How to apprach a potentially awkward subject with other guitarist?

John_A

hywelg said:

You'd be surprised at the number of gigging guitarists that think their bedroom sound is OK for gigging. Never is, far too much compression, no dynamics and often too much bass. 

You need to talk about each others sound, two guitars sounding simular is often awful. Maybe suggest that you will change your sound so that the overall sound is better. Then ask him to do the same. 

I used to play in a band with a guy that downloaded presets for every song we played and used 'that's what it must be on the record' to justify the awful din coming out of his amp

IvisonGuitars

Definitely worth flagging it up with him. As the others say, try recording a rehearsal/song and then when listening back make a point of saying “you’re playing some great stuff there but it’s not really cutting through...perhaps we need to eq  you so you’re not getting lost?” type thing.

Onthe other side of the coin, I played with a guitarist who, over the course of 18 months, duplicated my entire rig, which was very flattering but made the guitars sound like one BIG guitar instead of two separate guitars and the parts became less defined. An extreme example but something to be aware of too. The guitar sounds need to be different but complimenting each other....as you know.

ICBM

miserneil said:

Onthe other side of the coin, I played with a guitarist who, over the course of 18 months, duplicated my entire rig, which was very flattering but made the guitars sound like one BIG guitar instead of two separate guitars and the parts became less defined. An extreme example but something to be aware of too. The guitar sounds need to be different but complimenting each other....as you know.

I’ve had that problem too, both with the other guitarist in a band I was in, and one in another band we often gigged with - it’s very nice to know someone thinks your sound is so good they have to copy it, but frustrating when you know it isn’t going to suit that player, and in the case of your own band, meant that I had to change *my* gear again to avoid that problem and hope he didn’t then follow!

rico

In means we have something called communication. It helps if you consider the band as a business and not take criticism personally. I’d just tell him straight up and not in an elitist fashion. If they take exception then that band probably isn’t for you. 

hotpickups

He’s another guitarist? I hope he isn’t a member on here reading this. One way of sorting it out I guess

FarleyUK

Personally, if my sound was getting lost in the mix - or was detrimental to the overall band sound - I'd prefer someone to tell me.

I've always somehow ended up being the person in the band responsible for the sound etc., so it would actually be quite nice to have someone else chip in with their thoughts. Of course, you might be slightly annoyed, but it's all about how it's delivered.

gjonesy

octatonic said:

Show him this thread...

....and sleep with his wife

JMP220478

suggest you record all rehearsals n then listen back as a band - having set the goals of this process in advance  - but overall a feedback mechanism to improve in general - if as you have described that his sound is not working as well in a two guitar setup then maybe the other band members will pick this up .. a word of advice though coming from someone who is anal about sound , tuning . timing , dynamics etc - not everyone is ... and things that stick out painfully to you could well just not be on their radar ..    sometimes much like in business - an external consultant with exactly the same view as you will have more credibility as theyre not part of the setup and perhaps their feedback is easier to take than any band members let alone the new guy .. 

good luck - had issue with one lineups drummer whose cymbal ring / wash made certain frequencies muddy n a mess - wouldnt listen until sound engineer at a private gig put tape n masses of blue tack on his ride / crash ride n the penny dropped ... 

ESBlonde

JMP220478 said:

suggest you record all rehearsals n then listen back as a band - having set the goals of this process in advance  - but overall a feedback mechanism to improve in general - if as you have described that his sound is not working as well in a two guitar setup then maybe the other band members will pick this up .. a word of advice though coming from someone who is anal about sound , tuning . timing , dynamics etc - not everyone is ... and things that stick out painfully to you could well just not be on their radar ..    sometimes much like in business - an external consultant with exactly the same view as you will have more credibility as theyre not part of the setup and perhaps their feedback is easier to take than any band members let alone the new guy .. 

good luck - had issue with one lineups drummer whose cymbal ring / wash made certain frequencies muddy n a mess - wouldnt listen until sound engineer at a private gig put tape n masses of blue tack on his ride / crash ride n the penny dropped ... 

With the recording it might be a good idea to prearrange that each guitarists goes Tacit for half a verse in turn during one song and see the difference in the recording. It might give you better perspective and a good talking point.

steven70

Bring it up in such a way that he does not see it as a challenge or threat to ego.
"It might be me, but I am really struggling to hear what you are doing with all that...gain/bass/whatever"
Its a suggestion, no more. Something to try out. If he has any sense he will take it onboard.

You could try and meet just the two of you for an hour or two and run through some settings.
Also, be willing to modify your sound slightly in order that the both of you may work together.


Sounds like a good band and worth pursuing.

hollywoodrox

vasselmeyer said:

Get him to sign up to The Fretboard. Then we'll wait for a post that says:

"This new guy just joined my band and he's dropping snide remarks about my sound and making eyes at my wife. How do I tell him to back off?"

Yeah and we can get him to post pictures of the wife in some shiny leggings  

Moltisanti

hollywoodrox said:

vasselmeyer said:

Get him to sign up to The Fretboard. Then we'll wait for a post that says:

"This new guy just joined my band and he's dropping snide remarks about my sound and making eyes at my wife. How do I tell him to back off?"

Yeah and we can get him to post pictures of the wife in some shiny leggings  

haha i literally just scrolled through pages to see if there was a pic of his Mrs yet

Grangousier

Really! Does it matter what he's wearing while he's posting pictures?

Jez6345789

As said record the rehearsals even in. the most basic way then listen back as a group. 
If you don't want the head-on situation and you are the new boy. 
I would play love this band reckon if we got together and really nailed the guitar parts and work them through together this could be one of the best bands around get ourselves in sync get to know each other.When are you free let's get together and really nail this? I would then play with a sound very much like him and simply say after we had worked through a few numbers say let's try it if I adjust my sound now you adjust yours so we really balance. 

Diplomacy at its finest gets him to hear the benefit.  Long-winded but the whole sound may just benefit without him now feeling you are the new boy remember he already feels threatened. 

Oh yeah, shag his wife its rock and roll after all. LOL

paulmapp8306

hotpickups said:

He’s another guitarist? I hope he isn’t a member on here reading this. One way of sorting it out I guess

worked for my issues.... at least for now.

hollywoodrox

I would be quite happy for someone to help me with getting a great sound to suit me  instead of turning everything to 12 o clock and boosting the minds a bit lol

Blueingreen

hollywoodrox said:

I would be quite happy for someone to help me with getting a great sound to suit me  instead of turning everything to 12 o clock and boosting the minds a bit lol

Most bands could use a knob for boosting the minds, to be fair!

hollywoodrox

Lol minds 

chrishill901

@mark_jwedge ; Assuming the wife is a no go I'd try this...

Flip it on it's head a little. Tell him you're struggling to hear him in the mix and it's making it difficult for you - make out like its your problem but ask him if he could help by cutting the bass and gain and boosting the mids (or whatever you feel would help his tone). Apologise for being awkward but you're struggling to hear everything clearly and keep up (you are new...)... you must have bad hearing or something. He'll dutifully oblige, play a couple of songs and wait for someone (usually the drummer) to say 'wow everything was so clear and sounded great, can we keep that sound?'. Job done. Done it loads of times. The gain is always the hardest to get them to cut as its their safety blanket.

axisus

To anyone replying, bear in mind this is a resurrected Nov 2018 Thread, it's probably resolved one way or the other by now!