Close miking, the SM57 rules, especially for rockier sounds (maybe sometimes a Sennheiser MD421 for a Marshall). No, It's not the full frequency response, but it tends to capture the essence of the guitar sound and that sound sits well in the mix with minimal EQing. Plus the 57 works incredibly well for a lot of other different sources. That's why any studio - even those a cupboard full of other, more specialised mics - will still have a brace of 57s and they will see regular use.
A decent flat large diaphragm condenser set up further back from the amp works best to capture the full, developed sound of the amp with some of the room ambience. This sound is more difficult to place in a denser mix and the tonality is highly dependant on a good room sound.
I record with both most of the time (actually two 57s up close and a Rode NT1A about a metre back) and mix the three in different ratios, depending on what the track needs. But,
if I have to do a quick recording with a single mic, I will always use a 57 up close and, even when I use all three mics, the bulk of the sound will come from the close mics.
ezietsman wrote:
The mics I mentioned can handle of the order of 130dB - 140dB SPL, and I don't think my amp can reach that even at full tilt.
You would be surprised. Modern speakers are rated at only 1W, and measured from 1 metre away and most will be in the region of 100dB under those conditions. Most speakers will be run at a higher wattage and more importantly, close miking will usually see the mic set up against the grille cloth to 15cm away, so the real dB SPL is likely to be quite a lot higher.
