Moxsam
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So the rhythm guitarist in our band is a total addict and things came to a head last night. We've been dropping hints at previous practices that he needs to clean up his act and all he has said is "I don't like the sound of that."
Anyhow we have a big gig coming up on Boxing Day and we rented a jam space where we could set up a full stage with amps etc. We normally are very limited volume and space wise at our practices and generally everyone just goes direct into the PA with pedals, etc. The rhythm guitarist doesn't even own a proper gig worthy amp so he rented one for this practice and was trying it out for the first time.
We start playing and he is fiddling around with the knobs and constantly clicking between channels with the foot switch. He seems totally out of it but he finally gets to a sound that he is happy with and we play a few songs like that. The rest of us are kind of looking at each other but no one is saying anything. His guitar was sounding like a$$ and overall our collective energy and playing was way off! We decide to take a mini break.
I ask him how he likes the amp and he says "Meh" as though he is in another world mentally. I ask if I can give it a go and he says sure. I check out his settings and he has his guitar on the neck pickup, his tone knobs turned right down and all the eq settings on the amp dialled right down and the gain turned up way too high. It sounded like the dullest, muddiest tone ever. Absolutely no clarity. I start playing it like that for a bit while the other guys chat. I'm wondering how anyone in their right mind could possibly enjoy playing with that sound. So I stop and turn up all the eq knobs, tone and switch to the middle pickup. I also switch to the clean channel. I start playing again and everyone stops talking and they go, "F**k ya! That sounds awesome."
I tell him that he should try playing the next song with those settings and he agrees. Instantly it is like the skies have parted. The band sounds amazing. There is clarity, separation between the guitars and all of our collective energy raises. As soon as the song ends he is switching the dials back to the gainy, hazy, dull muddy sound. Next song, 10 seconds in the drummer stops the song and tells him "switch back to that clean sound." Rhythm guitarist says he likes this sound better. Drummer says "It sounds awful." It does. So the guitarist kind of fiddles a bit but it still sounds bad. Next song lead guitarist and bassist say "Hey man just go back to that clean sound you had. It sounds WAY better." Rhythm guitarist says "Ya but this songs needs a rockin' guitar." No it doesn't we collectively reply.
This goes on and on with him fiddling around going back and forth trying to turn every single song into a raunchy high gain disaster. We won't back down and keep telling him to go back to that clean sound. Finally he says, "Well it sounds like you guys have made up my mind for me." He leaves the amp on the clean setting for the rest of the night and it is bliss. Probably the best we've ever sounded. Everyone can hear everyone else and there is suddenly dynamics to our playing that weren't there before. Even his own playing seems to improve from the constant drone that we've become accustomed to.
At the end of the jam we are all on cloud 9. Even he grudgingly agrees that we sounded really good. As he walks out the door and says goodbye he throws a comment out "I guess I'm a recovering dirty guitarist who has now gone clean."
Anyhow we have a big gig coming up on Boxing Day and we rented a jam space where we could set up a full stage with amps etc. We normally are very limited volume and space wise at our practices and generally everyone just goes direct into the PA with pedals, etc. The rhythm guitarist doesn't even own a proper gig worthy amp so he rented one for this practice and was trying it out for the first time.
We start playing and he is fiddling around with the knobs and constantly clicking between channels with the foot switch. He seems totally out of it but he finally gets to a sound that he is happy with and we play a few songs like that. The rest of us are kind of looking at each other but no one is saying anything. His guitar was sounding like a$$ and overall our collective energy and playing was way off! We decide to take a mini break.
I ask him how he likes the amp and he says "Meh" as though he is in another world mentally. I ask if I can give it a go and he says sure. I check out his settings and he has his guitar on the neck pickup, his tone knobs turned right down and all the eq settings on the amp dialled right down and the gain turned up way too high. It sounded like the dullest, muddiest tone ever. Absolutely no clarity. I start playing it like that for a bit while the other guys chat. I'm wondering how anyone in their right mind could possibly enjoy playing with that sound. So I stop and turn up all the eq knobs, tone and switch to the middle pickup. I also switch to the clean channel. I start playing again and everyone stops talking and they go, "F**k ya! That sounds awesome."
I tell him that he should try playing the next song with those settings and he agrees. Instantly it is like the skies have parted. The band sounds amazing. There is clarity, separation between the guitars and all of our collective energy raises. As soon as the song ends he is switching the dials back to the gainy, hazy, dull muddy sound. Next song, 10 seconds in the drummer stops the song and tells him "switch back to that clean sound." Rhythm guitarist says he likes this sound better. Drummer says "It sounds awful." It does. So the guitarist kind of fiddles a bit but it still sounds bad. Next song lead guitarist and bassist say "Hey man just go back to that clean sound you had. It sounds WAY better." Rhythm guitarist says "Ya but this songs needs a rockin' guitar." No it doesn't we collectively reply.
This goes on and on with him fiddling around going back and forth trying to turn every single song into a raunchy high gain disaster. We won't back down and keep telling him to go back to that clean sound. Finally he says, "Well it sounds like you guys have made up my mind for me." He leaves the amp on the clean setting for the rest of the night and it is bliss. Probably the best we've ever sounded. Everyone can hear everyone else and there is suddenly dynamics to our playing that weren't there before. Even his own playing seems to improve from the constant drone that we've become accustomed to.
At the end of the jam we are all on cloud 9. Even he grudgingly agrees that we sounded really good. As he walks out the door and says goodbye he throws a comment out "I guess I'm a recovering dirty guitarist who has now gone clean."
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