Normally when I record my bass / guitar, I plug the instrument directly into the hi-z input of my audio interface.
 
Lately I've been experimenting with the Ibanez Promethean bass amp and Eden World Tour pre-amp and got a sound that I like - so I wanted to record it by placing the mic in front of the bass amp. However, my room air-cond noise is quite loud and there is a construction going on opposite my house. After setting the mic, I cover up the amp/mic with a few layers of cloth, towels, including a piece of deflated single air-bed, which is quite thick.
 
After covering up the amp/mic, it sounded much softer in front of the amp and I record using headphones.
 
The result is very good, sounded very much like when I'm playing directly over the amp and none noticeable background noise.

I recorded several guitar tracks placing my amp on a couch covering it with 5 heavy moving blankets with the mic placed inside. I had it covered so well you can hardly hear it and I had it fairly loud. The results was excellent. I didn't think it would sound good but it sounded really good. I haven't tried it with bass yet.

Interesting... I always DI because I don't want to upset the neighbours.

Might try the blanket idea. My amp isn't great, a low end Blackstar combi but still, it's worth giving it a go.

I only have a choice of three mics, two condenser and an SM58 beta. Which do you think is the best to use?

cheers

andy

Idk why but it is much easier to get great sound with the amp above five.

Mosvalve
I recorded several guitar tracks placing my amp on a couch covering it with 5 heavy moving blankets with the mic placed inside. I had it covered so well you can hardly hear it and I had it fairly loud. The results was excellent. I didn't think it would sound good but it sounded really good. I haven't tried it with bass yet.

Mine is a 9-string Ibanez RG-9, the 3 low strings is replaced with actual bass strings. It come quite close sounding like a bass guitar at the bottom end.

synkrotron
Interesting... I always DI because I don't want to upset the neighbours.

Might try the blanket idea. My amp isn't great, a low end Blackstar combi but still, it's worth giving it a go.

I only have a choice of three mics, two condenser and an SM58 beta. Which do you think is the best to use?

cheers

andy

Condenser would be good. Mine is the Behringer B2-Pro. Also, it's the fist time I'm using the Motu 828 MK ii - compared to my previous Quad Capture - the Motu mic pre amp is very quiet.

gswitz
Idk why but it is much easier to get great sound with the amp above five.

I started out to reduce the room air cond noise :)

tomixornot
Also, it's the fist time I'm using the Motu 828 MK ii - compared to my previous Quad Capture - the Motu mic pre amp is very quiet.

Hmmm... Yeah, I have a QUAD-CAPTURE but I never go in via it's inputs. Instead, I bought a Roland MMP-2 modelling preamp and it has SPDIF in/out so I plug into that and go into the SPDIF of the Q-C. Works far better than the Q-C
 
I've got an OCTA-CAPTURE now but I got so used to using the MMP-2...
 
Thanks for your help Albert
 
cheers
 
andy

A technique that is often used is to build an isolation box for the amp or put it in a closet full of dampening material (i.e. clothes).
 
Amp sound better at higher gain/volume settings because you get more saturation (I guess that's what you'd call it) of the circuit.

Another thought that I have had, regarding this method is, you lose out on that feeling you get when you are "fighting" the guitar/amp not to feedback, if you know what I mean... It's right on the edge and you know that if you let it, the strings would scream, but they don't because you are holding it back with your hands on the neck and at the bridge.
 
It's hard for me to explain, because, although I have been trying to play guitar, I've never been that good and most of the time I have simply DI'd. But, when I was in my early twenties and I didn't care much about my neighbours, I turned my Park amp up to that point I am trying to explain, and it sounded a whole lot different, and the guitar played a lot different, with the interaction between the sound from the amp, trying to set the stings to vibrate, and back through the pick-up and so on.
 
With this method, you will lose that "feeling."
 
Does any of that make sense?