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

  • Thread starter Thread starter snakeman1986
  • Start date Start date
some guys can't play with mids. They can only play with treble coz it's easy to play fast and get pinch harmonics.
 
Yes - one of my older bands was a four piece with dual guitars. It was shred/prog stuff, and I had a coguitarist with an Yngwie Strat and a Marshall DSL401. Now, I will preface with saying that his amp is awful and impossible to dial in anyway, but even considering that, he used to set up his sound with all gain and treble, and only use the neck pickup for everything. I had many a discussion with him and never could get him to change up his sound. I was using various amps (had a Vypyr tube most of the time, but sometimes I had a Mesa Mark III, and at the very end of my tenure, a Splawn.) and my tone killed his. Everyone in the band knew it, but no one else would ever say anything. I guess that's why they are a single guitar band now...

W.
 
Does he wear ear plugs? The cheap ones may make his sound good to him. Gotta buy the custom ones. If that isn't it you have to record it video it and tell him. I did it with a guitar player in a band I was singing for and now he always asks me to setup his tone. He was playing a dual recto though, yuck....
 
ibenhad":2iwrdfur said:
Does he wear ear plugs? The cheap ones may make his sound good to him. Gotta buy the custom ones. If that isn't it you have to record it video it and tell him. I did it with a guitar player in a band I was singing for and now he always asks me to setup his tone. He was playing a dual recto though, yuck....
no ear plugs. we have started recording practices and gigs and hopefully he will notice his tone... or lack of tone from that. What's wrong with dual recto? To each his own, but I like the recto sound. You just have to take the time to dial it in, not go crazy with the bass and treble and, for the love of God, boost it or use a graphic eq. There is a HUGE difference with a boost.
 
:lol: :LOL: OH YEAH!
Funny this thread is up, I just went on
a Massive Rant @ Practice. I told the other
Guitar player that he doesn't know SHIT
about Tone!!! He's using a Line 6 Spider
something or other and it is the WORST
Fizzy, Box Of Bee's, Solid State POS, I've
ever had the displeasure of hearing!

I told him, if he brings that Head to practice
again......I'll Smash it into 1000 Pieces on
the basement floor. :rock:
Long story short, I have 2 Custom Audio
Heads. So I use the PT-100 and I let him
use the OD100SE+ and the mix has never
sounded that good, everyone can't believe
the Drastic change. It's Good to know TONE!
 
no, never thought of that because I'd have to tell myself my tone suck as I've always been the only guitarist in every band I've ever been in ;)

IMHO in a 2 guitar band both guys tones should be slightly different yet compliment each other. If one guy sounds great and the other sounds like canned ass lost in the mix there really is no need to have a second guitarist ;)
 
Life is too short to deal with bad tone...politely confront the dude as a band and set the record straight. "Good tone is subjective" is only true to a point...if a tone gets lost in a mix or detracts from the overall sound then its a bad tone no matter how much the player may like it.
 
Yes!!! I finally did tell him...Said his tone flat out sucks. He plays a 1959 hand wired plexi (at least I think it's the HW one) and a 1960B cab. Nice rig, right? Not when you're getting your gain from a Zoom 505 pedal!!! :doh: :doh:

Fuuuuuck. It sounds so tinny, honky and just fake! I'm a believer in good modelers but c'mon! That pedal is just ridiculous. It's over 10 years old and is just a digital failure. Super nice rig and he's ruining it with that pedal.

I even tried convincing him to send the Marshall to Friedman or Fortin or (anyone!) and he just doesn't see it... " I like my 'A-1' distortion!" :doh:


Anyone wanna trade a nice high gain head for the plexi? :D
80f23e93.jpg
 
5150clone":3g6dirmp said:
For all these reasons I don't play with another guitar player

I never have before this band-always been the lone guitarist in my bands which I really enjoyed. I have to admit though, there are just some things you can do with two guitarists that are worth the hassle and sacrifices. It's so full sounding, especially since we just got a new soundguy/tech who really knows his shit. Just wish I could convince my buddy to make an amp trade or get a good mod
 
Arrange a meeting between just the two of you and tell him you want to work on how your tones blend together. Record some clips with his guitar panned on one side and yours panned on the othe other. Listen back and pan from your side to his and let him hear how thin his sound is. Tweak his amp and make another clip and point out the difference! Good Luck!

