What should I say?

[1bassleft]

Confront him nicely about excessive effects. Either he will catch on or move on. I also hate excessive effects. Too much reverb on vocals is a common mistake beginners make.

I have a not-directly relevant story in agreement. I was asked along to a 1st performance of a duo (friend's relative on guitar, plus vocalist). The vocalist was pretty good but the reverb was tiled bathroom in a Gothic cathedral. I told her, "Please don't take this the wrong way, some vocalists use that much reverb to disguise that they can't stay in tune. You're far too good to need that much, but it makes you sound like you're hiding something. Honestly, I think you'd sound more impressive using a lot less."

She wasn't thrilled, but she wasn't offended and I wasn't expecting either reaction when I put it like that.

 

[Strung_Low]

While rehearsing a song with a particularly muddy guitar part, stop and say something like, "can we hear what this sounds like with no effects?" Or, as others have said, suggest he blend in a little more clean signal so the guitar can cut through and be heard better.

 

[jwr]

Wrong. It's the other way around.
I care about song structures and over-saturation because I am passionate about music.

You don't suppose we could both be right? Art can work in many fashions. I'll recede my thought to include yours because you are correct as well.

What I mean, is an artist can create art with or without structure and music for me is an art form. That's how I view it. I don't pay attention to certain aspects if they restrain my artistic abilities or if I feel I can achieve something amazing.

I'll give you an example. I'm polishing a song that I wrote a while back and I jump from majors to minors and back and forth with no regard to the traditional song structure. It's not because I don't care, it's because it created a uniqueness that worked. If it didn't sound good with the song however, I would have nixed it. That was with a piano however but I have done similar with my bass or even a guitar.

 

[Flamingo21]

You don't suppose we could both be right? Art can work in many fashions. I'll recede my thought to include yours because you are correct as well.

What I mean, is an artist can create art with or without structure and music for me is an art form. That's how I view it. I don't pay attention to certain aspects if they restrain my artistic abilities or if I feel I can achieve something amazing.

I'll give you an example. I'm polishing a song that I wrote a while back and I jump from majors to minors and back and forth with no regard to the traditional song structure. It's not because I don't care, it's because it created a uniqueness that worked. If it didn't sound good with the song however, I would have nixed it. That was with a piano however but I have done similar with my bass or even a guitar.

You're right.

 

[Badwater]

Turn the guitar player on to a Fender Tweed Twin, or 5e3 deluxe. So he can hear what real natural tone is about.

 

[mellowinman]

You don't suppose we could both be right? Art can work in many fashions. I'll recede my thought to include yours because you are correct as well.

What I mean, is an artist can create art with or without structure and music for me is an art form. That's how I view it. I don't pay attention to certain aspects if they restrain my artistic abilities or if I feel I can achieve something amazing.

I'll give you an example. I'm polishing a song that I wrote a while back and I jump from majors to minors and back and forth with no regard to the traditional song structure. It's not because I don't care, it's because it created a uniqueness that worked. If it didn't sound good with the song however, I would have nixed it. That was with a piano however but I have done similar with my bass or even a guitar.

You're right.

PEOPLE!! Can't we agree not to get along????

 

[Flamingo21]

PEOPLE!! Can't we agree not to get along????

No!