How many guitars in a band are too many?

[Ron Green]

You got your lead, you got your rhythm, you got....???

[bluesbassman]

1. How do you get a lead guitar player to stop playing?

Put sheet music in front of him. :P

And, so the rythym section doesn't feel left out...

Did you hear about the drummer who locked his keys in his car?



























Took the bass player 45 minutes to get him out.

Thank you. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your MiddleFingerMom.

[mikeytherat]

6. A few more:

What is the best bass solo?
The one the keyboardist plays with his left hand.

What is "perfect pitch?"
Tossing a banjo into a dumpster without hitting the sides.

What do vacuums and electric guitars have in common?
When you plug them in, they both suck.

mikey_the_rat

[Bake]

10. Hey now! No banjo jokes! This is a guitar thread!

OK, one more, then. What six words will you NEVER hear at a bluegrass festival?


"Is that the banjo player's Porsche?"

Bake

[mikeytherat]

14. I'm a bassist, so I took the first shot!

mikey_the_rat

[MilesColtrane]

2. As long as they know how to play together there is no set number.

Since that is a rare occurrence, I'll go with three.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. Dark Magus, recorded live at Carnegie Hall March 30, 1974, featuring three guitarists

Pete Cosey,



Reggie Lucas,



and Dominique Gaumont.



I'd say the album is less a matter of knowing how to play together and more of knowing when to get out of each others' way.

I've always loved this one (as well as Pangaea & Agharta, even though they "only" featured Cosey & Lucas)...

:-)

[catnhatnh]

3. Five...

bass, rhythm, lead, and a finger picker on 12 string. Six if mandolin counts as a guitar. Seven if a mandolin and a banjo count as guitars...

[bluesbassman]

4. Here's five on stage...

Randy California and friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luOBN4Xl-Rk

[kentauros]

5. Depends on the 'band':

Glenn Branca's Symphony #13 "100 Guitars"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdLhRB4dJJI

:P

[SteppingRazor]

7. I'd say four. There's several bands that pull off three guitars prety damn well.

Drive-By Truckers springs immediately to mind, and there's also Lynyrd Skynyrd, of course.

[Forkboy]

9. When I saw Superconductor they had 6, plus 2 bass players.

Sounded damn fine to me. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DZxYoO4d1Q

[Bake]

11. It depends on who's playing them.

Bake

[kwassa]

12. Gipsy Kings, eight guitarists, nothing else

and they sound fine to me.

[txwhitedove]

13. Another vote for Gipsy Kings! I've seen them live 3 times.

[EnviroBat]

15. These dudes waffle between three and four, and do a great job.

Sometimes many guitars playing the same thing provides a great, chorus-ie, big full sound. I really dig it!
We toured with them last summer. What a great time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1TZmn_YPgQ&feature=related

[AmandaRuth]

16. I would have to say 6

being that when I was about 15, I saw Blue Oyster Cult in concert, and they ended the show by playing ME262, with all five playing the guitar. I think all of my rock and roll fantasies were born in that one image. I tried to find a photo on the net, but no luck.

Maybe it wasn't THAT cool, but i sure do remember it as being the absolute bomb.