how many guitars (is too many)?

[scorpionldr]

this is really what drove me to ask the question.

it seems that lots of times guitarists are competitive to the point of being detrimental to the overall, or they're the guy who isn't really adding much (maybe he owns the pa?). but lots of times even the most attention desperate guitarist will be more attuned to the rest of the band when there's no direct competition.

either that or i just have a bad attitude about guitarists.

I think the modern role of guitar in Rock/punk/metal is quite literally now to just be a **** cannon because its frankly so good at making obscure noises. The less talented musician has usually the easier time.

 

[pklima]

That said, I'm not sure I could find enough guitar players I could trust to lay back enough to do it live.

Heh, I've sort of thought the same thing whenever I saw a new country band or Shakira with four guitarists live - you really have to pay guitarists a lot of money to get them to play so few notes.

 

[ERIC31]

I'm sick of playing with 2 guitards. Too loud, take up my stage space, always worried about having solos and showing off. Laid back doesn't exist in their minds. (yes, I'm venting about my previous band! LOL)

Next band I form will be a trio. NO SECOND GUITAR!

 

[Raymeous]

It all depends on the genre you're playing and the quality of the musicians involved. If you have good guitarists (yes there is such a thing) you can have several, but if they don't listen to the band while they play and just noodle away it can be a total disaster.

I also grew up listening to film score stuff so for me more guitars, keyboards, percussion, etc.. means more possibilities for orchestration, and harmonies. The trick is the more musicians you have, regardless of instrument type, the simpler the parts need to be in order for the SONG to shine.

Just my dos centavos

 

[garmenteros]

I like power trios but some music just needs two guitars. A rythm and a lead player. Imagine metallica, megadeth, mastodon or any heavy band with just one guitar. Wouldn't work as well.

 

[Frank Tuesday]

i've felt for most of my life that i prefer a single guitar in a band. i know a lot of bands have 2 or sometimes 3 guitars even if there's a keyboard or other instruments. that got me thinking, from a bass perspective how many guitars? how about from a listeners perspective?

One more than the right amount is too many.

It all depends on how the players interact. Are they all fighting over the same sonic space? If so, 2 is probably one too many. I've seen 4 guitarists play together, but they each had their own sonic space, so it wasn't too many.

My band has zero guitarists.