Nasty, harsh, painful dirt - on a budget

[neonblack]

I've played off and on with a guitar player who seems to get where I'm coming from musically but not necessarily tonally. He seems reserved in his playing, and while sometimes he comes up with stuff that warms my balls, he doesn't really use much distortion or fuzz or whatever.

My tones are so stupidly huge (generous fuzz and suboctave use) a lot of times that his guitar doesn't really fit. But I want him to fit! I think the only way that's going to happen is for me to get him a ridiculously harsh trebly distortion that hits that upper end of the spectrum that I don't.

Im talking metal scraping chainsaw would sound awful played alone kind of dirt. But I don't want to break the bank.

Any suggestions?

[Tristan]

HM-2 maybe?

[coldbrightsunlight]

HM-2 for sure, Big Muff maybe? I find them nasty trebly with the tone control right up. Cheap superfuzz (do behringer/mooer make one?) stacked with another fuzz sounds brutal.

[rfurtkamp]

Have you had this discussion with him?

Because you can hand him a pedal like that, and if he doesn't like that sound....he won't use it.

[neonblack]

Well, any time we have a discussion, it's just "whatever you want to do, man." Which is a problem in itself, because I want someone to bounce ideas around with, not a musical yes man. However, if he's gonna give me free reign over the music, I'm going to suggest he get some nastier dirt than his boss multi fx unit will muster.

[rfurtkamp]

Which unit is it? Chances are it'll get exactly what you're describing with tweaking.

[neonblack]

Not sure off the top of my head. I'll see if he'll let me mess with it when I go over there.

He doesn't like to play loud because he doesn't want people to hear him make mistakes. But I need to hear him otherwise I can do just as well with loops and pitch shifters.

[rfurtkamp]

Sounds like you have a bigger problem than a cheap dirt pedal will solve to be honest.

But yea, find out what model.

[oscillofuzz]

He doesn't like to play loud because he doesn't want people to hear him make mistakes.

This is why you need to play loud (or at least at a respectable volume) from time to time; so you can't deny your own mistakes to yourself & are forced to practice harder to get where you want to be.

[kbit]

Berhinger Super Fuzz or a DOD death metal can get you harsh on the cheaps

[coldbrightsunlight]

Sounds like you have a bigger problem than a cheap dirt pedal will solve to be honest.

Have to agree, if he isn't confident enough to play loud and do his own thing then I don't see how he could ever really get into it which is what you need. Dude's gotta learn that mistakes aren't a big deal, and/or practice lots.

[spacelordmother]

The no-fi GZ in BST should get you there in spades.

[braaandooon]

My guess is its going to be a hard task pushing a pedal of that description on someone thats not normally a pedal head.

My situation is somewhat like yours, but I play with a guitarist that uses no pedz, just a yamaha sg2000 into an old twin reverb. Except he plays loud and sounds damn good. So no issue with volume:)

Not sure what your dirt collection is like but maybe let your buddy try em all out and see if there is a certain flavor he may be into. I did this with my bandmate, and of course he preffered a tubescreamer...yawn...boring, but still opts to play straight through to the amp.

Maybe give him a rat to try, and go from there.

[rfurtkamp]

Should add that if you want even a vague chance of long-term success, let him do the same to your gear - play like he wants for a night etc.

[Gone Fission]

Berhinger Super Fuzz or a DOD death metal can get you harsh on the cheaps

I was gonna say the Behri Super Fuzz and their HM-2 clone.

I think everybody else has a point about getting your guitarist to own his stuff. Maybe have an icebreaker warm up ritual first song where you both play a bit loose and lazy and boldly own those clams like you meant them. It may be easier if it's something you don't mind screwing up or even mocking, like bad pop music or TV theme songs. It might also loosen up his willingness to engage in sonic mangling with his tones.