You guys are all playing with way too much gain!

[glassjaw7]

Too much gain is better than too much clean. Because I said so.
I run a maxed out Metal Zone into a maxed out Keeley Metal Zone into a DOD Grunge pedal into two Dual Rectos, each maxed out and modified with an extra gain stage. This all goes into 10 watt celestions so that they are pushed hard for even more distortionz!

Nah, I run my gain between noon and 2:00 for the heavy stuff. No need to go any higher, just takes away definition. At least with the way I play and my gear

I also am a clean tone fanatic! I like a lot more than metal.

 

[stephen sawall]

Yeah, my tastes are very differente from most guys around here, but I started here being a metal head, I loved (still do) metal and hard rock..... somewhere along the way my musical tastes changed (when I started writing music) but I already had a good atmosphere around here, I liked the folks and why leave?

I've had my share of guys pick on me but I don't mind I still find this place very cool to hang

You are not alone in your music tastes. There are a good many of us on here that like more than just hard rock and metal.

It is only a hand-full of people that have a illusion that this forum is about "metal" and "heavy". It is only a very small piece of the whole forum. Most of us have much wider taste. The few that only see that part of it really are delusional. Sad really ....

this is how I've noticed things are around here, just my humble opinion and observation:

most of the guys here like a lot of stuff, but its mostly rock/ hard rock, specially 80s rock and metal. But even though most guys like different styles, they get a bit "uptight" when someone like me posts something regarding pop or "bubble gum blues" ala Mayer, etc.

Again it's just how I've noticed things are around here, doesn't mean people are bad, all the contrary, there are a lot of great guys here and that's why I stay..... tastes wise I could fit better in thegearpage or something like that but I don't like the general attitude over there..... things around here seem to be takes less seriously which I like.

So it's not an illusion that the forum is about metal or heavy, but my tastes get easily picked on around here. I don't mind, maybe it's me and I'm easy to get picked on, but it'll hang because I look at the "overall picture" and it looks good full with cool people

To be honest I always respected your being honest about your taste .... not everyone does that. I wonder what they are afraid of .... someone judging them because they have been exposed maybe ? I just see a lot more than heavy around here .... and I see a few people that hold on to this as a little sad. There is a lot more out there than that ....

 

[jlbaxe]

Yeah, my tastes are very differente from most guys around here, but I started here being a metal head, I loved (still do) metal and hard rock..... somewhere along the way my musical tastes changed (when I started writing music) but I already had a good atmosphere around here, I liked the folks and why leave?

I've had my share of guys pick on me but I don't mind I still find this place very cool to hang

You are not alone in your music tastes. There are a good many of us on here that like more than just hard rock and metal.

It is only a hand-full of people that have a illusion that this forum is about "metal" and "heavy". It is only a very small piece of the whole forum. Most of us have much wider taste. The few that only see that part of it really are delusional. Sad really ....

this is how I've noticed things are around here, just my humble opinion and observation:

most of the guys here like a lot of stuff, but its mostly rock/ hard rock, specially 80s rock and metal. But even though most guys like different styles, they get a bit "uptight" when someone like me posts something regarding pop or "bubble gum blues" ala Mayer, etc.

Again it's just how I've noticed things are around here, doesn't mean people are bad, all the contrary, there are a lot of great guys here and that's why I stay..... tastes wise I could fit better in thegearpage or something like that but I don't like the general attitude over there..... things around here seem to be takes less seriously which I like.

So it's not an illusion that the forum is about metal or heavy, but my tastes get easily picked on around here. I don't mind, maybe it's me and I'm easy to get picked on, but it'll hang because I look at the "overall picture" and it looks good full with cool people

To be honest I always respected your being honest about your taste .... not everyone does that. I wonder what they are afraid of .... someone judging them because they have been exposed maybe ? I just see a lot more than heavy around here .... and I see a few people that hold on to this as a little sad. There is a lot more out there than that ....

Im with ya… I have a Jazzy/Blues style. I luv 80's metal but when I pick up the guitar I head for the jazz and blues chords. I am more on the melodic side, I like the 7th and 9th and a Bm pentatonic run or anything that adds a jazz or blues flavor. Im sort of a SRV/James Brown meets Jazz type with a very small fraction of the skills But I sound like me when I play

 

[twenty4_7spy]

The devil is in the details.

