History of the Metallica “Sound”

1981-1991

Metallica grew a loyal fan base with their raw and furiously thrashy early releases Kill ‘Em All (1981) and Ride the Lightning (1984). The guitars on these records are loud, brash and have a lot of bite. They entered into more progressive territory in the second half of the ’80s with their widely accepted pièce de résistance that is Master of Puppets (1986) and particularly …And Justice for All (1988), the latter of which boasted super-complex arrangements, highly-technical instrumentation and more brooding and menacing guitar tones.

With every album maturing as the band became more experimental with their songwriting, their critically-acclaimed self-titled record, otherwise known as the Black Album (1991), is where the band peaked commercially. Featuring a number of their signature songs, including Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and Sad But True, producer Bob Rock’s influence proved vital to the album’s overall success, with simpler song structures, catchy anthemic choruses and guitar layered on guitar in a wall of sound.

1996-2003

After three years of rigorous touring in support of their self-titled album, Metallica took what proved to be their most diverse turn in musical direction with Load (1996) and ReLoad (1997). Going for a more alternative hard rock sound, this divisive double release received backlash from some older fans, feeling that the band had “sold out” to remain relevant to a generic audience. Today, this unconventional pair of rock albums are thought of a little higher than they were on release, mixing some country sounds with a more old school crunchy guitar vibe.

After the cover album Garage Inc. (1998) and the orchestra-backed live record S&M (1999), the aggressive-sounding St. Anger (2003) was the long-awaited follow-up to ReLoad. Also released to poor reviews, Metallica’s fans struggled to accept the band’s new and edgier drop-tuned style – as well as the notable lack of guitar solos.

2008-Present

Choosing to tour extensively after the lows of St. Anger in order to resolve the turmoil within the group, Death Magnetic (2008) and Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016) were considered a return to form for Metallica. Resurrecting their older, thrashier aggression, these releases showcased Metallica’s huge listener pulling power after all of these years. 72 Seasons continued in the same vein, ditching the ballads and experimental aspects of their nineties records for a tried and tested metal formula that harkens back to Kill ‘Em All, from the Marshall guitar bite to the feisty riffage.

Metallica’s Guitars

Papa Het’s rhythm-chugging Explorer is his most iconic guitar, debuting a white Gibson during the Ride the Lightning tour. ESP later produced copies of this distinctive design (the EXP/MX series), which Hetfield popularised with frequent use in music videos and live performances from the …And Justice for All era onwards.

James is also known to use LP-shaped guitars too, with his signature ESP Iron Cross taking on the aesthetic of the Japanese company’s Eclipse single cut model – with a racing stripe on the body and a metal cross plate embellishment next to the tailpiece.

ESP James Hetfield Signature Guitars

Today, however, Hetfield’s flagship signature guitars are the Snakebyte and the v-shaped Vulture. Taking on the vibe of his older EXP/MX models, the Snakebyte throws in a modern twist with a sculpted lower bout and sharpened corners on the lower horn of the body and the headstock. The Vulture shares a similar design philosophy as the pointed edges of the ‘v’ are slanted at a flatter angle.

EMG James Hetfield Signature Pickups

The EMG 81/60 pickup combination has been a mainstay for Hetfield throughout most of his career. Favouring the crisp attack of the active design, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were among the first artists to be endorsed by EMG, relying upon their pickup creations since Master of Puppets. Recently EMG collaborated with Hetfield to design the ceramic-poled ‘Het Set’. Deriving closely from his classic 81/60 humbucker pairing, these pickups benefit from a more potent midrange and a wider dynamic range – allowing for greater articulation and clarity.

The ESP LTD EX-200 or Epiphone Extura Prophecy are great choices for the Hetfield sound and visuals at a more friendly price point. They both resemble James’ ESP Explorers from the self-titled album era with a clean white or stealthy all-black aesthetic. The key ingredient of these guitars are the pickups – the ESP’s being passive, but with high-output ceramic pole pieces, and the Epiphone’s being active Fishman Fluence packing a huge punch. Stretching your budget further will get you an ESP LTD variation of Hetfield’s signature guitars.

ESP Kirk Hammett Signature Guitars

Much like James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett has relied on his ESP workhorses for decades while in Metallica. Opting for aggressive lead playing “s-style” M-II guitars around the time of the Black Album, this model later inspired Kirk’s KH-2 signature guitar. Featuring a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo system, EMG 81/85 pickups, and the idiosyncratic skull and cross-bone inlays – the KH-2 has remained Hammett’s flagship signature instrument since the early ’90s.

The ‘Caution Hot’ version is his most identifiable iteration, however Kirk is also known for featuring classic horror movie poster graphics on his KH-2 guitars. The most notable of these is the ‘Boris Karloff Mummy’ KH-2, an ESP Custom Shop one-off, however the ‘White Zombie’ is a mass-produced and affordable LTD variant.

Hammett also previously had a KH-3 signature instrument, a model that he used extensively in the Load and Reload tours. Following a singlecut design much like Hetfield’s Truckster guitars, the KH-3 featured a flat top and included a gothic-style spider web graphic on the body. The JH-1 was another early signature model, however these weren’t produced in large numbers and are considered rare and collectible today. Following a traditional Flying V design, this instrument featured a single EMG 81 bridge pickup and a Floyd Rose tremolo system.

EMG Kirk Hammett Signature Pickups

Jackson Dinky Guitars

Hammett previously had a KH-3 signature instrument, a model that he used extensively in the Load and Reload tours. Following a single cut design much like Hetfield’s Truckster guitars, the KH-3 featured a gothic-style spider web graphic on the flat body. Hammett is also a huge Les Paul fan and proudly owns the famous Gibson “Greeny”, a Cherry Sunburst LP owned by Fleetwood Mac founding member Peter Green and rock and roll legend Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy fame. The Epiphone Greeny model captures the spirit of this unique instrument, now faded to what is considered a Lemon Burst. It features an out-of-phase middle switch position, which emulates a mod to the neck pickup to reverse the magnetic polarity.

If you want the iconic Hammett look and something practically identical to Kirk’s personal guitar, check out the LTD KH-602, which is his far eastern-made signature model. It’s got the original KH-2 vibe with a neck-through construction and a pair of his signature EMG Bone Breaker pickups. The LTD KH-202 is an even cheaper alternative, although it features ESP-designed pickups rather than EMGs.

Metallica’s Amps

Despite adjusting their sound a number of times over the years, Mesa/Boogie amplifiers have been a Metallica mainstay. Using the legendary Mark IIC+ heads for the recording sessions of Master of Puppets and …And Justice for All, these amps could achieve a tight and saturated distortion – ultimately pioneering the signature Metallica sound. Hetfield and Hammett later used Rectifiers in the ’90s for an even bigger and more modern timbre, and the duo has since experimented with alternative setups since.

James Hetfield’s Amps

Hetfield currently relies on Mesa Boogie TriAxis preamps, paired with Simul-Class 2:90 power amps. Apart from their Boogies, Hetfield has also been known to use Diezel VH4 amplifiers. These became his main source of tone during the recording of St. Anger. He used a modded Marshall 1959 Super Lead on 72 Seasons, which serves up a famous Plexi British grunt. For live performances, Hetfield and his crew have converted to a Fractal Axe-Fx III, joining the every-growing list of artists bowing to the power and utility of a digital setup.

The Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus is another noteworthy element of the Metallica sound, which James uses exclusively as his clean tone amp. With a solid-state design, this legendary amplifier has a pristine, high-headroom jangle with a super-sweet chorus circuit built in, based on Boss’ legendary CE-1 pedal. If you love the angelic clean tone at the beginning of Welcome Home (Sanitarium), the Jazz Chorus is the answer to that glorious sound.

Considering the wide range of tones in the Hetfield arsenal stacking up over 40+ years, and his preference for premium amps that exceed a modest budget, I think your best choice would be the Boss Katana. This is arguably the ultimate modern amp as it does everything to an incredibly high standard in a bulletproof solid-state package. The high-gain tones are exceptional for the price and sound super heavy in a live setting. It even includes some effects as you might find with the Jazz Chorus.

Kirk Hammett

Despite using Mesa Boogie amplifiers previously for many years, Hammett currently has a signature line of amplifiers with Randall. Their flagship model is the K103, a sophisticated 120W three-channel head that has voicing mode switches and EQ sections for each channel, as well as two tube-driven effects loops and MIDI capability.

A Boss Katana could also get close to Hammett’s tone, but to dial in a more specified lead guitar oriented tone, Marshall would make an excellent choice. He used the famous British amps in Metallica’s early days on Kill ‘Em All and returned to a ’70s JMP head for the making of 72 Seasons. The Origin series are all-valve amp heads that won’t busy the bank. They pack a ton of volume for the wattage, which means they work great with pedals because of the high headroom. The controls are very simple but refined. The “presence” setting is a nice addition for getting a more aggressive, front-footed punch. The highlight here is the two preamp voicings which let you dial in your Metallica sweet spot.

What Guitar Pedals Do Metallica Use?

Metallica aren’t distinguished for using pedals to achieve their core tones – James Hetfield once stated that he prefers the direct distorted tone from an amplifier, as opposed to relying on pedals. Having said that, they have used them to embellish records here and there. Back in Metallica’s heyday, distortion pedals were nowhere near as advanced as they are today – with only a handful of options available.

