Guitar.com - A place for guitarists to call home

Forums > Electric Guitar > New Metal Pedal

Jump:

Forums > Electric Guitar > New Metal Pedal

Code of Conduct Search

Original message:227 days 15 hours 36 minutes ago

+ 1

Member: shanejohnson2002

1851
WebCred

OK here's the deal...I have a Keeley pedal collection that I love, except for one pedal. The Metal Zone. I know it's a good pedal but it's just not extreme enough of a metal tone for what I like. That, and it has this strange midrange spike that grates on my nerves, and won't go away no matter where I set the knobs.

I was wondering what pedals you guys use for a good metal sound. And don't tell me to get a Dual Rectifier :-P. I have a Carvin Legacy which sounds golden, I just want a good rhythm metal tone I can switch on in the clean channel.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:227 days 14 hours 28 minutes ago
Member: G_Barber

+ 2

435
WebCred

Oh heavens no, get a TRIPLE rectifier! j/k dude, I'm using an RP-80...I don't have the luxury of money for all the stompboxes I really want to try out for my sound. Although, all the demos for the Scott Ian Black 13 pedal sound pretty awesome.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:227 days 14 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: shanejohnson2002

+ 2

1851
WebCred

Thanks for the lead...I might have to check it out.

I just tried something that may be the saving grace of my Metal Zone...I ran a Tubescreamer in front of it and it came to life. It still has that midrange honk though. No amount of knob-turning will fix it either. I *could* fix it with a boss EQ pedal, but I'd rather get one that sounds good out of the box.

I'm looking at these pedals myself, and I plan on chilling in a music store one day doing side-by-side tests to find the right one.
Digitech Metal Master
Digitech Death Metal
EH Metal Muff
Line6 Uber Metal
Boss Metal Core
Mesa V-Twin or Bottle Rocket

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:227 days 12 hours 36 minutes ago
Member: Zombre

+ 2

897
WebCred

The Metal Muff is really good for that sort of thing, I think it delivers a really cool metal tone. Still has Honk though...lol

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Nyah Nyah na naa Naaaaaaa!!!!

Reply:227 days 3 hours 8 minutes ago
Member: ibzRG

+ 1

2599
WebCred

The SM7 has a scooped mid-range and enough dirt but it can sound terrible depending on the amp and it probably doesn't measure up to the rest mentioned here. My next dirtbox will probably be an Uber Metal.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:226 days 19 hours 15 minutes ago
Member: frumsapap

+ 1

1686
WebCred

Try an Ibanez Tube King. I am telling you, don't pass go Don't collect on another 200 dollar pedal. Try this baby out. I have a Roland Cube, and I was trying to get close to anything worthy of that good sweet tone, and I am enjoying the hell outh of this baby. There is a gain knob, a level, an EQ built right in. It has the noise gate control that all you metal heads love.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Time is a death-lock of the mind, a corporeal, linear insurrection of the spirit.

Reply:226 days 18 hours 37 minutes ago
Member: shanejohnson2002

+ 1

1851
WebCred

I've tried the tube king and it's cool. I just think I'd rather get a Mesa Bottle Rocket or V-Twin if I were to buy a tube pedal. They're voiced more in line with what I'm looking for.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:226 days 18 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: frumsapap

+ 1

1686
WebCred

I hear you. What kind of sound are you going for? Is it more of that crunch like Black Sabbath or more torwards Mudvayne?

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Time is a death-lock of the mind, a corporeal, linear insurrection of the spirit.

Reply:226 days 18 hours ago
Member: shanejohnson2002

+ 1

1851
WebCred

Something along the lines of Dream Theater...thick but heavy at the same time. I may just have to break down and get a mesa :-

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:226 days 17 hours 22 minutes ago
Member: frumsapap

+ 1

1686
WebCred

I hear you. I am looking further into the metal sound as well. I want smooth distortion, so that I can hear the tap of the fret or the fast picking I am getting into, but I want heavy. Do you use a lot of bass, treble, or what in your chase for sound? I am wondering, because when I turn the bass up with this new pedal and some treble, I am getting almost a Diezel amp sound out of it, ie "TOOL," and I was not going for that at all, it just happened that way. Adam Jones usually only tunes to drop-D, but I have been dropping down a half step and then dropping to C. I just want to make sure I don't mess up my strings. Do I need to go with a heavier guage?

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Time is a death-lock of the mind, a corporeal, linear insurrection of the spirit.

Reply:226 days 17 hours 2 minutes ago
Member: shanejohnson2002

+ 1

1851
WebCred

If you're tuning low, you probably should be using at least 10's. At a drop C tuning, 11's are more appropriate.

As far as tone...I don't like to max out the bass and treble controls on the metal zone because the bass gets all farty and the treble too hissy. Fart + Hiss does not equal good tone :-P

I have actually been getting somewhat decent results now. I think part of it had to do with the fact that I was no longer running my Legacy through a Palmer speaker sim that I had borrowed from a friend (although I'll be getting one of my own with this tax rebate). I just wasn't used to hearing it naturally through the speaker cab. Before, I cranked the volume on the amp, ran it into the Palmer, and ran that signal through my Rocktron Xpression and power amp to my speaker cab and recorder.

Maybe it just takes some time...I'd still like to play around with the different pedals though. I'm still intrigued by the Mesa V-Twin...I hear good tones on all the clips and videos I see, but I don't know if it'll do the heavy stuff.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:226 days 15 hours 57 minutes ago
Member: frumsapap

+ 1

1686
WebCred

You have a Legacy By Carvin? That is my favorite amp, besides the Diezel! I went to a consignment store and they have a combo Vai Legacy, used, for about $650.00. I am still debating about it right now because I live in an aprtment,and it would probably be one of those wait until after my computer recording studio ideas, but one day I will own this amp! It sounds like butta!!!

I have been using 10, but I am considering going up to the 11's, simply because that is what I used to play. Speaking of changing to 11's I am posting a pick of my electric. It has just the stop tail piece. What do I need to do to intonate? I am tired of paying the guy at the shop to do something that if someone would just tell me, then I would do it my damn self.

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Time is a death-lock of the mind, a corporeal, linear insurrection of the spirit.

Reply:226 days 15 hours 46 minutes ago
Member: shanejohnson2002

1851
WebCred

Yeah the Legacy is pretty awesome. I am yet to run it at the full 100 watts because all I have speaker-wise is an old Peavey 1x12 cab. I plan on getting a custom stereo Avatar 2x12 with Lead 80's, but that's down the road a bit. I scored the head for 550. I'm going to run it through a Palmer PDI-03 once my tax rebate comes in. That way I don't *need* a speaker, but I can always run the line out from the palmer to a power amp and use a speaker. It'll let me get the cranked, wide-open amp sound at whisper-quiet levels.

Intonation is actually pretty easy if you have a decent tuner. You simply tune the guitar to the pitch you want (drop C in your case). Play the open string, making sure it's perfectly in tune. Then, play the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is flat, move the saddle towards the neck. If it's sharp, move it the other way. Re-tune the opens string to pitch, and repeat the process until both the open string and the 12th fret are perfectly in tune. Do this for each string.

Here's a website that explains it far better than I can:
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/intonate.htm

My music recommendations:

My gear recommendations:

Reply:226 days 15 hours 9 minutes ago
Member: