Boleslaw Gers 666
New member
His OD pedal doesn't pack that much punch. JCM 800's don't even have overdrive, do they? So how does he do it?
How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
- Thread starter Boleslaw Gers 666
- Start date
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
His playing is heavy.
It is just his style, he sounds heavy on acoustic too.
The latter remark about the amp having no overdrive....oh gods.
Well yes it has, crank it and it will drive you up the wall.
And it is not even as meaty as an old SLP.
His playing is heavy.
It is just his style, he sounds heavy on acoustic too.
The latter remark about the amp having no overdrive....oh gods.
Well yes it has, crank it and it will drive you up the wall.
And it is not even as meaty as an old SLP.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
Quadriple tracking
Quadriple tracking
G
Guest
Guest
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
I was about to say you could try to tune 1/2 step down, but after looking around a little on guitar tab sites...seems like that's not the way to go on most Zakk stuff. Realized that on some songs he have tuned down low E to and D though.
I was about to say you could try to tune 1/2 step down, but after looking around a little on guitar tab sites...seems like that's not the way to go on most Zakk stuff. Realized that on some songs he have tuned down low E to and D though.
HarrisonDavid
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
He plays many tunings. Though I think he obviously is naturally heavy anyways. Using heavy gauge strings and tuning low can get close to his sound. I just slapped some 10-60 on my geetar and tune down to B and your almost there. I have a amp modeler so I can come close to his sound.
I don't think he tracks more than 3 times.
He plays many tunings. Though I think he obviously is naturally heavy anyways. Using heavy gauge strings and tuning low can get close to his sound. I just slapped some 10-60 on my geetar and tune down to B and your almost there. I have a amp modeler so I can come close to his sound.
I don't think he tracks more than 3 times.
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
I can believe that.
I went through a phase of tracking stuff 3 times (one panned hard left, one centre, one hard right) and it had "Zakk" qualities to it if I played that style.
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1590436&q=Hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1590436&q=Lo
Note.. I wasn't trying to sound like Zakk at all.. just showing what layering the sound does (it's an old old riff). Palm mutes seem to really fill out.
Pinch harmonics sound great that way too..
HarrisonDavid said:
I can believe that.
I went through a phase of tracking stuff 3 times (one panned hard left, one centre, one hard right) and it had "Zakk" qualities to it if I played that style.
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1590436&q=Hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1590436&q=Lo
Note.. I wasn't trying to sound like Zakk at all.. just showing what layering the sound does (it's an old old riff). Palm mutes seem to really fill out.
Pinch harmonics sound great that way too..
Last edited:
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
I have come to know that a big and large heavy sound on record means playing an amp a lot cleaner then most people would think.... I love playing with lots of distortion and whenever i have done recordings i am always surprised by how much i have to back off on the dirt to get a big and heavy sound..... No wonder many classic guitar tracks were recorded on little Fender tube amps.... Live playing is a different ball game i guess.... I would imagine Zak's 800's are not stock! I would imagine at the very least Zak's 800's have had tone mods.. But also when Zak is playing live he can really crank those amps wide open to get them to distort much more then say a club guitarist could......
The pros gear is mostly been moddified in one way or another... they may say different in interviews or lead you to believe that their stuff is stock but i don't think so.....
WhoFan
I have come to know that a big and large heavy sound on record means playing an amp a lot cleaner then most people would think.... I love playing with lots of distortion and whenever i have done recordings i am always surprised by how much i have to back off on the dirt to get a big and heavy sound..... No wonder many classic guitar tracks were recorded on little Fender tube amps.... Live playing is a different ball game i guess.... I would imagine Zak's 800's are not stock! I would imagine at the very least Zak's 800's have had tone mods.. But also when Zak is playing live he can really crank those amps wide open to get them to distort much more then say a club guitarist could......
The pros gear is mostly been moddified in one way or another... they may say different in interviews or lead you to believe that their stuff is stock but i don't think so.....
WhoFan
Davey
Goliath of Tone
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
you'd think people use THAT much gain (like i do
) but they dont.. they usually dont crank the gain that much at all, but the sound is still heavy and saturated. live, you use a bit more to get the same effect cos you (usually) dont have 3 guitarists to layer the sound better
in the studio the oomph and depth of the sound is achieved with less gain and multi tracking, to produce a clear yet heavy sound (like nuni already explained)WhoFan said:
you'd think people use THAT much gain (like i do
) but they dont.. they usually dont crank the gain that much at all, but the sound is still heavy and saturated. live, you use a bit more to get the same effect cos you (usually) dont have 3 guitarists to layer the sound better
Stringmachine
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
Combination of things, I guess.
