guitar tone question

toinouf

toinouf

Member
Mar 25, 2005
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hello Steve & everyone, I have a question for you!
I love the tone the guitar player gets at the end of this vid (at 2:08, when he uses the neck pickup):



this is exactly the tone I'm looking for in the lead guitar realm! this reminds me a lot the lead tone that James Murphy and Eric Peterson got on the "Low" album, like on this song:



don't you think there is a common thing between the two? could you please give me any advice to get a similar tone?
to my ears it seems there is some chorus + delay (+ reverb?) added. I think the chorus is the most important... but I can't tell what chorus type it is and what are the settings!
please tell me if you know!! thank you very much.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey Toinouf,

Sorry, didn't see this until now.

Ok, to best answer your questions, you're listening to 2 completely different guitars.
Breaking down the fist vid (from GW magazine I believe?), the guy mentions he is playing an ESP Eclipse (Gibson Les Paul copy in practically every way, except it's a bit thinner and has a slightly less rounded tone than an actual Paul, IMHO), with the neck pickup on, which is an EMG 60 in the neck.

On the Testament song, which I never played with the guys live (but we did it in rehearsal and I've talked to James about this before), is recorded with a Strat in the neck pickup for the rhythm, with a bit of delay and chorus, while the lead (done by Eric Peterson; James, if you're reading this, stop me if I'm wrong!) is done on Eric's ESP Les Paul copy (can't remember the name of it, but I remember seeing it once) with the neck pickup on, and it does sound to my ears like an 85. There's a little bit of delay on there, and verb over the entire mix as well.

As for the Chorus used, I have no idea what as used, but I would suggest trying something with the Chorus you have , or prefer, and set it slow and deep, and see if you can match the setting.

Hope that helps!
 
someone told me that the guy with the ESP Eclipse in the 1st vid could use a phaser effect instead of a chorus... what do you think about that?
 
Hey Toinouf,
Happy to help if I can!
Sounds like possibly a light phase effect in the middle of the video?
BUt that fully sounds like a chorus effect of some type near the end of the vid.
Hope that helps man!:headbang::headbang::headbang:
 
ok Steve merci beaucoup!!!:worship::worship::worship:

Could you give me an advice about what pedal I should buy to match this tone?
I know Eric Peterson now uses the MXR Stereo Chorus (yellow pedal)... I know he mainly uses it for his clean/arpeggio tone, but do you think it could also do the trick for this lead tone? or perhaps the Digitech one that you have?
 
You bet Toinouf, happy to help if I can.
Chorus- I would say if you're going for the tone that Eric gets, then try what he's using.
I like my Digitech Multi-Chorus stereo chorus pedal, but there are a lot of choices out there. I used Boss for the longest time when I first started playing for many years after that as well, and still can't say anything bad about 'em!
I think the best thing to do is use what you have, and try experimenting with it, and see what else you can get out of it, see how many options for tone that you like out of it. Record everything, and write down/take pictures of the settings you likes best, right down to the amp settings, the type of guitar you used, etc.
I can sometimes get that meticulous if I really want to remember how I got a certain tone. Going through that a lot right now in preparation for this upcoming Forbidden tour, and also writing sessions for The EssenEss Project, while we're demoing.
 
cool Steve, thanks again.
if I manage to get a tone like the one I'm looking for, I will record a sample and post it here so you could tell me what you thing about it...

Oh, by the way, I have to mention that I LOVE your playing and your lead tone on the 2 Dragonlord CDs! (I believe you have used a mesa dual or triple rectifier on those CDs, am I right?)
Love also the Esseness tune you've played on EMG TV, great composition! I have to purchase the CD soon.

Steve Vai, EVH, Dimebag, Malmsteen, Michael Romeo, James Murphy... I love all those great guitar players because they all have something very personal, a signature style that is immediately recognizable... and I think you are one of them! like very much every aspects of your playing: the way you do vibratos, your whammy bar effects, your licks, etc.

:worship:
 
No worries Toinouf, happy to help.

Tone- sounds good, post it when you have it.

Thanks for your kind compliments man, I do appreciate it!

Rapture- I used my Triple Rec on that.

Black Wings- We used a combination of Engel Powerball and Savage 120, each hooked up on L and R of an Engel stereo 4x12, and recorded with Frederick's Bob Rock inspired mic technique, from memory, which is a bit blurry to be honest. I was in England recording the This Godless Endeavor album at the same time, and flew in to Sweden for 5 days to track everything on the Dragonlord album, then back to the Nevermore album.
 