Indeed. It really comes down on how you build gain:

- crank the preamp
- crank the poweramp (and maybe attenuate, which is what I do)
- crank both (think stock or nearly stock 100W SLP, which I also do, attenuated)

I think the rise of EVH was in no small part how he built his tone. Depending on which version you believe, he completely maxed out a (nearly) stock 12000-series 100W head and then re-amped it via a load box (as has been well-discussed on this and other forums). This, my friends, is how you integrate the characteristics of a fully-overloaded set of EL34s into the sound coming out of your speakers. The rest is up to the player. I personally prefer power tube distortion, so for me the use of a good attenuator is essential. I do not play in stadia - my experience is completely limited to small/medium sized clubs. I have settled on the Rivera Rock Crusher, but YMMV for sure. I am also a believer in multiple amps - I will soon be running five 100W half-stacks, all attenuated. The tonal variation between cabinets and the "spread" of the sound is difficult to describe, but it is entirely cool, even at bedroom volume.

To me, there is nothing on this Earth that sounds like a well-made, well-tuned, well-modded, and well-cranked 100W Marshall or boutique clone. I will back off on the preamp if I can get the power tubes to overload every time. Chunk, balls, that "singing" quality on solos, and clarity - note definition - that's where it's at for me.

Matt

 

[amiller]

Are we talking lead work or rhythm? Lead...lots of gain...rhythm, less is more.

 

[Atropos_Project]

It's all way too subjective. Tons of gain doesn't work for how I play, but I've heard others use a truckload of it and sound great.

*shrug*

 

[some dude]

Are we talking lead work or rhythm? Lead...lots of gain...rhythm, less is more.

Oddly, I prefer less gain in my lead tone than my rhythm tone....although I do keep an OD handy in case long notes start to choke off early.

 

[War Admiral]

Excellent! Some great debate here. I just wanted to stir the pot a bit and get the blood flowing since Im trying to cut down on my gain too. It seems all the great tone I grew up with had much less gain than Im acustomed too. That open uncompressed barking boost in the high mid with snap on the top. The sustain without the gain concept i guess...Gain just seems to blur that all to heck.

I by no means are saying this in any demeaning way Everybody to their own of course. Its really cool hearing everybodys justifying or non justifying of the matter!

 

[steve_k]

The sustain without the gain concept...

No gain....no sustain !!!

 

[War Admiral]

The sustain without the gain concept...

No gain....no sustain !!!

Volume gives you sustain too

 

[stephen sawall]

I practice with my guitar unplugged most of the time. I am very critical with my ear when doing this to make sure everything is clean and focused.

This way when I plug in the gain is just a tool to shape the sound. Not a crutch like many people use it.

I highly recommend everyone does this for a few months .... it will improve your playing in many ways .... I promise. It does not matter how good of a player you are or how long you have been playing.
Controlling dynamics when not plugged in becomes a very different thing for most people.

 

[War Admiral]

Very good way to practice Turning the gain down and turning the volume up does wonders for your tone

 

[northern1]

I thought about going the less gain route seriously and like playing like that about 5-10% of the time so then I just decided to go with what works after 8 or 9 hall passes...

 

[stephen sawall]

The sustain without the gain concept...

No gain....no sustain !!!

Volume gives you sustain too

The right guitar and vibrato usually does it for me.

 

[Digital Jams]

Huge amounts of gain is fun, can one handle it and play clean without a gate is the question.

Sustain is not just gain btw..........................................

 

[War Admiral]

I thought about going the less gain route seriously and like playing like that about 5-10% of the time so then I just decided to go with what works after 8 or 9 hall passes...

Ahhhhh....Soldano and a Les Paul!! Exactly what Im playing right now too. What do you have the gain at? lol
She really seems to sing but stays clear at around 3 for me. (volume @ 6 of course )

 

[War Admiral]

Huge amounts of gain is fun, can one handle it and play clean without a gate is the question.

Sustain is not just gain btw..........................................

Exactly

 

[yngzaklynch]

I love my boosted Marshall VM tone. Lot's of gain and if u don't like it well then you can suck on it. I'm pretty damn happy with my tone for once in my life.

 

[War Admiral]

I love my boosted Marshall VM tone. Lot's of gain and if u don't like it well then you can suck on it. I'm pretty damn happy with my tone for once in my life.

Thats cool man! If it ain't fun don't do it.

 

[jharpersj]

It's like saying a race car driver should drive a car that handles worse.