Help me choose a guitar tone.

[Gazhole]

Im in the process of writing some material, got one song im working on right now. Just making some rough recordings so i can start looking for band members/sort out how the song sounds before i spend billions on proper recording.

As usual, i cant seem to get a guitar tone i like...so i played the first part of the song with three that im messing about with at the moment, and i wanna know which you guys/gals think is best.

Comments on each are encouraged, they could all be shit for all i know - this is the stuff i wanna know so i can go in a different direction with it .

So here we go:

TONE A:
Mixdown-ToneA.mp3

TONE B:
Mixdown-ToneB.mp3

TONE C:
Mixdown-ToneC.mp3

Excuse the sloppy playing and awful drum fills (or lack thereof), these are very rough recordings.

 

[maniclion]

C would be my choice, b sounds very similar but you can't hear the changes as well and a is too crunchy.....

 

[Gazhole]

C would be my choice, b sounds very similar but you can't hear the changes as well and a is too crunchy.....

Yeah i see what you mean.

Getting a good tone is a nightmare, i want something similar to Fear Factory or Strapping Young Lad but i just cant get it right so have to resort to twiddling knobs all day.

 

[fufu]

C is the best.

 

[fufu]

Yeah i see what you mean.

Getting a good tone is a nightmare, i want something similar to Fear Factory or Strapping Young Lad but i just cant get it right so have to resort to twiddling knobs all day.

that had to be done on purpose, come on!

 

[Gazhole]

that had to be done on purpose, come on!

It was. I slip it in there every now and again to see if anybody notices.

 

[fufu]

heh

 

[Gazhole]

C is the best.

Thanks .

With the hardware i've got i can pretty much make anything, its just knowing HOW.

 

[Mudge]

B reminds me of Sodum (scooped), C reminds me of Exodus a bit. Really the music will surpass the equipment on some level, at least for those of us that really LISTEN. I used to worry a lot more about equipment quality and tone when so much of it comes down to writing and playing.

I'd ask what kind of music is going to be played on y our entire demo?

 

[Gazhole]

B reminds me of Sodum (scooped), C reminds me of Exodus a bit.

Yeah, B is really an old school Black Metal tone now that i think about it. C seems to be the most popular at the moment, Exodus is a cool comparison, i always revert to thrash metal guitar tones...i cant help it

Really the music will surpass the equipment on some level, at least for those of us that really LISTEN. I used to worry a lot more about equipment quality and tone when so much of it comes down to writing and playing.

Aw totally, theres no point in having the greatest guitar tone ever when your music is shite. Im trying to take more time on the structures of the songs this time around, and being more realistic with the guitar parts.

Last time the guitar parts were like 8 tracked. With that many overdubs it was heavy as hell but i got 4 songs in and lost the will to live.

Im good at riffs but structures take some serious thought, lol.

I'd ask what kind of music is going to be played on y our entire demo?

Im going for sort of simple thrash slash dare i say it "nu" metal or industrial. Just simple heavy headbanging music. Been listening to a lot of Fear Factory, Static-X, Disturbed...

I cant really stray too far from my usual thrash metal roots so Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, and Annihilator will probably make an appearance aswell

Shooting for 3 songs on this one.

 

[DaMayor]

For some odd reason, I can't get them to work.

What kind of guitar, amp, effects? I can take a stab at it form there.

Otherwise, I'll go with "C".

 

[Gazhole]

For some odd reason, I can't get them to work.

What kind of guitar, amp, effects? I can take a stab at it form there.

Otherwise, I'll go with "C".

The download link or the mp3 itself doesnt work?

They're basically just distortion-heavy tones, A is mainly high end, B is low end, and C is some sort of medium between the two, lol.

 

[DaMayor]

"C" is deffinately a fatter sound (Dadumbass fixed HIS problem...duh)

A's too buried, not out front enough, and B's okay, but not as powerful a C.

Of course, it depends on the lead work you'd be doing.

What kind of rig are you using?

