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,→Near vs. Far Mic'ing
Even with good treatment, there will still be some nodes and anti-nodes throughout the room for certain frequencies. This is where cabinet and mic placement becomes important. Even with the most expensive gear in the world, if your mic is in a dead spot, your frequency spectrum might have a critical null that is like putting a blanket over the tone. If you find you just can't get a good sound, even after messing with mic placement for a long time, try moving the cab around the room and re-mic'ing - you might be hitting a node. Unfortunately, it's pretty difficult to determine where in advance a node will be - it depends not only on the size and shape of the room, but the placement of the cabinet and the frequencies being produced. It's best to avoid corners, which tend to be bass nodes. Otherwise, a bit of experimentation is in order.
=== Near Close vs. Far Mic'ing ===Close mic'ing (anywhere from inside the speaker cone to several inches away from it) tends to capture the direct sound of the speaker and cab, minimizing the effect of the room, other than direct reflections from the ground or very nearby walls. Far mic'ing captures more of the room's sound with its reverb. Guitar tones are typically close-mic'ed, with reverb being added either post recording or by an effects processor in the guitar signal chain, transmitting through the speakers. That said, if you have a good room, far mic'ing can get you a sweet natural reverb. Or you can mix the two together to get an optimal relative balance - just be sure to adjust for latency in the far mic to prevent comb filtering.
=== Mic Pre-amps ===