Opeth's BOSS GT6 distortion settings

[Hopkins-WitchfinderGeneral]

I've never used a laney, but I own a '59 slp reissue and it does kick alot of ass!

I've got the original 59slp reissue made in 1980 :hotjump: Its fucking beautiful man!

Not tried the newer reissues tho, although they look the part.

What didn't you like about the 2000dsl, I have one of those two and it pretty much smokes with my duncan loaded rhoads thru it.

 

[L0bster]

Katatonia also use Boss GT-6 pedals. But to me it seemed anders was using the in-built distortion in his ENGL amp, and my question to you boss-owners is: Can a GT6 pedal controll and co-operate with the distortion of an amp?

 

[Ermz]

Opeth most likely keep most of their patches and core parts of sound on the GT-6. The fact that they tour alot and have to rent amps would tell you that they can't always get the kind of amp-distortion they'd want. So it's natural to assume most of it comes out of the GT.

Some guy posted the settings on here once. All I can remember from it though is that on the laney amps, they put the lows and mids down and drive the mids up to about 6 or 8 then they use the GT-6's EQ to do the rest of the tone. The amp just seems to be there for coloration and amplification.

Also, when I saw them touring here, they were using marshall JCM 800s and their tone sounded fine.

 

[fadingessence]

No idea how Katatonia does it, but if you've got an Engl and you don't use the amp overdrive you need to well....give it to me instead.

and the JCM800 would sound fine, because it's essentially the same thing as the Laney GH series, single channel, lots of crunch, british ect...laney has a different tone to it obviously, but most of that is dropped out anyway.

the main point to the GT-6 is versatility, you can switch from rhythm, to lead, to clean ect ect very easily. It doesn't necessarily sound better than an amp, and frequently doesn't.

As to whether you can use the gt-6 to control the amp...technically yes but it would be excessively difficult. I think it CAN send midi commands, but that still means getting the amp setup with midi to switch channels based on it. Way to much trouble and $$$ for anyone but a pro I would think.

 

[suislidE]

im sure you could have the amp footswitch right beside it, hell its not that much of a problem unless they interfere somehow.

ANyways, i watched the dvd of them at the trocadero one more time and i noticed mikes settings on his amp. THEY ARE:

bass - 7(just above min) mids - 4 o'clock, highs - 10:30, presence - zero. I tried that on mine and it got a very, VERY close sound to what they used on the lamentations tour. Peters tone sounds very similar to mikes, so im sure he used the same thing. I would almost question if they use the same setup on the gt6 that they use on the amp, but who knows. all i can say is that with those settings the tone would get really close.

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Man, Im a pretty big Opeth fanboy, but these fucking threads are getting ridiculous. Use your damn ears to find a tone that you like, and change it if at any time you dont like it. Sure, EQ settings can make much of a difference, but with the equipment you have available to you, you either achieve desirable tone, or you dont, no BUTS about it. Who cares what the hell Mike's and Peter's settings were on the "whatever" tour, different situations call for different settings, and I think if you play an electric instrument, you should really pursue your tone with your OWN ears instead of trying to imitate.

*waits for flaming to commence*

 

[suislidE]

You got it, fuck you. You dont have to be an asshole and say something like that. They are trying to find OPETHS TONE, not anything else. Either post something that helps or dont say anything.

 

[Ermz]

Aye, I concur.

That kind of holier-than-thou attitude is really getting tedious around here. Either post something of worth or stay out.

 

[Nico]

...And the amount of whinging going on is just as bad.

 

[JoeVice]

Joe, dont go saying things you know arent proven now. My jackson can get a prs tone any day, its the pickups and the woods that make the guitars tone. The brand doesnt tell you anything really. Unless you are talking about fender vs gibson or something drastic like that. When peter played his jackson the amp was a mesa triple rectifier.. it sounded "cheap" because of his settings, not because of the guitar. I dont understand why you would say cheap, i like his tone when he used it. It gave a real crisp crunch out of the distortion. The eq settings make the biggest difference on an amp.

i was talking about the cleans....and i was basing my opinion on ONE bootleg that i saw....i know that the guitar tone comes from the woods and the pickups....because hey, you just explained what a guitar is made out of!!! from what i have played, the floyd rose really fucks the sound too.....(then again, i have never played on a good guitar with a REAL floyd rose) it probably had a lot to do with the amp and the settings...but, if you have heard the bootleg that i am talking about (not sure which one, im on the wrong computer) then you would know the obvious difference.

