Even without recording too loud, room can have a HUGE impact on recording. As can mic, pre-amp, mic placement, speaker cabinet, pickup selection, pick choice, s

Even without recording too loud, room can have a HUGE impact on recording. As can mic, pre-amp, mic placement, speaker cabinet, pickup selection, pick choice, string choice, playing style. I'd try to minimize or at least make transparent those choices. Either: * Suggest an ideal circumstance (SM57 close mic'd as a reference or something), and note how this recording differs from the ideal * Make people list all of the components that went into the recording It's still going to be hard, because individual playing style can have a really big effect on sound (ie, Jaco is always going to sound like Jaco, even if you give him someone else's bass). That being said, I think it's really useful to hear lots of examples. Just be careful about misleading people with regards to why things sound the way they do.