James' gear

[TechMetal]

Hi James, great to know that you have a webforum where we can ask questions I have a few of them... I was wondering how do you get that fat lead sound when you play. You obviously always use the neck pickups but what kind of pickups do you use?
I also like your use of guitar harmonies when playing solos. Do you actually record the harmony parts in studio or do you use a harmonizer? Which one do you use if you do?
If you some have time, could you post some kind of guitar lesson on the message board? I'd really appreciate that and I'm sure others will too. Maybe you could analyse some solo you played in Convergence or in Testament's Low album which I finally got btw

Wish you the best, man!

 

[Slaytanic_666]

that would be great if you have some spare time for it

 

[ChickenScratch]

He uses Dimarzio pickups, I'm not sure what models but I get close to his tone with a Tone Zone in the bridge and Air Norton in the neck.

 

[TestamentNut]

the last 2 pickups james used when he had the Sabre classic was a steves special and a air norton. in his curent sabre he has stock pickups. i keep telling him to switch them, but he likes whats in it. lol

 

[TechMetal]

Wow, that's the same pickups that John Petrucci had in his Picasso model guitar.

 

[James Murphy]

Originally posted by TestamentNut
the last 2 pickups james used when he had the Sabre classic was a steves special and a air norton. in his curent sabre he has stock pickups. i keep telling him to switch them, but he likes whats in it. lol

nope, didn't happen. I always change the pick-ups in my Ibanez's, I just don't do any other mods to them and I don't mod my amps. I do like the Steve's Special and Tone Zone in the bridge position and I mostly use the Air Norton in the neck, I just can't afford any right now. I am also partial to the EMG 85 & 89(neck) combo that i used a lot with Testament and on my first Disincarnate CD. Hope that helps!

 

[TechMetal]

James, do you still remember what kind of harmonizer did you use on Vision off the Convergence CD? I liked the clean harmonized passages you did on that song!

 

[James Murphy]

Hi TechMetal, yes I remember the exact model: the JM-4finger5000!! (j/k...laugh!) Seriously though, I have never used a harmonizer in the studio on any album I have ever done. I play them myself, on a separate track. That is the only way to go!! A good Harmonizer will get the job done in a live situaltion but in the studio they are just too obvious. It always sounds better to play them yourself! Hope that helps.

"From the persistence of noise comes the insistence of rage. From the emergence of tone comes the divergence of thought. From the enlightenment of music comes the wisdom of... silence." ~Unknown

 

[TechMetal]

I was gonna get one of those JM-4fingers for about a 3 milliseconds in my head before you said it was a joke!
I think it's best that I work out those harmonies myself before getting any kind of harmonizer. Thanks for your answer man! Best!

 

[ChickenScratch]

Hey James, since your here I just wanted to tell you that me and my buds were talking how the solo to Contagion slays. And that heavy, percussive part that comes up a few times, just killer.

::goes back to sit in the corner and wait for the next solo album::

 

[TestamentNut]

i got one word for you james "Uberschall"