A guitarist who doesn't know guitar.

5StringDelirium · #1 01-28-2009, 08:32 AM

I have been having a continuous argument with my guitarist for about a month. His guitar is a 3 year old bottom of the line ibanez, the hardware is falling apart causing him to tune in the middle of a song, and the pickups are the worst. To top it all off he knows nothing about equipment and loves the way his guitar with $10 pickups sounds.

So with that said, I'm a tone freak. I have done quite a few pickup changes and worked on many guitars. I learned to play guitar before playing bass and I upgraded the electronics for a better sound. Now I'm trying to get my guitarist to ether use my guitar or one of my friend's guitars because they sound so much better but he wont.

Could some one please help me in trying to help him? And again when I said he knows nothing about equipment I really mean nothing.

RAT TAT TAT · #2 01-28-2009, 08:40 AM

either buy him a guitar or leave him and his tone alone.
maybe a trip to guitar center to show him the endless possibilities would help?

namraj · #3 01-28-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAT TAT TAT

either buy him a guitar or leave him and his tone alone.
maybe a trip to guitar center to show him the endless possibilities would help?

+1

GianGian · #4 01-28-2009, 08:54 AM

If we ignore the tuning problem, I can't see what's wrong...you can't say that something sounds better than another thing. It is not because certain pick ups are more famous and more expensive that everybody has to love their sound. If he likes the timbre he gets, leave him alone, take care of your own sound, let him do his work. The only real problem I see is the tuning issue.

stflbn · #5 01-28-2009, 08:57 AM

Find a different guitar player who's preferences and outlook on gear is more in line with your own.

Otherwise you're going to constantly be pushing your outlook on this guy.

Ric5 · #6 01-28-2009, 09:01 AM

Some people suck ... they play guitars that suck ... they have tone that sucks ...

If you let them in your band then your band will suck.

T-MOST · #7 01-28-2009, 09:03 AM

I played knew a bass player who had the same love for a piece of crap Ibanez. The bass sounded terrible, popped, hummed and slipped out of tune all the time. All anyone could do was to keep telling him how bad his bass sounded and why. About 4 months later he finally bought a decent bass. You just have to stay on him "explaining" what is wrong not just bashing his gear.

nightcityburn · #8 01-28-2009, 09:03 AM

Buy him some grovers, and let it be. His gear is his gear, yours is yours. If it is that bad, one of you can move on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringDelirium

I have been having a continuous argument with my guitarist for about a month. His guitar is a 3 year old bottom of the line ibanez, the hardware is falling apart causing him to tune in the middle of a song, and the pickups are the worst. To top it all off he knows nothing about equipment and loves the way his guitar with $10 pickups sounds.

So with that said, I'm a tone freak. I have done quite a few pickup changes and worked on many guitars. I learned to play guitar before playing bass and I upgraded the electronics for a better sound. Now I'm trying to get my guitarist to ether use my guitar or one of my friend's guitars because they sound so much better but he wont.

Could some one please help me in trying to help him? And again when I said he knows nothing about equipment I really mean nothing.

dreadheadbass · #9 01-28-2009, 09:04 AM

smash his guitar and make it look like an accident

BillMason · #10 01-28-2009, 09:56 AM

Our lead guitarist had been with us for two years, and the singer and I had been constantly complaining behind his back about his gear, or more exactly, his tone. So had other people, friends of ours. He also played an Ibanez, but an expensive one - still sounded like crap though. He was also a very mechanical player, very uninspired. In late December we had a stand in play lead for us, as this guy was away with his family for holidays. The stand-in could really play, very well, and he also owned a Telecaster, which sounded *awesome*. People who know us said to me between sets that they couldn't even believe it was the same band, we sounded so different.

Fortunately, he left just this past Thursday, effecive immediately, with two gigs coming up. Yes, fortunately, because now we get the opportunity to find a real lead player, one with nice gear, and able to get the right sound. To me, this is a huge relief, and I know we will not have trouble replacing him, temporarily for the upcoming gigs, or permanently.

I'm not a fan of Ibanez guitars - not now anyway. His sounded really thin, no matter what EQ settings he used, what pickups, what effects, etc. It was one of those really thin-bodied metal guitars with the locking Floyd Rose tremolos (which he never used), made for shredding, which he never did. I know many people say that tone is in your fingers, and I agree that this is where it starts, but everything between your fingers and the listener's ears comes into play, and gear is a very controllable part of that. Start with the right gear, and practice, practice, practice.

Oh and listen, listen, listen too!

I suggest you take him on a few trips to the guitar store, as mentioned, and let him try whatever he likes, but also make some suggestions, like a nice Les Paul, Strat, etc. and try out some tube amps.

