Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

[IL1511]

Hey everyone,

I don't know if this post belongs in this forum but here we go.

I want to modify my Gibson Les Paul Tribute after Billy Howerdel's Les Paul. The guitar will be loaded with Thomas Anderson humbuckers: H1- (Neck) and H3+ (bridge). During Premier Guitar's rig rundown interview, Howerdel mentioned having a cap installed on his volume control, which allows him to "clean up" his tone as he rolls back the volume on the neck pickup.

Does anyone know what cap modification he's talking about?

I assume it's this mod, but I wanted a second opinion.

Thanks in advanced guys and gals!

 

[Bodeanicus]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

Sounds like your average high gain amp to me. Soldano, Boogie, Peavey will get you there.

As to the volume tone mod, it's called a "treble bleed." You can buy them off Ebay for less than $5.

Sent from my KFGIWI using Tapatalk

 

[devastone]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

I assume it's this mod, but I wanted a second opinion.

It's more likely a treble bleed mod which is a capacitor across the hot and output lugs of the volume control. There are a few ways to doing it, a series RC circuit, a parallel RC circuit, I usually just use a cap by itself across the lugs, I think a 330pF or so.

 

[Sun King]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

Sounds like your average high gain amp to me. Soldano, Boogie, Peavey will get you there.

As to the volume tone mod, it's called a "treble bleed." You can buy them off Ebay for less than $5.

Sent from my KFGIWI using Tapatalk

I saw that same Rig Rundown episode, Howerdel's equipment doesn't seem quite like a run-of-the-mill "average high gain amp". They started by interviewing James Iha, and I'm sorry to say that he was not informative or knowledgeable at all about his gear, ("I think I have the settings somewhere in my iPhone"). But Howerdel had a lot of interesting information, and he seemed enthusiastic about his Fractal equipment. Definitely worth watching if you have time. The amount and complexity of their concert gear boggled my mind, and after seeing that, OP i think you'll need a LOT more than just a treble bleed to get his tone! :33: Saw those guys at the Fox in Detroit, GREAT concert!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

I used to like his tone, but after hearing his isolated guitar on in this video, I think it sounds pretty bad actually.
His use of effects is cool, but his crunch and higher gain sound leave a lot to be desired. Very plain, very muddy. Noisy rig too IMO.

 

[IL1511]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

You're absolutely right Sun King, which is why after modifying my Les Paul I'm getting a Fractal system. I'm so fickle when it comes to amps and pedals that if I have a simulator then I can just spend/lose countless hours playing around with them. A friend of mine had one and I just remember sitting at the computer while he played as we tried to dial in a random assortment of sounds and effects.

Here's a link to the Rig Rundown with APC: https://youtu.be/WxoHvr2ICYA

One thing that. absolutely kills me is that I know that I will never figure out how to get the sound of Howerdel gets at 48:29, and by the sound of things he's not even completely happy with the tone he has currently, but I think it sounds divine. If I could get that sound and some of the sounds and tones they get during "Outsider" I never complain about tone again. EVER.

 

[IL1511]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

Really Van Noord?! I love it, but I share his philosophy on guitar playing - where I'd rather be in the studio playing with effects and sculpting/manipulating my sound rather than having to cut/edit parts to live. To each their own though. Who's tone are you're into now?

The other sound I'm chasing is Evanescence. Specifically anything off of "The Fallen" and their self-titled album (2011) gives me guitar and bass tone envy.

 

[Sun King]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

Thanks for the video, Van Noord. Yea IL, personally i dig their music, (LOL except maybe "Nurse Who Loved Me," ha), and find the way Howerdel "came up through the ranks", to where he's at now, pretty interesting. Also the story of how he ended up with Trent Reznor's Les Paul.

Yea that's all part of the fun man, "chasing tone", although it's tough to balance sometimes. On one hand it pays to keep things simple, otherwise too many variables can give ya a headache... Good luck in your quest!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

I don't think his tone is that bad on that vid so much as his playing is kinda sloppy.

Love me some APC, though. I'm sure that was just a bad day.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Getting Billy Howerdel's Tone - A Perfect Circle

His tone isn't really about pickups or amps it's more about production. The process he uses is automatic double tracking on a computer. It's the same guitar part but with a small amount of delay and panned in different directions. Sometimes the different signals are EQ'd a little different or are slightly detuned so it sounds like he recorded three or four different guitars. A chorus, flange or harmonizer can be used to simulate the same thing in a live situation. It sounds monumental but can easily turn into mush.