Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

[Rex_Rocker]

I've been chasing this tone for a while now. I really like it. I wonder what you guys would recommend pickup-wise that could get close.

Listen to the pick attack. IMO, it's pretty unique. It's hard to put it into words, but it's got a weird smooth rasp to it to my ears. It's also overall kinda scooped and clear with open, airy, sizzling highs and big, powerful upper-lows and lower-mids that sound chunky but let the bass and kick breathe down low.

I know they used to use EMG 85's later on, but I'm pretty sure it's passives in this record.

So which pickup do you guys think would get me close? I'm thinking Pegasus perhaps?

Thanks.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

That metalcore tone is mostly from the tube screamer into a high gain amp. A Blackout would be a good choice, but so would an EMG. Then again, Fishman seems to be stealing lots of those guys away.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

From what I understand, the guitars were originally done with Mesa Dual Recs, but sounded pretty awful, so they were reamped through Krank heads for the record and then Kranks were used on tour shortly after.

I can almost guarantee that the pickups would have been primarily EMG 85's throughout the record, but possibly with the addition of stock Gibson pickups (ex: the 2004 & 2005 red Les Paul Standards) and/or Seymour Duncans (ex: the black Fernandes Monterey Deluxe seen in the actual "Confined" video...stock for that guitar was a JB in the bridge, not sure about the neck, probably a '59).

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Wanted to mention that JB_from_Hell is spot on with the Tube Screamer. That is a key to the tone.

On a barely related side note, I thought Disturb's best (thickest/most dynamic) tones came from the early days when Donegan was using a stock LP with the 498T in the bridge. With AILD, there's always a chance the EMG's were dual-tracked with something like the guitarists' LP Standards for extra depth on Shadows are Security.

Also, check out the tones between these two videos (you may have to turn up the volume for the Killswitch one):

As I Lay Dying - Confined

Killswitch Engage - Rose of Sharyn


The AILD video is a better mix as it appears here on YouTube, but those are VERY similar tones and they have several things in common: EMG 85 in bridge, tube screamer and a Mesa Boogie amp (most likely).

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Thanks for the replies!

I've already got a TS808 (though their DI's got reamped through a Maxon OD820), a Krank Rev Jr., and a 4x12 cab with V30's which may not be exactly what they used, but they should be in the ballpark.

I'm still not able to nail that smooth yet raspy pick attack, though. I've tried the EMG 85 (way too mid-focused) and the Duncan '59 and the Whole Lotta Humbucker (to emulate the Burstbucker Pro they'd have in that mid 2000's LP Standard), and while the '59 and WLH get close, they're still not quite there. Perhaps it's my hands, but I'm sure there has to be some sort of pickup to offset that.

Am I obsessing too much about it? LOL.

 

[dave74]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

What type guitar?

An mxr 6-band EQ right after your 808 could get you close with about any medium/high gain pickup.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Meh - I could do that with any old distortion.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Find their string gauges and try those. A 52 tuned to C sounds different from a 60.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

What type guitar?

An mxr 6-band EQ right after your 808 could get you close with about any medium/high gain pickup.

A thick mahogany body/neck PRS SE singlecut with a fixed bridge.

That's the thing... I don't think they used high-output pickups in there.

Find their string gauges and try those. A 52 tuned to C sounds different from a 60.

Hadn't thought about that, but I just googled, and it seems that I'm not far off. They used DR 11-56 and I'm using EB 12-56, lol.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

What about the actual pick attack? Try different angles.

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

I think you are overthinking it bro. Back in the early '00's when I was doing the metalcore thing, I could get pretty close to that sound with a Les Paul into a Maxon into a 2 channel dual rec. One LP had a Custom in the bridge and other had an 81/85 EMG set.

In either case, it was really just some eq tweaking and then making sure I was doing my part.

Chasing recorded guitar tones is tough. I have seen As I Lay Dying a bunch of times and while they sound great live, even they don't sound exactly like their recorded tones.

 

[JCM]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

The hardest part about chasing album tones is the fact that you have double or quad tracked guitars split in stereo. Most of the time for heavy guitars what sounds "best" on it's own gets lost in a mix. I've been playing my SH-6 for over 15 years in my explorer and have yet to find a style of heavy music it can't handle.

 

[dxlxntxxlxr]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Custom, jb, or black winter if youre set on duncan. I dont think thats the right route tho. the album sounds like both emgs and passives at the same time, probably a mix of the two. Id go fishman fluence kse set or the modern set since they have the passive paf mode and the modern active mode.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Are you kidding me?!

You actually WANT to duplicate that?!

My dog made more pleasant sounds when he was coughing up a chicken bone stuck in his throat.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Are you kidding me?!

You actually WANT to duplicate that?!

My dog made more pleasant sounds when he was coughing up a chicken bone stuck in his throat.

Doc, not everyone likes "pleasant" sounds. Different strokes and all that.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

Doc, not everyone likes "pleasant" sounds. Different strokes and all that.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

At least you admit that those are NOT pleasant sounds. But if you like them anyway, then by definition you are a masochist.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*



What's wrong with that tone?

 

[Demanic]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

At least you admit that those are NOT pleasant sounds. But if you like them anyway, then by definition you are a masochist.

Well, really,
I'm a sadist.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

"Tone"?

That would imply "music".

 

[Dahla]

Which Duncan pickup do you think will nail this tone? *As I Lay Dying*

"Tone"?

That would imply "music".

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk