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one guitar bands vs. two guitar bands

StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
edited April 2006 in Musicians and Gearheads
me and my friends have a four piece band (singer, guitar, bass, drums)..........we all have been in various bands together playing various instruments, and this seems like the perfect match............everything was going great and we were all set to record 4 songs and start a myspace page

then, 5 days before recording, the others say they found another guitar player we can add to "fill out the sound"...........i was psyched to be the only guitar player after having been in bands with 2 or 3 guitar players and having to work around them

i was so set on being the only guitar player and loved the freedom it gave me that it is fuckin killing me to think that i have to work with another guitar player and have to worry about his tone, style, etc

why the fuck do people feel like you NEED 2 guitar players???

i have been snubbing the others for the last week until they see things my way (heh heh)
"I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
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Comments

  • Dirty_FrankDirty_Frank Posts: 957
    Playing with two guitar players can be a lot of fun, but I've found it's not really a pick up and go relationship. For me, I played with the same guy for 3 and a half years. We knew each other inside and out, and because of that, we could play off of each other, complement each other's style and tone and create some awesome music. Kinda like the Gossard/McCready relationship. In fact, I think I'll refer to them as McGossard from now on.

    I've played with other guys, and it's not the same. The last band I played for had little chemistry whatsoever. The one before that, we were starting to get it together, and then he left the band. That left just me, and damn, that was fun.

    I'd much rather have my entirely hetero 'partner' back, but being the only one doing the guit work is a lot of fun.
  • likepilateihaveadoglikepilateihaveadog Posts: 1,083
    I fuckin love three guitar bands...
    PJ at times...
    drive-by truckers...ad infinitum

    just the sound
    Teamwork. Rawk. Pwnage. Infinite Possibilities. YIELD. Hells yeah.
  • Dirty_FrankDirty_Frank Posts: 957
    likepilateihaveadog wrote:
    I fuckin love three guitar bands...
    PJ at times...
    drive-by truckers...ad infinitum

    just the sound


    I also love the 3 guitar sound, but when it all comes down to it, playing 3 guitars can be a pain in the ass unless all members of the group are prepared to be modest in their playing. I hope that makes sense, a little drinky drinky tonight. :D
  • likepilateihaveadoglikepilateihaveadog Posts: 1,083
    Dirty_Frank wrote:
    I also love the 3 guitar sound, but when it all comes down to it, playing 3 guitars can be a pain in the ass unless all members of the group are prepared to be modest in their playing. I hope that makes sense, a little drinky drinky tonight. :D
    Oh hell yeah.

    I'm talking about listening, not playing.
    It has to be a special thing for three.


    That's what your mom said
    Teamwork. Rawk. Pwnage. Infinite Possibilities. YIELD. Hells yeah.
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    2nd guitar player is just another person to fit in a schedule to practice record and play shows. The more band members the worse from my experience. Unless every one gets a long and have open schedules.
    E. Lansing-98 Columbus-00,03,10 Detroit-00,03 (1&2),06, 14 Cleveland-03,06,10 Toledo-04, Grand Rapids-04,06 London-05, Toronto-05, Indianapolis 10, East Troy (1&2) 11, Chicago 13, Detroit 14

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  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    For depth and diversity "within" a song.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • Thumbing My WayThumbing My Way Posts: 1,073
    I love the 2 guitar band :)

    Pearl Jam
    The Black Crowes

    Ps. McGossard sounds like a burger from McDonald's Dirty :D:D:D;)
    "I Miss You Already!!!!!"

    "Sorry is the fool who trades his love for high-rise rent, Seems the more you make equals the loneliness you get"

    .NJD.
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    As long as the guitarists are not playing the same fucking parts, I have no problem with it. when I see 2 guitar bands that have 2 guys playing the same stuff, I always say to myself "one of them is unnecessary"
    new music: http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdsymphonique

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  • Oh, JimmyOh, Jimmy Posts: 957
    One thing about PJ with 3 guitars is alotta times Mike will kinda quit playin.