Also talk to him about what players he likes, and if there are some whose tone you really admire, talk to him about them also, and ask him "how do you think he gets his guitar to sound so ______?" (fill in the blank with whatever adjectives are apropriate: mellow, raw, raunchy, fat, etc.)

scorpionldr · #11 01-28-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GianGian

If we ignore the tuning problem, I can't see what's wrong...you can't say that something sounds better than another thing. It is not because certain pick ups are more famous and more expensive that everybody has to love their sound. If he likes the timbre he gets, leave him alone, take care of your own sound, let him do his work. The only real problem I see is the tuning issue.

floyd rose tremolo. that is, IF your songs are all in one tuning. but really, that would at least raise the bar as far as holding notes in tune..

GianGian · #12 01-29-2009, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scorpionldr

floyd rose tremolo. that is, IF your songs are all in one tuning. but really, that would at least raise the bar as far as holding notes in tune..

I agree. But after all, all these floating bridges are a pain to set up, I would prefer to install an old school fender style tremolo and be happy.

Silas Martinez · #13 01-29-2009, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GianGian

I agree. But after all, all these floating bridges are a pain to set up, I would prefer to install an old school fender style tremolo and be happy.

Ah yes. Thank you for reminding me of yet another reason I play bass. And have a Les Paul copy for when I do feel like I have to pick up a six string.

Ely · #14 01-29-2009, 01:57 PM

My guitarist used to be like that. He chose gear based on brand name alone, and since he was broke bought bottom-of-the-line brand-name crap. I showed him the light. Unfortunately, now he's in the market for a new amp since his crappy Line 6 died on him. And he keeps insisting on trying every amp with crappy built-in effects. I keep trying to convince him that built-in effects are a useless gimmick. I think I'm finally starting to sway him, as he was looking at a Cyber Twin last time we were at GC (which is still kinda gimmicky, but at least it doesn't have single-knob Delays and other such garbage)

fishtx · #15 01-29-2009, 11:47 PM

I had a 30 year high school reunion last year, and as part of the festivities, they asked us if we would put our old High School rock band together and play...well, we did it...and pretty much everyone did a great job, except the old guitar player. He showed up at a rehearsal (the only one we had before the show), with a decent guitar, a great Mesa combo guitar amp, and a pedalboard the size of a freakin door, with lowend pedals covering the whole thing....and his tone was horrible. I spoke to him about it, and he was like "what??...man this is my sound...I think it sounds great, etc...". The rest of us struggled all night with his tone...but just sucked it up because it was just supposed to be fun anyways, and only that one night...and we eased the pain with many many cocktails...LOL

bearfoot · #16 01-30-2009, 01:03 PM

The next time you have a rehearsal, wait for him to get his guitar out, and say, "say, can I see your guitar for a sec?". Then, walk a few paces away from him. Say, "A guitar is a beautiful thing, is it not? It's really too bad, what happened to your guitar."
And then when he asks, "what do you mean? What happened to my guitar?", you smash it repeatedly against something very hard that you have previously set up for this purpose. Maybe a few cinder blocks. It's important to demolish the guitar well past the point of no return.

Heh heh. Just had to have a Tarantino moment with that.

artdrtr · #17 01-30-2009, 01:16 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9JYq...eature=related

"I gave my love a chicken, that had no bones.."

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearfoot

The next time you have a rehearsal, wait for him to get his guitar out, and say, "say, can I see your guitar for a sec?". Then, walk a few paces away from him. Say, "A guitar is a beautiful thing, is it not? It's really too bad, what happened to your guitar."
And then when he asks, "what do you mean? What happened to my guitar?", you smash it repeatedly against something very hard that you have previously set up for this purpose. Maybe a few cinder blocks. It's important to demolish the guitar well past the point of no return.

Heh heh. Just had to have a Tarantino moment with that.

andymcclure · #18 01-30-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bearfoot

The next time you have a rehearsal, wait for him to get his guitar out, and say, "say, can I see your guitar for a sec?". Then, walk a few paces away from him. Say, "A guitar is a beautiful thing, is it not? It's really too bad, what happened to your guitar."
And then when he asks, "what do you mean? What happened to my guitar?"...

...The floating relief compensator on the bridge is stripped, and that's why it won't stay in tune. See? Right here where the chrome is gone. It's a shame, really, because by the time you get it fixed, you'll have spent enough to buy a whole new guitar. We should get you to Guitar Center ASAP. I hate to say it, but this thing is probably only good to hang on the wall at this point.

Beginner Bass · #19 05-08-2010, 07:30 AM

It's his choice. If his tone is bad enough that it is truly detrimental to the band, then you can make an arrangement for who stays. If not, just let him play. I' not sure of guitar, but typically a new amp will change the tone more than anything on the front end.

St Drogo · #20 05-08-2010, 08:03 AM

I've been in the same situation, minus the tuning probs. IME, you can't get those guys to care more for their equipment. Srsly, it's a lost cause. You have to decide whether it's a dealbreaker. I'd say it isn't, because if your band is tight enough, you can rock the house with two rubberbands, a plywood board and some scotch tape. Just sayin.