Ever wanted to tell the other guitarist in the band...

[snakeman1986]

...that their tone SUCKS! For instance the other guitarist in the band I'm in has a good tube head but uses a bbe sonic maximizer stomp, he scoops almost all the mids out and saturates the dirty channel so much that you can't hear anything from him except for HISSSSSSSSSSSSSS. At one point he even used a distortion pedal into the dirty channel of a rectifier because he wanted more saturation. We are not playing heavy metal either. Just hard rock. He doesn't cut through the mix at all. For instance when I play a solo, there is pretty much no rhythm guitar behind it that is audible. Instead just a little hiss, if anything. Any of you guys been in this situation? Should I just let it be because it's "his tone?" I would feel like a douche trying to telling someone to change their tone.

 

[ACShreds]

If i have to play with someone in a band and their tone sucks I tell them. Of course I try and put it lightly and explain how it'll help the band sound better as a whole but I cant stand bad tone either.

 

[rsm]

We did this years ago in a band...I was the newest member, answered an ad in a local music store. We practiced in this old barn, so I thought that had to do with the sound I was hearing. One practice, one of the guitar players didn't show up (I was playing bass at the time), and everything sounded great, much better than usual. Everyone in the band thought so, girlfriends and friends hanging in the other room did as well...many compliments. Next practice, other guitar player was back...sound sucked - scooped mids, reverby mush, wall of muck, no clarity just a hollow bassy roar... .

On an off day, we scheduled another pratice without the other guitarist...same deal everything sounded great: tight, clear, articulate, mean, defined. (This was a thrash band, early 90s. Mostly orginal a few covers, with a Megadeth-Sepultura-Pantera-Testament kind of target sound; though I think I was more into Death, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Slayer at the time, IIRC?)

We discussed being a four piece but gave the guy a chance to change his tone; next practice we talked to the other guitarist about his tone; main guitarist offered to work with him to get their tones aligned to work together. Dude said, I dig my tone. The rest of exchanged glances, I held up four fingers, the others nodded, and the singer or guitarist told the guy to pack up his gear, he was out of the band. He did, we helped, he left. The band did well on the local circuit for 2-3 years as a four piece.

If it works, don't fix it; if if isn't working, try to fix it; if you can't fix it the easy way, do it the hard way.

 

[snakeman1986]

We did this years ago in a band...I was the newest member, answered an ad in a local music store. We practiced in this old barn, so I thought that had to do with the sound I was hearing. One practice, one of the guitar players didn't show up (I was playing bass at the time), and everything sounded great, much better than usual. Everyone in the band thought so, girlfriends and friends hanging in the other room did as well...many compliments. Next practice, other guitar play was back...sound sucked. On an off day, we scheduled another pratice without the other guitarist...same deal everything sounded great.

We discussed being a four piece but gave the guy a chance to change his tone; next practice we talked to the other guitarist about his tone; main guitarist offered to work with him to get their tones aligned to work together. Dude said, I dig my tone. The rest of exchanged glances, I held up four fingers, the others nodded, and the singer or guitarist told the guy to pack up his gear, he was out of the band. He did, we helped, he left. The band did well on the local circuit for 2-3 years as a four piece.

If it works, don't fix it; if if isn't working, try to fix it; if you can't fix it the easy way, do it the hard way.

Ya I would hate for it to come to that. He is a good guy and we are all good friends, but that tone is just awful. It might as well be a crappy solid state. We played a show a few weeks ago and we recorded it and he was barely audible. Not sure if it was a good or bad thing haha.

 

[Badronald]

I always want to tell my other guitar player (lead singer) to leave his gear at home. Permanently.
And, I have told him that.

 

[steve_k]

Which is why I much prefer a 4 piece band with one guitarist.....me. As for your dilemma, record yourselves at practice or at a gig, and let him hear himself. Better yet, have someone else in the audience tell him that he cannot be heard. If he is totally scooped out, which probably sounds good to him standing directly in front of his cab or in his bedroom, he won't come through in a mix. If he can't get over it and fix it, then then the bro's got to go.

 

[Bob Savage]

No. I've never wanted to nor told anyone their tone sucks.

 

[snakeman1986]

Which is why I much prefer a 4 piece band with one guitarist.....me. As for your dilemma, record yourselves at practice or at a gig, and let him hear himself. Better yet, have someone else in the audience tell him that he cannot be heard. If he is totally scooped out, which probably sounds good to him standing directly in front of his cab or in his bedroom, he won't come through in a mix. If he can't get over it and fix it, then then the bro's got to go.

We have actually started doing just this. Hopefully when he realizes no matter what he does he can't be heard on the recordings until he stops scooping he will finally change.

 

[Badronald]

No. I've never wanted to nor told anyone their tone sucks.

I'll clarify. My singers got great tone. I directed his gear purchases. His timing sucks. Always behind the beat. Drives us INSANE.

