Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101
- Thread starter embryo
- Start date
About Sound Projection/Dispersion variables in Guitar Amps
Yo Randolf,
Thank u soo much for enlightening me with your inputs.
Maybe to get over that 'treble' sound, I need to tweak my amp setting and stay just at one position. Or a setting which could at least sound 'uniform' in which ever position I'm standing...hehehe..I dunno, man.
My combo amp has got a 12 Inch Super 65 Celestion speaker ..open back type. I almost wanted to buy a new speaker (had Celestion Greenback 30W in mind) to 'correct' this problem.
Will it help?
Seasons greetings to u too , bro!!!
Enjoy your holiday!!!
Union..
Yo Randolf,
Thank u soo much for enlightening me with your inputs.
Maybe to get over that 'treble' sound, I need to tweak my amp setting and stay just at one position. Or a setting which could at least sound 'uniform' in which ever position I'm standing...hehehe..I dunno, man.
My combo amp has got a 12 Inch Super 65 Celestion speaker ..open back type. I almost wanted to buy a new speaker (had Celestion Greenback 30W in mind) to 'correct' this problem.
Will it help?
Seasons greetings to u too , bro!!!
Enjoy your holiday!!!
Union..
embryo
New member
Hah, wait long long for lottery strike dah Ed! Hehehehe...
The Klein electric was aquired (long story short) from a teacher (actly. a prof of music) who owns a total of 6 Klein Electrics 3 of which belong to the batch of only 250pieces of Klein/Steinberger also know as as Kleinbergers built during Steve Klein's tenure as master builder with Gibson.
More along the way...
ps. doode, quit the "unkle" tingy la doode!
The Klein electric was aquired (long story short) from a teacher (actly. a prof of music) who owns a total of 6 Klein Electrics 3 of which belong to the batch of only 250pieces of Klein/Steinberger also know as as Kleinbergers built during Steve Klein's tenure as master builder with Gibson.
More along the way...
ps. doode, quit the "unkle" tingy la doode!
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embryo
New member
Union,
I wouldn't recommend the speaker change.
instead of making an appointment coming by which will only be possible into the new year maybe it'll help if you could state what's ur guitar, pickup and pedal setup together with the amp's settings and your playing experience so i get a better picture of your setup that's causing this "trebly" problem. Hopefully a workaround or solution can be found then.
Cheers!
I wouldn't recommend the speaker change.
instead of making an appointment coming by which will only be possible into the new year maybe it'll help if you could state what's ur guitar, pickup and pedal setup together with the amp's settings and your playing experience so i get a better picture of your setup that's causing this "trebly" problem. Hopefully a workaround or solution can be found then.
Cheers!
embryo
New member
Hah, I think ur the guy who came by wide eyed oggling at the strange black Klein in the corner of the room rite? How's ur revived/modded DL4serving you now?
How's ur revived/modded DL4serving you now?
embryo
New member
Hey Leech, lukin forward to test run your holy grail of an axe! How's your Strat now? Sounded really good the other day running into the Fender Super60 tube combo and the Triamps! You'r still using the 2 x 12s rite?
You'r still using the 2 x 12s rite?
leecs
New member
Hey Leech, lukin forward to test run your holy grail of an axe! How's your Strat now? Sounded really good the other day running into the Fender Super60 tube combo and the Triamps!
Im still running thru the 2x12. My newly acquired axe will be here on fri & i think that would be the last "GAS" because you know im preparing for something big.
The Fender is great!!! This is exactly what im looking for since i sold my JS1000 with the high pass filter. Just that i dont need to push-pull on the knobs.
embryo
New member
Now that the X'mas tree is finally up and lit! Ahhhh....
Leech,
glad to noe you liked the volume knob action and treble bleed mod blend that's now on your Strat!. It's actly the same mods I use for all my own guitars including my recent Klein!