If you’re looking to build up a more complete Metallica sound, then pedals are the way to go rather than buying the several amps and guitars needed to achieve it. Here are a handful of pedals that contribute to Metallica’s iconic guitar tones.

Overdrive Pedals

Many guitar pedal makers produce advanced, adaptable stompboxes that can closely imitate the tones of distorted valve amp. The MXR 5150 Overdrive has received some unwarranted heat over the years, but this is an excellent high-gain pedal that will get you in the Metallica ballpark, packed with the essential features you’d typically find on a genuine amp channel.

The MXR is based on the EVH 5150 amplifier, an iconic head that has been used by a countless amount of metal bands over the years. Adored for its scooped and dynamic high-gain tone, the 5150 Overdrive encompasses that distinctive sound. With a built-in boost circuit too, you can really tighten up the overall sound of the pedal, akin to when you place a Tubescreamer-style stompbox in front of a distorted amp. The 5150 Overdrive’s noise gate is another thoughtful addition, eliminating the frustrating hiss that can occur when running an ultra-hot amplifier.

On 72 Seasons, Metallica opted to use a boutique Wizard amp with a Klon Centaur in front of it to beef up the gain. These expensive pedals have an air of mystique about them, but its now available to every guitarist as lots of pedal manufacturers have come close in recreating its rich tone. The Wampler Tumnus and Tone City Bad Horse would be great if you’ve got gain stacking in mind – or in other words, layering multiple sources of gain, either with amps or pedals.

Klon Style Pedals

Browse Klon Style Overdrive Pedals

Chorus Pedals

As previously mentioned, the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus solid-state amp is the main source for Metallica’s clean tones, both live and in the studio. To emulate its beautiful, washy chorus effect, a dedicated chorus pedal would serve you well. The MXR Analog Chorus pedal is popular for a reason, as it packs a quality and extremely versatile tone. It utilises an old-school bucket-brigade circuit much like the original Boss CE-1 units. This gives you a bold yet warm chorus sound, and features all of the key controls you’d expect to find, as well as two EQ controls that allow you to boost/cut the lows and highs.

The Tone City Angel Wing is a more streamlined, budget option but by no means a cheap-sounding pedal. Although it doesn’t have the same level of flexibility as its MXR counterpart, the Angel Wing delivers that unmistakable analogue tone around half the price.

Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedals

Kirk Hammett, love it or hate it, is a wah addict. Once quipping that he’d need to have his foot cut off to stop him from using his wah pedal, Kirk employs this effect in many of his pentatonic-based guitar solos. With his Jimi Hendrix influence evident, Hammett uses wah in a heavier context to not only achieve a screaming lead tone, but to also allow his playing to cut through in very busy Metallica mixes.

Hammett has his own Jim Dunlop KH95 Signature Wah pedal, however it is more expensive than most standard wahs. The CBM95 Cry Baby Mini is a highly-compact alternative of Dunlop’s flagship GCB95 wah model. Giving you a wide sweep despite its tiny footprint, this pedal has an internal voicing switch that adjusts its spectrum, letting you attain crazy highs much like Hammett’s very own custom wah.

Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedals

Browse Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedals

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles.

The post Sound Like Metallica Without Busting the Bank! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-metallica/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/our-top-5-les-paul-players-and-how-to-sound-like-them https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/our-top-5-les-paul-players-and-how-to-sound-like-them#respond Tue, 28 May 2019 08:00:40 +0000 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/?p=4861

The Gibson Les Paul is undoubtedly one of the Holy Grails of the guitar world. Its famed weighty sustain and buttery tone has left a timeless legacy and defined the sound of countless artists over the years. We decided to pick out 5 of our favourite Les Paul players a revisit how the Les Paul […]

The post Our Top 5 Les Paul Players – And How To Sound Like Them! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

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The Gibson Les Paul is undoubtedly one of the Holy Grails of the guitar world. Its famed weighty sustain and buttery tone has left a timeless legacy and defined the sound of countless artists over the years. We decided to pick out 5 of our favourite Les Paul players a revisit how the Les Paul helped shape their sound. But what else did they use? If you’ve got a Les Paul, you might be wondering what your next bit of gear will be to find that sound in your head. With the help of Matt & Rabea, we delve into the best gear that perfectly complements the Les Paul – whatever it takes to get you the sound that you seek!

Gary Moore

Our list begins with the late, great Gary Moore. Widely considered one of the most influential blues players of all time, Moore’s influence extends far beyond the blues arena. He had lengthy stints with Skid Row & Thin Lizzy (as well as handling guitar duties for Phil Lynott’s solo material). It’s undeniable that he left a lasting impression on the guitar world. It’s no secret that his expressive playing style shaped his sound, but the gear played a huge part.

First up, the Gibson Les Paul. Moore played a number of guitars in his time, but his 1959 Les Paul Standard offered that famous soaring sustain and gloriously warm PAF-style sound. Rabea and Matt chose a ‘50s Tribute Les Paul, but any humbucker-loaded Mahogany body Les Paul will do the trick. Bonus points for vintage pickups and non-weight relieved models for extra sustain!

In terms of amps and pedals, any vintage British-style valve amp will do the trick. Moore’s backline usually consisted of some Marshall Plexi or Hiwatt action. He used an original TS808 to enrich the front end of the amp, which again added to his famed saturated sustain. Rabea and Matt went for an Egnater Tweaker valve combo, with a TS808 reissue, Boss Reverb and Tone City delay for huge ambience. Well done boys!

Featured Gear

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa opened for B.B. King in 1989 at the tender age of 12; it’s safe to say that the stage was set for a legend in the making. 15 solo albums, a Grammy nomination and an eye-watering gear collection later, he’s one of the most celebrated blues players of our time. He’s performed with the likes of Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks and many more.

While Smokin’ Joe is known for playing (and owning) just about every bit of vintage gear under the sun, he’s most often seen with a Les Paul of some description. With Les Pauls, vintage usually means heavy. So again, Mahogany body (non-weight relieved where applicable) with vintage-voiced pickups will do the trick. Matt and Rabea chose an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro, an affordable but undeniably beautiful instrument.

Next up, amps and pedals. Our chaps went for the Marshall Origin 20, a vintage-style valve combo. Any amp of this description will do it; think old-school, responsive British crunch. To tip it over the edge, a midrange-rich overdrive will add fizz, clarity and heaps of sustain – for Matt and Rabea, it was none other than the Way Huge Bonamassa Signature DoubleLand Special. Add some reverb and wah for a bit of colour and your rig is fully Bona-fide.

Featured Gear

Jimmy Page

There are few more iconic images than Jimmy Page in his dragon suit tearing it up on a Les Paul. It’s in image that’s graced the walls of rebellious teens and music lovers alike for generations. But it’s the sound that’s truly stood the test of time.

Page’s snarling Les Paul-fuelled tone was one of the major driving forces behind Led Zeppelin’s timeless sound. While he used a number of instruments, including a double-neck SG and a ’59 Telecaster, he particularly favoured two instruments: a ’59 Les Paul bought off Joe Walsh in the ‘60s, and a ’59 Les Paul Standard bought in 1973.

The second component was a chunky Brit-style valve sound – the Marshall logo was often displayed loud and proud as part of Led Zep’s backline. He reportedly also opted for American amps in the studio that he’d crank to try and replicate his famed British grit, including Fender & Supro models.

So at the core of Page’s sound is a heavy Mahogany guitar with vintage pickups and a cranked British-style valve amp. Any heavier Les Paul with classic pickups will do the trick, and sticking with Marshall would be sensible. Matt and Rabea chose an Epiphone Les Paul Standard with a versatile Marshall DSL40 combo. Page used a classic Echoplex unit, famed for its gorgeous warm and responsive tone, so the boys also found a Jim Dunlop Echoplex preamp for good measure. Add some chorus (like the MXR Micro Chorus) for a beautiful old-school shimmer over the top of everything.

Featured Gear

The Darkness

You might not have expected The Hawkins brothers to make an appearance in this list, but we reckon the guitar world owes them a fair bit. The Darkness’ debut album Permission To Land was released in 2003, a time when guitar music meant indie-pop, and everything else was either R&B or The Cheeky Girls (don’t look them up).

Enter The Darkness, wearing either spandex, flares or a combination of the two, with their anthemic and borderline-sleazy brand of rock ‘n’ roll. The band bulldozed the charts, with two Top 10 UK singles and numerous awards and accolades. In doing so, they injected the guitar world with some much-needed mojo – and made Les Pauls cool all over again.

Both Justin and Dan Hawkins have used a number of Les Paul Standards, before and after Permission To Land. Having said that, their primary instruments were a little different. Justin’s was a Gibson Les Paul Custom in White, while Dan favoured a ‘50s Les Paul Black Beauty (triple humbuckers).

For amps, it’s the Brit parade once again – we think it’s fair to say Jimmy Page was an influence. Think Marshall, Vox and a little bit of Friedman (a US company who do the British thing really well). Pedals include a Pro Co Rat distortion, Ibanez TS808 and a Strymon Timeline. But the Les Paul + Brit amp combination is the dream team here.