I have re-listened to Rapture the other day, and the guitar solos are pure moments of creativity! both inspired, melodic, and fast at the same time. you're definitely one of my fav rock guitar player
...but I think the lead guitar could have been louder in the mix, I have difficulties to hear it clearly! have to notice that the backing track is very intense


one more question: I am about to purchase a Mesa Rectifier! (they are very expensive in Europe, the Dual recto costs approximately 2500 euros!)
as you possess the Triple recto, I would like to know your point of view: 150W, Is it not too powerfull? tonewise, what is the difference between the Dual and the Triple? I also have heard that the old version of the Dual rectifier froms the 90's (2 channel) sounds better than the new one... Is that true?
thank you!!
 
Hi Steve :worship:
Im a huge fan of your playing, i got a question for you about your settings on your mesa during Testament/Nevermore days, I also own a mesa boogie so I want you to ask if you can give me the settings which you used during playing with this band :) I know you are now using EVH so maybe you will not remember but you know I love the tone you had on your Boogie so I needed to try to ask you :)
 
Hey Jeremy,

Woah, that's going a little far back, but I'll do the best I can here! ha ha

For either my 2 or 3 channel Triple Recs, I ended up using the Red channel, gain set about 2 or 3 o'clock, master wherever it needed to be for the venue (or for recording, depending on what we were doing; I used this for Dragonlord too), Lo on about 10 or 11 o'clock, mid about 12 or 1 o'clock, treble and presence about 11 or 12 o'clock. I would boost out of the solo mode on the 3 channel, hitting the button on the footpedal, and if needed, I had an overdrive pedal on occasion for extra gain, though this proved to be quite noisy even with a gate on it.
I did use the Orange channel on occasion, but it proved too "mid-rangey" for me, meaning I couldn't shape the mids at all on that channel to my liking, and for my ears, the gain stages weren't enough either. I would use an OD pedal in front of that channel, with just enough gain to drive it, and roll the mid down to say 8 or 9 o'clock, all other settings the same, maybe shape treble and presence a little bit. Gain up full, or at 4 or 5 o'clock to be sure.
The clean tone, I would start with everything up at 12 o'clock, then shape from there. The rest is "in your hands", if you will....
My search for tone has taken me quite a few places since then, and I am now very happily with EVH amps! I love everything about these amps! The mids are shapeable to my ears, the gain stages are kick ass, you don't even need that much to drive it at all, and the clean tone is one of the best I've ever heard!
Hope that helps! Sorry my memory's a little foggy there!:headbang::headbang::headbang:
 
Steve, I want to say a big thank you for this, I really appreciate that you took a time and answered me, tommorow im goin to rehearsal and try this settings :) thank you once again :)
Oh yes I heard about EVH clean sounds, the truth is that i was thinking about this amp, but most people said its not very good for metal because of it lack of heaviness... you know I didnt get a chance to try it so I bought a mesa from one guy because I know how great this amp sounds and also because I am a huge fan of you and saw a vids of you with rectos....
But maybe one day i will also check out the EVH amp :)
 
Jeremy Kozley said:
Steve, I want to say a big thank you for this, I really appreciate that you took a time and answered me, tommorow im goin to rehearsal and try this settings :) thank you once again :)
Oh yes I heard about EVH clean sounds, the truth is that i was thinking about this amp, but most people said its not very good for metal because of it lack of heaviness... you know I didnt get a chance to try it so I bought a mesa from one guy because I know how great this amp sounds and also because I am a huge fan of you and saw a vids of you with rectos....
But maybe one day i will also check out the EVH amp :)
Click to expand...

You're welcome Jeremy, and yes the Boogie Recto's are a tone crusher for sure, but to me, and a growing legion of metal players out there, EVH 5150 III's have the most crushing tone around in quite a while! Even Eric (Peterson) changed over from Boogie to them some tome ago! Check one out if you get a chance!:headbang::headbang::headbang:
 
toinouf said:
I have re-listened to Rapture the other day, and the guitar solos are pure moments of creativity! both inspired, melodic, and fast at the same time. you're definitely one of my fav rock guitar player
...but how do i play guitar could have been louder in the mix, I have difficulties to hear it clearly! have to notice that the backing track is very intense


one more question: I am about to purchase a Mesa Rectifier! (they are very expensive in Europe, the Dual recto costs approximately 2500 euros!)
as you possess the Triple recto, I would like to know your point of view: 150W, Is it not too powerfull? tonewise, what is the difference between the Dual and the Triple? I also have heard that the old version of the Dual rectifier froms the 90's (2 channel) sounds better than the new one... Is that true?
thank you!!
Click to expand...
I have an old version (back then) of that rectifier and for me it is much better than the new ones. The sounds are better produced.
 
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