Just to share but another interesting and very effective mod for you and others to consider to try is to convert Les Pauls and Humbucker only equipped guitars that usually come 500k pots to either 250k or 300k with the treble bleed and volume knob action mod. This is also something that I include to much success for my oldie Goldietopie Les Paul.
The results depend on the individual's tastes and needs and is especially critical on the choice of pickup's output type. If you've got a great toneful and versatile amp/s setup that offers you an effective and toneful choice of switching from JC/Twin like cleans to Marshally Grunge to Mesas on Steroids modes (which I'm happy to still say the H&K Triamp MKI and Alex Lifeson MKII offer) then all you really need is a nice playing guitar with low to mid output pickups and an overdrive pedal... stock/modded or boutique to kick ur amps to churn out all the necessary saturation and tone that you may need from squeaky clean to dynamic crunch to molten tube singinging distortion!
Enjoy!
Season's greeting everyone!
Leech,
glad to noe you liked the volume knob action and treble bleed mod blend that's now on your Strat!. It's actly the same mods I use for all my own guitars including my recent Klein!
Just to share but another interesting and very effective mod for you and others to consider to try is to convert Les Pauls and Humbucker only equipped guitars that usually come 500k pots to either 250k or 300k with the treble bleed and volume knob action mod. This is also something that I include to much success for my oldie Goldietopie Les Paul.
The results depend on the individual's tastes and needs and is especially critical on the choice of pickup's output type. If you've got a great toneful and versatile amp/s setup that offers you an effective and toneful choice of switching from JC/Twin like cleans to Marshally Grunge to Mesas on Steroids modes (which I'm happy to still say the H&K Triamp MKI and Alex Lifeson MKII offer) then all you really need is a nice playing guitar with low to mid output pickups and an overdrive pedal... stock/modded or boutique to kick ur amps to churn out all the necessary saturation and tone that you may need from squeaky clean to dynamic crunch to molten tube singinging distortion!
Enjoy!
Season's greeting everyone!
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embryo
New member
Season's Greetings; Merry X'mas and a Happier New Year Everyone!
Ah, another year seems to have have just wizzed by this past 2008. What a year it has been ya!
Anything is possible and this whole year has been a series of such events... just too many to mention just yet. So on behalf of my family I'd like to wish each and everyone here friends, peers and acquiantences the best of Love, Life, Family and the Music sweet Music!
Cheers eveyone!
Ah, another year seems to have have just wizzed by this past 2008. What a year it has been ya!
Anything is possible and this whole year has been a series of such events... just too many to mention just yet. So on behalf of my family I'd like to wish each and everyone here friends, peers and acquiantences the best of Love, Life, Family and the Music sweet Music!
Cheers eveyone!
embryo
New member
Pedal Mods! To Mod or not to Mod...
Howdy folks!
It's been quite a brand new year so far and word is all over as everyone's pretty much aware by now (except for those still in school, lucky yous!)it's gonna get to be quite a wild ride in the storm this year...how exciting! Not!
Times are changing and it's time for a different mindset for one and all to simply survive... To be alive is already a great start. As long as your able the rest is really up to u. You'v got yours and I've got mine and yours is no disgrace...
Ok so here we go! Pedal Mods. To mod or not to mod. Perhaps along the way we'll also discuss the How, Why, Where and When to mod to the mix of things on this subject.
Pedal mods have for quite awhile now been one of the most popular wants and must haves in gtr gear among us tone quest obsessed guitarists. Pedal mods initially stemmed from players simply trying to improve and maintain their existing gear to extreme "tweaks" that make their gear perform in previously unimaginable ways that were in many cases not intended or even frowned upon by the original manufacturers. but hey! That's FUn!!!
i'd like to state from the outset that almost any "Working" piece of gtr gear out there and here now is always capable of helping the gtrist achieve an incredibly good tone.... be it stock, modded FUBR or bootiks. The common tok of this is better than this and this is the best always leaves much to be desired and fully appreciated when the pudding always tastes somewhat different from what appears in the ads n hyped up reviews from all over. I'd rather in this discussion dwell on the differences rather than which is superior or the must have all time bestest.... whatever. U get the point.