 

[JoeVice]

im sure you could have the amp footswitch right beside it, hell its not that much of a problem unless they interfere somehow.

ANyways, i watched the dvd of them at the trocadero one more time and i noticed mikes settings on his amp. THEY ARE:

bass - 7(just above min) mids - 4 o'clock, highs - 10:30, presence - zero. I tried that on mine and it got a very, VERY close sound to what they used on the lamentations tour. Peters tone sounds very similar to mikes, so im sure he used the same thing. I would almost question if they use the same setup on the gt6 that they use on the amp, but who knows. all i can say is that with those settings the tone would get really close.

what model do you have? tell me what the tone is like....compare it to a marshall....i'm looking for a new amp and i can't find a laney head to play...i have read tons of reviews, but no one is really telling my what i want to know.

 

[ADS]

Man, Im a pretty big Opeth fanboy, but these fucking threads are getting ridiculous. Use your damn ears to find a tone that you like, and change it if at any time you dont like it. Sure, EQ settings can make much of a difference, but with the equipment you have available to you, you either achieve desirable tone, or you dont, no BUTS about it. Who cares what the hell Mike's and Peter's settings were...

I dunno... I don't find this thread ridiculous. I have no desire to copy Opeth's sound, but learning the tools they use to create that sound would be very helpful to me in refining my own sound. For instance... I really dig my current distortion sound... but it's a little muddy - not as clear as I want it to be. Being that Opeth has such a crisp, clear heavy sound, learning some of their setup may help me find the piece of the puzzle I've been missing to clean things up.

Unless I'm way off base here, it seemed to me like this thread was about "learning", not "copying". At least that's what it is to me.

So please... if anyone has any additional input, post away! I've learned lots already

~Robert

 

[Dysperium]

The reason I posted this was to help me and my band try to further our knowledge of our equipment. We are having a difficult time trying to find a good balance between tube amp sound and digital. We've been able to get the tone we want in our distortions, but haven't really been able to give it the presence it needs. Since I know Opeth use gt6s, and get a good mix with them, I was just wondering if anyone could help. Thanks again to all of the people who have.

 

[suislidE]

Joe, i cant compare it to marshalls since i havent played much on them. The only marshall i have played was the AVT series.. the 150 combo. I think they are bad values. No versatility. I cant really help you there... i just recommend a versatile amp. I would say marshall isnt really the way to go, but its your preference. Try to spend some time at guitar stores, otherwise you are just wasting time.

 

[Ermz]

I've played a Laney VH100R head and it sounded like total ass under high-gain. Not sure where the problem was...

I'm currently in the market for a new amplifier. I'm stuck with a shitty Marshall Valvestate 8080 and would like something more versatile and also something that can really complement the ME-50 pedal I use, as opposed to get in the way.

Whilst I would love to have an all-tube amp, I suppose using a digital pedal defies the whole concept. I have heard that the Hughes and Kettner Vortex Half-Stack is really really good value for money. I can't find any around here to play, but nonetheless im very interested in buying a new amp.

 

[suislidE]

If i had the money.. VC-50 would be one of my first choices. Get one off ebay for around $400 depending on cirumstances, and if you dont like it, turn around and sell it right back. Its basically the combo version of the VH and the GL series.

 

[Dysperium]

Moonlapse: I don't know about the ME-50 pedal, but I've found with the gt6 that the pedal really doesn't take total control of the sound, but instead works with the amp that you are using. So having a tube amp and using a the gt6 isn't pointless; its better.

As far as amps to recommend, it all depends on your budget and what you are looking to use it for; playing at home, gigging, etc... But you've most likely already considered these things. It would just help to let other people know so they could help you out a little bit more. But stay away from the valvestate line, especially the new stuff.

 

[JoeVice]

If i had the money.. VC-50 would be one of my first choices. Get one off ebay for around $400 depending on cirumstances, and if you dont like it, turn around and sell it right back. Its basically the combo version of the VH and the GL series.

is the VC-50 class A? i know its not made anymore....i really would like the VC-30....a class A amp is like no other...and 30 watts of class A is like 50 watts of A/B...which is like 200 watts of solid state..(volume-wise)

 

[suislidE]

No... some people think so but its not. Its capable of high volumes like what you are saying, but its not class a or b. I dont see any real downfalls of that. just read some reviews.

 

[JoeVice]

yah, i wasn't sure....i never really thought there would be much of a difference between class a and everything else...but then i played one...and for me, it was a very noticable difference...i liked it.