# When one guitarist plays a solo, or texture....



## fps (Jul 28, 2013)

But you want to keep the same thickness to your guitar sound hitting the crowd, what method do you use? I believe in Meshuggah for instance they have a button that allows Marten's guitars to be stereo'd when Fredrik takes a solo. 

In one of our new songs the verses are both guitars playing the same thing, then my guitar starts playing a lot of melodic simple almost synth-y lines up the neck. But it needs the groove still to be as thick as it was, it's a very fast up-tempo rocking song. Is there a pedal you'd recommend for this? Maybe a delay set to a very short delay? We are considering turning on the other guitarist's solo boost and just having his rhythm guitar blastingly loud for the bits where we're not doubling up. I use a POD HD, he uses pedals into an amp. 

Any experience you can share of this would be real helpful, thanks.


----------



## Ckackley (Jul 28, 2013)

One thing you could do is write the songs so that the rhythm guitarist and bass player naturally fill out their parts under the lead. We try to find the non technological way out first as it tends to make for better songwriting in our minds. We've gotten to the point where it's reflex for our other guitarist to fill out her part while I'm playing a lead. Then when I come back to the riff after the lead the song kicks up another notch. Technologically speaking, the delay idea(or even a thick chorus) will work well if you run a stereo signal. Not as much with a mono in my opinion. Any chance of splitting the signal to an A/B box and another processor ?


----------



## fps (Jul 28, 2013)

Ckackley said:


> One thing you could do is write the songs so that the rhythm guitarist and bass player naturally fill out their parts under the lead. We try to find the non technological way out first as it tends to make for better songwriting in our minds. We've gotten to the point where it's reflex for our other guitarist to fill out her part while I'm playing a lead. Then when I come back to the riff after the lead the song kicks up another notch. Technologically speaking, the delay idea(or even a thick chorus) will work well if you run a stereo signal. Not as much with a mono in my opinion. Any chance of splitting the signal to an A/B box and another processor ?



So from the mic on the amp it would go to a splitter box and then two separate channels on the PA, footswitchable? If we could do it, that second channel could have a slight volume boost, a little chorus and short delay? That's a terrific idea, thank you, we'll investigate that. I don't think we have ever run a stereo signal, or have the capability to do so. 

I'd love to fill the part out, it's just not possible with this riff it's too fast and locked in with the bass (it's dancey rock, nothing heavier, just a million miles an hour). The guitar over the top is texture, rather than lead. Perhaps we could use an octave up on the bass, that could work too?


----------



## scottro202 (Jul 28, 2013)

Try doing something different to the bass, maybe add some fuzz/drive on it. That'll help fill out where the rhythm guitar lacks, without adding too much to the mix as it is. If you get the guitar to be thicker under another guitar, those frequencies will crossover more possibly and it may sort of drown out the lead sound.

As a lead guitarist, I like to be heard, so that's how I go about these things 

EDIT:


fps said:


> The guitar over the top is texture, rather than lead. Perhaps we could use an octave up on the bass, that could work too?



An octave is also a good idea, especially for a dance-y track


----------



## Ashahalasin (Aug 6, 2013)

When the lead guitarist in my band does his sweeps and solo's instead of chugging along with the rhythm, the rhythm just hits the boost pedal and that helps fill the void.


----------



## drgamble (Aug 6, 2013)

I don't really get the stereo thing as most live mixes are in mono. Most of this has to do with arrangement and isn't noticed live. I can understand the concern with studio, but I use a boost for leads live so the rhythm never really drops out. Do you have the rhythm player lower in the mix to compensate for an unboosted lead live? I use a DR live and use the solo button to boost about 6db live.


----------



## xCaptainx (Aug 6, 2013)

easiest and cheapest method is just talk to the sound guy 20 mins before hand, and give him a general heads up about things like this. What it sounds like front of house will rely entirely on you. If you have a massive stage volume boost, he might simply lower it without you knowing lol.


----------



## iRaiseTheDead (Aug 7, 2013)

If you're going to have the bassist play the rhythm too, make sure his amp is on the opposite side of the stage from you so you atleast get a stereo effect!


----------



## tedtan (Aug 7, 2013)

drgamble said:


> I don't really get the stereo thing as most live mixes are in mono. Most of this has to do with arrangement and isn't noticed live. I can understand the concern with studio, but I use a boost for leads live so the rhythm never really drops out. Do you have the rhythm player lower in the mix to compensate for an unboosted lead live? I use a DR live and use the solo button to boost about 6db live.


 
This. Who wants half the audience hearing one guitar player and the other half hearing the other guitar player.


----------

