Bands not open to you using an ERG

[Demiurge]

I can sort of get why they would react like they do. Depending on the genre though. If you showed up with a seven string Ibanez and the band was pop/rock/indie/whatever band, I'd question your decision and probably ask if you've got something else. !

Very much this. It's hard to truly cast judgment in cases like these because one person's "my lame bandmates don't want me to ______" is another's "our guitarist keeps encroaching with _______ but we're really not that kind of band", and certainly the truth has gone both ways.

To put it another way, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and sometimes the guitarist bringing his ERG to practice is just him wanting to play a different guitar that day. Sometimes, though, the guitarist bringing his ERG might signify that he wants to start incorporating it and potentially affecting the sound & direction of the band (which should be everyone's say). If the OP's band has that concern, then an earnest conversation should really clear that up.

 

[xCaptainx]

Hey, I'd react negatively to this as well.

I'm in an established band, with multiple albums and tour. EVERYTHING is in Drop C#.

If the other guy brought an 8 string into the mix, I instantly have to worry about:
- my amp settings
- my pedals
- potentially having to buy an 8 if he writes with it
- The logistics of travelling with more gear
- strings

I have had a previous experience where an older band of mine had an album song in a crazy open B tuning. I let the other guitarist track the whole thing and we never played it live, simply because of the points above.

I like setting my guitars, rig and logistics for specific purposes, to eliminate risks and cost. I would not agree to using an 8 string in any capacity unless it was all agreed and it was worth the investment for all.

I do have to ask; if you have a 6 string, why on earth are you attempting this?

 

[DeadPool2099]

I played with a cover band for 8 months touring in Colorado. I pretty much would just bring the 7-string as back up if any strings broke on my Les Paul. I Pretty much only had my Les Paul and my RG 7321.

 

[NicePants]

I do think it could cause some problems depending on the music you're writing and if everyone else has similar gear to use, but if it's just a looks type of thing, .... that. I don't care what you're playing on if you can play well. I knew a guy once who only ever played Vs, and the really pointy ones that are essentially metal guitars. The only thing I ever heard him play was blues, and he could destroy me and just about anyone else I knew at playing.

 

[DeadPool2099]

Well long story short the band was a latino/cumbia/rock cover band. I played with them for 8 months and then eventually quit. I brought my 7-string because I only had two guitars at that time. The Les Paul and the RG7321, so if strings broke on my Les Paul during rehearsal or during a gig well the RG7321 was put to work. The band didn't play stuff that low that it need a low B on guitar. But I would just throw it in sometimes to vary up the sound. And yes that band was actually more about image. At least from the leader of the band's perspective,he was all about image.

The Band weren't into metal so much, we played stuff like Elvis, The doors, El Tri, Molotov Billy Idol, John Mellencamp, Mana. So it was a mix of American rock music from the 50's-80's and some latino rock bands. The band was more of a Rock/Cumbia/Dance cover band. The only metal song we played was "were not going to take" by Twisted Sister. We did not play any Assassino, Puya, or brujeria unfortunately lol.

Also a big part of the issue was there was a language barrier. Most of the band members were from Zacatecas Mexico. The bassist and drummer were Mexican, they were nice guys but their English wasn't that great. The guy that hired me was the lead singer/Rhythm guitarist/manager. He was a Caucasian guy that spoke English and spanish and acted as the interruptor. Since I don't really speak spanish he would interrupt for me. And he exploited that I didn't speak spanish, but after a while I took some spanish classes to communicate better with the bassist and drummer.

I tried explaining to the band that the 7-string was still a regular guitar just with an extra string. And that I could just play everything we would need to. They just didn't like the sound of the low B. I think mainly the problem was from a language barrier, and eventually stylistic differences. Most of the guys didn't know music theory and didn't know or care that we could do cool sounding stuff in B with a 7-string and 5-string bass. The 6-string to them was safe and normal. Which I don't blame them 6-string is normal for a bunch of people.

 

[DeadPool2099]

HA! I would seriously rethink my relationship at that moment.

Id ask, in a very serious manner as to "why" i couldnt use a particular guitar. Has all the same 6 strings they're accustomed to. The ER aspect gives you a bigger pallet... Therefore additional "colors" to paint in sound.

Dont let others hold you back.

Hell... As weird as this is gonna sound... For shizz & giggles i wanted to pick off Beiber's song "Love Yourself".

I did it on my 8 string.

Just cuz i could. I have an acoustic and a 6er... I just wanted to have fun. And thats what music should be about... Fun and art. Plus you look badass with extra strings

Yeah pretty much a 7-string guitar is still a 6-string guitar in E. Music is all about having fun doing what you want to do There are just MORE options. More strings equals more options, sounds, timbres to paint with.To quote Yngwie Malmsteen "how can less be more it's impossible more is more."

 

[Thermalic]

One of the bands I'm has the lead guitarist in standard and i play in AEADGB. No problems with it for 3 years, except once where one unison lead line that needed the high C that was semitone out of the range of my guitar. For rythm playing it keeps some chord shapes in progression a lot more logical. Writing and learning is done by ear and musical notation (or just explaining what notes are being played).

 

[Veldar]

That sucks for you, I use my 6 string bass at every gig I play, no one has every said anything negative about it.

 

[angl2k]

Hey, I'd react negatively to this as well.

I'm in an established band, with multiple albums and tour. EVERYTHING is in Drop C#.

If the other guy brought an 8 string into the mix, I instantly have to worry about:
- my amp settings
- my pedals
- potentially having to buy an 8 if he writes with it
- The logistics of travelling with more gear
- strings

I have had a previous experience where an older band of mine had an album song in a crazy open B tuning. I let the other guitarist track the whole thing and we never played it live, simply because of the points above.

