Some questions about sounds.

[Rollercoaster]

I just wrote a new song and I wanted a thin, wide open, growling guitar sound for the chorus part. I had no problem having a thin sound as turning up the treble give me that and heavy is not a problem as turning up the bass gives me that too. However I do have problems coming up with a wide open and growling sound. I'm not too good with sounds but I do suspect that having jus the right amount of gain will give me the right amount of saturation (in the sound), thus resulting in a growling sound.Please correct me if I'm wrong. As for a wide open sound, I have no idea how adjusting the eq would give me that. I'm thinking of changing my pickups to achieve that wide open sound. The closest sound I can think of in relations to an artist is Randy Rhode's thin, sharp, growling sound. Um if anyone knows how to get the sound by adjusting the eq settings or changing pickups or whatever, please enlighten me. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ShredCow]

Perhaps, you could name a song, or specific guitar track that Randy Rhoads played?

 

[hub37]

open and growling...mmm...very hard to imagine...but the first tot that come to me is those bright and fender-like gain in those modern rock song...turn your gain level to mid-gain level......around 12 o'clock...and put in a short delay...if u have a bassy sound then turn up the mid and treble a bit...

 

[Rollercoaster]

I only have one cd with Randy Rhode playing live (in Ozzy's band). Most of the guitar sound on that cd sounds thin, trebly, wide open and growling to me.(Think Crazy train, Mr Crowley) I kinda figured I wanted that kinda sound for my song, not necessarily Randy Rhode's sound. I'm jus starting to learn how adjusting the eq settings would affect my guitar sound, and I hope someone here would advise me on how turning up or turning down the bass, mids and trebles of my amp would affect my sound, more specifically if turning up the bass would give me a fat sound, or turning up the mids would give me a honky sound or whatever. I appreciate any advice given.

 

[Rollercoaster]

Hey hub37, it's interesting how you advise me to turn up the mids and trebles if my guitar sound bassy as my first thought is to turn down the bass instead. Can you elaborate more on that?

 

[hub37]

hi Rollercoaster,

personally I dun like to turn the bass knob below 11 o'clock. Cause I think
these attenuates the bass frequency. It does not boost your treble. As a result, u dun get a full sound.

Boosting the treble eq is a different story, although relatively it appears as though it's the same as attenuating the bass. Coz now u boost the treble but keep the bass constant.

Having said that, I find that the eq is only part of the equation. The guitar, pickups and effects that you use makes a big imapct on whether u sound more treble or bassy. Eg. My Gibson sounds more bassy than my Cort. My Boss OS2 sounds more treble than my GT-2 and Korg A1500.

 

[Rollercoaster]

Hmm...thank you for your advice. May I know what kinda music do you play?

 

[hub37]

I am from a band call RustyNailz, we play Chinese pop-rock originals.
www.rustynailz.net

 

[Rollercoaster]

Cool! I've heard of your band, are you the guitarist? It's very nice meeting you....

 

[Crawldaddy]

My Boss OS2 sounds more treble than my GT-2 and Korg A1500.

hello, fellow OS-2 user! what's ur efx chain like, btw?

 

[guitarman78]

how about reducing your Bass and increase your Mid? Coz low Mids will basically drown your sound .... i can associate Wide sounding with Higher Mids and lower Bass .... Maybe adjust your bass in such a way that it doesn't drown your high Mids?

 

[mikemann]

I believe what you are looking for is a difference "voicing".

For practise amps, most only have 2 kind or only one kind of voicing. The most obvious one is the clean channel, the other is the boost/drive/overdrive/distortion/lead channel. Performance amps have more voicing choice.

The clean channel on you amp would be the most transparent voice it will give to you. Some amp sound like hifi/crystal clear or brit crunch or US drive or muddy tone....etc as it's native voice. We can also call this coloration of sound in the elec git world.

From what you describe, you might need to explore using only your amp clean channel and match it up with suitable effect pedals to get your desired sound.

Your description sound very Metal Zone like or maybe the older metallizer (digital). A somewhat thin but strong and with fuzz color sound can be found in early digital based drive effects like Zoom 4040 multiefx, ADA MP1, Marshall JMP1...etc

The most easy way to find the sound today is simply buy a modern Multi effects pedal like Zoom (cheap and good). As they would have such sound settings and modelling already pre-installed.

One note is that a pedal will sound different with different amp, like we say it's a lifelong pursuit.

 

[Rollercoaster]

Hey guitarman78, that's a good idea! Thanks for your suggestion....I'll try that today!

 

[Rollercoaster]

Hey mikemann, thanks for your advice, that's the first time I ever heard of voicing for an amp. Hmm, interesting. Anyway, I did thought of using the metalzone, and I went out to buy one secondhand, and it sounds real thin(much thinner than I thought), trebly and sharp and fuzzy and grainy. It is so thin and trebly that I had to turn my amp's treble all the way down to practically 0 to get a half decent sound(not a very good sound thou, too digital) outta it. From then on , I decided metalzone's not the one for me.
I'm thinking of getting either a keeley DS-1 or SD-1 next.

 

[ShredCow]

The metalzone has a very good eq section. its very powerful. Play with the mids freq and mids control, those can add a TON of body to your tone. Try mids @ 2olcock, mids freq @ 11oclock.

It should be modded though. Check with randolf.

 

[Rollercoaster]

Thanks Shredcrow, I'll try that out!

 

[penguin]

bro for randy`s tone...i suggest you use the marshall jackhammer.

as for the metalzone its a cool piece of gear.Versatile just need to tweak slowly..im sure you can get the british kinda tone that your looking after..