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Egotistical Guitarists Anyone?

B

bassistofdoom

Sep 1, 2012
63
1
#1
Ever been drowned out of the mix (live or record) by an egotistical guitarist who seemingly can't comprehend that a song isn't all just guitar?

I used to play in a band with two guitarists that would always push me out of the mix. Anyone ever have that happen?

Needless to say, I quit the band in a rather dramatic way. We were at rehearsal and the guitarist kept telling me to turn the bass down, and I was getting beyond irritated because I was long past the point where I couldn't hear myself. So I cranked my amp to 10, drowning the band in a barrage of low end anger and hauled my gear and behind out of there and never looked back.

Thankfully, I now play in a band with one guitarist who actually likes bass in the mix (to him, I replace the rhythm guitarist, so it's all cool)
 
#4
I have never had this problem since all the guitar players I played with really want a solid bassist. I would not work one second with a guitarist or band that did not accept the role of a good bassist. They could continue on there own..I'm out!
 
#5
This- absolutely- have walked from bands for this very reason.

It is quite common in hard-rock, heavy metal/metal that these folks just want a bass player because they think they need to have one, and really have no intention of your playing be heard, or even want to hear it.

Probably why I am moving more towards, blues and oldies/pop only for my next band.
Another test I do, when I think the guitard can't hear me, is I play a WHOLE bunch of HIGH OCTAVE FILLS (think intro to Ozzy- I don't know) except every other MEASURE to test, if I don't get the "eye" I know he can't even hear me at all.
NWB said:
Yes.

My stock reply/action is to tell them that since they don't want to hear any bass, then I'll be on my way. I don't have time for that crap.

They can play without any bass, since that's what they apparently want.
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#7
obimark said:
This- absolutely- have walked from bands for this very reason.

It is quite common in hard-rock, heavy metal/metal that these folks jsut want a bass player because they think they need to ahve one, and really have no intention of your playing be heard, or even want to hear it.

Probably why I am moving more towards, blues and oldies/pop only for my next band.
Click to expand...

I hope no one tells my metal band this.
 
#8
Bass_Band said:
In a song with a nice low groove that I master well, I just heard the lead guitar riff. In one of that kinda tune, I’ve lost my bass’s cable 30 seconds before the end and no bandmates notice! (except for the drummer who as in-ear mix). I realized I was unplugged at the end of the song.
Click to expand...

That was in a show. Everything was ok for them. A day after the show, as I were asking for comment about my volume in the mix, the cats told me that my volume was OK for all the show. Superb! I walked my way out of that nobassband. They surely had rehearsal since then... they maybe haven't really notice I'm out yet! :rollno:

I live and learn. Next time I'll push my bass in the mix as I think it's OK for me with the band's opinion. If the guitar is all over and it appears to be allright; they'll have to find a quietbassman! Bass in the mix is needed! We wanna see that booty shaked! :bassist:
 
#9
Yeah. Old band I was in briefly had a lead guitarist who would always pull the slow "volume creep" on his Line 6 amp. By then end of one practice, his amp was so screaming loud that I couldn't hear my own amp (right behind me), or the rhythm guitarist. Our rhythm guitarist/singer ended up spiking his instrument cable on the ground and was so pissed I thought he was going to deck the guy. That was our last practice with that self-proclaimed guitar god, who was so amazing he went on to play with no one of note and might be dead or in jail for all I know or care.
 
#14
I think some guitarists think that they have to be THE LOUDEST in the band, bar the drummer. So they crank up the volume, thereby drowning everyone else. I think those sorts of people need a lesson in band mixing 101. I've been lucky I haven't encountered a band like that, but I've seen bands do that in rehearsal.
 
#16
klokker said:
So far, never played with an egotistical guitar player, never been drowned out by one. Terrible tone? Yup, but never overpowered by it.

Keyboard players are another matter. That's where I've had trouble.
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This too, especially if they start hitting those low notes- DRIVES me insane, asked the last one-" do you want me to sit out this song since you are doubling my bassline?"
 
#18
I've auditioned for bands like that. They all say the same thing. "Man, it's so hard to find a bass player, we've auditioned dozens it seems."



I'm thinking, "Oh, really? You uh, ...don't see the contradiction there?"
 
#19
Sometimes guitarists don't know what they hear.
I've had a few experiences where there was too much bass overall, but it wasn't coming from me (alone).
Heavily overdriven guitars produce subharmonics that add boominess to the sound and equalizers with boosted lows make it even worse.
So if a guitar is covering the low register and getting in the way of the bass, rolling off the lows from it is much more productive than raising the volume of the bass.
Now, if the guitarist is uncooperative and wants to have the nice , full sound he uses on a much lower volume level, in his bedroom, then there's nothing to be done.

As for keyboardists... a more physical approach will be necessary to keep them from going were they shouldn't ;-) .
 
#20
iovar said:
As for keyboardists... a more physical approach will be necessary to keep them from going were they shouldn't ;-) .
Click to expand...

I got our keyboard player to eq out the lows. That was more important than just playing with the right hand etc. although that's important too.

What sold it is not that you can hear the bass, but that the band sounds so much better. Some keyboard guy who knew what he was doing stood in on ONE song a while back.....that's all it took.

Heck, I don't like tons of low end in my bass sound. Huge lows don't work for us at all at any level.
 

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