I like setting my guitars, rig and logistics for specific purposes, to eliminate risks and cost. I would not agree to using an 8 string in any capacity unless it was all agreed and it was worth the investment for all.

I do have to ask; if you have a 6 string, why on earth are you attempting this?

Excuse me for saying this but I think it's a bit narrow-minded. Bringing an 8-string does not mean he's chugging the 7th or 8th string all the time. He might not play on those strings at all during the set. It's only becoming a problem if he's using notes/pitches the rest of the band can't play.

Different guitars sound and feel different. If someone likes a guitar why should anyone have a problem with it? Why do you have to worry about amp settings? Why do you have to worry about pedals or buying an 8 string yourself?

 

[Nats]

It's all about image. This may be somewhat relevant but on a bass forum I post on one of the members tried out for Lenny Kravitz. Before the people running the thing even listened to one bassist pluck one note they said "anyone not playing a 4 string Fender can leave now". Just like that.

 

[Ordacleaphobia]

It's all about image[...]they said "anyone not playing a 4 string Fender can leave now". Just like that.

Sounds like the mentality of my entire county.

 

[VBCheeseGrater]

Sounds like you need to find another band - but they you have to weigh the whole personal happiness over principles. Does the band kick ass? Do you really want to play with them and think you'll have alot of fun? Then bend a little for your own benefit. If not, find more like minded guys. But i like to ask myself sometimes "Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?"

On the flip side, they threw away Steven Adler's second bass drum during the first practice while he was taking a piss, and that seemed to work for him - well sort of, except that whole "face down in a ditch" thing a few years later lol.

 

[rokket2005]

That sucks for you, I use my 6 string bass at every gig I play, no one has every said anything negative about it.

As a fellow bass player I think it's easier and more accepted for a bass player to play a five or six string in any genre, partially because we're the the bass player and no one notices us unless we .... up.

 

[lucasreis]

It's all about image. This may be somewhat relevant but on a bass forum I post on one of the members tried out for Lenny Kravitz. Before the people running the thing even listened to one bassist pluck one note they said "anyone not playing a 4 string Fender can leave now". Just like that.

Can't they just have an effin 4 string Fender for people to test? I like early Kravitz work and I think I'm going to record a djent version of Always on the Run in Drop Eb and spam the .... out of it to lil Lenny in retaliation

 

[Spicypickles]

That's extremely narrow minded.


I've been in a couple bands where not only did I bring in a 7 (or 8), but even with my sixes the other guitarist and I would often be tuned differently. I guess if we were more straight forward rock or metal it would be different but he was usually doing melodic runs while I held down rhythm and big chords.


Unless they are established with tons of material, they shouldn't knock it until they try it (and even then, why not experiment?).

 

[TheRileyOBrien]

I wouldn't bother to associate myself with morons like that.

 

[Arkeion]

While I think it's crappy for anyone to be 'disqualified' for the amount of strings they're using, you're still joining THEIR band. If they're established and they have an image, it's understandable. Hopefully no one here would seriously join a classic rock cover band and bring an 8 stringer to the gig. It's likely people who aren't musicians wouldn't notice or care, but people that are musicians would think 'hmm, that's weird' and maybe be put off without knowing it

 

[bostjan]

I deem these arguments false.

I've played in several classic rock cover bands with seven and eight string guitars.

The only (few) people who care about me not playing a Strat or a Les Paul have been major buttheads, for several other reasons.

If I showed up to audition for a band and someone had a problem with me not playing a regular six string, then we probably wouldn't get along anyway.

I feel the same about anyone I hire. I could not care any less whether they play a Warr guitar or a Dearmond with rubber strings, what I care about is how they sound with the rest of the band and what their attitude is like. I think people who make it too much more complicated than that are putting themselves into the category of bad attitude that makes them difficult to work with.

If I'm going to hire a guitarist, I hire a guitarist. If I want a certain guitar, then I'll buy a guitar. Hiring a guitarist and then expecting them to change which guitar they play is like hiring a mechanic and then telling him what tools he can and can't use to fix your car. At the end of the day, the car is fixed or not fixed.

As far as image, I call shenanigans on the idea that the number of strings alone plays much into it, because seven string guitars existed in folk music, as well as jazz, before they existed in metal.

It's a narrow-minded way of thinking, and you might save yourself a lot of heartburn if you simply let go of that now.

Likewise, playing original music with seven and eight strings, I've never ever made a stipulation on another person in the band about not having enough strings. If a bass player in one of the bands I'm in picks up a five string, it's his choice. I have nothing against anybody using a four string, or three string or fifteen string or whatever. All I care about it how the person's contribution makes the song sound and makes the band sound as a result. If you want to tune a half step down from me, be my guest, as long as you know your part.

 

[bhakan]

I play my 7 string in a shoegaze type band and an indie band. I use it because it is my favorite guitar and plays and sounds great for just about everything however I very rarely use the 7th string. If they won't let you use a 7 string solely because it is a seven string that's stupid, but there are a lot of genre's that really don't call for using your lowest string. Just playing devil's advocate here, but maybe those occasional times you used your seventh string really didn't fit the music. Of course they could also just be close minded, I wasn't there.

 

[coreysMonster]

I was in a punk band for a while who thought my 8-string was awesome. With two guitarists it added a layer of extra grime when I played in unison with the bass while the other guitarist played his parts.

I had to move about two weeks after joining the band, unfortunately. Oh well.