As you may have already guessed, you’ll ideally want a rig that’s similar to the Jimmy Page one mentioned earlier. Matt and Rabea opted for an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Black Beauty (Epiphone version of the Hawkins bros’ Gibsons). For amps, they chose a pair of DSL40 Marshall combos. A little bit of delay and that Pro Co Rat adds a little more variety, and we’re away.

Featured Gear

Slash

The Les Paul has been in the hands of countless players across the musical spectrum for decades. But you simply can’t do a top Les Paul players list without including the mighty top-hatted one. Taking the Jimmy Page formula and injecting it with a little extra gain and some ‘80s attitude resulted in one of the most sought-after guitar tones of all time.

Slash has used numerous Les Pauls over the years, including a number of signature models (remember the Anaconda Burst?). But arguably his most famous one is the AFD Les Paul, a near-mythical instrument that’s supposedly one of three identical replicas. If you haven’t worked it out, the AFD refers to Guns ‘n’ Roses’ seminal album Appetite For Destruction. PAF-style pickups with medium output and that hefty Mahogany/Maple/Rosewood combo have earned their place in guitar history. Slash is also partial to Seymour Duncan pickups, with a number of signature sets over the years offering glorious crunch.

Amp-wise, it’s all starting to sound a bit familiar. He’s used amps from the likes of Vox, Roland and even Ampeg – but it always comes back to Marshall. There’s no pairing quite like it. Slash has also never been one to shy away from experimenting with effects, but nothing too abstract; we’re talking chorus, gritty overdrive to boost the output of his pickups, EQ pedals for some midrange honk and so on.

Matt and Rabea opted for an Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Plus, featuring Gibson pickups for that classic Les Paul sound. The trusty Marshall DSL40 also made the cut, along with a Seymour Duncan pickup booster, Tone City Angel Wing chorus and an MXR Carbon Copy delay. We’d go so far as to say that once you’ve got the Les Paul in the bag, all you’ll need is a Brit-style valve amp, crispy overdrive pedal and a wobbling chorus – then you’re in Paradise City.

Featured Gear

Enjoyed reading this piece? Check out the rest of our Sound Like, Learn, Labs & Industry content while you’re here! If you wanna know more about our Les Paul selection, check out the range here!

The post Our Top 5 Les Paul Players – And How To Sound Like Them! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/our-top-5-les-paul-players-and-how-to-sound-like-them/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-7-telecaster-players-sound-like https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-7-telecaster-players-sound-like#respond Sun, 26 May 2019 08:00:14 +0000 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/?p=4794

Created by Fender in the early ’50s, the Telecaster is a highly-recognisable instrument that has played a huge role in the formation of contemporary music. With its elegant looks and twangy-sounding single-coil pickups, the iconic Fender Tele is a common weapon of choice amongst guitar players. In fact, some of the biggest names in the industry […]

The post Our Top 7 Telecaster Players & How To Sound Like Them! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

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Created by Fender in the early ’50s, the Telecaster is a highly-recognisable instrument that has played a huge role in the formation of contemporary music. With its elegant looks and twangy-sounding single-coil pickups, the iconic Fender Tele is a common weapon of choice amongst guitar players.

In fact, some of the biggest names in the industry have relied on the Telecaster’s distinctive voice to create their own “sounds”. And we’ve shortlisted seven (well, techically eight) of our favourite guitarists that use them to their fullest!

Francis Rossi & Rick Parfitt

Status Quo

Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt; has there ever been a more iconic guitar duo? Okay, there probably has – but these two legendary English gentlemen are often cited as the godfathers of boogie rock, through their work with Status Quo. Known predominantly for their upbeat, power-chord driven playing; Rossi and Parfitt have inspired future generations with their simple yet effective approach to the guitar.

Guitars

It’s an all-Tele affair when it comes to Rossi and Parfitt. Francis is synonymous with his heavily-modified 1957 Fender Telecaster, which he famously re-finished with green furniture paint. With the back half of its bridge plate cut off and replaced with a G&L Saddle-Lock bridge, this beaten-up instrument also boasts a trio of Lace Sensor single-coils; akin to a ’90s Strat Plus. The Fender Nashville Telecaster is the closest thing that you can buy, or you could just imitate Rossi and customise any Telecaster to within an inch of its life!

Parfitt, who sadly passed away in 2016, also had a long-serving Tele that he was rarely seen without. A white and well-worn 1960 model, Parfitt’s Telecaster was modified in a similar way to Rossi’s, with its bridge plate cut in two and the saddles replaced with a wraparound Gibson-style tailpiece. The pickups were believed to be stock, and as Quo’s rhythm guitarist he often used the bridge pickup only. Any Tele with vintage-voiced pickups and a Rosewood fingerboard will convincingly emulate Parfitt’s sound.

Amps

Francis and Rick have both used a mix of Vox AC30 and Marshall JCM800 amps throughout their careers. Forging their signature British sound, these amps are typically cranked to their fullest in order to achieve a natural-sounding overdrive. If you’ve ever been to a Status Quo show, you’ll know just how loud they are!

If you’re looking for an affordable and perhaps smaller alternative, a Marshall DSL or Studio series amp will do the trick. However, if you’d prefer to take the Vox route, there are inexpensive valve-powered versions of AC15 amps available.

Effects

As you’d expect with a bonafide, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll band like Status Quo; effects are rare. Rossi and Parfitt certainly aren’t and weren’t pedal fanatics; using rack-mounted Roland GP-8 multi-fx units instead of single pedals.

Rossi uses different overdrive patches depending on the song, and also employs a doubling effect with some echo. He uses this patch for the lead parts in “Rockin’ All Over The World” (Rockin’ All Over The World – 1977) when performing live, to emulate the double-tracked guitar sound achieved in the studio. In their Sound Like Status Quo video, Rabea and Matt used a TC Electronic Mimiq pedal to achieve a similar effect.

Parfitt also used the GP-8’s overdrive sounds to push his amps harder, and would occasionally embellish some of his tones with modulation. The intro of “Whatever You Want” (Whatever You Want – 1979) is a good example, with the arpeggiated riff drenched in chorus.

Recommended Status Quo Gear

Tom Morello

Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave

Tom Morello is one of the most original guitarists out there, whose approach to playing is very unique. Particularly evident in his work with Rage Against The Machine, Morello’s idiosyncratic style combines powerful pentatonic-based riffs with flamboyant DJ-inspired effects. The moment you hear Tom’s playing, you just know that it can’t possibly be anyone else.

Guitars

Of course, Morello’s gear plays a huge part in his sound. Although he is most associated with his blue “Arm the Homeless” superstrat, Morello has actually relied on his US-made 1982 Fender Telecaster more often for recording. And perhaps unknown to some, Morello almost exclusively uses only its neck pickup. This is yet another aspect of Morello’s style that goes against the grain, helping him to achieve those punchy, mid-heavy tones.

Amps

In conjunction with his guitars, Tom Morello has depended on his trusted Marshall JCM800 head and Peavey 4×12″ cab for almost 30 years. We believe that he must be a firm believer of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy.

Frankly, any valve-powered Marshall will get you within striking distance of his ballsy sound. The DSL series is an excellent place to start, although the new for 2019 Studio range features portable 20W versions of the JCM800.

Effects

Much like his amp setup, Morello’s pedalboard has been time-capsuled since the early ’90s and has hardly evolved. Tom has utilised the Digitech Whammy frequently in both his work with Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. If you’ve ever wondered how he achieved that high-pitched effect on the “Killing in the Name” solo (Rage Against The Machine – 1992); it’s a Whammy set two octaves up!

Apart from the Whammy, the Jim Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal is another key ingredient, heard prominitely on tracks like “Bulls On Parade” (Evil Empire – 1996) and “Original Fire” (Revelations – 2007). Delay is another staple for Morello, who has used Boss‘ DD-2 and DD-3 pedals in the past. The track “Gasoline” (Audioslave – 2002) showcases his creative use of delay, mixing it with a choppy tremolo effect in the verses.

Recommended Tom Morello Gear

Brad Paisley

Solo

Brad Paisley is one the most commercially-successful American solo artists of the 21st Century. A legend of the Nashville music scene, this 3-time grammy award-winner is a modern country superstar, who continues to carry the torch for traditional music from the southern states.

Guitars

Like many of his country contemporaries, Paisley has carved his signature sound with Fender Telecasters. Making full use of their classic twang, Brad has an arsenal of paisley-patterned Teles in his collection, but is perhaps most associated with his vintage 1968 Pink Paisley Telecaster.

Fender released a Road Worn signature Brad Paisley model in 2017, featuring an eye-catching Silver Sparkle finish and a paisley-themed pickguard. The construction of this guitar is interesting, boasting a light Spruce/Paulownia body that offers a bright, acoustic-like resonance. However, this guitar gets most of its tone from its custom pickups. The ’64 Tele bridge single-coil delivers all the spank you could ever need, while the Custom Shop Twisted Tele in the neck has a much rounder character. To emulate Paisley’s tone, any ’60s-style Telecaster would work well, especially one with more traditional pickups.

