Amp testing riffs

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SpiderWars

SpiderWars

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Sometimes I'll play an amp and think it's pretty good but then I'll play a particular riff and realize it's not as good as I thought. That one riff 'exposed' a weakness. So that's why I like having specific amp testing riffs. For example, I often default to the Master of Puppets intro riff (i.e. the intro-after-the-intro, you know what I mean) when testing for tightness on the low E and clarity at high gain chugging. Then I'll play the legato part of Randy Rhoads Tribute solo to test the crispness to single notes (both palm-muted and not), sustain/feedback, and touch response.

Do you have particular riffs you use when testing an amp? I'd love to hear others since the two I listed above only cover so much ground.
 
Crazy train and Anthrax I am the Law. Those 2 always get played when testing.
 
My go to is a big open E, open G, open D followed by some 80's Metallica riff. The same can go for soundcheck
 
I usually do something like Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock and some heavier stuff that i've written.
 
I have my own riffs that I tend to play when checking, or voicing an amp. I do some fat chords on the lower strings near the nut, and after the 12th fret to see if they hold together or flub. I do some octave chords to see if those sound rich, and not thin. Then I do some single note lead stuff to see if it sings. Gotta do some single note riffage on the low strings too to see how tight that is. And last but not least some palm mute chugs, I like it percussive, and thumpy.
 
Scar spangled banner/no love/strike of the beast(Exodus riff medley)
Battery/damage inc./disposable heros(Metallica riff medley)
Original crap riff medley.

The same stuff I always warm up with is what I use to test amps. There are a couple of big chords I try just to test note definition and separation...don't know why,I never really use them or let any chords or notes ring out very long in my normal playing.
 
Usually Battery, Disposable Heroes, March of the SOD, and a handful of early AC/DC riffs...
 
Volume rolled off. Clean stuff. Single notes roll the volume up to mid gain. Hit some Faires Wear Boots. Drop D hit some original riffs.
Push up the gain, play some melodic single note phrasing. More gain do some ripping.
Play the big open G and E chirds and so on.
All different stuff.
 
Get the Funk out, Seventeen, Take your Whiskey Home, Open E, Palm muting licks on E,B, and G strings for percussiveness, Rolling off the volume
 
I usually play a somewhat crazy version of Tush with some palm putting, open notes, full chords and solos in between. That'll usually tell me if my tones right with whatever amp.
 
For heavy testing, always "A New Level".

That is mandatory for me,it`s gotta keep up with that riff.

:rock:
 
I play my own riffs as well. Some are grinding, some are chugging, some are dissonant and percussive.
 
Adambomb":1p0ebptp said:
I usually play a somewhat crazy version of Tush with some palm putting, open notes, full chords and solos in between. That'll usually tell me if my tones right with whatever amp.
Click to expand...
This one, Tush, is one of the reasons I have specific 'amp testing riffs'. Certain songs, like Tush, just kind of sound good even on a shitty amp. Same thing with just playing whatever comes to mind. I'll end up 'playing to the amp'...i.e. playing things that make the amp sound good and avoiding things that don't. I think it's just natural to slant your playing towards whatever makes the amp sound good. So in an effort to eliminate that bias, I have specific riffs.
 
My "go to's" for actual known riffs are:

• Fire In The Hole - Laaz Rockit & Silent Scream - Slayer ( for tight thrashy tones)
• Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas (for crunchy sounds)
• Firehouse - KISS (I use this for lower gain lead tests)


From there I just noodle. I'll usually add some drop D for heavy tests. The Firehouse lead, Ace gets some nice little chirpy sounds on the pick attack. I look for that.
 
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