Ok, In the coming postings I'll be sharing with you some tots on ways I believe will help u sort tru the maze of option anxieties in deciding what's best for you.... for the moment. Decision decisions what a luxury ya!
Ok more along the way. Cya!
Let the discussion begin...
Howdy folks!
It's been quite a brand new year so far and word is all over as everyone's pretty much aware by now (except for those still in school, lucky yous!)it's gonna get to be quite a wild ride in the storm this year...how exciting! Not!
Times are changing and it's time for a different mindset for one and all to simply survive... To be alive is already a great start. As long as your able the rest is really up to u. You'v got yours and I've got mine and yours is no disgrace...
Ok so here we go! Pedal Mods. To mod or not to mod. Perhaps along the way we'll also discuss the How, Why, Where and When to mod to the mix of things on this subject.
Pedal mods have for quite awhile now been one of the most popular wants and must haves in gtr gear among us tone quest obsessed guitarists. Pedal mods initially stemmed from players simply trying to improve and maintain their existing gear to extreme "tweaks" that make their gear perform in previously unimaginable ways that were in many cases not intended or even frowned upon by the original manufacturers. but hey! That's FUn!!!
i'd like to state from the outset that almost any "Working" piece of gtr gear out there and here now is always capable of helping the gtrist achieve an incredibly good tone.... be it stock, modded FUBR or bootiks. The common tok of this is better than this and this is the best always leaves much to be desired and fully appreciated when the pudding always tastes somewhat different from what appears in the ads n hyped up reviews from all over. I'd rather in this discussion dwell on the differences rather than which is superior or the must have all time bestest.... whatever. U get the point.
Ok, In the coming postings I'll be sharing with you some tots on ways I believe will help u sort tru the maze of option anxieties in deciding what's best for you.... for the moment. Decision decisions what a luxury ya!
Ok more along the way. Cya!
Let the discussion begin...
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historymker
New member
My Session with Randolf
Hi everyone, I had my 1st session of Guitar Gears 101 with Randolf today. I've known him for a couple of years now and he has been my go to person for anything related to guitar.
It was a mind blowing session as I found out things I never knew about guitar manufacturing, guitar set-ups, guitar amplifiers, and the guitars and set-ups of some of my favourite guitar players.
I've always been changing guitars since I started playing at 13. From Cort to Ibanez to Tokai to Ibanez to Fender to another Fender to another Fender (current one). And after today's session, I have come to understand & appreciate the potential, beauty, and limitations of my current guitar. All that has confirmed my decision to settle down with my current guitar and work on creating beautiful music.
There is no other person out there who can compare to Randolf's hospitality and his valuing of every client.
Hi everyone, I had my 1st session of Guitar Gears 101 with Randolf today. I've known him for a couple of years now and he has been my go to person for anything related to guitar.
It was a mind blowing session as I found out things I never knew about guitar manufacturing, guitar set-ups, guitar amplifiers, and the guitars and set-ups of some of my favourite guitar players.
I've always been changing guitars since I started playing at 13. From Cort to Ibanez to Tokai to Ibanez to Fender to another Fender to another Fender (current one). And after today's session, I have come to understand & appreciate the potential, beauty, and limitations of my current guitar. All that has confirmed my decision to settle down with my current guitar and work on creating beautiful music.
There is no other person out there who can compare to Randolf's hospitality and his valuing of every client.
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embryo
New member
Historymaker, hey tanx for the sweet words.
Glad to noe that the sessions have been part of tonequest progress for you. May you also find within yourself and the fine tools of expression the inspiration and confidence to create passionate music that truly reflects who you are n truly can be. More along the way as we go along ya!
Aldabest!
