Sound help ..........

[Cazmarzak]

I was playing in a band doing a lot of newer stuff, like Creed and Fuel, and Three Doors Down, Nickel back , with some old stuff, a little Ozzy, and I had the sound that I loved that covered most of that stuff. :smack:


It was smooth and not really high gain, but now I am in a band where I'm playing Dio and Dokken, Whitesnake, and a lot of 8's type stuff and I just don't have that high gain saturated sound that I want for leads

I have a Marshall DSL head and have the gain maxed out but it just isn't doing it for me. I tried using a tube screamer for the leads but that lead to a big mess. It has a switch on the head that is supposed to take it from a 800 style sound (which I use) to a more high gain, and I have tried to uset that . It is great for leads but it seems to turn the sound into a Randy Rhodes type midrangy sound. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Sound help ..........

if you can get a good lead sound but its your rhythm sound thats giving you trouble, try an eq pedal. the marshall you have should be fine for what you are trying to do.

 

[MrHeavyMetal]

Re: Sound help ..........

get some some new 12aX7 preamp tubes. something edgier, maybe 12aX7EH's or Sovtek 12AX7LPS's, maybe even some high gain JJ ECC83S's.

http://www.kcanostubes.com/
www.eurotubes.com
www.dougstubes.com

 

[FretFire]

Re: Sound help ..........

I have a high gain option full retube from Eurotubes (JJ/Tesla tubes) on the way, should be here today. I'll let you know what I think of the differences from the stock Mesa tubes. Not the same amp, but at least it might give you an idea of what the high-gain 12AX7's are like.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Sound help ..........

if you can get a good lead sound but its your rhythm sound thats giving you trouble, try an eq pedal. the marshall you have should be fine for what you are trying to do.

I like this option best of all, as the EQ could be used for the rhythm work, or the lead work as a selective frequency boost, more gain in the areas you need without all the trash you don't. Or it can be used to tighten up the rhythm work ... that way you don't have to sacrifice any of the all important mids when it comes lead time (and those are what gets you heard and sound rather vocal).

 

[Closed Eye]

Re: Sound help ..........

Take the gain down to halfway (5 or 6) for rhythm, then kick on the tubescreamer for leads. That "high-gain" Dokken and Dio stuff dosen't really sound (to me) like they have their gain maxed out to 10, even if it's called "high" gain.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Sound help ..........

you could also try a pickup booster

or get a line selector, run one side dry, and on the other side have a pickup booster & EQ that you can kick on for leads

 

[Cazmarzak]

Re: Sound help ..........

Well my rytym sound is real good, it's the leads that just dont sing enough for me. I'm gonna try to do the EQ thing on the leads.

I just remembered having an ADA way back and it had the sound I wanted for leads but I don't remember what I used for a ryhtym sound.