Amps

Brad Paisley has been a longtime user of Dr. Z amps, and has recorded and performed with various models of theirs including the Z Wreck, Z Verb and Mini Z. Paisley’s live rig utilises multiple Z Wreck heads that are set with contrasting amount of gain, which he switches between depending on the song. With EL84 power tubes and 30w of headroom, these amps are able to overdrive and compress nicely at high volumes.

In conjunction with his Dr. Z amps, Paisley has been known to use custom-made Bruno Underground 30 heads too. Often compared to Vox AC30 models in terms of how they sound, any AC30 or AC15 amp will convincingly emulate Paisley’s bright, chimey tones.

Pedals

In the spirit of signature gear, Brad Paisley has his own overdrive pedal with Wampler. Bearing his name, the Paisley Drive has a fairly transparent sound that largely retains your original tone, while adding some grit and, in the words of Brian Wampler – “beef”. He also uses Wampler’s EGO Compressor pedal to squeeze more juice out of his Tele’s single-coils, whch is essential for articulate country lead lines. Either way, these pedals are a key part of Paisley’s sound.

Many country players rely on delay pedals in order to create a short slapback effect, and Brad Paisley is no exception. His delay of choice is the Way Huge Aqua Puss, which uses analogue circuitry in order to produce bold, rich-sounding repeats. The advantage of analogue delay pedals is that their repeats typically sound warm and dark, meaning that the immediate repeat doesn’t contend with the brightness of the original note.

Recommended Brad Paisley Gear

Jonny Greenwood

Radiohead

Jonny Greenwood is an enigma. A man of few words, Radiohead’s lead guitarist rarely gives interviews and tries to keep his setup fairly secret. Having said that, fans have accurately documented Greenwood’s guitar rig over the years, which has largely remained the same since the late ’90s.

Guitars

Jonny’s beaten-up, sticker-clad Fender Telecaster Plus has always been a mainstay and undoubtedly his number one guitar. Telecaster Plus models were only made for a short while in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and are considered rare and highly-desirable nowadays; thanks in part to Greenwood’s popularity.

These instruments were unique for their Lace Sensor pickups, and featured Red Dually humbuckers in their bridge positions. More apt for distortion, Jonny has used this fat humbucker’s tone to great effect in Radiohead, particularly on the band’s earlier albums The Bends (1995) and OK Computer (1997). As the Plus model is discontinued, any humbucker-equipped Telecaster will work well as an alternative.

Amps

Regarding amplification, Jonny Greenwood uses a mix of valve and solid-state. He has long depended on his classic Vox AC30 for cleans, which offers that clear and chimey British-style sound that is often synonymous with The Beatles.

His distorted amp is where it gets interesting, though. Employing an old-school Fender Eighty-Five, this oddball solid-state combo has been a part of Jonny’s setup since Radiohead’s first album Pablo Honey (1993) and can be bought second-hand for as little as £100. The Fender Champion is very similar though, and is much easier to find as it’s still in production.

Effects

Radiohead is an experimental band, and Greenwood along with fellow guitarist Ed O’Brien employ effects heavily in their work. While O’Brien uses delays and loopers to create interesting soundscapes, Greenwood is a little bit more chaotic in his approach.

Running an old Marshall ShredMaster pedal through his Fender Eighty-Five, tracks like “Creep” (Pablo Honey – 1993) and “Just” (The Bends – 1995) fully display how Jonny uses heavy distortion to create dynamic variation. A ProCo Rat pedal is a viable alternative for the ShredMaster, or you could get something fancier like the Friedman BE-OD.

The Digitech Whammy is a must have too. Famously used on the clean guitar parts in “My Iron Lung” (The Bends – 1995), Jonny pitches the pedal up an octave to emulate a 12-string guitar, while the early WH-1 Whammy’s poor note-tracking creates a glitchy warble. For the phase-laden guitar that begins “You” (Pablo Honey – 1993) to the bonkers filtered effects heard on the final solo in “Paranoid Android” (OK Computer – 1997), a powerful multi-modulation pedal like the Strymon Mobius will cover all of the bases.

Recommended Jonny Greenwood Gear

Peter “Danish Pete” Honoré

Andertons Video Team Manager

How on earth could we make a list about Telecaster players without Danish Pete? Our very own video team manager is a real character on and off the screen, loved by our fans for his risqué humour and soulful playing. And as an experienced musician who has toured the world many times over with the likes of Tom Jones and Westlife; he knows a thing or two about road-worthy guitar gear – with a few tricks of the trade up his sleeve!

Guitars

More often than not, Pete plays his stunning Fender Custom Shop Telecaster in demos; unique for its vibrant purple finish. As a gift from his wife, Pete uses his Telecaster not just because its sentimental value, but more so for the unbelievable tones it offers.

Based on an old-school ’52 model, Honoré’s purple Telecaster is powered by a set of hand-wound Custom Shop single-coils, with a 51 Nocaster in the bridge and a Twisted Tele pickup in the neck position. Polar opposites in terms of how they sound, the 51 Nocaster pickup has a hot and spanky character (exactly how a Tele should sound!), while the Twisted Tele projects a smoother tone; akin to a Strat neck pickup.

Amps

Pete almost exclusively used a Mesa/Boogie Lonestar 2×12″ combo in his touring days. With 100W of headroom, this powerful 2-channel amp projects heaps of volume for stage levels, with radiant mid-scooped cleans and warm overdrive tones aplenty. Having sold his Lonestar, Pete’s custom Rift Amps PR35 is a close alternative and his no. 1 combo.

In most Andertons TV videos, though, Pete plugs into a Victory V40D Deluxe with a matching 2×12″ vertical cab. An exceptional clean pedal platform amp, the Victory V40D is driven by a 6L6 power section, letting you attain American-style cleans to ’60s British drive; all from its single-channel.

Pedals

As the video team manager at Andertons since 2015, Pete has played through literally hundreds of pedals over the years. So, when it comes to which stompboxes he uses on his own personal board – you know they must be pretty good!

Pete’s main pedal is the aptly-named ‘The Dane’; his very own signature stompbox from ThorpyFX. Essentially a 2-in-1 overdrive/boost, this versatile pedal covers a lot of ground. The overdrive side is super-responsive to your playing dynamics, with a high-headroom quality that excels for blues. The boost side is also very expressive, but has a much fatter sound for creamier lead tones. Things really get cooking when both circuits are used together.

Recommended Peter Honoré Gear

Jim Root

Slipknot, Stone Sour

Jim Root is a true modern pioneer. Through his work with Slipknot, and to a lesser extent Stone Sour, Root’s aggressive drop-tuned riffs and liquid-like lead lines have helped to inspire a new generation of metal guitarists.

Guitars

Slipknot’s number #4 has used various guitars over the years, but he is most synonymous with the Fender Telecaster. His signature model, however, does not adhere to the typical Fender formula. Boasting a pair of powerful active EMG humbuckers, these chunky-sounding pickups are able to handle copious amounts of gain.

Other features include a Mahogany body for extra low-end girth, and a fast-playing neck finished in a smooth satin lacquer. As Rabea and Matt demonstrated in their Sound Like Slipknot video though, almost any guitar with active EMGs will get you close to Jim’s sound.

Amps

However, it’s not always about the guitar. Although Jim’s signature Fender model plays a vital role, it’s fair to say that his Orange Rockerverb 100 heads are more crucial in forming his distinctive sound. With gallons of gain on tap, the Rockerverb 100 has unique tonal characteristics; super-boomy lows, a scooped mid-range and a rich saturated crunch.

An Orange amp is a must if you’re keen to replicate Root’s heavy tones. And fortunately, his signature Dark Terror is an affordable lunchbox head that perfectly emulates it. The standard Dark Terror is an even more budget-friendly option, which you could pair with a smaller Orange 1×12″ or 2×12″ cabinet.

Effects

Jim isn’t a massive pedal fanatic, but he uses a few essentials when necessary. As he typically uses lots of gain, his Boss NS-2 Noise Supressor keeps unwanted hiss and feedback at bay. We’d recommend using noise gate pedals in almost any live situation where you’d need to turn up loud, but they’re imperative when playing through fiery amps.

Root also utilises an MXR Carbon Copy delay pedal, which he engages for thickening the sound of his solos. This particular pedal is adored by many guitarists, as it features analogue bucket-brigade circuitry that gives the delay repeats a darker, richer-sounding quality. Almost any analogue-style delay pedal will suffice, though, with affordable options from the likes of Tone City and Landlord FX.

Recommended Jim Root Gear

Keith Richards

The Rolling Stones

Just when you were probably thinking “how can they make a list of the best Telecaster players and not have Keith Richards?” – well, of course good ol’ Keef made the cut. Forming one half of The Rolling Stones’ guitar partnership along with Ronnie Wood, Richards is without a doubt the most influential player in our top 7 (ahem, 8).

Guitars

Keith Richards has used a raft of different guitars since the ’60s, and reportedly has a collection of over 3,000 instruments. However, there is one guitar that has been his primary weapon of choice since 1971; his ’53 Butterscotch Fender Telecaster. Nicknamed “Micawber”, this particular Tele has a number of customised elements that make it totally unique to Richards.

