Hi folks.
I'm dabbling with learning some of the older Metallica stuff (specifically Seek and Destroy and For Whom the Bell Tolls) just now but I'm finding it pretty tough to get the sound I am looking for.
I'm using an SG Faded, Orange Rocker 15, a Rat and a Tumnus - that's what I'm trying to get the sound with anyway.
What I'm doing just now is using the clean channel on the amp (the clean channel has no EQ) and using the Rat to dial in the closest sound I can get, but it's not quite right. I've tried using the dirty channel and it sounds noticeably different, but still not right and I sort of want to leave that alone as I like the settings it's on for everything else I play. If I add the Tumnus into the Rat, it sounds pretty good but gets a bit too gainy and again isn't quite there. If I forgo the pedals and just use the dirty channel on the amp it gets dark quickly with the gain above about 2 o clock, which sounds good, but way too dark for this and I can't EQ it out... so there's not enough distortion without it going too dark. If I could get rid of it being so dark I think I could get there, but no amount of EQ'ing seems to stop the dark sound if the gain is up at that level.
I should also add, the amp is on the 1W setting as I'm playing at home and learning, 0.5W is darker (as you'd expect)... would it help if I went up to the 7W or even 15W setting? I don't think it would, it would just be louder in my mind... Has anyone got any advice on how to set this sound up? Even a simple "less mids, more bass" or something would help to be honest. The Rat sounds great but I struggle with getting nice settings on it, the filter control just doesn't quite do what I think it will do when I adjust it. If I use the Tumnus with no Rat I kind of run into the same dark amp sound... but maybe there's some mileage there in using the Tumnus and upping the treble on it.
At home I have a Charvel San Dimas and a Marshall DSL5 (I work away so the SG is at work, the Charvel is at home) so I am going to experiment with those this weekend if I can. Maybe I'm just using the wrong guitar and amp or the wrong pedals, but in my mind I should be able to get the sound I want from the kit I have. Right?
Sorry for the long ramble, but apart from learning the songs I find setting up a sound very tough to get right. Any advice would be great.
Cheers.
Andy
Comments
I'd suggest starting somewhere like here: https://shredaddict.com/metallica-amp-settings/ You'll then need to adjust to your taste. You'll probably find you get closer with the Marshall, but the Orange should do a good job too!
You'll note that the treble is a little higher than the bass, and the mids are completely scooped out. Gain is also not quite racked all the way up. I used to find that I got a "tighter" sound if I used a decent distortion pedal into the clean channel, which worked better for riffs, but this might also have been down to have an amp that was... not the best.
Cheers!
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
An EQ pedal might be handy too.
I had some mild success at the weekend using the Charvel and Marshall, although I didn't get much time. I don't have any pedals with the DSL5 so I just used the gain channel and the EQ settings, which seemed much simpler than the pedals and Orange setup. Dialling back the mids did seem to make the difference I was looking for, a bit more tweaking and I'll be close enough for my level of playing. I'll be back on the SG and Orange tonight so will spend some more time working on it with those.
I'm not quite sure what prompted me to look at Seek and Destroy, but I've always liked the song from back at school age and I'm really enjoying learning it so far. It seems at around the right level for where I'm at just now as it's hard enough to be a challenge but not too far that I can't see progress, so it feels like I can make a decent go of the whole song minus the fast solo...
Turn the gain up, scoop the mids, treble and bass up a bit.
I'm deffo not a tone chaser though.
The Ehx pocket muff is a high gain distortion, and I reckon on a clean channel that would also work. Its very simple, only has a level, gain and a 3 way switch which either doesnt cut the mids, does cut the mids, then really cuts the mids.
I’m definitely not tone chasing here either really, that seems a long road that I don’t fancy going down! I’m very much a leaner so I’m just after something in the ballpark and couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. This is all a great help though, thanks!
I’m working on the picking but the muting is a bit tough. It seems simple, but I’m not finding it that easy. Playing with the gain up a bit is bringing issues I’ve not really encountered before, which is good ad it’s makimg me work on stuff.
I’m getting on ok tonight with the Orange and SG. I’ve opted to try using just the amp tonight and I’m getting an ok sound by taking the mids out and keeping the gain below about 2 o’clock. Higher than that and it goes too dark.
Both are easily achievable, because if I can play them (except the solo on s+d), you deffo can!
if you're learning, then 100% learn master of puppets.
Certain riffs in that act as great warm ups and practice, plus its actually quite easy to play, don't worry about playing it full speed, there are slowed down backing tracks on youtube!
Creeping death is also easy and simple to learn and play, again its the speed that will take the longest to get.
If you want to add solo's, try Sanitarium. Again the song itself is nice and easy, and the first 2 solo's are fun, not too fast and easily achievable, the third one is trickier because it gets faster.
+ There are various lessons on youtube for most Tallica tracks, those included!
I’m a while away from really cracking them. Some bits are fine, some I’m miles away... but I’m enjoying the learning.
That's the main thing, and it's awesome!
Andy