Recruiting quality guitarists

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by lavaxtris

the Black Keys are selling out big time with their cheezy radio hits.

The Black Keys are not sell outs.

I believe it's called "making a living"

Blue

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by Peepaleep

That's why everything that became popular in the 90's absolutely sucked. Hendrix never gets old.

I'm glad you said that; I've had a few scotches and was about give a long, boring diatribe on the importance of a great guitarist in a R&R band (it's boring enough already). It's true though, all those dull grungy/punk bands with boring droning guitar parts. No thanks.

[bwardmusic]

Been here...we tried forever to find a guitarist for our 80's band startup. Finally, I advertised the gig paid $75.00 and got someone. There was no pay for the gig to the band -- the three founding members each coughed up $25 and funded the guitarist for the first gig. Told him he only had to show up for a rehearsal when we had a gig.

If you have gigs that pay, the good players will come out of the woodwork. The problem with your ad is that it advertises you have nothing on the horizon. The really good players don't want to spend all year in the basement -- they want to be out playing and earning money.

What I would recommend is this -- hire someone to play lead on three recordings. Let them use a generic kind of sound like distortion or clean/reverbed or chorused sounds. Use the recordings to book a couple gigs two months out. THEN advertise for a guitarist indicating there is pay and gigs on the horizon.

The good players will come out of the woodwork. I have done this before and it works. It also helps the band see how marketable they are. Plus, it displays who is serious about promotion, and who isn't, in the band.

Also, it provides incentive for the guys in the band to book gigs because they don't get their rehearsal fix until they rustle up some gigs. There is nothing like gigs on the horizon to attract good players and energize the band.

Without sales, nothing happens.

[Raymeous]

Give it a go as a trio and go play some shows even if its a BBQ at a friends house.

Playing a few shows will give you at the minimum a few pics to post on your site/facebook page which will help your credibility as a band, and the experience will help solidify your performance. Besides if you're out and about playing shows, you will meet a lot of musicians within your local scene. These other bands may have some recommendation for you such as "Don't trust that guy, he'll show up drunk all the time"

Just be the trio as I feel anymore busy schedules in the mix will just get more distracting. If it happens it happens. Solos can add to the song but a 4 bar little melody from guitar #1 will be sufficient to get the point across.