Blending guitar tones in a band

[O Drones]

Lots of my favourite bands seem to blend a single coil guitar with a humbucker guitar (Fugazi, Bardo Pond, Pixies, QOTSA) to achieve a cool live sound. Anyone here purposely rocking different types of guitars in a band to create cool band tonezzzzzz.

[skullservant]

I've done it on a lot of guitar tracking. It's nice to have more tonal options, especially in a dense mix!

[O Drones]

Yeah, apparently Mackaye used to max out the bass and mids on his Marshall and have his treble at zero in Fugazi to really cover that tonal territory in Fugazi. Seemed to work.

[ShaolinLambKiller]

I've done it on a lot of guitar tracking. It's nice to have more tonal options, especially in a dense mix!

I second this. Most of the recordings I do I utilize different guitars that are voiced differently. And even more so lately different amps/cab set ups with the different guitars.

[neonblack]

That feel when you and two guitar players are all EQ'd perfectly and play that unison/harmony riff and it sounds like a little slice of heaven. Or Hell, depending on what you're going for.

When I played with a couple dudes a while back, one of them played through a bass amp and was all warm and round, and the other was all twinkle. Worked out well for us. The only weird thing was the "lead" guy was the one with more low end, and the "rhythm" guy was more jangly and trebly. And then my bass was the sticky syrupy glue holding it together. I miss that band.

[Hyphen Nation]

That feel when you and two guitar players are all EQ'd perfectly and play that unison/harmony riff and it sounds like a little slice of heaven. Or Hell, depending on what you're going for.

I'm going to side track this thread for one second just around the power of unison. For my birthday this year I just wanted all the musicians I knew to come over. First time I played with two drummers. Everyone on this forum should have the experience of playing bass standing between two drummers…fucking hammer of the god level of thunder…so good.

I need to repeat that and solidify it into an actual band. Two drummers. A bass, a Baritone guitar and a regular guitar. Open to two bassists…

Back to regularly thread...

[Ghost Hip]

In my current band we have different amps/effects... I use a mustang and the other guitarist uses a jag. I have a really flat sterile clean tone and he has a more chimey one. So far my favorite feature of our sound is in one song I go from distorted to clean, and he goes from clean to a strangled soda meiser fuzz, and it totally shifts the sound live... so rad.

[O Drones]

In my current band we have different amps/effects... I use a mustang and the other guitarist uses a jag. I have a really flat sterile clean tone and he has a more chimey one. So far my favorite feature of our sound is in one song I go from distorted to clean, and he goes from clean to a strangled soda meiser fuzz, and it totally shifts the sound live... so rad.

That sounds fucking great man. Love that sort of use of different textures and volume etc.

[goosekevin]

Guitarists in my band play strat -> vox and les Paul -> Marshall, with the treble pretty far down
Both guitars can sound a bit off isolated (especially the strat which can be an icepicky mess at time) but when they are done right and play together it sounds really nice

[bigchiefbc]

I really freaking hate it that most guitarists (that I've played with) EQ their guitars so that they completely take up the entire lower part of the spectrum, and crowd the bass out of the mix. I wish more guitarists took the mix/blend of tones into account.

[O Drones]

That's true. I feel like that happens all the time.

[greyscales]

Both of my guitarists tend to favor Teles, occasionally a Strat, into Fender Hot Rod Deluxes. That said, they definitely sound different with one leaning more on the neck pickup and the other one the bridge.
At least it leaves plenty of room for me to crank the mids and lows on my amp.

[O Drones]

That's a great way of doing it too, pickups. Hate when bands just use bridge pickup, full volume, full tone, no dynamics.

[lefchr]

I really freaking hate it that most guitarists (that I've played with) EQ their guitars so that they completely take up the entire lower part of the spectrum, and crowd the bass out of the mix. I wish more guitarists took the mix/blend of tones into account.

I think the problem is that most people find a tone they like when playing by themselves and then think that is the sound to use in the band use in a band also.

[goroth]

That's a great way of doing it too, pickups. Hate when bands just use bridge pickup, full volume, full tone, no dynamics.

I've got three electrics and not one has a tone control, or a neck pickup. If it wasn't for the fact that I habitually turn down the guitar in between songs I wouldn't even have a volume knob.

Using pedals and varying my attack is all I need in terms of dynamics.

BCBC - I agree. As a guitarist it is soooo tempting to crank the bass and really feel that full spectrum thump but I refuse to do it to maintain good separation and leave room for the bass. At times I wonder whether my guitar tone is too wimpy, but I think it works in the band situation. It's funny - I sing and play the guitar, but the first thing I listen to in a band is the bass and the drums, and the interaction between them. And I shouldn't be there messing that relationship up!

Using pedals is also a really good way of allowing two guitarists to occupy their own compementary space. The lead guitarist's rig couldn't be more different to mine and that works out really well.