Help me cut!

[nickyboy]

Hiya folks,

I've been jamming with some mate recently playing generally pretty heavy stuff..my role being lead guitarist.
I'm using a soldano slo100 with a 2x12 or sometimes a 4x12 and the rhythm guitarist is using a marshall clone or some sort...sometimes he'll use a jet city 20watt head with 1 or 2x12 cab.
Here's my problem - the rhythm guitarist dials in a cleaner, slightly crunchy tone with loads of top end and cranks the amp. It sounds like he's using a Stanley blade for a pick.
I know him well enough to tell him it's a shrill horrible tone - but he puts it down to personal taste (imho he must be going deaf and just can't hear the toppiness of his tone)..

All this adds up to me being totally lost in the mix when it comes to solo time.
The slo100 is an animal of an amp and I love it..but feel that it needs a boost for solos.
Any thoughts people?

[pianoguyy]

fire him

[Newc]

Hook your EQ pedal up to his amp without him knowing (if possible), set for a slight mid-cut. When it's time to solo, step on the pedal. He'll think you're using the pedal to boost your tone for solos

[Tetsuo]

Matt nailed it lol!

Seriously if you aren't cutting with an SLO there is an issue and he needs to change his tone. Or buy him iem's so he can hear himself and better eq his rig.

[Nightbat]

Just tell him to turn that shit dow
his desired tone for himself isn't usable in the band situation

[nickyboy]

You're all right...I'll shame him into realizing his sound is shit!

[jgcable]

You're all right...I'll shame him into realizing his sound is shit!

His tone may not be shit. Rather.... its just not right when blended with your tone. Tell him to turn down and darken his tone up some. Roll down the mids and the treble on his amp and turn the volume level down a little and that should be fine.

[Hellbat]

Or stick a CAE/MXR MC401 boost in the loop for extra solo volume. (assuming your SLO has a loop.)

[nickyboy]

Or stick a CAE/MXR MC401 boost in the loop for extra solo volume. (assuming your SLO has a loop.)

nice suggestion!

[j2379]

If his tone is that shrill and ice picky bright the entire band should tell him you sound like crap. Tho the bass player probably likes it.

[Electric]

If he stands were you normally stand while playing see if he changes his tune. Too many players dial their amp in while standing 6 inches in front of their cab. That is not the sound everyone else is hearing, and might explain why he's dialing in so much treble.

[nickyboy]

Yeah - I know what you mean. We are rehearsing tonight in the drummers studio (he's runs a studio for a living) so it'll be interesting to hear what sound he dials in tonight when we're all able to hear everything clearly.
We all know each other well enough to not fall out over it...I hope. And tone is totally subjective, but jeez! I just can figure it out.
I think it stems for him being a huge pete townsend fan - so he's kinda looking for a cranked plexi / hiwatt sound, where the amp is just barely breaking up and loud as hell. Imagine that but with extreme treble and presence!
Either that or his nose is out of joint when I'm soloing (and believe me - I play for the song...im not doing any lengthy self indulgent stuff) cos he's not playing a solo...so is deliberately drowning me out.

[Twitch]

I had the getting lost in the mix for solos too and it wasn't because of anyone's tone it was simply that a lead tone usually won't stand out with an amp dialed in for rhythm. There are two ways to combat this, 1. Use a full volume boost, or 2. Use a eq pedal and set it up to boost your hi-mids as needed. I used the mid boost option as it took less of a boost and only boosted what was really needed anyhow where as a volume boost will boost your whole signal. I found the full signal boost to be less affective as it was also boosting the low end which is where most of the power of the amp is used because lows take more power to make a discernible difference in volume. Your amp can only amplify so far until it begins to hit the rail of the power supply and will cause undesirable compression of your tone.

[Twitch]

Also eq goes in the loop, not in front. It may not have the desired amount of effect if in front of the amp. Same with the volume boost. A volume boost in front if the amp will cause more distortion of in front(unless on the clean channel).

[Newc]

Simply stated, the lead guitar should not really need a volume boost, the rhythm guitar should drop back. Honestly, with 2 guitars playing rhythm, they should be even with each other in the mix, while still letting the bass, drums, and vocals come through clearly. When one rhythm guitar drops out to play a solo, the other rhythm guitar should be noticeable but not fighting with the solo for sonic space. The singer should not have to scream over the guitar, and the drums should not have to be hit with maximum force on every hit to be heard.

Mr Rhythm guitar will have to learn to work within a band context, plain and simple, and find another way to get "his tone", even if it means his amp sits further away from everyone else.