Glad to noe that the sessions have been part of tonequest progress for you. May you also find within yourself and the fine tools of expression the inspiration and confidence to create passionate music that truly reflects who you are n truly can be. More along the way as we go along ya!
Aldabest!
embryo
New member
Pedal Mods! To Mod or not to Mod...(part2)
The All time Great 4 (Stock Drive pedals)
Drive pedals be it with analog or digital modelling 9 out of 10 pedals out there in the open sea of option anxiety are basically variations in circuit designs of tone and function for; Clean Boost, Fuzz, Overdrive and Distotion.
So here's a brief descript of the all time classic 4 drive pedals;
Boosters. Basically turning down the pedal's dist or drive knob and turning up the output/level knob turns any Fuzz, OD and Dist pedal into a Clean Boost function. The boost pedal when coupled with an all tube amp running past 60% at the master volume will generate what i tink of as "molten gold". Try this at a more reasonable neighbour friendly volume without using a power attenuator with a low 5 watt all tube amp to gain this "must have" experience.
Fuzz. 2 must have flavour experience are the Fuzz Face and Big Muff. Nuff said! Hah!
Overdrive. The mother of all is the Ibanez TS808 which really sounds best driving an all tube amp. The Ibanez TS9 and Boss SD1 are only slightly different from the 808. Overdrive pedals may seem to sound limp especially when coupled with all clean settings of solid state amps but if you've ever heard and aspire to the tones of Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde and even The Edge... Justabout all overdrive pedals out there are variations if not repakaged versions of the original 808 design.
Distortion. Hands down the Boss DS1 is the mother of distortion pedal designs. The Rat which comes next is basically a modded DS1 with a Muff like sounding tone circuit. The Boss MT2 Metalzone is a DS1 x 3 times the amount of distortion. The DS1 even is stock form is capable of being used with clean, mildly driven and heavily distorted amps tube or solid state. The real trick is developing a careful use of the tone knob. The older Japanese against the modern Taiwan made... which is better? In my opinion both are just as good tho slightly different in overall tone and noise. It all depends on the intended musical application.
More along the way...until then cheers!
The All time Great 4 (Stock Drive pedals)
Drive pedals be it with analog or digital modelling 9 out of 10 pedals out there in the open sea of option anxiety are basically variations in circuit designs of tone and function for; Clean Boost, Fuzz, Overdrive and Distotion.
So here's a brief descript of the all time classic 4 drive pedals;
Boosters. Basically turning down the pedal's dist or drive knob and turning up the output/level knob turns any Fuzz, OD and Dist pedal into a Clean Boost function. The boost pedal when coupled with an all tube amp running past 60% at the master volume will generate what i tink of as "molten gold". Try this at a more reasonable neighbour friendly volume without using a power attenuator with a low 5 watt all tube amp to gain this "must have" experience.
Fuzz. 2 must have flavour experience are the Fuzz Face and Big Muff. Nuff said! Hah!
Overdrive. The mother of all is the Ibanez TS808 which really sounds best driving an all tube amp. The Ibanez TS9 and Boss SD1 are only slightly different from the 808. Overdrive pedals may seem to sound limp especially when coupled with all clean settings of solid state amps but if you've ever heard and aspire to the tones of Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde and even The Edge...
Justabout all overdrive pedals out there are variations if not repakaged versions of the original 808 design.Distortion. Hands down the Boss DS1 is the mother of distortion pedal designs. The Rat which comes next is basically a modded DS1 with a Muff like sounding tone circuit. The Boss MT2 Metalzone is a DS1 x 3 times the amount of distortion. The DS1 even is stock form is capable of being used with clean, mildly driven and heavily distorted amps tube or solid state. The real trick is developing a careful use of the tone knob. The older Japanese against the modern Taiwan made... which is better? In my opinion both are just as good tho slightly different in overall tone and noise. It all depends on the intended musical application.
More along the way...until then cheers!
