Need advice on getting a good distortion sound?

[colinboy]

Hey guys i only recently got my beautiful BFR JP6 and its unbelievable.im learning some stuff from metallica at the mo and im trying to get anice tone.im playing through a boss ME50 and a marshall dsl401 valve amp.

would u guys use compression on this type of sound?
anyways any help would be appreciated.ciao

 

[Dante]

depends. if it's rhythm guitar, then no. but if its lead yeah i guess. if it's full out shredding then i'd use pre-distortion compression and bit less gain than you originally might think.

cheers. hope it helps.

 

[Mick]

Get rid of the ME 50 in front of the amp. Put the guitar straight in the amp and listen. If you need more overdrive than your amp provides get an analog booster or anything that pushes the first preamp tube more. But I wouldn´t put the tone of the high end guitar through some cheap AD/DA converter that´s in your ME 50.
If you want to use the effects of that device, put it in the loop of your Marshall and create programs only with these effects but without overdrive or distortion in it since you already have that covered in your Marshall amp (with the analog boost optional).

That´s how I would do it. Good luck and enjoy your guitar.
Mick

 

[mesadualrec]

Get rid of the ME 50 in front of the amp. Put the guitar straight in the amp and listen. If you need more overdrive than your amp provides get an analog booster or anything that pushes the first preamp tube more. But I wouldn´t put the tone of the high end guitar through some cheap AD/DA converter that´s in your ME 50.
If you want to use the effects of that device, put it in the loop of your Marshall and create programs only with these effects but without overdrive or distortion in it since you already have that covered in your Marshall amp (with the analog boost optional).

That´s how I would do it. Good luck and enjoy your guitar.
Mick

1000000+
thats the best advice you can get without suggesting spending more cash

thats it right there!!
just do as the man says
also a boost in front of the amp with add more gain and usually thses dont color your sound..just add gain

The Exotic effects are good,I actually use a Keeley Modded 'Baked' Ibanez Tube Screamer in front of my Dual rec and for leads I wont use my amp without it

 

[Norrin Radd]

1. Do what Mick says.

2. Put one of these between your guitar and the amp:

http://www.prosoundcommunications.com/english/xotic/effects/bb_preamp/

 

[JMB27]

2. Put one of these between your guitar and the amp:

http://www.prosoundcommunications.com/english/xotic/effects/[B]bb_preamp[/B]/

+1 on the BB preamp

also, for some other nice drive colors, try the RC Boost and AC Boost together (rhythm) and then kick-in the BB(for leads)

cheers, eh

Joel

 

[Red Scare]

Paul Reed Smith showed me a trick that Santana showed him and I have used it ever since. Turn your bass and treble all the way down and the mids all the way up. Since that is where all of your natural guitar sonics are, it makes the guitar scream. PLUS, you don't need as much volume. I run my amp at a very low volume and still get all of the natural feedback I need. I only use a pedal as a solo boost and then it's simply to stick out a little more. I never need more gain.

 

[colinboy]

thanks for the advice guys.ive read reviews on the pedal you suggested and it seems like its the job.works better than any compresser and adds to the sound more so than taking away from it

 

[Red Scare]

I'm in the process of modding a DOD YJM 308 (upgrading components and changing values) to use as a solo boost. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Astrofreq]

and the mids all the way up.

+1!!! I started boosting my mids about 5 years ago and I'll never turn back. Scooped mids just kill your sound. If you want to stand out from the drum, really pump the mids. WAY up.

 

[TNT]

Cboy,

I have that same amp DSL 401 - greasy little EL84's should produce as much gain as you need! Can be edgy though, so what I do is reflex the speaker, and direct it away and up. That amp is LOUD, so need to worry about volume loss, however they need good ventilation because they run soooooo hot!

 

[JeffreyB]

I've had really nice results lately with putting a Dunlop Zakk Wylde overdrive into a Marshall or similar amp. I'm not a huge fan of Zakk personally, but he's a great player and has a pretty nice signature pedal (for the money!)

I agree with taking the ME50 out of the signal chain...it will suck the life out of the Marshall.
Good luck to you!
-Jeff

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I've had really nice results lately with putting a Dunlop Zakk Wylde overdrive into a Marshall or similar amp. I'm not a huge fan of Zakk personally, but he's a great player and has a pretty nice signature pedal (for the money!)

I agree with taking the ME50 out of the signal chain...it will suck the life out of the Marshall.
Good luck to you!
-Jeff

The Zakk Wylde is a great pedal in the front of a Marshall. You might want to check out a Boss Super Overdrive which is the same idea but a bit smoother.

 

[JeffreyB]

My absolute favorite overdrive pedal in the world (and I've tried most of them) is the Reverend Drivetrain II. These are no longer made, but you can find them on ebay. The BB preamp is a very close second, but you can sometimes find the Drivetrains for around 80bucks. In fact, if you buy one and don't like it, I'll buy it from you. How's that for confidence?????

good luck, you hopeless tone junkies

 

[jwdude]

damage control

I have just bought a damage control demonizer - been really impressed with it's very tubey distorsion - from AC/DC to EVH to Metallica - it does the job really well. The thing I really like about it is the clarity of all notes played within a chord or whatever, even at some fairly extreme settings. Anyone else use one of these?

 

[Norrin Radd]

You might want to check out a Boss Super Overdrive which is the same idea but a bit smoother.

Just remember that no Boss pedal is true bypass - they are all buffered bypass. In my experience, every single one of them will cut your highs, whether in the loop or out front. Just something to consider.

 

[beej]

Just remember that no Boss pedal is true bypass - they are all buffered bypass. In my experience, every single one of them will cut your highs, whether in the loop or out front. Just something to consider.

I don't necessarily agree. A decent buffer before a long run of cable will preserve your highs, and the Boss buffers are pretty decent. Even with a short run I don't think they'll cut the highs significantly.

I have some loops that work well with buffered pedals and some that don't. In a buffered loop you may not notice any tone change at all.

Just my two cents.

As to the original topic ... my philosophy is that an amp should get you 90% of the way there for your tone and gain sounds and you can use pedals if need be to fill the remaining gap.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Just remember that no Boss pedal is true bypass - they are all buffered bypass. In my experience, every single one of them will cut your highs, whether in the loop or out front. Just something to consider.

The only pedal I have ever owned that killed the highs when not in circuit was a Dunlop Crybaby. The Boss pedals may do this, but my hearing is too far shot to notice!

 

[Jimmyb]

True bypass, not true bypass....

Has this place turned into the Gear Page without me knowing it

 

[unclerico]

If you have a JP, I have heard guitar players (Thiago), just using a Mesa Mark IV A, with a cab, using just the distortion, lead channels, then use a TC G-Force. His sound is excellent. That will be my next rig, along with the JP.