Funk guitar EQ requires a slightly more scooped approach than with other genres. Part of this is because in funk, guitar is rarely the star of the mix and at best is simply one of many contributing flavors which bring things together and round out the sound. Let’s talk funk guitar EQ, offering up a starting template you can work off of, and mention why I recommend the adjustments at each band which I do.
Funk Guitar EQ
Here is a snapshot/funk guitar EQ cheat sheet to give a quick overview of some settings I like to dial in to start with:
Sometimes these will work right out of the box, other times you may need to adjust the degree or placement of these core band points slightly to better tailor to your guitar.
Let’s go over each adjustment and answer what each one is doing for the tone.
High Pass at 150Hz
As with virtually every track in your mix, you’ll want to begin with a high pass filter to remove low end rumble, noise, and non-musical frequencies which are building up on the low end.
While you might not hear much of a difference on a single guitar track, when applied to every track in your mix, this goes a long way to creating a lot more headroom and creating an audibly cleaner sound for your mix.
Also very importantly this creates space for the instruments which need the low end, like the kick and especially the bass which is one of the stars of any good funk mix.
I like to be slightly more aggressive with my funk guitar EQ high pass filter than most tracks, sweeping up to around 150Hz.
You might want to begin at 100Hz and sweep up until you hear a difference which incidentally will likely be around 150Hz. I normally recommend stepping back about 10Hz or so to preserve that low end of your tone, but with funk guitar EQ I typically leave it as is right there at that frequency point when I start to hear that change or slight thinning of the guitar.
This creates a very nice give and take relationship between the guitar and bass to make your mix sound a lot more open and cleaner.
Cut+Dynamic Cut at 250-400Hz
Another area where I’m more aggressive when it comes to funk guitar EQ than other instruments (see my complete EQ cheat sheet for snapshots on EQing every single instrument in your mix, by the way) is the muddy 250-400Hz or so range.
You get a lot of muddy resonance build up here, and a decent cut here will seriously clean up your tone.
With regards to being more aggressive, I like to begin with a static 1-2dB cut in that range, then make that band dynamic so that after setting the threshold I get an additional 1-2dB being pulled out as necessary.
This is beneficial in subtly opening up that tone as certain notes or played parts will have more of that cluttered sound to them than others, so this is a nice measured response as necessary.
Check out my complete overview on how to use dynamic EQ for more information.
Boost Around 2k
Like most guitar, 2k is where a lot of the character and tone of the funk guitar resides.
A small boost at 2k is very much the secret sauce point in funk guitar EQ as this can open up the guitar’s tone and give it more presence in the mix.
A word of caution, however. Boost TOO much in the 2k range, and the funk guitar will begin to sound wonky, and not in a pleasing wah pedal kind of way!
High Shelf Around 4k
We did that subtractive EQ cut earlier in the muddy 250-400Hz range for some clarity.
If you want your funk guitar to be a little brighter, not to mention assert itself better in the mix by way of some added transient punch, create a high shelf around 4k.
A high shelf here will boost everything starting at 4k (aim for about 1-2dB to taste) to really open up the sound and bring that added clarity your funk guitar might be missing depending on its initial, flat EQ tone.
Low Pass Around 10-14k
A low pass filter is the opposite of that initial high pass filter we began with, meaning this removes everything ABOVE the point we set this at.
This won’t do anything for the tone – it’s more about creating a little space for the ultra high frequency dependent and thriving elements of your mix like the cymbals which in turn creates a larger, more open sounding mix.
I like to go a little higher than I normally low pass on guitar when it comes to funk guitar which you’ve likely gathered by now is slightly higher frequency focused in general.
Specifically I aim for the 10-14k region with my low pass filter, making sure I’m not blunting any of the highest end transients or crispness on the funk guitar.
This will also create a little added mixing headroom without sacrificing anything anyone can hear.
Funk Guitar EQ Tips
- High pass at 150Hz to remove low end rumble and create space for bass. It’s best to sweep up until you hear the sound of the guitar audibly change, then walk it back or keep it there without going higher.
- Cut+dynamic cut at 250-400Hz to help clean up the tone by removing the mud. This adds clarity more effectively than simply boosting the conventional high frequency areas, so begin here to really scoop out and ultimately benefit the tone before you boost elsewhere.
- Boost around 2k as this adds a lot of presence and character to your tone. Don’t over-boost as this will make the guitar sound wonky.
- Add a small high shelf around 4k to add clarity and transient punch to help that funk guitar sit accordingly better in the mix.
- Low pass around 10-14k to remove inaudible frequencies which aren’t adding anything to tone and add more headroom to the mix.