Missing its low E string, Micawber is set up for 5-string open G tuning; used for signature songs like “Brown Sugar” (Sticky Fingers – 1971) and “Before They Make Me Run” (Some Girls – 1978). Micawber was fitted at some point with an aftermarket bridge made of brass, presumably to yield more sustain. It also boasts a Gibson PAF humbucker in the neck position, and its bridge pickup was swapped with a Fender lap steel single-coil too. To replicate Keef’s tones, any Telecaster with a neck humbucker and a snappy-sounding Maple fingerboard should do it.

Amps

Richards has used a lot of amps over his six-decade long career, especially in the studio. Mesa/Boogies, Hiwatts and Ampegs have tickled his fancy, but Keith is perhaps most associated with Fender when it comes to amplification.

What’s interesting is that Richards prefers to use low-wattage combos, like Fender Champs, as they break up more easily at high volumes while remaining focused and clear. He has also been known to use these in conjunction with larger high-headroom amps, such as Fender Twins, which he’ll typically run clean. This therefore gives him the best of both worlds when playing live.

Pedals

Keith Richards used the classic Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone pedal to attain the harsh guitar sound in the renowned Rolling Stones track “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (Single – 1965). Intended as a guide track that would be later replaced by a horn section, the iconic guitar riff remained and, like they say; the rest is history! Fulltone‘s 69 MkII fuzz pedal closely emulates the super-gritty tone of the Maestro, which Rabea and Matt demonstrated in their Sound Like video:

Want to Learn More?

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles by clicking here!

The post Our Top 7 Telecaster Players & How To Sound Like Them! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-7-telecaster-players-sound-like/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-5-strat-players-sound-like https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-5-strat-players-sound-like#respond Fri, 24 May 2019 11:00:35 +0000 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/?p=4762

The Fender Strat is the unofficial representative of the guitar world. Since its creation by Leo Fender in 1954, it has risen to legendary status at the hands of the most talented players who ever lived and is continuously being pushed to new sonic heights. We’ve seen many iterations of the famous guitar in Fender […]

The post Our Top 5 Strat Players & How To Sound Like Them! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

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The Fender Strat is the unofficial representative of the guitar world. Since its creation by Leo Fender in 1954, it has risen to legendary status at the hands of the most talented players who ever lived and is continuously being pushed to new sonic heights.

We’ve seen many iterations of the famous guitar in Fender and Squier forms. From three single-coil configurations to active humbuckers, semi-hollow bodies to flamed maple tops and heavy relic finishes to a bright Paisley pink, there’s a Strat with your name on it.

Here are five iconic names who have helped make the Strat what it is today. Each of these players is unique in their own right, using unusual or ground-breaking methods and effects to mould their sound. But of course, at the heart of their tone is that famous “S” shape guitar.

Simon Neil

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil is the quintessential 21^st century Strat man. The Scot has all the qualities of a modern-day guitar hero with the energy and character to back up his instantly recognisable distortion tone.

He plays everything from a heavy relic Custom Strat to his own Signature model – just as long as it’s made by Fender. His sound is built on dynamic single coil pickups to produce flavourful rhythm and leads as the only guitarist in the band. Amp-wise, Simon isn’t picky. Whatever he’s using, be it a Fender Hot Rod, Hayden MoFo or Marshall Plexi, he makes sure it sounds huge.

Most interestingly of all is his use of a Boss Metalzone distortion pedal to get that gritty attack. It packs a punch through the single coils and certainly isn’t lacking in any quality normally attributed to the pedal. His sound is certainly achievable at a reasonable price.

Featured Gear

Jimi Hendrix

You can’t make a top five Strat list and miss out on the one and only Jimi Hendrix. Despite his mainstream career only spanning four years, he’s become one of our favourite guitarists and inspired many of us to pick up the instrument in the first place.

The Southpaw flipped between Gibson and Fender affinity, but it was the vintage white Strat that truly stuck with him and his posthumous image. His tone is as organic as it comes – a lot of it down to his playing technique. The searing Marshall JTM head and 4×12 cab combo produced the tones, combined with Dunlop’s circular Fuzz Face pedal and Roger Mayer Octavia which featured front and centre on the Purple Haze solo. Fuzz and octave effects were some of the first ever created, so it’s no surprise to hear them used liberally throughout his sixties discography.

Jimi’s use of the Vox V846 wah is yet another aspect of his rig to burn an unforgettable hole in our minds. The intro to Voodoo Child is one of the most iconic pieces of music ever created. Like Simon Neil, it’s not difficult to get a good Jimi tone on a smaller budget. The most important aspect is getting a vintage style valve Marshall and a retro fuzz.

Featured Gear

John Mayer

You cannot escape the behemoth that is John Mayer. One minute he’s rocking the amp apple cart with his Axe-FX, the next he’s playing an acoustic rendition of Old Town Road with Lil Nas X. Oh yeah, and in between all the headlines he’s writing the biggest bluesy pop tunes in the business.

Looking past his controversial switch to PRS, Mayer first came to recognition with a Strat in his hands. A single coil Fender works great for Mayer’s blend of hybrid picking throughout rhythm and solo sections. There’s lots of dynamism to his playing and his tone could only be achieved through single coil pickups.

It’s easy to get carried away with tubes and transistors in search of the perfect cleans, but a Fender Deluxe Reverb, Milkman amp or affordable alternative from these brands will get you closest to his tone. It’s not surprising to see him use some high-end pedals like Eventide, Chase Bliss Audio and Strymon workstations for his effects, considering his budget is pretty much unlimited. Although, a Line 6 DL4, Boss Blues Driver or anything from the Way Huge range will capture some essential crunch or textured sounds.

Featured Gear

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Blues has a lot to thank Stevie Ray Vaughan for, despite his short career. The Texan’s unprecedented guitar skills gave the genre a much-needed kick up the backside and kick-started another round of blues rock ‘n’ roll in the eighties.

The famous “Number One” Strat wielded by Stevie featured a pickguard engraved with his initials and came equipped with three vintage hot single coil pickups. His definitive sound comes from a super cranked Marshall amp with a fiery overdrive and boost out in front. You can really take things to the next level by boosting and layering overdrives during your solos.

A Vintage Reissue Marshall would be the perfect amp, but unfortunately it’s not a realistic choice for many of us on a budget. Blackstar are a strong alternative as they produce equally tasty British tone in bucketloads. An Ibanez Tubescreamer is ideal for pushing the amp into midrange saturation, while a clean boost from the likes of Keeley would do for punching through a mix when performing lead passages.

Featured Gear

David Gilmour

The thinking man’s guitarist. Pink Floyd is probably your dad’s favourite band but don’t worry, they’re still kind of cool!

David Gilmour is all about effects piled on top of his sweet Strat tone. When he hits those big notes it’s the pedals that launch this legendary tone into outer space. Keeley have made a few workstations perfectly suited to a Gilmour-esque sound. Alternatively, try out T-Rex boutique pedals. Expansive reverb, vintage analogue-style delay and a splash of pitch-wavering modulation should be on your shopping list.

It’s essential you get a good pedal platform amp with plenty of clean headroom to get your stompboxes performing optimally. A Fender Twin Reverb at the top end or Super Champ on a budget are great picks.

Featured Gear

If you enjoyed this read, check out more of our Sound Like or Industry articles.

Shop at Andertons

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]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/top-5-strat-players-sound-like/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-ac-dc https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-ac-dc#respond Mon, 18 Mar 2019 15:28:35 +0000 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/?p=4175

There’s no denying that Angus Young and Malcolm Young will go down as having some of the best rock n roll tones in history but their setup and approach is surprisingly simple! If you’re aware of how they got their tones then trying to emulate them becomes much easier and we’ll talk you through what […]

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There’s no denying that Angus Young and Malcolm Young will go down as having some of the best rock n roll tones in history but their setup and approach is surprisingly simple! If you’re aware of how they got their tones then trying to emulate them becomes much easier and we’ll talk you through what you might need in order to get their sounds.

Hint: A lot of it is down to a mighty amount of volume and a magical touch…

Guitars

Angus Young – Lead Tone

Angus Young has rarely been seen without his trusty Gibson SG and those mid-range heavy pickups are just what you need to get the biting, powerful tones that he gets. You could describe his lead lines as ‘stinging’ and this is largely down to the warm mahogany body of the guitar combined with potent pickups. The lighter body of an SG also means you can fly around the stage and wield your guitar like a weapon whilst doing the duckwalk across the stage!

Gibson SG guitars have got a signature sound of their own and it’s probably epitomised by Angus Young. Want ACDC tones? Get an SG.

Malcolm Young – Rhythm Tone

Malcolm used a Gretsch throughout his ACDC career and his metronomic, groovy rhythm playing was supporting by the crispy top-end of the Gretsch pickups. For similar results, a Gretsch with TV Jones style pickups would obviously do the trick! You’d want a solid body Gretsch to get a slightly fuller tone without the ‘air’ that you might get from a semi-hollow or hollow body.

Having a solid body also means you can crank the guitar without worrying too much about feedback problems. You’d do well with something like a Gretsch Double Jet. However, if a hollowbody is what you want, then a White Falcon would be the way to go. Just watch the gain dial…

Featured Products

Amps

The guitar amp is a big part of where ACDC get their ‘sound’ from. Essentially, they just crank up Marshall Plexi amps which are surprisingly not high gain amps. But when turned up that loud, they’ll break up the speakers for that classic rock sound. So, get a good valve amp and crank it up and keep the gain down where possible. You don’t need as much gain as you think.

