Never really been a big fan of Testament's Rhythm tone, to be completely honest. I do love the Songwriting, though!
Let me clarify my postion a little further before you pass judgment, Jeff:
Most of the guys I work with aren't exactly what you'd call "world class" players by any stretch of the imagination. Every source you quoted was a higher caliber player than what I normally work with.... ...and the sound is in the hands, after all. For a lot of projects, it's their first time in the studio. All I'm really trying to get across is this: "Hey, we both want the same thing: Heavy as fuck tone. Let's use a good starting point though... what you brought in might be perfect for your sister's birthday party, but it's really working against what we're trying to achieve. Yes, I understand you worked hard to be able to afford what you have, but it's still working against you in a studio situation. Let's use the proper tools from the get-go & we'll probably achieve better results."
The incident with the unsoldered wires, stripped finish & banjo pickup space were unfortunately, on the same guitar. What's worse is the guitar player said "I'm playing this or I'm not playing anything." What's even worse is, this is when I was first starting out & didn't have a lot of experience. So, we fixed it the best we could & worked with it. It still sucked in the end, though. These days, I'd simply say, "Ok, you're not playing on the record. I have no patience with fourth graders. I'll call in a session guy & hand you the bill."
It's not excuses, it's experience working with the caliber of player that usually comes in. If Eric Peterson walked in, of course I wouldn't fuck with his setup, as that's what works for him. Most guys that come in my door don't have a fucking clue as to what works for them. They play what they can afford & it's usually not what the project needs.
That being said, one more for the list:
"Your signature sound? What the fuck are you talking about? NOBODY has heard you yet but your grandmother. Don't give me this "signature sound" bullshit. Stop reading so many guitar magazines. You're "Joe Nobody" from fucking nowhere. You ever sold 10 million records? No? I guess you don't have a signature sound then. Jimi Hendrix had a signature sound & you ain't anywhere near that level. Here's a thought: Instead of throwing up roadblocks in front of me before you even plug a guitar in, how about you try working with me & we can find your sound together."
