Best Guitar Tones Of the 80s

[grywolf627]

To me the definitive tone of the 80s is the ADA MP1 that thing was on more records then JCM's probably! I know just about everything Michael Wagener touched in the 80s was the ADA. It was his go to pre of choice for many years.

Exactly! Which is why I was so crushed when I lost mine, and so happy to finally get another one. Chances are, in 80's metal, if it's not the MP-1 you're hearing, it's some kind of hot rodded Marshall, or a Boogie Mark IIC or III. Those amps basically defined the 80's metal sound.

 

[Notuern]

To me the definitive tone of the 80s is the ADA MP1 that thing was on more records then JCM's probably! I know just about everything Michael Wagener touched in the 80s was the ADA. It was his go to pre of choice for many years.

I cant recall too many 80's record getting a good tone out of a JCM.. most of the epic 80's tones seem to be either ADA MP-1 or vintage Marshalls modified by either Jose Arredondo or Lee Jackson.
Oh man.. i would kill to get my old Ampeg VL-1002 back, why the fuck did i sell it?

 

[grywolf627]

...Oh man.. i would kill to get my old Ampeg VL-1002 back, why the fuck did i sell it?

The same reason that I sold my Triaxis years ago...because we're idiots!

 

[guitarguru777]

I say JCM's cause they were typically modded to sound like the older JMP's with the same mods by the same guys. The JCM and the JMP are basically the same amp just with an additional gain stage.

 

[iekobrid]

most of the epic 80's tones seem to be either ADA MP-1 or vintage Marshalls modified by either Jose Arredondo or Lee Jackson.
Oh man.. i would kill to get my old Ampeg VL-1002 back, why the fuck did i sell it?

I have an Ampeg VL-503 combo out in my garage. I pretty much just use it for holding up other gear I don't want to leave sitting down on the concrete.

 

[Notuern]

I have an Ampeg VL-503 combo out in my garage. I pretty much just use it for holding up other gear I don't want to leave sitting down on the concrete.

If i could smack the back of your head right now, i would.

 

[EerieVon]

if early 90's are viable then

Scott Ian/AnthraxOT
Mustaine/Megadeth: Rust
Slayer: South of Heaven
Dark Angel: Time Does Not Heal

 

[HCL]

1990 but by far one of my favourite sounding Thrash albums.

 

[EerieVon]

Forgot this classic:

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Sorry if my opinion's not popular... I just recall pulling up a mix, could have been the track "Just got Lucky" & wishing that the rhythm guitars were louder in the verses. No big thing.....


I'm a bigger fan of Tom Allom & Martin Birch for the 80s stuff. The mixes on "Screaming for Vengeance" fucking ruled!

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Just listening to Skid Row - Revolutions per Minute: "Let it ride"...
VERY nice, thick smooth and creamy.

 

[53Crëw]

Interesting this thread resurfaced just now...

I'm actually listening to Savatage "Power of the Night" right now. I still like that album quite a bit. Jon Oliva's got a great voice IMHO, and I really like what Max Norman did with the drums on that album.

For 80's guitar tones, though, my two favorites are George Lynch and Michael Schenker.
And a +1 to Glenn's comment on Screaming for Vengeance. Great sounding album.

 

[rlcramer]

I'm not a huge fan of the entire album, but if we're strictly talking guitar tone, I think John Syke's tone on the Blue Murder album is pretty much as good as it gets.

Bobby

 

[guitarguru777]

John Syke's guitar tone on ANYTHING was the fucking shit dude!

 

[Eddy]

Two acronyms: SIT (1986) and SSOASS (1988).

 

[Notuern]

Sorry if my opinion's not popular... I just recall pulling up a mix, could have been the track "Just got Lucky" & wishing that the rhythm guitars were louder in the verses. No big thing.....

Different tastes i guess.. personally i think the levels are perfect in that song(The guitar is supposed to be a "fill".).

 

[phatfil]

Vinnie Moore's tone on Mind's Eye was amazing. Nuno on Pornograffitti, obviously. and Motley Crue's Dr Feelgood.

 

[grywolf627]

some of my favs that i can think of

whitesnake - 1987
blue murder - blue murder
steve stevens atomic playboys
ratt - invasion of your privacy
saxon - innocence is no excuse
manowar - fighting the world
judas priest - defenders of the faith
ezo - fire fire
dokken - back for the attack
ozzy - bark at the moon
tesla - great radio controversy
thin lizzy - thunder and lightning

all sound fuckin heavy in one way or another

+1000000000000 on sykes, that LP of his is a MONSTER

You, sir, have impeccable taste.

 

[guitarguru777]

some of my favs that i can think of

whitesnake - 1987
blue murder - blue murder
steve stevens atomic playboys
ratt - invasion of your privacy
saxon - innocence is no excuse
manowar - fighting the world
judas priest - defenders of the faith
ezo - fire fire
dokken - back for the attack
ozzy - bark at the moon
tesla - great radio controversy
thin lizzy - thunder and lightning

all sound fuckin heavy in one way or another

+1000000000000 on sykes, that LP of his is a MONSTER

I think I just came

 

[grywolf627]

Dude, I love Vinnie V.'s tone on that (and the following) album, and the fact that he used something like 10 different amps or whatnot to get that tone. I can't stand to look at him, or listen to his frantic leads, but I love the music and that tone. If 80's stuff is gay, then you might as well slap a rainbow tattoo on me. Since I started playing guitar in '83, it's not too hard to figure out what kind of music has influenced me the most.