One piece of advice I was given to get that Angus Young sound was to turn all of the EQ knobs on your amp up all the way. It really worked! The gain doesn’t need to be high but you can ‘open up the floodgates’ by doing this and really give your guitar a voice. It’s almost like you’re not restraining any frequencies from your guitar and when combined with a nice sounding valve amp, you’ll get a ton of rich overtones coming through.

Pedals

This is a really interesting one because you probably don’t need any pedals if you’ve got the right sound coming out of your amp. The ACDC sound is quite dry, so you won’t need modulation, delay or reverb pedals. The bass drives the low-end and the rhythm from the drums and rhythm guitars is what really makes the tracks. On top of that, you have Angus Youngs blues-inspired lead licks with the amp cranked up to ten. It’s a simple formula in theory but a little more tricky in practice.

If you were to get any pedal, it would need to be a boost pedal to push your valve amp over the edge. Any boost pedal will do but if you really want to nail then tones then you might want to check out a company called Solodallas. They built the wireless system that Angus used and he favoured it for the way it flavoured his guitar tones more than their actual functionality. Fortunately, in the modern day, we can get these tones with the right pedals and Solodallas pedals will definitely get you into the ballpark.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that the ACDC guitar sound is invariably large and iconic. It is also quite a simple setup but much more can be said for the style of playing than the actual gear played. Angus and Malcolm both attacked their guitar parts with vigour and that attitude in their guitar sound comes from the way that they both play.

Keep the setup simple, use guitars with humbuckers into a Marshall-style amp. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll but if you keep the gain down and the volume up, you’ll get there!

The post Sound Like AC/DC By Busting The Bank appeared first on Andertons Blog.

]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-ac-dc/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-jimi-hendrix https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-jimi-hendrix#respond Wed, 05 Sep 2018 07:49:12 +0000 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/?p=1942

Regarded by many as the greatest guitar player of all time, Jimi Hendrix is the iconic trailblazer that flipped electric guitar on its head back in the late ‘60s. With his pioneering psychedelic rock sound, Hendrix invented a unique style that has been drawn upon heavily over the years – making him one of the […]

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Regarded by many as the greatest guitar player of all time, Jimi Hendrix is the iconic trailblazer that flipped electric guitar on its head back in the late ‘60s. With his pioneering psychedelic rock sound, Hendrix invented a unique style that has been drawn upon heavily over the years – making him one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century.

Before his untimely death in 1970, the eclectic frontman’s eponymous band The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums between 1967-1968. Featuring some of his most renowned singles, including “Purple Haze”, “Little Wing”, “Voodoo Chile” and an acclaimed cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, Hendrix’s final album with The Band of Gypsys didn’t generate hits of the same calibre, yet is still considered a cornerstone of his discography.

Despite his short recording career, Hendrix’s catalogue is highly-diverse and varied. With Jimi being one of the first mainstream guitar players to employ effects pedals, Hendrix broadened the sonic horizons of his contemporaries and continues to inspire aspiring guitarists many generations later.

Although Hendrix crafted an idiosyncratic sound, it’s fair to say that it can be closely captured with modern equipment. With multiple companies recreating his classic gear over the years, including a controversial prototype guitar produced by Gibson in the late 2000s, Rabea and Matt mostly selected products from companies that have produced signature versions of his equipment.

Jimi Hendrix’s Guitars

Jimi Hendrix is most synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster. However, as a southpaw, he famously took a standard right-handed version of the instrument and flipped it to accommodate his dexterity. Also ensuring that the strings were the correct orientation, part of hendrix’s unique tone can be attributed to his Strat’s upside-down headstock and reversed bridge pickup.

With a reversed headstock, the tension on the higher strings is lessened as the distance between the tuning pegs and the nut is reduced. This therefore provided Hendrix with a looser feel on the higher strings and a tighter response on the lows, making string bends easier and thus contributing to his distinctive “slinky” playing style.

By flipping his guitars, this also caused the bridge pickups in his Stratocasters to be angled the opposite way. Although it went against Fender’s intended design, this was another ingredient of Jimi’s unique sound as it gave him more top-end presence on the lower strings and a slightly smoother timbre on the higher strings.

Fender Jimi Hendrix Signature Stratocaster Guitars

For this video, Matt and Rabea decided to choose the Fender Jimi Hendrix Signature Strat – it was a no-brainer!

Although it is different to the Stratocasters that Jimi played back in the day, the Fender Hendrix Strat still carries the spirit of his original instruments. By adhering to those aforementioned aspects with its reversed headstock (2) and bridge single-coil (3), there is no instrument on the market that can get you closer to his sound.

With a vintage-style 6-screw tremolo (5), this bridge will let you add gentle warbles or even replicate some of the more extreme divebomb effects that Jimi famously pioneered. That’s right, he did it before Eddie Van Halen!

But stripping it back to its basics though, the fundamental Strat elements are intact with the Hendrix signature model. Formed from an Alder body (1) with a Maple neck (2), this guitar has a balanced character with a snappy upper mid-range response – thanks to its bolt-on construction.

The traditional Strat electronics are also as standard, with a 5-way pickup blade switch, master volume and a pair of tone controls (4). Fitted with a trio of Fender’s American Vintage ’65 pickups (3), these potent-sounding single-coils recapture that mid-to-late ‘60s Strat character and give you a very authentic impression.

Jimi Hendrix’s Amps

Jimi Hendrix was one of the earliest users of Marshall amplifiers, and for most of his career he powered his sound with three 100-watt Super Lead valve amp heads. Preferring to use all of them in unison through multiple Marshall 4×12” cabinets, Hendrix’s live performances were not only notoriously loud, but this huge setup also helped him to form his heavily overdriven sound.

Labelled by Jim Marshall as “the greatest ambassador” his company ever had, it is believed that Jimi purchased between 50-100 more guitar amps from Marshall before his premature death – to cope with his rigorous touring schedule.

Marshall DSL20R 20W Valve Combo

Rabea wanted to use the Marshall JTM45 Reissue head to recreate Jimi’s sound, however at around the £1,000 mark – it wasn’t so budget-friendly! Instead, the boys revisited the trusted Marshall DSL Series and settled on the 15-watt DSL15C.

Discontinued as of early 2018, the updated 20-watt DSL20R is essentially the successor of this popular amp combo. Slightly more powerful with 5 additional watts, this fully-analogue and valve-powered amplifier is certainly no slouch when it comes to volume and feel, giving you a glassy clean sound for tracks like “Little Wing” and that iconic saturated Marshall distortion tone for Jimi’s heavier songs.

Apart from its two versatile channels, this amplifier is also known for taking pedals well – both through its front-end and its effects loop section. As Jimi Hendrix used a number of pedals, having a decent pedal platform was key, and the DSL20R really delivered when used in conjunction with the stompboxes that the guys chose. That moves us nicely onto the next section…

Jimi Hendrix’s Pedals

Like I mentioned in the introduction, Jimi Hendrix was one of the first “famous” guitar players to experiment with effects pedals. In fact, he popularised many of the staple stompboxes that you’ll see gracing the pedalboards of guitarists all over the world today; most notably wah and fuzz.

However, Jimi also experimented with modulation, delay and pitch-shifting effects too, which were essential in forming his psychedelic sound. In this next part, we’ll break down each of the contenders that Rabea and Matt picked to emulate Jimi’s old-school counterparts.

Vox V847A Wah

It’s fair to say that this particular pedal became an instant classic once Hendrix got his hands on one. Although Vox offer a number of different wah pedals currently, the V847-A Original Wah will get you closest to the sound of the initial versions that the rock icon used.

In the video, you’ll notice that Rabea employs this effect in the playing excerpt of “Voodoo Child”. Closely emulating that vocal-like riff with the same articulate expression heard on the original recording, it’s evident that this wah has a fairly wide sweep that’ll range from throaty lows to searing highs. If you’re really fastidious about recreating Hendrix’s wah sound, frankly – there’s nothing better!

Dunlop Hendrix Fuzz Face

For achieving his super-gnarly fuzz sound, Hendrix’s initial weapon of choice was the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face pedal. Powered by a pair of germanium transistors, this stompbox allowed the legendary axeman to attain the aggressive, broken-up sound that defined many of his tracks.

To appease the players that crave this unique sound, Jim Dunlop currently produce the Hendrix Signature Fuzz Face Mini. Faithfully recreating the sound of his original units, this tiny pedal has a mini enclosure so that you can easily mount it to your pedalboard. Striking the perfect balance between old and new with its vintage tone and modern size, both traditionalists and contemporary players are catered for.

You can hear this pedal in action in the majority of the playing clips in the video. Check out the “Voodoo Child” and “Foxy Lady” excerpts in particular, where Rabea uses it to play the main riffs.

MXR M68 Univibe

Although Rabea and Matt picked out this pedal, they didn’t end up using it in the video. However, that may be because the Univibe was something that Hendrix employed only in his later years with The Band of Gypsys.

