Again sorry to seem silly - any red numeric values showing after playback at the bottom of the guitar track or any bus you send guitar signal to, or the master bus?  Anything over 0 is bad, and will show up in red.
 
You can check for clipping from the beginning of the signal flow forward, until you find the point that it is introduced, or track the signal flow backward.  
 
Bob Bone
 
 
 

The reason I was a bit irritated was because of the statement that this issue was "solved," that it was just me not knowing how to turn the volume down when recording - when clearly I said that I was recording with the volume on the interface at a very low level.  
 
I really do appreciate everyone's suggestions.   But that statement seemed a little condescending to me when I read it.   I'm sure he didn't mean it that way - which is why I apologized.
 

robert_e_bone
Again sorry to seem silly - any red numeric values showing after playback at the bottom of the guitar track or any bus you send guitar signal to, or the master bus?  Anything over 0 is bad, and will show up in red.
 
You can check for clipping from the beginning of the signal flow forward, until you find the point that it is introduced, or track the signal flow backward.  
 
Bob Bone

Bob, nothing red shows up in playback.   Everything looks fine.  It's just the sound of the overdriven guitar.   If I record guitar clean it sounds fine.    This is very odd...
 
Thanks!
Greg

mettelus
Distortion with just guitar sounds a lot like you are clipping the signal at "some point" in the signal flow. I installed pickups that claim to be the hottest passive pickups made, and it was not until I ran it straight into my audio interface (medium gain) and used the digital meters in X3 that it was obvious how much extra gain was on the low E (like 12 dB hotter). Pickup height and gains are something else to check.
 
In my case, variations in play triggered it, but it was obvious where it was happening. This post is more detail on how I pinpointed and adjusted them.
 
Weird gains causing distortion/clipping are very common with things mentioned in this thread already (electrical interference, cables, corroded connectors/switches/pots, pickup height). Isolating things individually helps... even simple things like cycling switches/pots on guitars and amps are often needed to wear off excess corrosion on them that can cause the effect you are seeing.

When I arm the track to record, the meter doesn't even come close to being in the red.  So it's not there.
My pickups in my strat are low wind.   My pickups in my LP are 8.3k neck, and 8.9k bridge.   They're not hot.
 
I have been recording guitar for years.   This issue is new.  So it's not how I record guitar.  I am not playing rock but funk, jazz, R&B.   In fact, when I play guitar I have a soft touch.
I don't believe the issue is with my guitars. 
 
Thanks!
Greg

Cactus Music
Everything checks out fine when I record, but the guitar doesn't sound good in playback." 
 
The above statement say's it all. 
It was recommended a way, way back you check with headphones, Audio interfaces have direct monitoring so we can hear what is happening as we record. My guess is you will hear the distortion in your headphones while monitoring your guitar. If not, like I said, your interface A/D IS fkd. Or the drivers? 

I will be recording today  (wasn't able to over the weekend).  I've made a list of things people have told me and am going to try them out and check everything off the list.
Thanks!
Greg

After giving this issue some careful thought, I believe the distortion issue is occuring before you even record into your audio interface and SONAR, because the meters in SONAR are showing no clipping. In other words, the signal you are recording is already distorted. I highly suggest you look for a solution in the signal chain before the signal enters your audio interface.  
 
I know you don't agree with them all, but logical suspected culprits are listed below:
 
(guitar, guitar strings, fuzz pedal or whatever you're using to create the intentional distortion you are applying to the guitar sound, playing the note/s too hard, cables from the guitar to the amp, and the amp itself, even though you said you had it serviced)
 
I'd bet $100 it's one of the things I listed. My number one suspect is: fuzz pedal or whatever you're using to create the intentional distortion you are applying to the guitar sound, combined with playing the note/s too hard in light of the intentional distortion you are already applying to the guitar sound.
 
Goodluck in resolving the issue.
 
 
 

I am almost sure I posted on this topic this morning >.<
Oh well here it goes again.

It sounds to me like the audio is being distorted when picked up by the mic, this could be caused by having the mic's too close to the speaker. If you put the mic too close it may be so sensitive that it distorts the sound or artificially changes the sound that is being recorded in without it showing on the meter's.
I would try an SM57 if you are going to close mic, or use the mics you have and try backing them off a little and see if that helps.

greg54
Everything looks fine.  It's just the sound of the overdriven guitar.   If I record guitar clean it sounds fine.   

If the above is true, then the only things changing between those two scenarios are the amp channel (or pedal you are using), and the signal level from that new channel into your audio interface.
 
If clean truly "sounds fine" then the signal chain is working... the only gain stage off-kilter is when you apply distortion (and how the interface is seeing this delta).

I appreciate everyone's help.   But I'm at a loss and am going to step back, clear my head for a while, then approach this again at some later time.    It's just too frustrating right now.
 
Again, thanks! 
Greg

Hi Greg54,
What are you using to add overdrive to your guitar tone?
Have you tried running the signal direct into your Roland Quad Capture instead of using a miced amp, and then adding overdrive to the recorded tone?
Several people have tried to tell you that the problem might be in the front end of your signal chain. This will help you troubleshoot the problem. Give it a try and see what happens.
 
Paul

jungfriend
Hi Greg54,
What are you using to add overdrive to your guitar tone?
Have you tried running the signal direct into your Roland Quad Capture instead of using a miced amp, and then adding overdrive to the recorded tone?
Several people have tried to tell you that the problem might be in the front end of your signal chain. This will help you troubleshoot the problem. Give it a try and see what happens.
 
Paul

Hi Paul -
 
I was running my guitar into the amp with no pedals, using only the amp's OD.   So I decided to use a POD today and go direct into the interface.    I also turned on the Auto Sens on the Quad Capture to see what that would do, and it caused my signal to overload, even though my volume was set lower on the interface.   Isn't the Auto Sens supposed to keep that from happening?
 
Anyway, the OD with the POD direct was the same as with my amp.   So the issue is not my guitar amp.
 
Thanks!
Greg