Opeth Sound - Gear and tips

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David Aaronson

New Metal Member
Mar 17, 2006
5
0
1
Hi,
I'm trying to create Damnation sound with my actual gear:

Guitar: Jackson Soloist 2 (humbuckers Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck and '59)
Amp: Engl Powerball 100W + Marshall Cab (2x12 Celestion Vintage30)
Effects various stomp box (chorus, delay, compressor.. boss and behringer)

I know Mike uses PRS, but with Seymour Duncan Pick up (I dont know which models), and Laney Amps, are pretty different from my actual gear, but if I want a similar sound what should I add/change to my actual gear?

what's the secret of so warm and midrange damnation sound?
different pick up? some particular effect? I mean, I know guitar is important, but I cant actually go for a PRS (to much money :-(

thx a lot to all!
 
You'd probably want a mahogany bodied guitar. I'm not sure about your soloist, but those guitars are generally built from alder aren't they? Mahogany gives a full-bodied, rich sound, particular for clean electric.

The second thing is the VC30. As far as I know that amp is responsible for those Damnation clean sounds. I doubt you'll be pulling that from a Powerball.

There's nothing you can really add to create that sound. It's that fundamental combination of guitar and amp. You can use as many digital processors on your current rig but it will always just be a cheap imitation.

Your gear is primarily a metal set-up... it's just not going to pull those rich cleans.
 
Led Opeth said:
buy a gt8..lol
Click to expand...

uhm, is it possible without digital equipment?
I had a GT6, and I hated it, I mean digital sould is freeze, I dont know how Opeth sounds so warm with Boss Gt

any other ideas? Maybe pick up models
 
Moonlapse said:
You'd probably want a mahogany bodied guitar. I'm not sure about your soloist, but those guitars are generally built from alder aren't they? Mahogany gives a full-bodied, rich sound, particular for clean electric.

The second thing is the VC30. As far as I know that amp is responsible for those Damnation clean sounds. I doubt you'll be pulling that from a Powerball.

There's nothing you can really add to create that sound. It's that fundamental combination of guitar and amp. You can use as many digital processors on your current rig but it will always just be a cheap imitation.

Your gear is primarily a metal set-up... it's just not going to pull those rich cleans.
Click to expand...


I think you've got the point :cry:
I have also a mahagony guitar (schecter C1) but with emg pick up (not really the best for warm tone)

I hate equipment!!!!!
 
I have a C7, also with EMGs. I haven't tried it with any great clean electric amps, but it can still pull a nice clean sound, particularily with the neck pickup. Probably not as well as a PRS with the Vintage Bass or HFS, or a JB/Jazz combo, but nonetheless okay.

I think the C1 would be a better starting point for that sound rather than the soloist.

To me Damnation just sounds like a great combo of guitar with amplifier. I think a C1 through a VC30 wouldn't sound too bad. Wouldn't hurt to give it a shot.
 
one thing that you can do to warm up your cleans is to run run an overdrive pedal...with the drive and tone turned down. try to find an overdrive that is very smooth, without a huge amount of honk in the mids or pierce in the upper mids....just lush. i have a ts-9, and this trick worked well until i turned up the amp, and the mids became over-powering.
 
Well Opeth and Katatonia use their GTs for only Clean and Lead guitars, Rhythm guitars are recorded with the distortion coming out of an amp without any pedals or anything

In live shows they use 4 cable method with their GTs so that they still use their amps preamp instead of GTs amps sims and add the other effects such as delay, chorus, reverb etc.. from their GTs..
 
does anyone know what kind of cymbals Martin Lopez used on that? I don't care about the company, but I mean like crash, ride, china, etc. I realize you're all talking about guitars, but if someone would help me out, I'd love you. Or if you showed me a place where they have his setup.
 
Id say he uses any cymbals he is given. Like most drummers. Hes gunna have the splashes the crashes an the chinas. I think it just depends at the time, he has different equipment live (considerably less kit than on the albums).
 
GT8?! I thought that they're still using the GT6, i just bought a GT6 and its a very multi-effect pedal. The rest of my equipment is not that good, so its very usefull for me
 
slightly off topic...I like PRS guitars. they're good to play and such and sound good, but I can't stand the sound they give a lot of the time. if you watch lamentations, the solo on drapery falls has that really horrible and generic carlos santana sound(his sounds since around mid-late 90s). it's so awful, so I generally don't like PRSs just because they produce that bland sound. :p
 
MrJack said:
does anyone know what kind of cymbals Martin Lopez used on that? I don't care about the company, but I mean like crash, ride, china, etc. I realize you're all talking about guitars, but if someone would help me out, I'd love you. Or if you showed me a place where they have his setup.
Click to expand...
just watch lamentations, and pause it a few times, youll get the names of the cymbals, and youll just have to estimate...like the 22 inch hand hammered ride and the 16 inch aaxplosion crash
 
do you think, guys, is it possible to reach the same sound of Damnation with a Laney VC15 too? (instead of VC30)

I've found a good deal about it
thx!
 
Nexis said:
slightly off topic...I like PRS guitars. they're good to play and such and sound good, but I can't stand the sound they give a lot of the time. if you watch lamentations, the solo on drapery falls has that really horrible and generic carlos santana sound(his sounds since around mid-late 90s). it's so awful, so I generally don't like PRSs just because they produce that bland sound. :p
Click to expand...

o_O

The PRS Custom 24 is the best sounding guitar I've ever played in my life, by far. The sustain, resonance and general richness of the sound surpasses everything else I've played. I found absolutely nothing generic about it in the least.
 
David Aaronson said:
uhm, is it possible without digital equipment?
I had a GT6, and I hated it, I mean digital sould is freeze, I dont know how Opeth sounds so warm with Boss Gt

any other ideas? Maybe pick up models
Click to expand...

u probably hated it b/c u didn't know how to use it, or your gear isn't good enough to support it. Dont bash the gt6, b/c i have one and get incredible tone from it.
 
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