Any input welcomed and appreciated

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by jive1

I can tolerate alot in a band, but ability to hear is so basic to playing in a band that if someone can't do it, I will take my toys and go home. It's like trying to paint a mural with someone who is blind, running a relay race with someone who is crippled, trying to win a clapping contest with someone who only has one hand, trying to sing in a choir with someone who is mute, writing a story with someone who can't read.......I think you get the point.

The man has a point. Forget all this crap about equipment, it's the fault of your band who allow this to happen. I wouldn't put up with it, no matter how much I liked the people or the band. Basically, they're treating you like a second class citizen in your own band: stuff that.

[BuffaloBass]

Stick to the directional wave velocity science rationale as I did. I tried not to spark his childish ego, and get the damn job done. It worked.

In case y'all think even 50 yr olds are "grown up". Hell no. Men like children. As an old skool natural man, I find it, efn gross frankly. But, thats the operating environment we find ourselves in.

Neutralize ego as much as possible in your comment to the guitarist. ( us ex interrogators know when to and when not to use ego.)

[NYCbassist]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

I almost find it worrisome that Im never told anything one way or another about my volume, be it on stage or in the rehearsal room. Id like to think that I just know the appropriate level at which to play, but without feedback I guess I can't be sure. Looks like Im going to have to ask next time we're all in a room together.

Don't ask. This is an If it ain't broke, don't fix it situation.

[zfunkman]

You have to be confident in your playing and in your sound. You also have to respect and be respected by your bandmates. You have personal power and you have to own your personal power; use it. No matter what kind of music is being played everyone must be heard; there must be balance in the sound or it will sound bad to those who listen. Back in my intermediate days of being in a band I would sometimes be in a band were the musicianship was not always "up to par." We would always try to keep the lesser musician in the band down in the mix. Re-assess were you are as a musician and see if your bandmates respect your playing. If you need to get better . . . practice more. If its your guitar player being an egomaniac address it. Everything in a band should be open to honest discussion. Be ready to move on or kick someone out. Musicians can be a pain in the ass to deal with and many do not take constructive critism very well at all. However, start with yourself.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by remainthesame

IEM? im afraid im not familiar. and at the moment im using a gallien krueger neo 410, with a 1001rb head. more than enough to easily over power him, but my volume knob is set next to nothing.

You can't hear your bass in the monitor mix?

Blue

[charlie monroe]

Originally Posted by remainthesame

...this problem isn't just when we play live, I cant hear any of my tracks on any of our recordings...

Did you guys miss this? This is not about IEMs or stacking cabs.
The guitarist either doesn't want a bassist in the band, or he doesn't want the OP playing bass in the band.

[NYCbassist]

Originally Posted by charlie monroe

Did you guys miss this? This is not about IEMs or stacking cabs.
The guitarist either doesn't want a bassist in the band, or he doesn't want the OP playing bass in the band.

I caught it but Didn't have a good answer for it. I would love to hear the recordings though

[obimark]

Sometimes it is easier to hear your bass when you get at least six feet in front of your amp, and if your band practices facing each other your guitarist is probably getting walloped with your bass MUCH more than you. Same goes for his guitar, you probably hear it MUCH louder than he does.
But the lack of even listening if you ar ein key disturbs me, this tells me either your guitard is tone deaf/deaf, or jsut doesn't care to hear your bass.
NEVER forget many bands think they should just FEEL your bass but could CARE less to HEAR a single note you play. If this is the case, QUIT and move along, if they refuse to change.
My band is good, I actually deliberately play wrong notes sometimes and they actually comment many times, and show me the chord I should play. Good test to do BTW, IME.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by charlie monroe

Did you guys miss this? This is not about IEMs or stacking cabs.
The guitarist either doesn't want a bassist in the band, or he doesn't want the OP playing bass in the band.

Yes, I missed it. I'll cheek the initial post .

Blue

[mikegug]

I haven't exeprimented with this concept, but I've been told that the sonic wave lengths (of the low bass notes) are so long, it's more difficult to hear them as you stand closer to the rig's speaker, as the entire frequency cycle doesn't reach the person's ear... only part of it does. So, the bassist (right next to the cab) may have trouble hearing notes, when the guitarist on the other side of the stage can hear every bass note loud and clear.

Can anyone here substantiate that?

That's what I thought would be the issue here, but it turns out your guitarist is a bozo.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by mikegug

I haven't exeprimented with this concept, but I've been told that the sonic wave lengths (of the low bass notes) are so long, it's more difficult to hear them as you stand closer to the rig's speaker, as the entire frequency cycle doesn't reach the person's ear... only part of it does. So, the bassist (right next to the cab) may have trouble hearing notes, when the guitarist on the other side of the stage can hear every bass note loud and clear.

