I Need My Lead Guitar Parts to Stand Out?
We’ve had a reader question come in on the subject of lead guitar. Let’s take a look:
Question: I play guitar in an indie band but I’m having problem with sound levels during gigs.
I’m the only guitarist and when I’m strumming everything is fine
but have found that my lead parts get drowned out by the bass and keys
I been using some boss overdrive pedal but the fuzz it creates takes away from what I want to achieve, namely clear crisp lead that stands out
I’m the only guitarist and when I’m strumming everything is fine
but have found that my lead parts get drowned out by the bass and keys
I been using some boss overdrive pedal but the fuzz it creates takes away from what I want to achieve, namely clear crisp lead that stands out
Here’s my set up
Vox Amp- wah- delay- overdrive- epiphone casino
Any one got any suggestions?
Answer: Yeah, its called a boost pedal. Electro Harmonix makes one as does MXR, BBE, and an assortment of other companies. I’d advise against the Wah thing since that will change your tone and not your volume. And the other suggestion was using your Boss pedal, but you said you don’t want to use that anymore.
Below are a few links to some boost pedals.
Below are a few links to some boost pedals.
Use the boss pedal, just turn distortion off and volume high, so when you solo, turn the pedal on and it should be in a clean channel. If not, the Line 6 POD is amazing
guitar -> overdrive -> delay -> wah -> amp
Use your wah as a solo boost, and leave it about 2/3rds the way forward. This lets it act as a filter, emphasizing upper mids/treble. If your wah has a solo boost button, that would be the way to go as well. To cut through the mix you need that treble…
Try not to use too much gain – too much gain takes away from your tone. Use only as much as you need. Same with the delay… too much delay will take away from your tone. Use your ears, obviously, but try to be conscious of the line between "enough" and "too much".
Take the sound you like when playing solo, reduce the bass by 1-3 notches, and boost the mids by 1-3 notches. This is approximately the tone you should be using when you play with the band. It won’t sound great when you’re playing solo, but it’ll help you fit into the mix better when you’re playing (or recording, for that matter). You may also want to lower your gain by a notch or two as well. Again, the tone you have playing with others is not the same tone you want to have when playing by yourself.
The key here is that less bass means more "sonic space" for the other instruments, and more mids = more volume, which will help you cut through the mix better.
Also, consider lowering the bass side of your pickups a little. That helps tighten your tone up a bit and make the top strings "pop" a little. You can boost your gain, bass, volume etc a little to compensate.
Good luck!
Saul