TwofacePimp
New member
Re: Which High Gain Amp for you and Why?
Ah, the tight metal sound, my nemesis since I was a teenager. Heavy, powerful, but still very accurate and controllable. FWIW I really like my VHT/Fryette Sig:X, and there are a ton of other sounds in that amp too! It's a also one of the most reasonably priced amps in his line.
Though I don't consider myself an expert, here are some tips that I've picked up over the years:
1. Turn the damn gain knob down! Use even less gain if you're recording. Yes, it's a lot of fun to play with tons of gain, and it might sound good in your bedroom, but even the really good metal amps can turn into a loose, fizzy mess once you have a drummer, bass player, and singer to share the soundscape with.
2. The same goes for EQ. The guitar is a midrange instrument, and I don't believe scooping really does much to help you get heard. People like to scoop their mids in their bedroom because they're used to hearing the guitar with a lot of bass. In a band setting there is an actual bass player, and a guitarist is fighting a losing battle trying to compete for those low frequencies.
3. Arrangements! Listen to a lot of those metal albums with lots of tight "chugs". Most of the time, you're hearing the guitar, bass, and kick drum hitting at the same instant, providing a very pronounced and powerful sound. If you really want your palm muting to sound good, consider the fact that the bass and kick drum can do a lot to back you up.
4. This is very subjective and some may disagree with me, but I've noticed that different types of amps like different types of pickups. I know that my Sig:X likes lower output pickups for tighter sound, and there's enough gain built into that amp to make even a lipstick pickup sound heavy. A lot of other modern amps are built the same way. I have a feeling that amp makers voice their amps to sound good with guitars for sale in the store, which usually have stock and low-output pickups.
In my experience a '59 bridge is very effective for getting a tight sound with my VHT, and a JB (high output) still sounds good but gives a cracklier, crunchier sound. For reference I've tried this with both my SG and LP. A JCM 800 just begs for high output pickups and even an overdrive pedal, but it's got a lot less gain built into it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but EMG's aren't high output pickups either, they just sound very clear and have a fast response (I don't have much experience with EMGs, but this is what a number of people have told me).
5. Once you start to try to control your gain stages, you'd be surprised what you can do to get a heavy, yet tight sound. I've seen a couple of cover bands over here that use blues-style combo amps, and use a couple of overdrive pedals to get a good balance of gain and tightness for their metal tones.
6. Don't ever forget: a lot of it is still in your hands!
Ah, the tight metal sound, my nemesis since I was a teenager. Heavy, powerful, but still very accurate and controllable. FWIW I really like my VHT/Fryette Sig:X, and there are a ton of other sounds in that amp too! It's a also one of the most reasonably priced amps in his line.
Though I don't consider myself an expert, here are some tips that I've picked up over the years:
1. Turn the damn gain knob down! Use even less gain if you're recording. Yes, it's a lot of fun to play with tons of gain, and it might sound good in your bedroom, but even the really good metal amps can turn into a loose, fizzy mess once you have a drummer, bass player, and singer to share the soundscape with.
2. The same goes for EQ. The guitar is a midrange instrument, and I don't believe scooping really does much to help you get heard. People like to scoop their mids in their bedroom because they're used to hearing the guitar with a lot of bass. In a band setting there is an actual bass player, and a guitarist is fighting a losing battle trying to compete for those low frequencies.
3. Arrangements! Listen to a lot of those metal albums with lots of tight "chugs". Most of the time, you're hearing the guitar, bass, and kick drum hitting at the same instant, providing a very pronounced and powerful sound. If you really want your palm muting to sound good, consider the fact that the bass and kick drum can do a lot to back you up.
4. This is very subjective and some may disagree with me, but I've noticed that different types of amps like different types of pickups. I know that my Sig:X likes lower output pickups for tighter sound, and there's enough gain built into that amp to make even a lipstick pickup sound heavy. A lot of other modern amps are built the same way. I have a feeling that amp makers voice their amps to sound good with guitars for sale in the store, which usually have stock and low-output pickups.
In my experience a '59 bridge is very effective for getting a tight sound with my VHT, and a JB (high output) still sounds good but gives a cracklier, crunchier sound. For reference I've tried this with both my SG and LP. A JCM 800 just begs for high output pickups and even an overdrive pedal, but it's got a lot less gain built into it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but EMG's aren't high output pickups either, they just sound very clear and have a fast response (I don't have much experience with EMGs, but this is what a number of people have told me).
5. Once you start to try to control your gain stages, you'd be surprised what you can do to get a heavy, yet tight sound. I've seen a couple of cover bands over here that use blues-style combo amps, and use a couple of overdrive pedals to get a good balance of gain and tightness for their metal tones.
6. Don't ever forget: a lot of it is still in your hands!