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embryo
New member
Pedal Mods (Part3)
Over the course of the following posts I will be discussing and sharing some hopefully useful tips for those among us be it beginners, amatuers and aspiring artists and pros who have or will sooner or later encounter the dilemmas of choosing from among the many out there the right pedal for u now and to mod or not to mod when that option tot arises.
Drive Pedals and who uses them...in brief
It's interesting and humbling to note that most if not all the "Tone Gods" throughout Rock culture who developed and stamped their own signature electric guitar sounds were using gear that has and is readily available in stock form...even today! For example, way back in the mid 80's when Gary Moore issued the awesome live album "We want Moore!" I was floored to discover from the back cover of the vinyl a photo of the stage from the drummer's view that Gary's massive sound was a combination of a Strat and Les Paul into a orangey Boss DS1 into the Marshall Stacks! That Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde were both using the Boss SD1 as their main drive pedals set in semi-clean boost. That Satch recorded Surfing with the Alien with a Boss DS1 into the JC120 amp. That Vai recorded "Blue Powder" using a Boss DS1 into the Carvin X-100B Stack. That Robert Smith of The Cure was using an array of Boss pedals with the SD1 housed in a BCB6 pedal case into the JC120 and also the awesome early 80's U2 Live album "Under a Blood Red Sky" was performed with a Strat and Gibson Explorer into the Boss SD1 and Memory Man into a stereo setup of Roland JC120 amps! Tom Sholz's (Boston) Rockman was the other very significant sound from the 80's which lasted throughout the rest of the decade... Whilst all this was going on, I had my ears perked up from the incredible sounds of the the other guitar giants like Allan Holdsworth, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Eric Johnson, Andy Summers, David Torn and early Metallica among many others all of whom I learnt from the exciting vast possibilities of sounds and harmonic possibilities from the guitar! Wow! Lotsa to discuss about if you'r ever up fer it!
Ok ok so considering the recurring enquiries here's how I'll go about the " Pedal Mods" topic. Following posts will be about the availability, bang for buck, tonal characters, ideal to extreme musical applications, and moddabilities of following pedals;
Ibanez 808
Ibanez TS9
Boss SD1
Boss DS1
Boss MT2
Keep 'em enquiries comin in either via my email randolf@embryosongs.com or u can simply post them here along way So...more along the way!
Cheers!
Over the course of the following posts I will be discussing and sharing some hopefully useful tips for those among us be it beginners, amatuers and aspiring artists and pros who have or will sooner or later encounter the dilemmas of choosing from among the many out there the right pedal for u now and to mod or not to mod when that option tot arises.
Drive Pedals and who uses them...in brief
It's interesting and humbling to note that most if not all the "Tone Gods" throughout Rock culture who developed and stamped their own signature electric guitar sounds were using gear that has and is readily available in stock form...even today! For example, way back in the mid 80's when Gary Moore issued the awesome live album "We want Moore!" I was floored to discover from the back cover of the vinyl a photo of the stage from the drummer's view that Gary's massive sound was a combination of a Strat and Les Paul into a orangey Boss DS1 into the Marshall Stacks! That Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde were both using the Boss SD1 as their main drive pedals set in semi-clean boost. That Satch recorded Surfing with the Alien with a Boss DS1 into the JC120 amp. That Vai recorded "Blue Powder" using a Boss DS1 into the Carvin X-100B Stack. That Robert Smith of The Cure was using an array of Boss pedals with the SD1 housed in a BCB6 pedal case into the JC120 and also the awesome early 80's U2 Live album "Under a Blood Red Sky" was performed with a Strat and Gibson Explorer into the Boss SD1 and Memory Man into a stereo setup of Roland JC120 amps! Tom Sholz's (Boston) Rockman was the other very significant sound from the 80's which lasted throughout the rest of the decade... Whilst all this was going on, I had my ears perked up from the incredible sounds of the the other guitar giants like Allan Holdsworth, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Eric Johnson, Andy Summers, David Torn and early Metallica among many others all of whom I learnt from the exciting vast possibilities of sounds and harmonic possibilities from the guitar! Wow! Lotsa to discuss about if you'r ever up fer it!
