EQ’ing Rock Guitars for Definition, Clarity and Width

Today we’re going to talk about EQ’ing guitars.

In particular, you’ll learn to add definition, reduce boominess to make room for the bass, getting it to cut through a mix by accenting a specific frequency, and then finally adding width in the sides to make them sound wider without getting in the way of the vocal.

We’re using a song by the band Crimson Highway called “Pressure” which I thoroughly enjoyed mixing.

Although the guitars aren’t sounding bad at all without any EQ, in order for them to stay big in the mix without getting in the way, I filtered out quite a bit of the low-end and took some of the low-mids out very subtly.

But then I also some aggressive EQ boosts to get them to cut through the mix, a couple of cuts in frequencies I didn’t like, and a high-mid cut to create a vocal pocket. Finally, I added a mid/side EQ boost in the sides to get the guitars sounding wider in the context of the mix.

Watch the video see the full details and hear the guitar EQ processing:

Of course, that’s just one way you can use EQ to sculpt your guitars. Better separation between instruments to make sure everything stays balanced while sticking out where it’s supposed to is a crucial part of EQ’ing your music.

If you’d like to know more about understanding how to use EQ in every aspect of your mix, my EQ Strategies is Your Ultimate Guide to EQ.

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