Are Rhythm Guitarists Immune to GAS?

shogun · #1 12-04-2007, 07:15 PM

I was watching some vids and this question came to me.. Do rhythm guitarists crave gear / tone like lead guitarists do??? For me, most of the sound I am 'looking' for has to do with lead.. If I only played rhythm, I would never have parted with my genz benz ( heavy sounding like a mesa, reliable, loud. )..

My say on this is, Yes, they ARE IMMUNE to GAS..

Martyr Machine · #2 12-04-2007, 08:00 PM

I wouldn't say "immune", just that they have different priorities. I would certainly say that lead guitarists tend to be more anal about gear because tonal concepts like articulation are more relevant to lead guitar than to rhythm.

rickcard71 · #3 12-04-2007, 09:21 PM

Dumb poll!!! I totally disgree, I bet Izzy Stradlin probably had more guitars than Slash! I am a lead guitarist in my band now (the only guitarist), I like it that way; however, we may add another guitarist, unless it is this one guy who is a good rhythm player (not better than me) everyone else probably would be! I have no problem with that, and I will still have MAJOR GAS!!!!

quiksilverdew · #4 12-04-2007, 10:10 PM

For me whatever amp or guitar I'm using, my lead tone always comes from my fingers, but my rhythm tone almost always comes from the amp I'm using, so I'd say "No" personally. Good thought though...

**jim777** · #5 12-04-2007, 11:04 PM

Only if they're in AC/DC evidently

The Euphor · #6 12-05-2007, 02:33 AM

Different kind of GAS. Who do you think buy all the chord finders?

Shredder87 · #7 12-05-2007, 05:24 AM

Hmm... I realise this thread is light-hearted, but I disagree with the whole "Rhythm Guitarist"/"Lead Guitarist" thing. I don't see why there should be a distinction between "Rhythm" and "Lead". I don't see why one person should be lumped with banging out chords all the time, and the other person is lumped with endless soloing. I think it's a load of old cobblers. Let's face it, if all you do is play the same thing over and over, it gets boring.

In my band there are two guitarists, myself and another guy, we share the "Rhythm" and "Lead" out. There's no distinction between both of us and I don't see why there should be.

Perhaps it's down to egoistical guitarists who see "rhythm" playing as being somehow "inferior" to "lead" playing, and see the whole "lead"/"rhythm" distinction as a way to massage their ego.

I get bored with endless soloing in the same way that I get bored playing rhythm all the time. It's nice to have a mix.

Shredder87 · #8 12-05-2007, 05:25 AM

Oh, and I forgot to say... of course "Rhythm" guitarists aren't immune to GAS... they're guitar players, aren't they?

HeavyMetal4Ever · #9 12-05-2007, 06:15 AM

Shredder87 raises some good points, many so called "lead" guitarists seem to have a condescending attitude when it comes to rhythm playing.

Which is more important to a song, rhythm or lead? It's not a hard question to answer is it...

Anyway, back to the original question.

I thought all guitarists suffered from GAS?

Rock on!

Vim Fuego · #10 12-05-2007, 06:39 AM

Some good points here...
I can only speak for myself, but, in my band there are 2 very distinct roles. I didn't particularly want it that way, but I'm definitely the lead player. Of course when I'm not widdlin' I play rhythm, but I tend to back off a lot for fear making the band sound too thick and indistinct. I really like nice rhythm work!
Our rhythm guitarist used to be the only guitarist in the band but when they got me in he gave up on any lead work (and bothering to learn the songs properly

) which is a shame. Of course if there was another lead player in the band that *might* cause problems too

!
To get back to the point I feel the best rhythm players are often those that are the only guitarists in the band, Edward Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Brian May, Pete Townshend, etc...etc... So to answer the poll... No!
Jim

DavyH · #11 12-05-2007, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

Only if they're in AC/DC evidently

Same goes for the lead player as well though!

The Youngs probably have warehouses full of gear they never let anyone see.....

LonePhantom · #12 12-05-2007, 04:59 PM

I think rhythm guitar is much more important than lead guitar, where would the song come from if there was just someone widdling over the top of a bass and drum track anyway? And of course people who play rhythm are going to get just as much GAS as anyone else. There is definitely tone searching when it comes to rhythm too.

sick-boy · #13 12-05-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LonePhantom

where would the song come from if there was just someone widdling over the top of a bass and drum track anyway?

Ask Jimi and SRV. They seemed to make pretty good songs playing lead over drum and bass.

Shredder87 · #14 12-06-2007, 07:10 AM

Jimi and SRV also played rhythm, however.

Incedentally, I agree that rhythm is perhaps more important than pure lead playing. EVH is perhaps the best rhythm guitarist in the world, his rhythm parts are excellent.

Even Vai, Satch et al don't just widdle away all the time... there still has to be rhythm playing there.

P.S. I heard that Angus Young does indeed have a warehouse stacked full of SGs...

'87

shogun · #15 12-06-2007, 04:23 PM

this thread wasn't supposed to be about Lead vs Rhythm... wtf.. all lead guitar players play rhythm guitar too (obviously..) there is no debate about this, I simply asked whether rhythm guitarists go into as great extent to have the perfect tone.. and IMO they do not