Any of you guys play in a band with a Les Paul user?

[GuitaRasmus]

Hi there - bit of a peculiar question, but the other guitarist in my rock covers band has just bougt a Les Paul - I've already flamed him, he used to play a HSS silhouette special, but that's not the issue. The problem is that all of a sudden he's taking up practically all the middle spectrum, a spot my Axis used to fit in very nicely. Now, I've played professionally for 4-5 years, and I consider myself pretty good at finding a spot in the mix, but I've never played rock with a Les Paul wielder before, and I am really having problems with being heard in the mix. I've tried maxing out my mids on the amp (usually I play with them on 3'o'clock - Koch Studiotone into 2x12 vintage 30's), but he still rules the spectrum.

Any advice?

 

[B2D]

In what context are you hearing him dominate the mix? Standing in a certain spot on stage? Through the monitor mix? On a recording? Is he mixing the sound?

Maybe he's just playing louder and hasn't adjusted his amp accordingly to match the way his Les Paul sounds? What amp is he using?

Maybe if he's all mids, you could fill out the lows and highs? I know guitars are really supposed to be midrange dominant anyways and that's where their voice is, but it's a thought.

 

[Tung]

You're going to encounter this problem in any 2 guitar bands, imagine how the allman brothers at soundcheck
I do find that my Les Paul do cut more in the mids at times. What you might want to check out is his pickups and his amp settings, and try to vary from that. if both of you guys are running essentialy the same stuff and settings, it's inevitable that one will get lost in the blend.

 

[GuitaRasmus]

We haven't recorded since he got it (just got it last week), so it's a rehearsal and a gig I'm basing this on. I don't think he's louder, the mids just cut more. I don't really want to have a scooped sound, so I think I'll have to get myself a graphic EQ, so I can taylor my mids to fit around his.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Get a Silo, if he's not playing his?
Seriously an AL will cut through a Les Paul.

 

[Dante]

it's probably a volume problem combined with new EQ circumstances. maybe more in the high mids instead of going for the exact same frequencies he's using.

 

[paranoid70]

Volume wars!

 

[threeminutesboy]

Get a Silo, if he's not playing his?
Seriously an AL will cut through a Les Paul.

I'll second that but I guess this will not solved your problem

My guess is that he will be back to his silo sooner than later

 

[Jimmyb]

Cut through his cable!

 

[Astrofreq]

Welcome to playing in a two guitar band.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Volume wars!

LOL! Sorry I couldn't help but laugh at this. Ahhh, memories...

For me it's a rough gig to play with two guitar players. I know how you feel, I had the luxury of removing the second guitar and adding a keyboard player.

But what I did was use a clean/dirt boost and basically have it on the times I needed to cut through the mix.

We tried occupying different ends of the spectrum, didn't work out too well. Especially when you got a guitar player that loves dominating the mids the same way I do.

 

[aníbalsantander]

Lower your gain on the amp/pedal/distortion effect and crank up the volume

 

[dav]

hi
i play in several bands, and i plays several guitars...
i really enjoy my MM, but i like my les paul too...
In fact, i always tried to find the best way to sound like a les paul and a stratocaster like...
In my opinion, the best guitar i've ever played is my axis ss, because you can have crystalin sounds like a strat and you can have big fat sound like a les paul!!!!

after that , if you need a tremolo, you could purchase an axis ss with trem?
the silo is a great great guitar, for me the best strat like in the world!!!!
but it's my kind of sound... i need warm sound with a good dynamic ... so i decided to choose an axis ss with a maple fretboard ...
i had a luke model before (which was a very very good one...) but it no more corresponds with the sound i'm looking for...
May be in the years to come, i'll buy another one, but for the moment, i'm in love with my 2 MM (axis and axis ss)...
I hope that my post will help you...

 

[GuitaRasmus]

Thanks for the replies, but I'm not new to playing in two guitar bands - actually, I've never been the sole guitarist in a band. I quite enjoy the play between another guitarist and myself, but I've never really had problems being heard before - I use lots of mids, not to much gain, and my Axis is pretty heavily modded:

So nice cleans aren't really a problem. I don't know what to do - I've borrowed a Les Paul from a friend, which I'll try this wednesday at rehearsal, and see how it fares.

 

[colinboy]

Very nice top on that axis my friend.Get yourself a BFR Axis as the mahogany tone block will give the guitar a nice boost and should give the les paul a run for it money!

 

[brownpants69]

I have to ask... What sort of amp does the other guitarist use?

Will having two les pauls help the situation? (Just playing devils advocate here)- you might both end up over powering the mids.

I was once in a band where we both used strats- that was a nightmare. When I used my Tele or the other guy used his Yamaha AES suddenly the fight over volume would stop. I'm now in the lucky situation of being the sole electric player- I have to fight for frequencies with an acoustic guitar and a bouzouki. Life's never been easier!!

Let us know how you get on.

 

[telemike]

Treble Booster

 

[dav]

Thanks for the replies, but I'm not new to playing in two guitar bands - actually, I've never been the sole guitarist in a band. I quite enjoy the play between another guitarist and myself, but I've never really had problems being heard before - I use lots of mids, not to much gain, and my Axis is pretty heavily modded:

So nice cleans aren't really a problem. I don't know what to do - I've borrowed a Les Paul from a friend, which I'll try this wednesday at rehearsal, and see how it fares.

this a really beautyfull axis !!!!

 

[Pluck_Rogers]

Have you both been to see a Guitar Counsellor?

 

[azazael]

Gorgeous guitar.

You need to install one of these though..