Ok ok so considering the recurring enquiries here's how I'll go about the " Pedal Mods" topic. Following posts will be about the availability, bang for buck, tonal characters, ideal to extreme musical applications, and moddabilities of following pedals;
Ibanez 808
Ibanez TS9
Boss SD1
Boss DS1
Boss MT2
Keep 'em enquiries comin in either via my email randolf@embryosongs.com or u can simply post them here along way So...more along the way!
Cheers!
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embryo
New member
Pedal Mods...to mod or not to mod (Part4)
The Boss MT2 Metalzone
Timeline of (fav)Boss Drive Pedal designs;
OD1 Overdrive (late 70's)
DS1 Distortion (late 70's)
SD1 Super Overdrive (early 80's)
HM2 Heavy Metal (early 80's)
MZ2 Metallizer (mid 80's)
MT2 Metal Zone (early 90's)
Drive pedal designs that led to the MT2...and thereafter
After DS1 came the early 80's HM2 Heavy Metal, followed by the short lived MZ2 Metallizer and then sometime early 90's came the MT2 Metalzone. The stock HM2 was quite a radical sound with it's heavy bottoms and dented mids it sounded pretty...well heavy. The MZ2 was kinda interesting because it sounded like a HM2 with built in digital doubling effects via the internal use of super short delays and chorus. The MZ2 sounded to me like the Boss engineers had more than a casual liking for the Randy Rhoads sound (where his signal feed was sent through the mixing desk into a stereo delay unit during the mixdowns to create the massive aural illusion of double or triple guitar tracks) . The MZ2 also featured a stereo output...pretty radical! Just before the MT2 the RAT pedal came about and blew the house down. It was heavier sounding and had more mids than the HM2. This made the RAT pedal the choice for easy dialling in long sustaining singing lead tones using a solid state amp like the era popular Roland JC120. The 80's era was also interesting to note in terms of general mindset and approved ideologies on guitar, pickups and amp designs and usage. It was an era of of the "Master Volume" design in amps (100% preamp distortion was king in the 80's)and pickups were designed to be as hot as possible and guitars were better/best if the overall weight was heavier than your shoulders can support and everybody had to have brass nuts and hardware and last but not least of course the must have of all things electric....the Floyd Rose system! Ahhh... those were the days! Amazing how things have changed and refined into a seeming full circle these days! Hmmm...
* (update) One other significant extreme drive pedal that I forgot to mention from the late 80's is the very rare Ibanez Super Metal This was Ibanez' version of the distortion of a TS9 x 3. With on board 3 eqs that control Lows, Highs and "Punch" This was an old favourite of mine that is incredibly versatile even in stock form. The Ibanez Super Metal was Vinnie Moore's choice of Distortion pedal used to drive his Laney amps for his 1st coupla Shrapnel recordings. The most interesting extreme Distortion pedal from Boss these days is the MD2 Mega Distortion. The MD2's control layout and overall character is somewhat an improvement over the late 80's HM3 Hyper Metal which was supposed to be the improvement over the HM2. Improvements or engineering mods? Hmmm...
These days the stock MT2 still holds it's head high as one of the most popular and cost effective distortion pedal from Boss. What makes the pedal one of my all time favourites is really not so much becos of the distortion quality/quantity (it's 3x that of DS1) but really it's because of the on board always tweakable 3 band eq. The parametric mid sweep dual knobs offer an incredibly vast range that allows one to sculpt the tones for anywhere from mild drive to heavy distortion. However, all the incredible tonal power of the MT2 falls flat without the player's control. Hence the common saying "power without control...
MT2....the mods
Ok! So why mod the MT2? Well the reasons are plenty if you realize the MT2's real magic lies in the powerful 3 band EQ!!!
How to personalize the MT2 to sculpt your own dream tone...
