# Jeff Loomis Tone?



## Mcneilio190 (Aug 10, 2011)

Hi there, i was wondering if anyone knows what rig Jeff Loomis uses to achieve his amazing tone on Zero Order Phase?? it seems different than what it does in Nevermore somehow (perhaps due to it being solely him i suppose) and i was wondering what Amp he used, effects pedals etc???

I know he uses his signature seven string and from what iv read he also uses engl amps but other than that i am none the wiser? could anyone help me with this please?

I know im a beginner and have no where near the technical ability that is required to play such material but everybdy needs inspiration and i believe if i could achieve that tone i would be more determined than ever to achieve my goals. Thank you for your time guys.


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## themike (Aug 10, 2011)

Engl Savage 120 with an Ibanez TS-808 and Marshall 412's.


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## Greatoliver (Aug 10, 2011)

I love his sideways nod thing.


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## shanejohnson02 (Aug 10, 2011)

1) Be Jeff Loomis
2) Active Pickups
3) TS-808
4) Egnl amplifier
5) Be Jeff Loomis

Joking aside, I read an interview once where he said he didn't worry too much over particular amp settings...basically just fiddles with it until he finds what sounds good to him and runs with it.


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 10, 2011)

^ I do something similar actually. Every time I pick up a guitar I EQ it ever so slightly different. I could leave the knobs in the exact same place I had them last time and for some reason *today* they don't sound right so I fiddle with them until it does again.


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## aleXander (Aug 10, 2011)

Loomis is actually rocking an axe-fx now


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## Double A (Aug 10, 2011)

Konfyouzd said:


> ^ I do something similar actually. Every time I pick up a guitar I EQ it ever so slightly different. I could leave the knobs in the exact same place I had them last time and for some reason *today* they don't sound right so I fiddle with them until it does again.


I thought this was all guitar players that give a shit about what they sound like?


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## Mcneilio190 (Aug 10, 2011)

Yeah i'l be sure to defo look into points 1 and 5 you mentioned, could be a vitalk component in the machine! haha! Thanks for the replies, why the hell does his rig have to be so damn costly! damn you Loomis and your engl amps! lol.

I honestly dont mind paying the money for good quality gear though, would the same tone be achievable if the same amp, pedals etc were played through an Ibanez Universe with EMG's?


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## shanejohnson02 (Aug 10, 2011)

Well to be perfectly frank, he didn't get into ENGL unti recently, I've heard. I know I've seen him in front of Krank, Mesa, Randall, etc at various points...of course it could all have been due to what was available at the time.

I know for sure in the past that he has endorsed Peavey and Krank.


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## Jakke (Aug 10, 2011)

aleXander said:


> Loomis is actually rocking an axe-fx now



Only for practice at home, on stage he uses ENGL


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## DLG (Aug 10, 2011)

pretty sure dream neon black was a mesa and an axtra guitar. loomis though is one of those guys where 80 percent of his tone is in his beastly picking hand.


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## Mcneilio190 (Aug 10, 2011)

How is the neck on a Loomis?? from what im reading its a big brute of a neck which is kinda worrying as while i dont have small hands at all i have the weird combination of a big palm and shorter fingers, middle finger is maybe only 3.5inches long  would i be better with something like a Universe??

In normal circumstances i would just walk in and try the Loomis but due to rarity in these parts it'l have to be an online purchase im afraid.


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## WarriorOfMetal (Aug 10, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> How is the neck on a Loomis?? from what im reading its a big brute of a neck which is kinda worrying as while i dont have small hands at all i have the weird combination of a big palm and shorter fingers, middle finger is maybe only 3.5inches long  would i be better with something like a Universe??
> 
> In normal circumstances i would just walk in and try the Loomis but due to rarity in these parts it'l have to be an online purchase im afraid.



I have similarly proportioned hands, and I'm all about thick and round guitar necks...my custom 7-string that I designed from the ground up actually has a bigger neck than your typical Schecter 7, and I find it quite comfortable


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## Mcneilio190 (Aug 10, 2011)

Well thats encouraging to hear, you think the Loomis would be suitable despite my hand proprtions then? Now that i think of it despite reviews of the neck being huge most said it was surprisingly comfertable but just needed a few days of adjustment. 

It sucks here in the UK, we dont have many elaborate guitar shops that display the higher end models thus taking away the ability to try them out. Basically im down to an online purchase, just weighing up the variables before i commit to anything. More than likely a Loomis or a Universe providing i could swap in EMG's successfully and aquire a similar tone. Your help is appreciated guys.


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## Deathbringer769 (Aug 10, 2011)

th3m1ke said:


> Engl Savage 120 with an Ibanez TS-808 and Marshall 412's.




Well.. not quite. You may seem him with the Savage gigging from time to time but for recording since he got into ENGL he's had a SE e670 that he primarily uses. The overdrive is a Maxon OD808 for sure, he and Andy Sneap swear by those things. The cabs, who knows what he recorded with.. he's all over the place with those things.

As for the OP's question, if you are referring to his Nevermore tone as like on "This Godless Endeavor" being different than the solo album, that can just be explained by the fact that was recorded before he got into ENGLs. The solo album came along as he discovered his love for those beastly amps.

That being said, Loomis is Loomis. In his own words, he's a plug and play kind of guy. He manages to sound like Loomis through a wide variety of setups as long as some basic ingredients are there (tubescreamer, decent gain amp, etc.) His heavy handed and aggressive picking style, combined with EMG 707s, really contributes to his biting sound. Also, NEVER play on the neck pickup if you're Jeff, it's forbidden by his personal code .