The best example of this effect can be heard in the song “Machine Gun”; giving Jimi’s bluesy riffs an oscillating and uneasy movement akin to a chorus or phaser. The MXR M68 Univibe lets you control its speed and depth, so that you can set it subtle or extreme. But if you want to sound like Hendrix, crank the depth to drench your signal with modulated goodness!

Tone City Tape Machine

Out of the effects that the guys chose, delay is perhaps the least synonymous with Jimi Hendrix. It is suggested that he may have used Echoplex units in the studio, but these tape delays only became popular once players like David Gilmour used them in the ‘70s – after Jimi’s death.

However, the track “Red House” is an example that people refer to frequently. In the recording, you can hear how delay adds thickness to Jimi’s lead parts for a more three-dimensional vibe. The most affordable pedal out there that can get closest to the Echoplex sound is the Tone City Tape Machine. With its repeats having a deteriorating and dark quality, the Tape Machine captures the character of these older units and is, of course, far more practical and reliable!

Electro Harmonix Octavix

The EHX Octavix is what is known as an ‘octavia’ pedal, which essentially combines a fuzz sound with a reproduction of the guitar input signal (typically raised by an octave). This is another effect that was put on the map by Hendrix, and it produces a piercing “doubled” sound that can really cut through in a mix.

Jimi therefore used this commonly as a solo boost of sorts, via his original Roger Mayer stompbox. The Octavix isn’t too far away from that particular pedal from a tonal perspective, and you can hear Rabea using the effect in the “Voodoo Child”, “Purple Haze” and “Foxy Lady” excerpts.

Recommended Jimi Hendrix Pedals

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles by clicking here.

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]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-jimi-hendrix/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-smashing-pumpkins-without-busting-the-bank https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-smashing-pumpkins-without-busting-the-bank#respond Wed, 23 Aug 2017 14:20:15 +0000 https://blog2.andertons.co.uk/?p=60

The Smashing Pumpkins are icons of the American alternative rock scene. Rising to fame amongst the murky, sorrowful backdrop of Seattle-born grunge in the early 90s, the Pumpkins brought something fresh to the table with their unique, cutting-edge sound. Renowned for their huge melodic riffs and a preference for major keys, the signature sound of […]

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Gear Used

The Smashing Pumpkins are icons of the American alternative rock scene. Rising to fame amongst the murky, sorrowful backdrop of Seattle-born grunge in the early 90s, the Pumpkins brought something fresh to the table with their unique, cutting-edge sound.

Renowned for their huge melodic riffs and a preference for major keys, the signature sound of The Smashing Pumpkins was pioneered by frontman Billy Corgan, the band’s founding member and primary songwriter. A fastidious tone-chaser, it was on the band’s landmark second album Siamese Dream (1993) that Corgan crafted the super-thick layered fuzz tone that defined the band, with the help of his bandmate and rhythm guitarist James Iha.

Despite establishing such an identifiable sonic foundation for the band, Corgan changed up their sound quite dramatically from album-to-album. This means that finding gear that encompasses the band’s diverse 10 album back catalogue would be a big challenge, especially on a budget that can’t exceed £1500!

So that’s why in this episode of Sound Like, Rabea and Matt have focused on attaining the tones that listeners will be the most familiar with. Heavily indulging in the Siamese sound, the guys also touch base with songs from the band’s debut album Gish (1991) and their monstrous third, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995).

Guitars

Billy Corgan

Throughout most of his career in The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan has rarely been seen without a Fender Stratocaster in his hands. Favouring 70s hardtail models in the early days, Corgan fitted his Strats with aftermarket Lace Sensor pickups – the Red/Silver/Blue set. Able to give him much more versatility compared to typically noisy and thin-sounding single coils, this powerful Lace Sensor combination could handle potent amounts of gain without harsh feedback or brittleness.

Occasionally using Gibson ES hollow-bodies from the mid-90s, Corgan’s taste in guitars became slightly more varied towards the end of the decade. He was often seen onstage with Les Paul Juniors, SGs and various Reverend models, in an effort to transform the band’s sound.

When The Smashing Pumpkins reformed in 2007 after their initial breakup in 2000, Fender collaborated with Corgan to design a signature Stratocaster model. Featuring a trio of stacked, custom-designed DiMarzio pickups, this modern-sounding instrument retained many of the construction features of his old-school workhorses, with a hardtail bridge, maple neck and a vintage-esque nitrocellulose finish.

Discontinued after only a couple of years, the venture between Corgan and Fender ended in 2011. However at the 2016 NAMM Show, Reverend Guitars unveiled a striking signature instrument for Corgan. It was therefore a no-brainer for Rabea and Matt to pick out this guitar!

Reverend Billy Corgan Signature Model

Featuring a set of Corgan’s super-hot high-output signature RailHammer pickups, the most noteworthy design quirk of this unique-looking guitar is its chambered body, covered by elegant Aluminium panels.

Constructed from Korina (1), this guitar projects plenty of low-end and mid-range sizzle, with the chambered pockets (4) helping to produce rich harmonics and overtones, perfect for riffs like Cherub Rock and Quiet. A bolt-on Maple neck (5) offers all of the top-end snap you’d ever want, giving a fast response that tightens up the low-end.

Its design lends itself perfectly to high-gain distortion and fuzz, with an incredibly lively and vibrant sound thanks to the Custom Humcutter pickups (2). But it’s not a one-trick pony, as the guitar also cleans up very well for the more mellow tunes in the band’s repertoire, as Rabea demonstrated in the 1979 excerpt. Essential master volume and tone controls are featured, but like most Reverend models, the Corgan signature also has a bass contour knob (3) to let you increase or roll off some bottom-end, if things sound too thin or woolly.

The Reverend Billy Corgan Signature is available in 4 satin finishes – Metallic Alpine, Purple Burst, Silver Burst and Pearl White. The guys went for the latter, choosing the more understated aesthetic.

James Iha

When James Iha was Corgan’s right-hand man in The Smashing Pumpkins, his main guitar was a late 80s Gibson Les Paul Custom in Ebony, with no modifications. He also used a handful of other instruments, such as a Gibson Flying V in Cherry Red (used during the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness era), SGs and even a vintage Teisco K2L (as seen in the music video for Rocket).

Rabea and Matt however went with the obvious choice, choosing an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro. Although not exactly like Iha’s trusted main guitar, most notably being much cheaper than its Gibson counterpart, this instrument gets close enough at around £500.

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro in White

With a full Mahogany construction and dual humbuckers, the iconic Les Paul has always been a staple for rock music. The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro however has a few added refinements, such as coil taps for each pickup so that you can get single-coil tones too. Although Iha’s Gibson didn’t have these electronics, you can use them to great effect for clean sections of Pumpkin’s songs like Today and Soma.

Speaking of the pickups, the Custom Pro is loaded with a pair of Epiphone ProBuckers, deriving from the Gibson BurstBucker design. Inspired by 50s PAFs, these medium-output pickups may not have the intensity of the RailHammers in the Reverend, however they are still very versatile and can deal with all of the fuzzy gain you can throw at them.

Amps

The Smashing Pumpkins used Marshall amps and cabinets almost exclusively in the early to mid-90s. JCM800s were used heavily by both Corgan and Iha when recording Gish and Siamese Dream, using its famously crunchy-sounding distortion for rhythm tracks on their debut in particular.

The amp was however modified with KT88 tubes, which according to Corgan, transformed the sound of the amp and gave him exactly the gain he wanted. In order to attain the fuzz sound on Siamese Dream, Corgan would plug his Electro Harmonix Big Muff pedal into the ‘low gain’ input of the JCM800 with the Master Volume cranked, and then use the Preamp Volume to find the optimal “sweet spot”.

Corgan and Iha later used the Marshall JMP1 Rack-Mounted Preamp and 9200 Power Amp live on the Siamese Dream tour cycle, and avoided employing the use of their Big Muff pedals due to noise and feedback issues onstage. This pairing however still gave them a huge sound, and for the recording sessions of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Corgan even integrated a Mesa Boogie Strategy 500 Power Amp into his rig. This helped him craft the super-saturated distortion tone heard prominently in tracks like Jellybelly and Bullet With Butterfly Wings.

It therefore made plenty of sense for Rabea and Matt to pick out the popular Marshall DSL40C for this edition of Sound Like. With a full valve-driven design, this amplifier can get close to the sound of a JCM800 but for a fraction of the price. This combo has been a favoured choice in the Sound Like series on Andertons TV, but that’s because when it comes to budget valve amps, there’s not much better!

Marshall DSL40C

This 40W 1×12 combo may not have the biggest amount of headroom in the world, but its focused low-end and slightly compressed quality serves as the perfect tonal foundation for the lairy-sounding Big Muff. Taming the pedal’s abundance of low-end woolliness, you can expect a consistent and slightly more controlled tone from the fuzz when plugged into a Marshall.

Without the fuzz pedal in front of it, the clean channel is very balanced-sounding, not brash or piercing like a Fender-style amp when turned up loud. The Overdrive channel has that signature Marshall crunch and saturation, not far off the sound of a classic JCM800, which Rabea demonstrates in the excerpt for I Am One.

