Paddynbob

Right, I'm really not fishing for views here, honest!

But I'm recording my EP just now, and I've always had a pretty sure sound that I've always used. This is my Epiphone LP Standard with a SD Invader in Bridge (Epi by choice, not by lack of funding!) through my EHX Metal Muff straight into Blackstar HT Stage 60, no FX Loop (although in the link its an Orange TH30).

I personally like the tone most of the time, although its not really like a lot of the tones of the same genre, but I'm having doubts, because of the differences, if you see what I mean.

The sound is very grainy, as it will always be through an Orange, I guess, and sounds very similar via my Blackstar (maybe not quite as grainy). My amp settings are usually Amp: Treble- 4 Bass-4, and i basically EQ it through my pedal: Bass-8 Mids-4ish Treble-6/7, and the distortion level is fixed somewhere... god knows where.

On other, softer tracks, I use my Gibson, but I've got the tone nailed for those bits

I realise I'll get some Epi/Non-FX haters, but hey-ho :L

Yay or Nae to this tone?

www.facebook.com/twinparadoxofficial
click on music, only track

__________________

JesusCrisp

How about using the amp's actual overdrive, more mids and less bass?

__________________
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster
Ibanez 1987 Roadstar II Deluxe
Yamaha THR10X
Egnater Rebel 30 112
Ibanez WD-7 Weeping Demon Wah
TC Electronic Polytune
Boss SD-1
Seymour Duncan Tweakfuzz

Paddynbob

I did tune down the bass in this a bit
do you mean as well as the pedal?

__________________

JesusCrisp

No, just the amp's overdrive.
What's the point of playing through a high gain amp (which both the Orange and the HT-60 are) and using a fizzy distortion pedal for the gain?

__________________
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster
Ibanez 1987 Roadstar II Deluxe
Yamaha THR10X
Egnater Rebel 30 112
Ibanez WD-7 Weeping Demon Wah
TC Electronic Polytune
Boss SD-1
Seymour Duncan Tweakfuzz

Paddynbob

I don't know how much you could describe the stage 60 as "high gain", really... It's a great amp, but it really just handles hard rock/punk

__________________

KailM

(@ JesusCrisp)^^Agreed. Both of those amps have a much better tone on their own without a distortion pedal.

TS, what you might find works a lot better is an overdrive pedal set as a boost rather than a stand alone distortion. Run it straight from your guitar into the front of the amp, turn the gain on the OD pedal all or most of the way down, and the volume most of the way up. Run it this way on your already overdriven channels. This will produce a nice, tight distortion that still allows the natural character of your amp's overdrive to come through.

There are very few "distortion" pedals that can offer any improvement over a tube amp's natural distortion.

That said, I didn't find your tone inappropriate for your style of music. But I do think a thicker, less fuzzy/grainy tone would work better.

__________________
I march to the rhythm of a different blast-beat.

Schecter Blackjack ATX V-1
Epiphone LP Studio w/ Dimarzio D Sonic bridge pup
Peavey 6505+ 112 w/ Eminence Governor
TC Elec. Hall of Fame 'Verb/Flashback Dly
Ibanez TS-9/MXR 10-band EQ
Boss HM-2

JesusCrisp

Then you're doing something wrong.
I was getting PLENTY of gain and the right kind of voicing out of an HT-40 when I tried one and that was with a Strat with a much lower output humbucker than the Invaders in your guitar.

__________________
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster
Ibanez 1987 Roadstar II Deluxe
Yamaha THR10X
Egnater Rebel 30 112
Ibanez WD-7 Weeping Demon Wah
TC Electronic Polytune
Boss SD-1
Seymour Duncan Tweakfuzz

KailM

Use an OD boost like I described and you can get full-on death metal tone out of that amp. I've only played the HT 20 and 40, and I was able to get into thrash metal tone without any pedals -- just engage the extra boost on the lead channel.

__________________
I march to the rhythm of a different blast-beat.

Schecter Blackjack ATX V-1
Epiphone LP Studio w/ Dimarzio D Sonic bridge pup
Peavey 6505+ 112 w/ Eminence Governor
TC Elec. Hall of Fame 'Verb/Flashback Dly
Ibanez TS-9/MXR 10-band EQ
Boss HM-2

Paddynbob

God knows :L Saying that, I've not really had a chance to try the high gain with the volume all the way up, would that make a large amount of difference?

__________________

Paddynbob

Do you think I'd get quite as much gain as the Muff?

__________________

Paddynbob

Would a DS1 work like a OD pedal, or would a dedicated OD pedal work better?

__________________

KailM

No, a DS1 will give you shit. You need an OD pedal or a clean boost pedal. But most people playing in metal genres just use an OD pedal like an Ibanez TS-9 (Tubescreamer) or Digitech Bad Monkey. The key is, we're not using them as they were originally intended.

When boosting with an OD, you're turning the "gain" or "drive" on the pedal all the way down, especially on a high-gain amp. Now I suppose if you had a really low gain amp, you might want to add some gain on the pedal. But it pushes your first tube harder and creates more gain IN THE AMP. You will definitely get more gain out of your amp by doing this. But the side benefit is that it will still sound like your amp, not some thin/fizzy/tin-can-full-of-bees sound like you're getting out of your Muff.

__________________
I march to the rhythm of a different blast-beat.

Schecter Blackjack ATX V-1
Epiphone LP Studio w/ Dimarzio D Sonic bridge pup
Peavey 6505+ 112 w/ Eminence Governor
TC Elec. Hall of Fame 'Verb/Flashback Dly
Ibanez TS-9/MXR 10-band EQ
Boss HM-2

Paddynbob

see, can't get mine to sound anything like that... true, thats the Stage 100 half stack, and mine is the stage 60 combo, but surely it can't be the much of a difference?

__________________

Paddynbob

would it push it to sound like the link i just posted?

__________________

KailM

Yes.

__________________
I march to the rhythm of a different blast-beat.

Schecter Blackjack ATX V-1
Epiphone LP Studio w/ Dimarzio D Sonic bridge pup
Peavey 6505+ 112 w/ Eminence Governor
TC Elec. Hall of Fame 'Verb/Flashback Dly
Ibanez TS-9/MXR 10-band EQ
Boss HM-2

Paddynbob

Hmmmmmm... which overdrive do you think I should go for? Which is best value for money? Are there certain types that would work or do ALL overdrives work?

edit 1: Would a higher gain OD maybe work better? EG the Wylde OD? Haven't really looked into it though

__________________

JesusCrisp

Try the settings shown at the end of the video and maybe work from there.

__________________
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster
Ibanez 1987 Roadstar II Deluxe
Yamaha THR10X
Egnater Rebel 30 112
Ibanez WD-7 Weeping Demon Wah
TC Electronic Polytune
Boss SD-1
Seymour Duncan Tweakfuzz

lfcagger

TS, if you can't get a good metal sound out of your amp you are doing something wrong. I've had the HT20 for a year now and I have no problem getting a close approximation of Trivium, Machine Head, CoB or Dream Theater out of it, all of whom use high gain sounds, without any pedals. What volume do you usually use it at?

__________________

Paddynbob

maybe 12 o'clock channel, 8/9 o'clock master

__________________