A guitar---whether acoustic, rhythm or electric---with worn strings or strings not tuned properly will not record properly. Thus, the first tip on recording guitars is to ensure that the guitar is tuned properly and the intonation is ideal. Strings are best tuned with a tuner. Also, after each recording take, it is wise to check the tuning of the guitar, as the warm temperature in studios can alter its tuning. Interference is another impedance to getting a clean guitar sound when tracking. Guitarists can decrease interference by turning away from equipment such as computers (which are known to cause humming) and positioning themselves as far away from the computer as possible.
As with recording vocals, recording multiple takes of a guitar performance on different tracks can be highly effective. By doing this, musicians and producers can select the best parts of different takes and splice together one complete take to be used. However, recordings must be done on computer recording software as opposed to on a digital mixing board. Although it is common for guitarists to use effects such as reverb, delays and wah-wahs while tracking, it is recommended that guitar effects be added during the mix to get the cleanest and most accurate sound possible. However, many guitarists and producers seek a "live feel" on recordings, and recording with a gated reverb effect can be helpful (especially on electric guitars).
Adding to the natural sound provided by guitars are the types of sounds provided by string pickups. For instance, electric guitars contain pickups known as "humbuckers," or two coils that create a magnetic field around the strings and help to reduce interference. However, they can also be recorded on separate tracks to provide a different sound from that of an electric guitar without pickups. Conversely, "single-coils" are also used for electric guitars but have a thinner sound than that produced by humbuckers. By recording guitar on a few tracks with a single-coil effect and a few tracks with the humbucker effect, this allows guitarists and producers more options to play with during the mix.