Pedals

The Smashing Pumpkins have used a raft of pedals in the studio over the years, but of course the most renowned ingredient of their iconic tone is the Electro Harmonix Big Muff pedal. Using it to pioneer the huge, engulfing “wall of fuzz” sound that defined Siamese Dream, Corgan relied on a particular iteration of the circuit to attain that massive sound – the late 70s V4 ‘Op Amp’ version.

With originals of that particular circuit selling for hundreds of pounds on second-hand websites, in late 2017 Electro Harmonix unveiled the Big Muff Op Amp pedal. Designed in collaboration with Corgan himself, this pedal essentially gives you the Siamese sound in a compact stompbox.

It is worth noting however that Corgan and Iha would not conventionally double-track their rhythm parts on Siamese Dream, but would actually record the same section 4 – 6 times in order to achieve the super-thick, layered effect. This is obviously difficult to replicate by yourself, however if you have a recording setup at home you can certainly give it a try!

The Smashing Pumpkins are also regarded for their extensive use of modulation effects, particularly phaser. Using a variety of different phasers on Siamese Dream, including vintage MuTron Bi-Phase and Electro Harmonix PolyPhase units, Corgan would famously use the MXR Phase 90 (and 100) pedal for lead guitar parts. But rather than use it traditionally, he would turn the speed/rate all the way down, just to give his solos some subtle movement and to create an almost artificial doubling effect. The solo in Cherub Rock is a great example of this.

Corgan would also employ the use of an MXR Distortion+ for his lead sounds, running the pedal into the Big Muff to achieve a super-smooth high-gain tone with more mid-range cut. Another perfect example of this lead tone can be heard in songs such as Rocket and Hummer.

What Pedals Did Rabea & Matt Choose?

As the Electro Harmonix Op Amp pedal hadn’t been released at the time of filming, Rabea and Matt found the closest fuzz boxes they could get. Choosing a standard Big Muff Pi each, these highly-identifiable fuzzes can get you very near to the original tones from Siamese Dream, featuring the same basic circuitry and set of controls.

Rabea also opted for a Way Huge Russian Pickle too, a pedal that derives heavily from the Sovtek Russian Big Muff fuzz boxes. With less top-end and more boomy lows, this pedal can get fairly close to the signature Pumpkins tone, but the standard Big Muff Pi is still far more authentic-sounding.

To cover modulation, the guys chose the Electro Harmonix Nano Small Stone. Similar in terms of functionality to an MXR Phase 90 with its single Rate control, the Small Stone also has a Colour switch to let you adjust the tone and nature of the phasing effect, giving you some extra versatility. Matt uses the Nano Small Stone at the beginning of the Cherub Rock clip, but you can use it well for songs such as Mayonnaise too.

Do you think Rabea & Matt got close to the Smashing Pumpkins sound? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles by clicking here.

The post Sound Like Smashing Pumpkins Without Busting the Bank! appeared first on Andertons Blog.

]]> https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-smashing-pumpkins-without-busting-the-bank/feed 0 https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-mastodon-busting-bank https://blog.andertons.co.uk/sound-like/sound-like-mastodon-busting-bank#respond Wed, 26 Apr 2017 12:22:28 +0000 https://blog2.andertons.co.uk/?p=313

With 7 Studio albums under their belt, Grammy award winners Mastodon have been redefining the sound and shape of heavy metal for over a decade. The Band’s progressive style and seismic sound is due in-part to their wide range of influences; a combination of classic rock, thrash metal and even a bit of country & […]

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With 7 Studio albums under their belt, Grammy award winners Mastodon have been redefining the sound and shape of heavy metal for over a decade.

The Band’s progressive style and seismic sound is due in-part to their wide range of influences; a combination of classic rock, thrash metal and even a bit of country & bluegrass makes for a truly unique and instantly recognisable sound!

Before we begin, let’s take a listen to some of the huge tones that Mastodon guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher are known for.

Let’s dive into some Mastodon tones

You’ll know that Mastodon have achieved some of the biggest guitar tones on the planet in the last few years and have even gone against the rulebook when it comes to metal guitar tone. They generally use heavy drop-tunings but on normal scale guitars. This is an interesting approach because their amp and pedal setup gives them a tighter bass and low-mid response yet in theory, tuning low on a normal scale guitar should sound more ‘flabby’ than normal. But this helps Mastodon achieve a loose sludgy feel with a tighter low-end than you’d expect.

Rather than scoop the mids, Mastodon make sure that their guitar sound has plenty of mid dialled in. This is so that the guitar will be heard under all that distortion. They use British style amps to achieve this and crank the amps (and the gain) up to 11. As for effects, they tend to dial in loads of different tones (Especially modulations, reverbs and delays) with the axe-fx but an Octave pedal and a TS-style overdrive will get you close.

Please remember that these sounds haven’t been endorsed by Mastodon and we are just offering some advice on how to get similar guitar sounds. Also, never follow the rulebook and feel free to take these guidelines a step further and create your own sound.

Guitars

Bill Kelliher Guitar Sound

To nail that heavy Bill Kelliher tone you need a fat sounding, LP style guitar. Fortunately this is easily achieved with his two signature ESP guitars. We’ve chosen his singlecut LTD BK-600 which has a familiar feel and design to other LTD guitars but with a very big difference at it’s heart. The pickups. These are hot without being super modern or scooped sounding. In fact they’ve got a mid-range sweet spot that works well with his Friedman Butterslax amp to give you an aggressive, throaty mid-range sound with an open, dynamic low-end. Perfect for drop-tunings and especially good with the high gain channel cranked on your amp.

Kelliher has got another signature LTD which is called the Sparrowhawk for the more open-minded player. This offset body shape has similar spec to his BK600 but with Divinator pickups instead which are slightly lower resistance pickups but still retaining plenty of heat! To get in the Kelliher ballpark you’ll want a meaty sounding guitar like the LTDs with clear sounding medium/hot pickups. This is what will give you the clarity you want under all that gain!

Brent Hinds Guitar Sound

Brent Hinds is a famous Gibson user. He’s been seen using everything from Flying Vs to SGs and Les Pauls! He even has a signature Epiphone Flying V which was designed to give you his powerful signature tone. Go for a guitar with powerful passive pickups and enough mid-range sizzle to cut through loads of gain.

Amps

Bill Kelliher Amp Sound

It’s no secret that Mastodon use bucketloads of gain on their guitar tones. But what is interesting is how they still retain note definition! The easiest way to nail Kellihers amp tone is by using his signature Friedman Butterslax amp.

He uses channel 3 so that he can really pile on the distortion. The Butterslax is a tight sounding 100w head, so you’ll want to avoid any flabby low frequencies (Especially with the lower tunings) if you decide to use something different. It’s powered by 4x EL34 tubes which give you that classic British sizzle but with all of the modern low-end you need.

Brent Hinds Amp Sound

Rabea chose the Victory VX Kraken to get the Brent Hinds sound. By using channel 1 (The ‘British’ side of the amp) he was able to achieve that signature fatness that Mastodon get. But in a similar way to Bill Kelliher, Brent Hinds doesn’t lose clarity by cranking the gain and scooping the mids. Instead, he keeps the gain up and uses high output pickups (With a present mid-range) to get that brutal tone.

Brent Hinds currently uses a JMP and a Diezel to get his tone so if you want to be spot on then you’ll want to have a healthy dose of British overdrive with powerful German distortion. Why not try the Diezel VH4 Preamp/Overdrive pedal into a clean amp to get that tone?

Pedals

Bill Kelliher Pedals

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The octave is there to fatten up the low-end and beef up any rhythm tones. Traditionally you wouldn’t use it over your lead tones. But by dialling in octave onto your dry signal (This is easy to do with something like the EHX nano POG,POG2 or Boss Super Octave) you can add chunky bass notes without making your tone muddy.

Having reverb on the tone will warm up your signal and make those octave sounds a little bit bigger. You can add reverb to taste depending on the tone, but just remember that having a dry signal will make your tone ‘tighter’ and more in your face. You can use anything from the MXR Reverb to the Boss RV-6

Brent Hinds Pedals

Any TS-style mid-range overdrive (Try the Maxon 808 or an Ibanez Tubescreamer) will be useful for getting the Brent Hinds tone. Turn the gain all the way down and set the tone where you want it and just watch how it tightens up the low-end on your dirty channel. Rabea found that adding a Klon style pedal (RYRA Klone) into the mix works wonders for the Mastodon tone. It adds a touch more gain but also saturates the sound a bit which’ll just help in fattening those riffs and tones.

For EQ Pedals Something like the BOSS GE-7 will just allow you to take out some of the high-mid and remove any fizz that you might have from running so much gain.

It’s worth having a delay and reverb (or combo pedal) in your effects loop or at the end of your chain to warm up those lead sounds. Having the delay and reverb on for the single note runs will give your tone space in the mix and give it width. Again, this makes your guitar sounding bigger and more powerful. For an example listen to the solo on Oblivion and you’ll easily get an idea of how reverb and delay should sound. The Earthquaker Dispatch Master was an easy way to fatten up the Brent sound.

Do you think Rabea & Matt got close to the Mastodon sound? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

If you’re interested in finding out how to achieve the tones of your favourite artists, check out more of our Sound Like articles by clicking here.

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