 

[Bob Savage]

I'll clarify. My singers got great tone. I directed his gear purchases. His timing sucks. Always behind the beat. Drives us INSANE.

That's not quite as easy to resolve.

 

[steve_k]

No. I've never wanted to nor told anyone their tone sucks.

I'll clarify. My singers got great tone. I directed his gear purchases. His timing sucks. Always behind the beat. Drives us INSANE.

Meanwhile, your singer is telling his friends that the rest of the band are playing too fast......

 

[ConcreteVampire]

Record yourselves. Play it back. If it doesn't sound balanced, then it's not you telling him his sound is out of wack, it's the recording. Playback never lies. Or has an agenda. Not saying you do of course, but verbally stating it can be taken the wrong way.

 

[Mizati20]

The only worse thing is being in that situation and the guy is a total PRICK about not hearing you out or taking suggestions... have you gotten to that point yet? I wouldn't be at ALL shy about feeling a guy out and trying to see if he would be offended to take a few pointers... give it a shot and see how it goes... if it goes south, well THEN you can post another thread about how much it sucks

Film your next gig with an iphone or something that just captures a decent sound of the whole band and show him how you can't hear him at all...

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Too funny man. I walk over and change my other guitarists settings. He is like "wtf?" then I say you sound sucks bro, lemme help you. He is always happy after I tweak for him. The problem is that he "tweaks" by himself without the band. Sure scooping the mids may sound neat alone but when we start playing I dominate him.

He is much happier after I help him dial in. Once we were hearing this horrible hiss sound and I was too lazy to check out his amp, we lived with it for a couple rehearsals. I could not take it anymore, went over and found his gain was maxed. You have got to be kidding. He tries so hard not to fuck with settings but it happens. I try to dial his shit in at sound check. (not saying I'm God's gift to tone but he is tone deak for the most part).

 

[steve_k]

Too funny man. I walk over and change my other guitarists settings. He is like "wtf?" then I say you sound sucks bro, lemme help you. He is always happy after I tweak for him. The problem is that he "tweaks" by himself without the band. Sure scooping the mids may sound neat alone but when we start playing I dominate him.

He is much happier after I help him dial in. Once we were hearing this horrible hiss sound and I was too lazy to check out his amp, we lived with it for a couple rehearsals. I could not take it anymore, went over and found his gain was maxed. You have got to be kidding. He tries so hard not to fuck with settings but it happens. I try to dial his shit in at sound check. (not saying I'm God's gift to tone but he is tone deak for the most part).

Remove the knobs from his amp.....

 

[Gsxrbusa]

Too funny man. I walk over and change my other guitarists settings. He is like "wtf?" then I say you sound sucks bro, lemme help you. He is always happy after I tweak for him. The problem is that he "tweaks" by himself without the band. Sure scooping the mids may sound neat alone but when we start playing I dominate him.

He is much happier after I help him dial in. Once we were hearing this horrible hiss sound and I was too lazy to check out his amp, we lived with it for a couple rehearsals. I could not take it anymore, went over and found his gain was maxed. You have got to be kidding. He tries so hard not to fuck with settings but it happens. I try to dial his shit in at sound check. (not saying I'm God's gift to tone but he is tone deak for the most part).

Remove the knobs from his amp.....

Not a bad idea.

 

[Badronald]

I'll clarify. My singers got great tone. I directed his gear purchases. His timing sucks. Always behind the beat. Drives us INSANE.

That's not quite as easy to resolve.

Actually it's quite simple. We bury him in the mix at gigs.

 

[billm408]

I've filled in a few times with some friends and the other guitarist scoops all his mids and has the gain & presence dimed. Like a stack 'o bees buzzing in my ears all night. I've mentioned it before and even helped him dial in a decent tone once, but he likes what he likes. They've asked me to join as their permanent guitarist a number of times, but I just can't do it. I'd like to support them more at their gigs, but can only stand about 30-40 minutes before my head explodes. Complete waste of a nice old jcm800. You owe it to him and yourself to say something and offer to help him, but in the end, you can't save someone from themselves. Life's too short.

 

[stephen sawall]

One night we were listening to the recorded practice we did a few days earlier. The song stops mid song and a voice says "What the fuck are you doing ?"... My question is "Who is that ?" they all start laughing and tell me it is me.

I think nothing of telling a drummer you need to practice with a metronome. Tell a singer if I wanted a shitty singer I can do it myself. Tell a bass player there is more than the bottom of frequency range or they need to leave more space. Tell the other guitar what they are doing is fucked. I see little reason to be nice about it if they do not take the simple suggestions. Always word if easy at first .... after that you are doing no one a favor by holding back.

They also know I am only doing this for the good of the whole band. Better they figure it out now then later. I would hope they would do the same for me if I was dealing with something I am not familiar with. None of this is done with anger ... only done to move forward.

My personality on the web is a bit different than real life....

 

[racerevlon]

Luckily I don't have that problem. My singer has a Mark IIC + + and now a Chupacabra 100!!