How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

[Young Angus]

I was playing my ENGL today on some high gain stuff and its sounding great for gritty thick hard rock like darkness and the nickelback version of saturday nights alright for fighting (i love that version of that song!!!), you know that sort of tone. But i was listening to some Bon Jovi and man richies tone is smooth, just like things like the solo in "I remember you" by skid row and all similar tone solos...you get the picture.

Now before you tell me ive got a komet and that thing should do it, i havent got it cranked yet and i havent stuffed around with it enough, but i should be able to get somewhere with my ENGL...shouldnt i

I put a distortion pedal in front of it and it makes it more liquid sounding, and it sounded great (although it became pretty noisy), but after listening to richie's tones he gets such smooth tones going...how does he do it?

Are those kind of tones using pedals and effects lots, or are they just cranked amps?

If its lots of effects, or some, which are there most likely? Id like more of a smooth tone.

So who can help? Thanks in advance

 

[RCM78]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

Turn the gain down and turn the master up...

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

Crank it.

 

[nuntius]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

turn your tone pot down, maybe turn the treble and prescence controls down a bit, and increase the mids a bit.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

Must - crank - amp...:headbang::firedevil

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

First of all Ritchie is a very seasoned guitarist!!!
He has tons of amps, tons of guitars...he is essentially a gearwhore, he almost never uses the same setups for long.
And still he just sounds almost the same...lol
Well smooth like dark and fat, or like open and nonshrill??
ENGL Savage 120's are gritty amps, they are dirty beasts on their own, and they have lots of knobs to dail in.
So nothing but work the eq's the preshaper etc etc..you get the picture.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: How do i get a more smooth distortion sound?

You've got to think of the relationship between your amp and overdrive pedal as a balance beam. First, get the amp to give you a nice moderately overdriven tone.
When engaging the OD/Dist pedal, start low, then bring the gain up to the point where it's smoothing out the amp's gain. Most of those tones you're talking about come from gear just like yours....you just need sometimes close your eyes while dialing your rig, so your settings become what sounds best, not where you're used to seeing the numbers.