Band with 3 guitarists?

[emperor_black]

I'm with this band and until now I was the second rhythm/lead guitarist. Now, the other guitarist's relative (whose jamming buddy had to go to Iraq) is being asked to join as the third guitarist. I personally think we will sound like crap. We play originals and not covers and mostly sound like children of bodom without the keyboards. Other than Iron Maiden, are there any groups with 3 guitarists who still pull it off and sound great? Please tell me it will work and I dont have to quit.

[joshulator]

It may be extra work, but since you are doing originals, you can arrange your songs so that you don't step all over each other.

I don't have time for bands anymore, but in previous bands I would have loved to have the usual vox, bass, drums, 2 guitars PLUS someone who switched off between keyboard and guitars.

Of course, I wasn't going to help them move their extra equipment.

[thetroy]

CoB has 2 guitars and a keyboard. That's similar enough to 3 guitars.

[Number Of The Priest]

Lynard Skynard. The Eagles, I vaguely recall, had some triple guitar going on too. Plus, a lot of two-guitar metal CDs have two harmonies playing over the rhythm guitar anyway, and then when they go to play live, it sounds EMPTY without the rhythm guitar as both guitarists are playing the harmonies.

[Hellbat]

I dunno. It could be good in a non-metal situation but in a band where everyone is trying to make ears bleed it could get overwhelming. Basically someone is going to get stuffed pretty far back in the mix. I'm sure with Maiden, Gers buried until he's backing the harmonized leads.

If you want to make lots of harmonized leads or have someone playing a harmony line over the riffs on every song then it could work out.

Not to mention you could do wicked covers of Free Bird!

[MartinBarre]

CoB has 2 guitars and a keyboard. That's similar enough to 3 guitars.

Eh? What a load of fucking nonsense.


Blue Oyster Cult had three guitarists. Never liked them myself.
But Skynyrd had three and you know how fucking cool they were.

[chrisolson]

Leatherwolf!!!

[chrisolson]

Keel too - Ron would accasionally pick up a guitar.

[Nazgul]

Got any recordings from your band? Being a COB fan, I'd like to hear how it sounds .

[Jack Napalm]

CoB has 2 guitars and a keyboard. That's similar enough to 3 guitars.

When I saw them in concert I asked myself why was the keyboardist even on stage. He looked very disinterested and really didn't add anything to the experience.

[wilkinsi]

Thankfully I don't play in a band. I hated it. I have a couple multitracks, and will record as many guitars as needed. The last song I recorded had 1 clean plus 2 rythym, PLUS 2 lead guitars (though the leads are not played at the same time). But then I added a synth and ANOTHER rythym. Hard mix panning and level reduction is required to sort out this mess.

[emperor_black]

I never knew that about leatherwolf. Skynrd, yup, they were awesome, but like Hellbat was saying, it could get pretty ugly pretty soon cause we're all trying to play as loud as possible to hear over the other guy's racket. But yeah, I'll have to get them to turn their volume down.

that's what the original guitarist was saying..."we could play harmonies". But I never really understood what he meant by that.

[charvelguy]

well, you don't have to follow the herd. I can definitely relate to your concerns but it doesn't have to be as such. You can make yourself an indespensible asset to your lineup by using the other tools available to guitarists...like a GK synth, or volume swells with delay ala Pat Thrall to mimic keyboards & strings. In doing so, you could really develope your own niche and expand the sound. I use harmonies alot too as accents in writing...having two guitars that can harmonize well with a dynamic rhythm guitar and then switching off on leads really can add alot of dynamics to your music.

[charvelguy]

Keel too - Ron would accasionally pick up a guitar.

But hasn't he found his niche in country? I respect the hell out of alot of country players btw..that Travis/Moore tech stuff rocks in my book.

[Newc]

When you add guitars, you have to decrease the gain of each one so they don't mush together. Look at Judas Priest's older stuff. You've Got Another Thing Coming has some of the weakest individual gain on the guitars, but together with the drums and bass, as well as the guitars both playing the same chord, it's heavy as shit.

You'll also have to allow everyone fair space in the EQ spectrum. Each guitar should have an EQ pedal that shapes each one's tone; one for Low-mids, one for mids, and one for high-mids. Let the bass and drums have the lows. When it's time for a solo, switch off the EQ pedal so you're in the frequency you want to be and hit the Lead channel on your amp.

It can be done, but you will have to work as a team, and not as three guitarists.