Sounds sour with guitars

[aries753]

We have a couple guitars play the early Service once a month. I tried to play along with them on the Postlude but my poor mando sounded really sour. It's in tune with the tuner. I am hoping that this is not normal. The guitar players tuned to each other. They don't use a tuner. If they don't quite have perfect pitch are they most likley to be flat or sharp?
The tune was WOV715, a Hassidic tune that plays fast and sounds really neat.

For my real job, I also record the Service. One guitar plays melody the other strums the chords. I have sound hole pickups in the guitars but the sound is really dry.
I tried a mic but the chord player makes so much pick noise that it almost drowns out his guitar. And his guitar is not quiet. Anybody have any sugestions???

[Frankmc]

Make them all use the same tuner and add some reverv/delay.

Frank

[250sc]

If they won't use a tuner you will have to tune to them but you won't make good sounding music without being tuned to the same pitch.

[MandoJon]

Not much more to be said after the last two posts except to add that I've always found mandolins to sound sweet when in tune with a guitar, especially where the mandolin is playing the melody.

[TommyK]

Next time, tune to them. Ask them to play a G, the a D.... you know the drill. By the time you get all eight wires singing to their tune, they may volunteer to tune to you next time. (That's why everybody tunes to the piano. Nobody wants to wait around for someone to snug up all 88 triple courses... you just lose the 'moment'.)

[Elliot Luber]

It's better to be in tune with their being out-of-tune than defiantly in tune -- unless, of course you have an audience with perfect pitch. If you're worried about insulting them, you definately want to tune down to their level.