Amateur's Gear Guide to Metal!
- Thread starter Godspeed64
- Start date
Ized
New member
+1 to that. metal sounds better played loud but dynamics still play an important part. Most local metal bands lack that i find.
Godspeed64
Active member
Updated! :mrgreen:
Hi, i am Cliff Bloodstone that Ized mentioned. Yes i no longer use the Behringer X V-amp but i still have it for sentimental reasons (and in case i wanna play conveniently and silently outside or sth).
You don't always need to be chugga chugga, low bottom end and tight and compressed to be metal. That's stereotype 101 for metal. I dont blame anyone for having that mental idea because 90% of metal bands go for that sound.
First and foremost, let's talk abt pickups. You DON'T NEED DIMARZIO X10S OR EMGS TO SOUND METAL! X10 is WAY too much gain and EMGs can sound cold. They are great pickups but not necessary THE METAL PUPS FROM HELL. You could use something like Suhr DSV (which is what i use). It doesnt have that tight compressed focused tone but it also doesnt sound generic like a mainstream Dimarzio Pup. It sounds like some 70s garage guitar tone but with a good OD/Dist pedal it can make you sound different yet heavy. You could even use a Seymour Duncan Alnico Jazz neck pup and still sound "metal". Screw the "chugga chugga" misconception. You could still get the tight bottom end from using compression or getting a certain pedal.
Now, moving on to pedals. You need not get a freaking pedal that has the word "metal" inside. Metalzone, Uber Metal, Death Metal, etc. You could use a DS1 and still sound metal (Chuck Schuldiner from Death used a DS1 i believe for the first 4 albums but with everything maxed out). Even the EHX Muff pedals can sound heavy. So can the MI crunchbox. Instead of going for an uber-compressed sound, u can go for an "open" garagey grungey sound as well. Dare to be different! Use an EQ pedal and screw ard with the sound.
This may sound like a rant but its not. I just feel that, you don't need to follow the standard EMG 81 Metalzone setup.
With regards to digital multi-fx, i must say the current progress of multi-fx is good. Boss Gt8 and such have really made the sound more authentic while giving max convenience. However, one problem is that you can nvr sound different (can never get a boutique sound). You're left trapped to distortion and effect voicings in the system. But the convenience is unbeatable. I recommend digital multi-fx to ppl who use a crapload of FX in ur live performances.
And, one more thing abt distortion. Don't be afraid to use amp distortion, or to use combined distortion. Try using a tube-screamer before amp distortion, or a tube-screamer before ur main distortion pedal (off course, lower the latter's gain). U might find its much more hotter, responsive and for 80s enthusiasts, old school. But try to watch out for noise, hum and over-feedback. Experiment! Not necessary must buy to try. Can go shop and try. Borrow from friends and try. I particularly enjoyed using a tube-screamer with my modded metalzone (yes i used a metalzone previously but the modded version was pretty good).
K, hope i didnt sound whiney.
You don't always need to be chugga chugga, low bottom end and tight and compressed to be metal. That's stereotype 101 for metal. I dont blame anyone for having that mental idea because 90% of metal bands go for that sound.
First and foremost, let's talk abt pickups. You DON'T NEED DIMARZIO X10S OR EMGS TO SOUND METAL! X10 is WAY too much gain and EMGs can sound cold. They are great pickups but not necessary THE METAL PUPS FROM HELL. You could use something like Suhr DSV (which is what i use). It doesnt have that tight compressed focused tone but it also doesnt sound generic like a mainstream Dimarzio Pup. It sounds like some 70s garage guitar tone but with a good OD/Dist pedal it can make you sound different yet heavy. You could even use a Seymour Duncan Alnico Jazz neck pup and still sound "metal". Screw the "chugga chugga" misconception. You could still get the tight bottom end from using compression or getting a certain pedal.
Now, moving on to pedals. You need not get a freaking pedal that has the word "metal" inside. Metalzone, Uber Metal, Death Metal, etc. You could use a DS1 and still sound metal (Chuck Schuldiner from Death used a DS1 i believe for the first 4 albums but with everything maxed out). Even the EHX Muff pedals can sound heavy. So can the MI crunchbox. Instead of going for an uber-compressed sound, u can go for an "open" garagey grungey sound as well. Dare to be different! Use an EQ pedal and screw ard with the sound.
This may sound like a rant but its not. I just feel that, you don't need to follow the standard EMG 81 Metalzone setup.
With regards to digital multi-fx, i must say the current progress of multi-fx is good. Boss Gt8 and such have really made the sound more authentic while giving max convenience. However, one problem is that you can nvr sound different (can never get a boutique sound). You're left trapped to distortion and effect voicings in the system. But the convenience is unbeatable. I recommend digital multi-fx to ppl who use a crapload of FX in ur live performances.
And, one more thing abt distortion. Don't be afraid to use amp distortion, or to use combined distortion. Try using a tube-screamer before amp distortion, or a tube-screamer before ur main distortion pedal (off course, lower the latter's gain). U might find its much more hotter, responsive and for 80s enthusiasts, old school. But try to watch out for noise, hum and over-feedback. Experiment! Not necessary must buy to try. Can go shop and try. Borrow from friends and try. I particularly enjoyed using a tube-screamer with my modded metalzone (yes i used a metalzone previously but the modded version was pretty good).
K, hope i didnt sound whiney.
Ized
New member
haha ok Cliff is the man....you no longer using that modded Metalzone now?
chuck did use a DS-1.....into his amp's distortion i believe. You can never get that wall of gain and saturation from a DS1 into a clean amp.
IMO for metal a good amp with sufficient wattage power and 12" speakers are the best. Dosent need to be tube or what, so long as you can get a good distorted sound with sufficient clarity, so that one can be heard over the mix (especially once the drums kick in).
chuck did use a DS-1.....into his amp's distortion i believe. You can never get that wall of gain and saturation from a DS1 into a clean amp.
IMO for metal a good amp with sufficient wattage power and 12" speakers are the best. Dosent need to be tube or what, so long as you can get a good distorted sound with sufficient clarity, so that one can be heard over the mix (especially once the drums kick in).
subversion
Moderator
...because there's always a misunderstanding that anything 'distortion' is supposed to be intense.
Ized
New member
Exactly Sub, especially when someone new has preconceptions that a "tubescreamer" is a super intense kind of distortion by itself per se... It happens:lol:
