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Posted: **Tue Jun 19, 2007 1:10 am**

Hi Everyone,

I am recording a bachata, and I am having trouble with the guira. I have the regular metal merengue guira and metal scraper but it has a totally different sound than what is used in modern bachata recordings.

It has a low raspy, and ringing tone (which I can muffle with my hand) but doesnt have the sizzle. So...I tried it with a jazz brush with thick plastic bristles. It actually sounds pretty nice. It sizzles, but it doesn't have the "tick" sound.

I would appreciate your help, if anybody knows if there is a different guira they use in the studio as opposed to stage, or is there a different scraper? I have also heard they just use samples, which sounds plausible becuase the pattern is so tight, and sometimes complex, and every hit sounds almost the same.

if anyone has any studio experience with bachata, i would really appreciate your help!

Thanks

Posted: **Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:49 pm**

The equalization of the engineer is important. The engineer has to work to get the "scrapping" and not the overtones of the instrument. The overtones are very important and it could be the instrument.

Not a merengue expert but I know the "pro" guiras are usually big, and wide, and the "puyas" have to be thin and lots of "wire"...(Not as thin as the Puertorrican guiro but thin enough).

The standard pro guira for merengue is the Guillermo Guiras (made in the Dominican Republic). I recorded one with LPs "new" stainless steel guira that is made trying to resememble the "Guilllermo Guira."

Saludos!

Posted: **Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:24 pm**

Hey, thanks for your help Raymond. I saw someone selling the Guillermos on ebay, and I was wondering if they were any good. For the right sound, I think I will probably have to get a different guira. For now, I will continue EQ'ing the heck out of it.

Thanks!

Posted: **Sat Jun 23, 2007 1:39 am**

LJL, what kind of microphone are you using?
Not too familiar with recording the guira, but have played many times.
I think the intrument itself should give yu the best sound you are looking for, however if its not close to what you want it will be just as hard recording it with good results.
Instrument, performance , room, mic, should be the important things in getting a good recording. In that order too. If any of those are not up to the task, the recording will be less than you wish.
Eq could be your friend, but if its sooo much, something is not right from the beginning.

Most of the time room acoustics, and the mic placement is key.

T

Posted: **Sat Jun 23, 2007 5:19 am**

In my opinion the best Merengue Guira made is Gullermo Guira.

Talo

Posted: **Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:36 am**

Thanks for your advice guys. Tonio, I am using an AT2020 (like a beginner's large diaphragm condenser), but it's pretty nice. I also tried an SM57, but they sound pretty much the same. I think the issue like you guys said is that i have the wrong guira. i am actually borrowing one from a friend. it is the standard lp-style metal guira with the metal scraper. it sounds like crap. it is really low-frequency resonant. i have looked at the lp merengue pro's. they are large, and look REALLY nice. I was wondering if that might work. Otherwise, I will look into a Guillermo.
One more question, for bachata recordings, do they typically use the same guira used in merengue?

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