Many of the popular commercial and custom Mods for MT2 these days would almost by default include the removal the pedal's nasal (now cheesy sounding) built in "stack amp simulator" tone circuit which easily makes it fuller sounding with revived lows and mids. I'm generally agreeable with this but...Wait!!! I have also discovered "eureka" moments tweaking this "stack simulator" tone circuit to brow raising effect. Is it for you? Well for me it's a "hidden ninja dagger"! Heh, well now you know! Another popular request is for "more,more,more" distortion from the MT2. The other popular mod request for the MT2 is the quest for a more dynamic (punchier) less compressed distortion character. I always like versatility in drive pedals within design limits and the MT2 has been a constant favourite for quite awhile now. One of my favourite sounds is driving a 50/50 pre/power amp overdriven full tube amp with the modded MT2 with the "dist" knob tuned down minimum or very low and maxing out the level knob....and Sculpting the overall tone and dynamics character with the onboard 3 band eq! You'll find that you need less and less distortion from the pedal if you already have delicious saturation from the amp. No wonder Warren Haynes uses an MT2! Basically for the MT2 the range of mods that tweak the character and amount of distortion plus the modifications of the lows mids and highs offer some of the widest range of drive pedal customization available from a single cost effective gaget that rumour has it that Boss pedals were designed to outlive us all. Wicked!
How to easily set up for a bad sound with the MT2...
Unless artistically intended if you'r inclined as such, most of the confusion and frustration with the MT2 usually arises from misunderstanding how the onboard eqs ideally work with different types of amps and sizes too. Common mistakes among 1st time MT2 users usually have their guitars loaded with super high output X2N or Invaders and Blackouts pups slamming into the MT2 with Dist knob at max set with the bass knob full with the treble arnd 2 o clock or "later" and scooping out the already scooped out mids into a small pint sized practice amp. The usual complaint would be that this very setting that they've grown to love in their bedrooms sounds severely lacking and plain horrible if they can be heard at all struggling to get their "chugga chugs" blasting through the low end from the bass gtr n kick drum and the highs all masked by the crashes and hi hats in the rehearsal studios or live gig! "Everybody says I can't be heard when the band kicks in! Why?" Sounds familiar? Yup I tot so too.
Hope u enjoyed Gtr101 for the day...more later
Cheers!
The Boss MT2 Metalzone
Timeline of (fav)Boss Drive Pedal designs;
OD1 Overdrive (late 70's)
DS1 Distortion (late 70's)
SD1 Super Overdrive (early 80's)
HM2 Heavy Metal (early 80's)
MZ2 Metallizer (mid 80's)
MT2 Metal Zone (early 90's)
Drive pedal designs that led to the MT2...and thereafter
After DS1 came the early 80's HM2 Heavy Metal, followed by the short lived MZ2 Metallizer and then sometime early 90's came the MT2 Metalzone. The stock HM2 was quite a radical sound with it's heavy bottoms and dented mids it sounded pretty...well heavy. The MZ2 was kinda interesting because it sounded like a HM2 with built in digital doubling effects via the internal use of super short delays and chorus. The MZ2 sounded to me like the Boss engineers had more than a casual liking for the Randy Rhoads sound (where his signal feed was sent through the mixing desk into a stereo delay unit during the mixdowns to create the massive aural illusion of double or triple guitar tracks) . The MZ2 also featured a stereo output...pretty radical! Just before the MT2 the RAT pedal came about and blew the house down. It was heavier sounding and had more mids than the HM2. This made the RAT pedal the choice for easy dialling in long sustaining singing lead tones using a solid state amp like the era popular Roland JC120. The 80's era was also interesting to note in terms of general mindset and approved ideologies on guitar, pickups and amp designs and usage. It was an era of of the "Master Volume" design in amps (100% preamp distortion was king in the 80's)and pickups were designed to be as hot as possible and guitars were better/best if the overall weight was heavier than your shoulders can support and everybody had to have brass nuts and hardware and last but not least of course the must have of all things electric....the Floyd Rose system! Ahhh... those were the days! Amazing how things have changed and refined into a seeming full circle these days! Hmmm...