    It is fun to jam bein the only guitarist, but to bounce ideas back and forth that is where the magic happens. 2 guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, all, lost in the music.

    The other guitar player in my band basically showed me the ropes, so he has obviously influenced me, in a way. When I learned, most of the songs I learned were in a different style from the material he learned on, so we have different sounds with similar technique.

    He is still better than me, but with alotta help and jammin with him, I have grown expontentially as a guitar player.
  • MilestoneMilestone Posts: 1,140
    The trick is....to have a 1 guitar band.....you MUST have a really good bass player.
    11-2-2000 Portland. 12-8-2002 Seattle. 4-18-2003 Nashville. 5-30-2003 Vancouver. 10-25-2003 Bridge School. 9-2-2005 Vancouver.
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  • puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    enharmonic wrote:
    As long as the guitarists are not playing the same fucking parts, I have no problem with it. when I see 2 guitar bands that have 2 guys playing the same stuff, I always say to myself "one of them is unnecessary"

    I love your hearing.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
  • MookieBlaylock5v1MookieBlaylock5v1 Posts: 353
    Milestone wrote:
    The trick is....to have a 1 guitar band.....you MUST have a really good bass player.

    Agreed.

    One vs. two also depends on the style of music you are playing. If your songs are going to have a lot of guitar soloing, then your band may benefit from having a second (read as: rhythm) guitar player to fill out the sound during solos. Without it, the bottom can really drop out when playing songs live. If the band is writing songs without much in terms of guitar solos, then you should be able to get away with having just one guitarist.
  • adam42381adam42381 Kernersville, NC Posts: 2,505
    Milestone wrote:
    The trick is....to have a 1 guitar band.....you MUST have a really good bass player.

    Unless you're the White Stripes.
    I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
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  • adam42381adam42381 Kernersville, NC Posts: 2,505
    likepilateihaveadog wrote:
    I fuckin love three guitar bands...
    PJ at times...
    drive-by truckers...ad infinitum

    just the sound

    Lynyrd Skynyrd
    I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
    __________________________________________________________
    Shameless beer-related plugs:
    Instagram/Twitter/Untappd: FtMyersBeerGuy
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,917
    puremagic wrote:
    I love your hearing.

    It just makes for better music IMHO if you have 2 guitarists doing 2 different things. People say that doubling up an important riff is cool, I call bullshit, and give lots and lots of examples to the contrary. what's cool is having 2 or 3 guitarists playing different parts...like when Page went out with the Black Crowes, or when Stone grabs an acoustic on some of the PJ stuff.

    BTW, if you have Stone and Mike in your band, why on Earth would you have any need to play guitar? Those two guys are two of the best guitarists in the history of rock within the context of PJ. Ed's good, but he's no Stone or Mike.
    new music: http://www.myspace.com/blackbirdsymphonique

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  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    I like Eds playing, it's cool to see three guitars on stage.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
    Milestone wrote:
    The trick is....to have a 1 guitar band.....you MUST have a really good bass player.
    ahhhh.......you said it for me..........my friend who plays bass is not that great, he just hits the roots........so he wants to add another guitar player, but it is really HIS fault that it sounds kinda empty when i solo......

    i obviously love pearl jam, but sometimes 3 guitars sounds like mush........you can't hear any one clearly.........like live versions of green disease
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • RocksmySocksRocksmySocks Posts: 29
    Milestone wrote:
    The trick is....to have a 1 guitar band.....you MUST have a really good bass player.

    hmm in my opinion you need a good bassist anyways to be a really amazing band. Well, im sure there are lots of good bands with some-what talented bassest, but "your as good as your weakest link" so if that happens to be bass you still gotta have good enuff one to survive.

    for the actual question 1 vs. 2 i'd say 1 is good for the guitarist to express themselves musically. It's like writing lyrics its hard to get everyone's input and make it sound good. Not impossible, just hard - at least in my books.

    but im still new in this musical world so im sure theres alot i have to learn from you guys ;)
    Keep on Rockin'
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