Can anyone here substantiate that?

Yes, that is true.

[Biggbass]

Originally Posted by remainthesame

To test and see if I was too loud (or if they could hear me at all) I decided to play in a different tuning but hitting all the frets as I would have normally, thus making me play a whole step higher than everybody else. And guess what? Nobody said anything at all, nobody noticed. In fact, my guitarist mentioned how great the new song sounded and how it was the best I ever played it.

if this is the result of your off key playing test, then obviously your guitarist is a musical idiot, as well may be the rest of the band members. Run from that band as fast as you can.
Run Forest, Run!

[Technotitclan]

Two things,

1) my guitarist did the same thing to me. It was surprising because I know he actually loves bass. I figured out that the problem was he was standing directly in front of my full stack so he had easy access to his amp to make eq changes. His amp is just a half stack. Guitar especially is dependent on direction. What I did to correct his issue was put his slanted face 412 on its side then tilt it back against the wall. This dispersed his sound all over the room. If y'all would like a pic I can supply one.

2) who is mixing your recordings? If you can't be heard they prolly cut you out. idk you background so I don't know your skills with an eq so excuse me if I'm way off but you could have your eq set in a way that doesn't mix nicely with the band as a whole and they might not understand that and decide to cut you out of the mix rather than fix the problem. I know my eq during self practice is very different than with the band and they are not interchangeable.

[bassfran]

Originally Posted by charlie monroe

You don't happen to play for Metallica, by chance?

Nailed it.

To the OP- I'd start looking for some new bandmates.

[obimark]

The metallica comment is so TRUE- even on some of the albums where CLiff is playing you can NOT hear the bass at all!
and "In Justice for All" is the absolute worst bass mix EVER- shame on you james Hetfield!

IME some guitards, particularly METAl wannabes do not want to hear what the bass is playing, they just want to feel it.

[Technotitclan]

Tell them first to check there ego. A band is a team. Then tell them that next practice, instead of doing a normal practice you want to spend the whole time adjusting levels and eq's and not just yours, everyone's. several slightly off eq's = disaster. Also mess with cab placement. Put the guitar cab on top of your 410.

If the problem with the guitard persists LEAVE. If they refuse to work with you LEAVE.

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by mikegug

I haven't exeprimented with this concept, but I've been told that the sonic wave lengths (of the low bass notes) are so long, it's more difficult to hear them as you stand closer to the rig's speaker, as the entire frequency cycle doesn't reach the person's ear... only part of it does. So, the bassist (right next to the cab) may have trouble hearing notes, when the guitarist on the other side of the stage can hear every bass note loud and clear.

Can anyone here substantiate that?

That's what I thought would be the issue here, but it turns out your guitarist is a bozo.

No. What can happen is a cancellation of low end from a low ceiling reflection affecting the bassist near the rig. No such thing as wave development. Ear buds "develop" the bass just fine.

Can't hear a step off, that's worst I ever heard. Unplugged you can imagine they imagine their lows are your perfectly synced doublings.

The band has no need of a bass.

Interesting point raised about the possibility of you being the weak link. What if there's a guitar forum where your mate is asking "this can't go on., my buddy is a great guy but he's not keeping up so we make him so quiet he can't be heard". Yeah right, you'd be out on your ear.

[Piggy8692]

You don't want to quit, Guitarist doesn't want to hear you.. Even in the recordings? If turning down to 0 isn't a big enough clue, I don't know what is. Then he gets mad if you turn up? That's like slappin you in the face then getting madder because your cheek turned red.

The way I see it, you have a couple options. Talk to them. If things stay the same, you can't complain. It's your decision to stay. Or at least pretend your goin crazy on that bass! slappin, tappin, maybe even play behind your back! Everyone will think you a God!

[Piggy8692]

Also I'm curious. What did they say when you told then that you played the song in the wrong tuning?

[two fingers]

I have only found one solution for this. I have told countless guitarists that they can tell me to turn down the moment they point their amp at THEIR head, not mine! You tell your guitar player to either put his rig on some sort of stand (if it's a head and cab) or tilt it back and point it at HIS head if it's a combo. If he still plays as loud as he did before, the situation is hopeless. Tell him how stupid he is as you pack your gear. See how much he likes it when you are REALLY not there.

By the way, how do the other band mates feel about it? Are they ALL as frightened of the ego maniac guitar player as you seem to be?