 

[Gazhole]

"C" is deffinately a fatter sound (Dadumbass fixed HIS problem...duh)

A's too buried, not out front enough, and B's okay, but not as powerful a C.

Of course, it depends on the lead work you'd be doing.

What kind of rig are you using?

For home recording i've got a Line6 Pod XT (mmm...) so i get get a massive array of different sounds from it. Its got a load of different amp models, effects pedals, and an EQ built in. Using an Ibanez SA series guitar, also.

Amp wise ive got a Line6 Spider II head with a Marshall cab in a half-stack. Couple hundred watts.

 

[Mudge]

Line 6 is pretty impressive for solid state stuff, I actually just dumped a Peavey XXX 40w tube combo amp and will probably pickup a Line 6 Spider III combo for home jams.

 

[Gazhole]

Line 6 is pretty impressive for solid state stuff, I actually just dumped a Peavey XXX 40w tube combo amp and will probably pickup a Line 6 Spider III combo for home jams.

I would totally do it. My Dad got a Spider III combo and its great, can get so many different sounds out of it, for the price its an incredibly worthwhile piece of kit.

Peavy are pretty good, did the thing break or were you just looking for a change?

 

[Little Wing]

i listened last night but left the opinionating to those less tone def maybe. they all sounded very close but i sorta leaned towards b. "c" what do i know?

 

[Mudge]

Peavy are pretty good, did the thing break or were you just looking for a change?

I'm anal about having tube sound, but its still pretty loud for just jamming at home (tube amps are about 2.5-3x as loud per watt). Perhaps I still am too anal about tone, so maybe an old Digitech preamp and a Line 6 would keep me happier because I could change all the time

 

[Gazhole]

I'm anal about having tube sound, but its still pretty loud for just jamming at home (tube amps are about 2.5-3x as loud per watt). Perhaps I still am too anal about tone, so maybe an old Digitech preamp and a Line 6 would keep me happier because I could change all the time

Thats one of the reasons i like digital effects. I get bored easy, and i like pissing about with settings just to experiment.

I know what you mean though, tubes sound great and they have a punch that you cant get with other amps, but the things blow your head off.

 

[Gazhole]

i listened last night but left the opinionating to those less tone def maybe. they all sounded very close but i sorta leaned towards b. "c" what do i know?

Lol, thanks for listening

And dont worry - i made them and i can't decide between them

I think they all have something going for them.

 

[DaMayor]

I'm anal about having tube sound,

I bet not as anal as Eric Johnson....Dude used to custom test individual speakers within his amp array before playing through them....Talk about a set-up!

Tube's definately the way to go. I'm still using a Fender (Princeton Chorus) amp...solid state but decent. I really didn't know the difference back when I bought it, but now I do. My buddy who heads up our "Blues Jam" gig here at the Cafe' uses a Mesa Boogie....bad to the freakin' bone.

 

[maniclion]

I bet not as anal as Eric Johnson....Dude used to custom test individual speakers within his amp array before playing through them....Talk about a set-up!

Tube's definately the way to go. I'm still using a Fender (Princeton Chorus) amp...solid state but decent. I really didn't know the difference back when I bought it, but now I do. My buddy who heads up our "Blues Jam" gig here at the Cafe' uses a Mesa Boogie....bad to the freakin' bone.

Looks as complicated as setting up a quad stack inverter system with AC and DC breaker boxes for a solar system....

 

[tallcall]

It was. I slip it in there every now and again to see if anybody notices.

I play with lots of knobs and buttons everyday! ..........Wait , I think you were talking about something entirely different .

 

[DaMayor]

 

[Mudge]

You can even custom order your tubes for given characteristics since not all 12AX7a are equal - and so on.

 

[Gazhole]

Finally decided on something. Its similar to those three up there, but i spent a little more time on it. I think when its mixed, EQ'd, with some clean guitar overlay on it it should be pretty crisp and heavy at the same time.

Totally different song though:

MixdownDM.mp3