* (update) One other significant extreme drive pedal that I forgot to mention from the late 80's is the very rare Ibanez Super Metal This was Ibanez' version of the distortion of a TS9 x 3. With on board 3 eqs that control Lows, Highs and "Punch" This was an old favourite of mine that is incredibly versatile even in stock form. The Ibanez Super Metal was Vinnie Moore's choice of Distortion pedal used to drive his Laney amps for his 1st coupla Shrapnel recordings. The most interesting extreme Distortion pedal from Boss these days is the MD2 Mega Distortion. The MD2's control layout and overall character is somewhat an improvement over the late 80's HM3 Hyper Metal which was supposed to be the improvement over the HM2. Improvements or engineering mods? Hmmm...
These days the stock MT2 still holds it's head high as one of the most popular and cost effective distortion pedal from Boss. What makes the pedal one of my all time favourites is really not so much becos of the distortion quality/quantity (it's 3x that of DS1) but really it's because of the on board always tweakable 3 band eq. The parametric mid sweep dual knobs offer an incredibly vast range that allows one to sculpt the tones for anywhere from mild drive to heavy distortion. However, all the incredible tonal power of the MT2 falls flat without the player's control. Hence the common saying "power without control...
MT2....the mods
Ok! So why mod the MT2? Well the reasons are plenty if you realize the MT2's real magic lies in the powerful 3 band EQ!!!
How to personalize the MT2 to sculpt your own dream tone...
Many of the popular commercial and custom Mods for MT2 these days would almost by default include the removal the pedal's nasal (now cheesy sounding) built in "stack amp simulator" tone circuit which easily makes it fuller sounding with revived lows and mids. I'm generally agreeable with this but...Wait!!! I have also discovered "eureka" moments tweaking this "stack simulator" tone circuit to brow raising effect. Is it for you? Well for me it's a "hidden ninja dagger"! Heh, well now you know! Another popular request is for "more,more,more" distortion from the MT2. The other popular mod request for the MT2 is the quest for a more dynamic (punchier) less compressed distortion character. I always like versatility in drive pedals within design limits and the MT2 has been a constant favourite for quite awhile now. One of my favourite sounds is driving a 50/50 pre/power amp overdriven full tube amp with the modded MT2 with the "dist" knob tuned down minimum or very low and maxing out the level knob....and Sculpting the overall tone and dynamics character with the onboard 3 band eq! You'll find that you need less and less distortion from the pedal if you already have delicious saturation from the amp. No wonder Warren Haynes uses an MT2! Basically for the MT2 the range of mods that tweak the character and amount of distortion plus the modifications of the lows mids and highs offer some of the widest range of drive pedal customization available from a single cost effective gaget that rumour has it that Boss pedals were designed to outlive us all. Wicked!
How to easily set up for a bad sound with the MT2...
Unless artistically intended if you'r inclined as such, most of the confusion and frustration with the MT2 usually arises from misunderstanding how the onboard eqs ideally work with different types of amps and sizes too. Common mistakes among 1st time MT2 users usually have their guitars loaded with super high output X2N or Invaders and Blackouts pups slamming into the MT2 with Dist knob at max set with the bass knob full with the treble arnd 2 o clock or "later" and scooping out the already scooped out mids into a small pint sized practice amp. The usual complaint would be that this very setting that they've grown to love in their bedrooms sounds severely lacking and plain horrible if they can be heard at all struggling to get their "chugga chugs" blasting through the low end from the bass gtr n kick drum and the highs all masked by the crashes and hi hats in the rehearsal studios or live gig! "Everybody says I can't be heard when the band kicks in! Why?" Sounds familiar? Yup I tot so too.
Hope u enjoyed Gtr101 for the day...more later
Cheers!
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