Guitar rig advice

[inhuman666]

Ok guys and gals!

I wanna start playing some 80s heavy metal and looking for a tone similar to Ratt, Lynch, Jake E Lee etc.

I play in a deathmetal band...so all my gear suits that.

I'm looking for a good strat style guitar to replace my Ibanez RX20 with SD lnvader pup, which does a good job with heavy metal.

What guitars do you guys recommend?

Can l get the tone l'm looking for with my rack setup of Rocktron Pro Gap/mAxe preamp, Pro Q eq and Velocity 150 power amp? Or any of my other gear?

Rig suggestions, amp settings, eq settings welcome.

Thanks

 

[Racerxrated]

Well, I like Charvels so the newer pro mods are a good axe to start with. Chubtone(Curt) here on RT is a dealer and can get you a great deal on a new one I'm sure. As far as your preamp/amp I'm not familiar with them, but try a preset that has some mids/upper mids in it, or edit one and add some mids and you'll get closer. V30s, Greenbacks, or any speaker that has a midrange focus is also a good start. Older broken in T75s can also sound good, and can be found cheap.

 

[inhuman666]

Thanks...I've got a 2x12 cab with V30s

 

[Racerxrated]

Maybe you can just throw a Duncan JB in one of your 6 strings? That pickup is very widely used for the tone you're looking for. Instead of spending a bunch on a new guitar..try a pickup first. Since you have V30s I'm sure you can dial in some mids, mids and more mids for an 80s tone with the pre/eq/amp you already have. You're gonna get a ton of advice on what to buy for an amp lol....if you decide to get a new rig. I always say try a vintage JCM 800 and a couple pedals.....but first try to re-eq your rig now and see what happens.

 

[inhuman666]

Don't want to replace the EMG in the Warlock and really looking for a new strat.

 

[Racerxrated]

Don't want to replace the EMG in the Warlock and really looking for a new strat.

Well in that case then I say grab a Charvel...I have a 2008 USA pro mod that is great, a 1985 San Dimas that's even better and have had a number of made in Japan versions from 2010-11. All are/were great playing and sounding...and all under a grand. The new ones are made in Mexico, same necks and are a great value IMO. They aren't made in the US anymore unless you go custom shop, and its a long wait for a new order. But you can find them used here in the classifieds or other sources like ebay/Guitar center.com. My favorites of the ones I've owned are: 1985 USA Charvel 1, custom shop 2, pointy reissue 3, 2008-09 USA 4, 2010-11 MIJ 5....but the last 2 are very close. You can find the 2008-09 USAs for 600-1000 and the 2010-11 MiJ from 500-800.

 

[ChadVanHalen]

No one?... Fine I guess I'll be that guy

Splawn Quick Rod

 

[inhuman666]

Charvels are great, but a bit above my budget.

Any suggestions around the $300 mark?

Thanks

 

[ChadVanHalen]

Charvels are great, but a bit above my budget.

Any suggestions around the $300 mark?

Thanks

Well, you're a fellow BC Rich-er, how about a Gunslinger Retro? The 2008's were made in Korea and came stock with a Korean Floyd and DiMarzio Super Distortion, I got mine for about $400 a couple years ago off eBay, repainted it, upgraded the Korean Floyd to the German one, etc. Every year after the stock hardware got a little less awesome and eventually moved production to China, the newest ones from China go for around $300... I've never personally played anything besides my first production year model but I've heard the Chinese made ones aren't bad at all, especially for the money

 

[Racerxrated]

Charvels are great, but a bit above my budget.

Any suggestions around the $300 mark?

Thanks

There are 3 used ones on Guitar Centers used site for 300 or less...they are MIJ from the 90s or early 2000s. There's one with 1 hum and has 'skull' vol and tone knobs, black 24 fretter from the 90s. Clean, 249 I think...OK that one is gone. But there is a Journeyman for 300, and a CHS for 229. Decent guitars.

 

[SDMF38]

As far as guitars go, and wanting a strat, grab one with h/s/s layout put a jb or a distortion it in and be done. Rig wise you can build a few patches in the pro gap to get extremely close to the tones. I used one for years and always got compliments on my tone.

 

[shredhead7]

Agree with everyone else, you can find a great used guitar on Guitar Center from the 80's. Just look for out of favor Charvel/Jackson/Kramer/Ibanez from 87-91. Put a Duncan JB or a Dimarzio super D in it and you're good to go. You can usually find one that has some pretty whack paint job for dirt cheap, even though it was a made in the USA.

As to the Pro Gap, I'm sure that you can build something in there. I owned one for a while and one of the factory tones was identical to Akira Takasaki's from Loudness. The 80's weren't scooped, so if you have the standard V shape on your EQ ditch that. As a rule of thumb, because I used to have external eq's, compressors, BBE's...all of that shit, it usually sounds better without it. It might take your ear some adjusting, but if you take it out of the signal and play with it for a week, you will probably find that you like your sound better without it. Also, subtle chorus/detune is a must for 80's tones (just listen to Zakk Wylde on No More Tears). Like any effect, come up with a sound that is what you want, then turn it back until you almost can't hear it.

 

[inhuman666]

really great suggestions guys....appreciate it