What is more important to rock/metal tones?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 311boogieman
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Tone Monster said:
You obsess over signal chain stuff though big time. So put a percentage on it.
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When you get to my level of understanding we can have a conversation about this percentage guy. Until then, keep trying to figure it all out :)
 
Tone Monster said:
I wasn't busting you chops....:lame:
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Im just not sure how that’s a serious question? I mean how do we put a percentage on any of this stuff? In my opinion, when you hear a phenomenal sounding track, it just doesn’t matter what they used or didn’t used, because it sounds amazing regardless. I don’t know how to quantify any of that, I just think without a doubt the player and performance is the biggest thing. Can you imagine Metallica trying to record master of puppets today? It would be completely different, even if all the variables were exactly the same
Minus the playing. The vibe of that band at that time is what made them sound like that. They were young, pissed off, and had a bone to pick with the world and that’s what came out of them at that time. They could never do that again and have it sound like that. They aren’t pissed off anymore, how could they be? I think that’s what I’m getting at. Like how many times have you heard someone play a song, but it just didn’t sound good or right even though all the correct notes were hit in theory? That’s what I’m saying here.
 
It depends on the tone.

And no, that isnt a cop out.

Some tones (SRV, EJ, Hendrix) are hands dependent.

Some (modern metal) are more speaker dependent.

Some are amp dependent. Try and sound like Schaffer without a Larry or peak Metallica without a boogie.

Some (OSDM/HM2) are more pedal dependent.

Some are guitar dependent. Try and get a setzer or RBF tone without a gretsch.

It seriously all depends on the style and the tone you're going for. You're going to have to have a good performance either way, but I consider that a prerequisite to everything.
 
Attitude and mindset.

So many artists out there all using a huge variety of different gear and with different levels of technique, and still making the songs Rock.
Many ways to skin a cat, but you just gotta want that end result, and then make it happen somehow with what you've got at your disposal.
The right mindset and attitude does the heavy lifting.
 
I say it how hard you hit - right hand technique- how you dig in etc,… and the pick you use.
 
Between guitar and amp? Amp... all day long.

Between amp and cab/speakers? 50/50. One is as important as the other. The cab/speakers are arguably more important.
 
I think the amp is much more important.
If you look at the evolution of amps and guitars the last like 50 years, the amps made a much more progress. You can take a mulitchannel amp with all the bells and whistles like a Mark V and get nice clean tones as well as chrunch and high gain out of it. And it does not depend one the guitar or its pickups that much anymore.
Low output PUs as well as even single coil can get you in the high gain territory easily needed for Rock and Metal. Will it get the 100% chugging machine in drop-xyz? Probably not, but much closer than plugging a modern Guitar with high out PUs in a vintage Fender Blackface or SLP.
 
In order of importance (controversial I know but after seeing null tests with tone-wood, changing tubes etc, I have to go with the data)

1. Speakers
2. Pickups
3. Power Amp
4. Mic Choice
5. Pre Amp
6. Pedals
7. Guitar
8. Tubes
 
I don’t get people picking speakers. They are an EQ basically, not a gain stage. It would be like arguing where an EQ in the preamp should be set for metal…well it depends. Someone may find their perfect metal sound with any one speaker but running a Fender Twin into any speaker will not make it metal.
 
Thanks for all the great responses.

Mostly :lol:

I do agree the amp is most important for this genre. Especially for metal.

I think I could get metal tones out of a Jensen C8R Vintage Ceramic 8-inch.

So thanks to all of those that got it right :D
 
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To me it all plays a factor to an extent. Amps/speakers/pickups being the big 3. Then followed by cab construction, guitar, strings, picks, cables.

But if you have to choose one it is most definitely the player.
 
I'm going amp then speakers.

But, I also agree with the previous comment in that I find a way to turn knobs on any amp I play and still sound like me.
 
You guys crack me up with all your almost metaphysical “it’s the player, it’s in the fingers” crap. Maybe Buddha will descend and make me play holy fire through my Vibro Champ because I am one with the metalverse…lol considering the OP was just asking between the guitar or the amp this took the usual forum turn into all things “this is what I care about”…lol
A decent metal kid in GC is going to sound like he’s ripping balls if he’s playing through a decent high gain amp, even with a Tele vs. John Schaffer playing through a Jim Kelley or Twin Reverb. The only tangent from the amp I would suggest is the right pedal is the most important as it can transform or accentuate any amp to be a metal beast.
 
Virtually any guitar off a pawn shop wall, (especially with buckers) will be capable of getting metal and rock sounds if you plug it in to an amp with a decent amount of gain.
 
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