When your band plays live, move his mic on his speaker far away from the center of the cone and turn up the mids on the board.
 
We're in the middle of changing our lineup - and our last lead guitarist had a brilliant set up that cut through a mix like a knife (ESP KH w/Aftermaths -> ENGL SE). New guy coming in has also a great set up (EBMM JP7 DD -> Axe FX Ultra+Poweramp) but the rhythm guitarist (and main songwriter) loves his scooped tones (Ibanez MTM2 -> Zoom 2020 -> Whatever's available) and always gets buried in a mix. He's now wanting us to go lower which is terrifying me as I think(/know!) we're going to sound worse. I've tried arguing this point but he's not listening - how can I be tactful and not implode the band when we're at our weakest point?
 
imprinted":1gpk5f4a said:
We're in the middle of changing our lineup - and our last lead guitarist had a brilliant set up that cut through a mix like a knife (ESP KH w/Aftermaths -> ENGL SE). New guy coming in has also a great set up (EBMM JP7 DD -> Axe FX Ultra+Poweramp) but the rhythm guitarist (and main songwriter) loves his scooped tones (Ibanez MTM2 -> Zoom 2020 -> Whatever's available) and always gets buried in a mix. He's now wanting us to go lower which is terrifying me as I think(/know!) we're going to sound worse. I've tried arguing this point but he's not listening - how can I be tactful and not implode the band when we're at our weakest point?


If you and the other band members agree his tone sucks and makes the band sound like crap, tell him as politely as possible. As posted above, offer to work the guitar tones so they blend better / compliment each other, record practices and review them, etc. If this doesn't work, turn him down in the mix and/or tell him straight up his tone sucks. Evidence from recorded practices/shows is priceless.
 
My other guitar player has good tone but he always has to be way fucking louder than everyone else...I think his hearing is getting a little shot.
 
i tell him all the time...his setup:

Mahogany LTD w. EMG81>tubescreamer maxed vol>peavey 5150 high gain input crunch channel, gain like at half crunch engaged, settings about noon> vintage 30 cab ....also power tubes in the amp biased at 42 ma, we play in C tuning, but he likes his sound so what CAN you do!
 
always seems to come down to some dumbass scooping the mids :)
 
apophis":1m8og8w2 said:
i tell him all the time...his setup:

Mahogany LTD w. EMG81>tubescreamer maxed vol>peavey 5150 high gain input crunch channel, gain like at half crunch engaged, settings about noon> vintage 30 cab ....also power tubes in the amp biased at 42 ma, we play in C tuning, but he likes his sound so what CAN you do!

Are you joking? That should sound pretty good for a metal band... unless you're playing classic rock in c standard.
 
mchn13":8aqv746w said:
apophis":8aqv746w said:
i tell him all the time...his setup:

Mahogany LTD w. EMG81>tubescreamer maxed vol>peavey 5150 high gain input crunch channel, gain like at half crunch engaged, settings about noon> vintage 30 cab ....also power tubes in the amp biased at 42 ma, we play in C tuning, but he likes his sound so what CAN you do!

Are you joking? That should sound pretty good for a metal band... unless you're playing classic rock in c standard.


nope not joking....it sounds extremely middy, an emg 81 does not need a boost, as it is already "boosted" in a way, and it does not need to go into the high gain input that is already going overboard and just thins the sound....noisy and honky/bright...i dont like it at all ...plus the super hot bias he has makes the amp sound muddy or something...

i guess the main problem is the vintage 30s....since i use eminence speakers either in my fatbottom or vader cabs, the added presence the celestion has gets on my nerves very quickly
 
stephen sawall":2c7uku7r said:
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....

Ya, I knew there was something other than your playing, killer tone, and similar taste in gear-- that I liked about you. Political correctness is so anti-Rock-N-Roll. :rock:
 
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