Heavy strings on a downtuned Les Paul
His signature Dunlop overdrive thrugh his signature Marshall head
Heavy playing style
And several layers of tracks for recording
Combination of things, I guess.
Heavy strings on a downtuned Les Paul
His signature Dunlop overdrive thrugh his signature Marshall head
Heavy playing style
And several layers of tracks for recording
HarrisonDavid
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
fftopic: Nuntius you write some bad ass heavy riffs!! Damn brother that Drop C riff is AWESOME. You have a whole lot of talent you will go far. Which PUP on the Drop C?
fftopic: Nuntius you write some bad ass heavy riffs!! Damn brother that Drop C riff is AWESOME. You have a whole lot of talent you will go far. Which PUP on the Drop C?
Quencho092
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
EMG's anyone? I think it's over the top though...
EMG's anyone? I think it's over the top though...
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
Lots of muscle and lots of beer.
Boleslaw Gers 666 said:
Lots of muscle and lots of beer.
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
If I remember right, it was a stock pup on a 1984 Ibanez RS530 :laugh2:
If I'm honest, I know absolutely nothing about that pup. I replaced it with a custom TB5 a few months ago.. For comparison the custom is way hotter, fuller in the bass+lower mids but missing something in the way of dynamics (due to the extra output I guess vs the original pup). It also sounds harder, so maybe the ibanez pup wasn't ceramic? I dunno lol.
Cheers for checking out my stuff
HarrisonDavid said:
If I remember right, it was a stock pup on a 1984 Ibanez RS530 :laugh2:
If I'm honest, I know absolutely nothing about that pup. I replaced it with a custom TB5 a few months ago.. For comparison the custom is way hotter, fuller in the bass+lower mids but missing something in the way of dynamics (due to the extra output I guess vs the original pup). It also sounds harder, so maybe the ibanez pup wasn't ceramic? I dunno lol.
Cheers for checking out my stuff
D
DeadSkinSlayer3
Guest
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
JCM800's do have gain, and you can juice a lot more out of them than one may think. Slayer plays with JCM800's (modded for 6L6's), and only uses an EQ pedal infront to boost the mids.
So it's like taking a JCM800 and just loading more gain on it. It can and does get heavy as hell.
JCM800's do have gain, and you can juice a lot more out of them than one may think. Slayer plays with JCM800's (modded for 6L6's), and only uses an EQ pedal infront to boost the mids.
So it's like taking a JCM800 and just loading more gain on it. It can and does get heavy as hell.
HarrisonDavid
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
Ah HAH! Carcass used their stock Ibanez PUPs too. They sound great! haha
nuntius said:If I remember right, it was a stock pup on a 1984 Ibanez RS530 :laugh2:
If I'm honest, I know absolutely nothing about that pup. I replaced it with a custom TB5 a few months ago.. For comparison the custom is way hotter, fuller in the bass+lower mids but missing something in the way of dynamics (due to the extra output I guess vs the original pup). It also sounds harder, so maybe the ibanez pup wasn't ceramic? I dunno lol.
Cheers for checking out my stuff
Ah HAH! Carcass used their stock Ibanez PUPs too. They sound great! haha
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
Damn man, you're making me miss the bloody thing. (another old recording with the stock pup)
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1603123&q=Hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1603123&q=Lo
I liked it's lead tone come to think of it.. brightish but not overly bright. The custom sounds a tiny bit lifeless in comparison.
:smack: :smack: :smack:
HarrisonDavid said:
Damn man, you're making me miss the bloody thing. (another old recording with the stock pup)
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1603123&q=Hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/streamM3U.m3u?ID=1603123&q=Lo
I liked it's lead tone come to think of it.. brightish but not overly bright. The custom sounds a tiny bit lifeless in comparison.
:smack: :smack: :smack:
bryvincent
New member
Re: How does Zakk get such a heavy sound?
zakk's JCM 800 has 6550 output tubes which i think have higher headroom than EL34s. his cabinet(marshall 1960bx 4x12) is also loaded with 200watt Electro-Voice 12Ls.
WhoFan said:
zakk's JCM 800 has 6550 output tubes which i think have higher headroom than EL34s. his cabinet(marshall 1960bx 4x12) is also loaded with 200watt Electro-Voice 12Ls.
