement noises.

Mid-Side (M/S)

This is a powerful broadcast technique that gives you total control over the stereo width in the mix. It requires one cardioid mic (the 'Mid') and one figure-8 mic (the 'Side').

1. Aim the cardioid mic at the guitar (e.g., 12th fret).
2. Place the figure-8 mic directly underneath or on top, with the capsule aligned and the null points of the figure-8 pattern facing the guitar.
3. Record each mic to a separate track.
4. In your DAW, duplicate the 'Side' track, pan the original hard left and the duplicate hard right, and then invert the phase of the duplicated track. Blend these with the 'Mid' track panned to the center.

By adjusting the volume of the side channels, you can make the stereo image anything from pure mono to super-wide. It's complex to set up, but offers unparalleled flexibility.

Steering clear of these common pitfalls will instantly improve your recordings.

• Miking the Soundhole Directly: This is the number one cause of boomy, muddy recordings. The soundhole is a projector of low-frequency resonance, not a balanced representation of the guitar's tone.
• Getting Too Close: Placing a mic an inch from the strings will trigger the proximity effect, creating an unnatural bass boost and capturing every tiny string squeak and pick noise.
• Ignoring Headphones: Always listen to the mic's signal with a good pair of closed-back headphones while you're positioning it. What you hear in the room is not what the microphone is capturing.
• Forgetting the Performance: A perfect mic setup can't save a hesitant or sloppy performance. The player's dynamics and consistency are the most important part of the signal chain.