Shadow1psc
New member
Hello everyone, I'm new here and I figured this would be as good a place as any to plop my introduction down in so I can convey where I come from, and what I'm looking to learn! I'm a long time musician, sort of a jack of all trades, I play Piano, Drums, Sax, Trombone, Guitar, and others over the years, so I have a fair bit of experience in all styles and sounds. I'd call myself an intermediate to advanced player, and I mostly like to play Progressive/Power/Heavy Metal. My favorite bands are Dream Theater, Symphony X, and Pain of Salvation with a little Iced Earth, Evergrey and Sonata Arctica for good measure. I love the classic as much as the modern (who doesn't love Iron Maiden?!), and I'm no snob or purist to any one style, I love a wide range of sounds.
So this brings me to my first problem! I'd call myself a decent musician, but a complete tonal newb. I don't plan on being a live musician really, I have my home hobbyist project studio, and I'd like to think of my goal in life as being close to the project Ayreon. I love music, love to create and share, would like to eventually produce material, but I don't plan to take the gamble that is becoming a career musician. As much as I'm a jack of all trades in music, I seem to be that way in other things in life.
So being a tonal newb, but knowing I only desire a good studio/low to mid volume/headphones sound, I bought a Pod X3 Live awhile back (foot control is what brought me over a regular Pod X3). I'm running it directly into an Mbox 2 via SPDIF for recording, and an EMU 1212m for recreational playing, both of which either go to my AKG 240s or my studio monitors (I'll have to grab the model if you guys want em later), but overall I think I get a decent sound.
My guitars are (all stock hardware):
Ibanez RG 470 (mij) (E Standard)
Ibanez RG 4EX1 (mii) (Eb Standard)
Charvel Model 5 (mij) (D Standard)
Esp Horizon NT (mij) (Drop D)(not sure if original or II, I'll have to get back to you on that)
Those are my 'mid to mid high' guitars, I've got some other dinky guitars from my early days (strat with some SD Hot Rails Iron Maiden type config, stock OLP MM1), and I've had varying success with the Charvel and the 4EX1. Those have been my main axes, the 470 and the ESP are new acquires, and I figured it's time to do two things:
1) Set up each guitar with it's own sound bank for playing, with a rhythm, lead, clean rhythm and modulated rhythm each, because just one set of styles for each isn't going to do each individual guitar justice, and
2) Start investigating aftermarket pickup considerations for each guitar.
This journey I would imagine starts with the question "What sound are you trying to get out of your guitar(s)?" Well, as described, I'm a tonal newb, and my descriptors may be off, so first and foremost, I love John Petrucci's tone. I love playing Dream Theater songs, and I'd say the epitome of what I want in at least one guitar is a sound like The Count of Tuscany. I like the vintage, yet ultra clarity he gets on all channels there. The 'sparkly' (and probably acoustic) clean of the intro, the hot, screaming tone in the lead, and the tight rhythm.
This would be goal number one, and I'd say I've come close with the clean, near with the rhythm, but the lead keeps escaping me. I like my lead tone, but when I compare it to that opening solo, it's missing some of that edge, and I'm not sure if that's technique, amp/effects, or pickups. I realize I'll probably need some audio evidence to contribute, so I'll probably do a couple of comparisons in Pro Tools later and upload for your diagnosis.
I could type so much more about what I like/dislike in each guitar/pickup position and I'll probably get to that when I get home so there's a more accurate description for what I'm lacking, and maybe that will help with recommendations of which pickups may fill the gaps in my tonal life. I've heard great things about all manner of pickups like WCR, BKP, SD (of course, I even own some of these in the aforementioned strat!) and others who's names don't stick as well, but I recognize in reading other posts.
So that's my intro, and before my post becomes even more unbearably long, I'll stop there for now and welcome any advice, recommendations and general knowledge you all may wish to impart!
So this brings me to my first problem! I'd call myself a decent musician, but a complete tonal newb. I don't plan on being a live musician really, I have my home hobbyist project studio, and I'd like to think of my goal in life as being close to the project Ayreon. I love music, love to create and share, would like to eventually produce material, but I don't plan to take the gamble that is becoming a career musician. As much as I'm a jack of all trades in music, I seem to be that way in other things in life.
So being a tonal newb, but knowing I only desire a good studio/low to mid volume/headphones sound, I bought a Pod X3 Live awhile back (foot control is what brought me over a regular Pod X3). I'm running it directly into an Mbox 2 via SPDIF for recording, and an EMU 1212m for recreational playing, both of which either go to my AKG 240s or my studio monitors (I'll have to grab the model if you guys want em later), but overall I think I get a decent sound.
My guitars are (all stock hardware):
Ibanez RG 470 (mij) (E Standard)
Ibanez RG 4EX1 (mii) (Eb Standard)
Charvel Model 5 (mij) (D Standard)
Esp Horizon NT (mij) (Drop D)(not sure if original or II, I'll have to get back to you on that)
Those are my 'mid to mid high' guitars, I've got some other dinky guitars from my early days (strat with some SD Hot Rails Iron Maiden type config, stock OLP MM1), and I've had varying success with the Charvel and the 4EX1. Those have been my main axes, the 470 and the ESP are new acquires, and I figured it's time to do two things:
1) Set up each guitar with it's own sound bank for playing, with a rhythm, lead, clean rhythm and modulated rhythm each, because just one set of styles for each isn't going to do each individual guitar justice, and
2) Start investigating aftermarket pickup considerations for each guitar.
This journey I would imagine starts with the question "What sound are you trying to get out of your guitar(s)?" Well, as described, I'm a tonal newb, and my descriptors may be off, so first and foremost, I love John Petrucci's tone. I love playing Dream Theater songs, and I'd say the epitome of what I want in at least one guitar is a sound like The Count of Tuscany. I like the vintage, yet ultra clarity he gets on all channels there. The 'sparkly' (and probably acoustic) clean of the intro, the hot, screaming tone in the lead, and the tight rhythm.
This would be goal number one, and I'd say I've come close with the clean, near with the rhythm, but the lead keeps escaping me. I like my lead tone, but when I compare it to that opening solo, it's missing some of that edge, and I'm not sure if that's technique, amp/effects, or pickups. I realize I'll probably need some audio evidence to contribute, so I'll probably do a couple of comparisons in Pro Tools later and upload for your diagnosis.
I could type so much more about what I like/dislike in each guitar/pickup position and I'll probably get to that when I get home so there's a more accurate description for what I'm lacking, and maybe that will help with recommendations of which pickups may fill the gaps in my tonal life. I've heard great things about all manner of pickups like WCR, BKP, SD (of course, I even own some of these in the aforementioned strat!) and others who's names don't stick as well, but I recognize in reading other posts.
So that's my intro, and before my post becomes even more unbearably long, I'll stop there for now and welcome any advice, recommendations and general knowledge you all may wish to impart!
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