What was Kirk using for a lead boost in 1988?

[CaseyCor]

His lead sound is awesome during this period. I've been going through my collection old bootlegs from the Damaged Justice tour lately. His lead sound is considerably different than his rhythm sound, and a lot louder. You can see him head over to his pedalboard in videos, which I think was a Bradshaw rig at the time.

Anyone know what he was running for his lead sound back then? It still sounds like the IIC+ to me, but it's...different....I'm not sure what I'm hearing. Their tone was so good during this tour.

Here's a link to the old "Film 'Em All" VHS. Same stage (and guitar gear?) as the Live Shit: Binge & Purge show in Seattle. Awesome guitar tones, even through the shitty VHS cam mics and A/D conversion.

 

[halford]

keen to see responses

 

[NewWorldMan]

He was using the ADA MP-1 at that time, if I recall correctly.

 

[CaseyCor]

He was using the ADA MP-1 at that time, if I recall correctly.

For some reason I was thinking he didn't have it in his live rig at the time Could be, though! I do like the MP-1 sound a good deal.

 

[BMoore77]

Yeah, I remember the ADA for leads on AJFA ..however, I dont believe it was the only thing he used for leads in the studio or live. I remember he explained all of this for a cover story in Guitar World back in 88. I have it somewhere...If I can find it I'll let you know ...or if someone else has it to save me from digging! lol

 

[BMoore77]

I was thinking about this after guys were ripping Kirk after the new album was released last month...for the amount of crap he gets on forums for being a garbage player with bad tone, too much wah, ect. ect...I always remember his leads from Kill Em' All through The Black Album..they were very memorable and served the songs well. I thought he did a really good job on those albums.

 

[NewWorldMan]

He was using the ADA MP-1 at that time, if I recall correctly.

For some reason I was thinking he didn't have it in his live rig at the time Could be, though! I do like the MP-1 sound a good deal.

Yeah, he had it then. Also used it on most (if not all) of his solos on AJFA. Live, he was using an ADA MP-1 into a Mesa Strategy 400, and James was using the Mark IIC+ into the Mesa Strategy 400.

 

[supersonic]

Wah?

 

[shadowdevourer]

I thought Kirk was using dual recto with od808. Because I remember an interview with James around that era saying he never liked using boost before amps but that Kirk like using them.

 

[Dave L]

Well, the Dual Recto was still maybe three or four years away in 1988, or are you talking about some other era now?

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

They sure did play with a lot of fire on that tour... the tone is fantastic from rythm to lead. Also agree that the leads popped out more here. Cutting tone without the squish.compression, and fizz that comes with the Axe! Seems like Kirk really got addicted to the wah on the black album. Agreed that he did used to play for the song and I liked his work on a lot of stuff up and including the black album. After that, there is a noticeable drop off in skill and creativity.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Lars is sharp in most of those vids too! Listen to his double kick and snare work. He is on.

 

[Lightninboy]

Yeah, I remember the ADA for leads on AJFA ..however, I dont believe it was the only thing he used for leads in the studio or live. I remember he explained all of this for a cover story in Guitar World back in 88. I have it somewhere...If I can find it I'll let you know ...or if someone else has it to save me from digging! lol

Just dug that interview out. In the Axology section it says:

"His stage set up is MIDI based, with a Mesa/Boogie Quad preamp, an Aphex parametric EQ, an 88A MIDI EQ with pre-set EQ settings, a Yamaha SPX90 for echo, chorusing and pitch-transposing, an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a Cry Baby Wah pedal. In the past he's relied mainly on the Mesa/Boogie Simulclas (which he calls "the amp head of all time") and willcontinue to use it as soon as it gets a MIDI compatible connection."

 

[Rock Bodom]

I was thinking about this after guys were ripping Kirk after the new album was released last month...for the amount of crap he gets on forums for being a garbage player with bad tone, too much wah, ect. ect...I always remember his leads from Kill Em' All through The Black Album..they were very memorable and served the songs well. I thought he did a really good job on those albums.

He totally did, great fit for what Metallica was at that time, and you nailed it on memorability. That's what he did particularly well.

I can't imagine those albums having solos that sound any different, wouldn't be the same. I can understand the comments saying he's not bringing that kind of creativity with his leads anymore, but hardly a garbage player in a thrash band context. Never seemed to have any ego about his playing either.

 

[Dave L]

Yeah, I remember the ADA for leads on AJFA ..however, I dont believe it was the only thing he used for leads in the studio or live. I remember he explained all of this for a cover story in Guitar World back in 88. I have it somewhere...If I can find it I'll let you know ...or if someone else has it to save me from digging! lol

Just dug that interview out. In the Axology section it says:

"His stage set up is MIDI based, with a Mesa/Boogie Quad preamp, an Aphex parametric EQ, an 88A MIDI EQ with pre-set EQ settings, a Yamaha SPX90 for echo, chorusing and pitch-transposing, an Ibanez Tube Screamer and a Cry Baby Wah pedal. In the past he's relied mainly on the Mesa/Boogie Simulclas (which he calls "the amp head of all time") and willcontinue to use it as soon as it gets a MIDI compatible connection."

That MIDI EQ has to be the ADA EQ unit, someone must have gotten the transcript wrong.

 

[toddmogle]

TS-9 and a TS-10 were his lead boosts at that time. The TS-10 replaced the TS-9 later on the tour.
The Guitar World axology did state an 88A Midi EQ, but should be the ADA MQ-1
Here is a photo of his rig on that tour.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

When I bought my first guitar, i still remember the store clerk hooking me up through a N4 into an ADA and out some power amp.... lol, fucking amazing sound and one that i was unable to replicate with a sammick through a valvestate. Chased that for years. Those ADA's sounded amazing. Sad they reissued the pedal version. From the demos it doesn't sound like the original.

 

[CaseyCor]

I wonder if his was modded in any way? 3TM maybe. Those ADA units sound awesome, for sure. Prone to breaking down and hard to source parts these days though.

 

[BMoore77]

The ADA's are awesome but it has to have the right power amp. That being said, I highly doubt his were modded back then, but who knows.... He's running a Strategy 400 with a ton of extra EQ so it is no wonder why is sounded killer. I have 2 that are stock but I thought of doing the noise mod. But yeah the 3tm sounds great and I would love to try it..You are correct about that pedal not being what the original was. I was very excited when a buddy of mine told me these were coming out.. hoping it would have been a more reliable version of the original, but from what I heard they were nowhere close. Too bad. I think someone told me Todd modded Alex Skolnick's ADA from way back when but, again, who knows... Being that they were all from the Bay Area anything's possible

 

[gregmusi]

TS-9 and a TS-10 were his lead boosts at that time. The TS-10 replaced the TS-9 later on the tour.
The Guitar World axology did state an 88A Midi EQ, but should be the ADA MQ-1
Here is a photo of his rig on that tour.

love the rack porn. A better vanished time