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Two Les Paul's in the mix

quite easy, actually...

just play back their untreated tracks with all the mud. if they can´t hear it, they´re in the wrong field of profession...

overall mix is far more important than individual needs...

They seem to be stuck thinking that is the best that can be done. I must admit, I really just need to spend some time tweaking. I think it'll help if I spend some time on the tracks and show them what is possible with a little time.

Not a profession at all, just a hobby, but I was always taught, "If you're going to do something, do it right".

I'll try and get some before and after comparisons up.

And re-statement earlier about even the bass having to sit in the mix, that's why at times, even with much nicer basses, I've recorded with a cheap bass with P pickup just for the approximation of that sound (this was pre-second guitarist coming along, now nothing sits in the mix, i can cut like a knife with the ray, but (granted the tone sucked, bass being totally treble heavy on the pre to cut through like that and it just stuck out like a sore thumb [or fieldy]!),
 
I feel for you man. I used to play with one guitar player who loved his Les Paul Customs, loved to favor the neck p/up, loved to pump the bass on his tone controls, loved his Mesa triple rectum fryer with tour ready 4 x 12" cab. Good player, great guy, but just wouldn't hear any talk about the idea that guitar with a ton of bass in the sound isn't the way to go. I used to fight like hell to be heard. One time, we were playing a part where we doubled each other... I came unplugged and didn't even know it! I was never hearing myself on unison parts. He thinks his sound has "balls". Like I said, great guy. I still stay in touch with him. (I can't play with him anymore) I can't even imagine playing with two guitards who suffered from the same Les Paul disease.
 
You could try the opposite approach instead of demanding them to change their EQ, you could change yours, less lows, more mids, treble to taste.

I used to play with a guy who did the bass 10 mids 0 treble 10 for his guitar EQ, so I turned MY bass EQ knob all the way down, and I cranked the mids.

It didn't cut through the mix... it PLOWED through it!! :D

Of course you don't have to do this, and it would be best to have then change their stuff instead.
 
Show them the raw mix... explain to them why it sounds as such. Try to get them to agree to tone it down some for another test mix and show them the difference. It will only be when they hear the difference that they understand where you are coming from.
 
i agree with ALL YOUR BASS. i used to be in a metal band with 2 bass heavy gtarists. the best way i found to cut through on record and live with my bass is to solo the bridge pup and boost the mids(cirrus 5, jazz 4). i got a nice rich growl that cut through perfectly(at a lower volume even). . our gtarists were all highs and lows w/ no mids. so i sat in the mid spot and all was well. its good cause i really like the tone i was getting...so not alot of sacrafice there. even though i was using less bass the songs still sounded heavy since the gtar was so bassy. if you need a deep rumble on certain spots on the record you can layer that mid bass part with a bassier one and have the best of both. or live you can just pan to both pups when the tarists are dueling it out with 10 min harmonizing barbarian super solos.-joep