I'm using my trusty Ibanez S5470 (wonderful guitar, if a little weak in sustain due to its scant weight) to record some dry audio inputs to use for re-amping later, directly into my Focusrite Saffire 14 PRO FireWire interface, into my iMac and Logic.
I'm noticing that the tone of those dry recordings, when compared to others provided by other members of my team, is very "dull". It's difficult to quantify, and I initially assumed it was the strings that were at fault, but I've changed them and am experiencing the same difference with brand new strings.
It feels like when listening to other dry guitar inputs that they're starting off in a much healthier position than mine are (before the re-amping process begins) – crisper, clearer, brighter, with a more precise low-end, etc. I know that they weren't recorded through any EQ or compression, and that they weren't altered after recording.
I'm following the chain and I'm guessing the issues are either: my picks/picking/playing (feasible, since I use very thin picks, but not likely), my guitar or its pickups (they're not active and are kicking out a good output), the cable or interface (again, very unlikely), or some other unknown issue.
Anyone have any thoughts on what I might be able to do to get a better "base" dry sound to work with in this instance? I realise that it's quite a wide issue, but it's a specific thing I'm trying to do so hopefully that won't enrage the moderators too much :)