There's a Groove 3 video tutorial that takes a country song from tracks to final mix.  It's called "Producing Modern Country" and it's only $15 right now.
 
http://www.groove3.com/st...ng-modern-country.html
 
Although it's not a ballad and it's not done in Sonar there is some good information on how to get that country sound.  A lot of good information in all the posts above too.
 
HTH
 
Paul

I am neither a guitarist or a country music expert!, but as well as mixing tricks, aren't things like Nashville tuning part of the sound as well?  That in itself EQs some of the bass out of the guitar sound.
 
Andy

Lemonboy, You raise an interesting point.  When working as a studio player in my past, I played 100s (maybe 1,000s) of rhythm tracks with high string / Nashville tuning guitars—usually two of them panned hard left and right.  That was the thing.  My guitar case had an index card taped in the inside with the preferred gauges for the strings.  (I am mainly a keyboard person but used to be a decent acoustic rhythm person.)
 
Then the trend moved a little more towards heavily EQ'd standard six strings.
 
Now, there are a lot of tracks with four-string guitars or ukuleles, and some people are going back to the Nashville tuning.  I think a std six string one side and a Nashville tuning on the other work well, but just as often I use a std six string in open position and second one in a higher neck position.
 
The point is always the same: get the guitar to drive the rhythm and chord structure without getting lost in the piano, electrics, and other things that compete for the same range.  Acoustic rhythm is the backbone of my sound so it is much more critical to me than to others.  There is a lot of country music out there with no acoustics--but I didn't cut it!

Duplicate

Danny Danzi

Agentcalm
Good post Danny.  like Larry, Im a fan of new country (jason Aldine, McGraw, Chesney etc).
I love that driving bass sound and the deep shell drums.  I too am new at this and just starting to toy with effects.  I take the point that everyone so far has made that there are no hard and fast rules and you just have to listen.  But as a general guideline are there any effects (for example) you would put on a vocal or for that matter NEVER put on vocals.  For example would you never use reverb on vocal or is reverb ok?   I want to go have a look at some of those links posted earlier as i have no idea what a compressor does.  I know what it does when you put air in your tires, but in music terms i dont know what these effects do.
cheers
Xave. 
 
Hi Danny
Much obliged for all that great info.  I'll re-read it as there is a lot to sink in. I take your point on adding bells n whistles to crap.   I guess my concern is sending off some good demo songs to record labels or such and having them ignored because they lacked that little bit of something extra.  Meanwhile the next guy gets noticed cause he "improved" his sound  instead of leaving it raw.  But great points there and plenty for me to take note of.   Onward n upward pilgrim.   Thanks again Danny.   mighty neighbourly.
Xave.