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## metalheadblues (Aug 10, 2011)

The secret to his tone is the small little box


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## WarriorOfMetal (Aug 10, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> Well thats encouraging to hear, you think the Loomis would be suitable despite my hand proprtions then? Now that i think of it despite reviews of the neck being huge most said it was surprisingly comfertable but just needed a few days of adjustment.
> 
> It sucks here in the UK, we dont have many elaborate guitar shops that display the higher end models thus taking away the ability to try them out. Basically im down to an online purchase, just weighing up the variables before i commit to anything. More than likely a Loomis or a Universe providing i could swap in EMG's successfully and aquire a similar tone. Your help is appreciated guys.



I've never played the Loomis sig, but I loved the neck on the old C-7 Blackjack I used to have (the old model, with the passive Duncans)


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## Captain Shoggoth (Aug 10, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> Well thats encouraging to hear, you think the Loomis would be suitable despite my hand proprtions then? Now that i think of it despite reviews of the neck being huge most said it was surprisingly comfertable but just needed a few days of adjustment.
> 
> It sucks here in the UK, we dont have many elaborate guitar shops that display the higher end models thus taking away the ability to try them out. Basically im down to an online purchase, just weighing up the variables before i commit to anything. More than likely a Loomis or a Universe providing i could swap in EMG's successfully and aquire a similar tone. Your help is appreciated guys.



Do you live in or near London?


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## Mcneilio190 (Aug 10, 2011)

No i live in Glasgow and the guitar shops around here are limited, at least the ones i have knowledge of. Its a bit of a pain to be honest lol. Yeah now that you mention it you notice when he slows his riffs down for videos n stuff it never sounds the same as when he goes crazy and starts playing about 15 notes a second furiously! lol. Tho having the same equipment is a start then its just a matter of progression (over the years) i guess till i can attain some sort of similar standard lol.

How big is the neck compared to say a Universe? Is it much wider or just more fuller thicker feeling?


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## Nile (Aug 10, 2011)

He is also in Bb (Eb) and plays 10's for recording and live 9's, but uses a 65 on the bottom, fuckers tight.


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## FarBeyondMetal (Aug 10, 2011)

Deathbringer769 said:


> That being said, Loomis is Loomis. In his own words, he's a plug and play kind of guy. He manages to sound like Loomis through a wide variety of setups as long as some basic ingredients are there (tubescreamer, decent gain amp, etc.) His heavy handed and aggressive picking style, combined with EMG 707s, really contributes to his biting sound. Also, NEVER play on the neck pickup if you're Jeff, it's forbidden by his personal code .


 
Have you ever saw his promo vid for Zero Order Phase, where their is this street peformer outside a record store playing a Loomis through a shitty combo practice amp strumming some campfire chords, and Jeff walks out, grabs the guitar and shreds his balls off with some dimished runs? My point is that even though he's playing his sig, the tone he was getting outta that little amp sounded killer...because HE was playing


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## Deathbringer769 (Aug 10, 2011)

Yea, I've seen that video. Pretty funny actually, walks up and pwns that guitar from guy sitting there strumming. But yea man I agree, and I basically said the same thing. Loomis is Loomis, and he sounds like himself through anything. Granted he was playing his signature guitar with 707s so that helped a bit. The tone wasn't the same obviously since it was a crap little practice amp but the more ingredients added (gainy amp, tubescreamer, etc) the more it'll turn into his recorded tone.


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## Metalus (Aug 11, 2011)

Jeff is a big fan of large amounts of gain. One interview i remember him saying he cranks the shit out of the gain and he doesnt give a fuck


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## Harry (Aug 11, 2011)

The engineering and mix job on the solo album is an absolute joke compared to DHIADW and This Godless Endeavor (both Sneap productions/enginering jobs/mixes and masters IMHO. Definitely not a sound I'd want.
It sounds like a pre-production take or a demo. The mix is just so horribly unbalanced and weird sounding.

As far as DHIADW goes, it's EMG 707s into a Ibanez TS-9 into 4 tracks of Dual Recto into a Marshall 1960B 4X12 Cab with Celestion T-75s.
Unless I'm off, but I believe Arch Enemy's Doomsday Machine album had the same setup going as did This Godless Endeavor.
In which case it was a Maxon OD820 into Krank Rev1 into Krank cabinet into 57, OD820 into Mesa Racktifier into Mesa cabinet into 57.
The album has that Mesa Boogie cab sound to it, so I don't think that's far off at all.
If I were gonna go for a particular Loomis sound, those two albums are a better bet. Those tones slot into a mix much more nicely without having a weird mid range characteristic.

His tone has never been consistent and it's probably safe to say a 5150, Mesa Dual Recto, ENGL Savage or 5150III with a Mesa Cab would get you into the ballpark.
People will say playing with a lot of gain makes it easier to play........dead wrong.
That saturated, gainy sound Loomis, the Amott brothers from Arch Enemy etc use is a hard beast to tame. It's the kind of sound that will let you know whenever you mess up even slightly on your left hand muting and a super consistent right hand is required to keep it under control.
However, if you can tame the beast, the reward is some seriously sexy, full sounding palm mutes and a level of sustain you just can't get from lesser amounts of gain.


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## Gryphon (Aug 11, 2011)

Zero Order Phase was ENGL SE and Axe FX


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## Gryphon (Aug 11, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> How is the neck on a Loomis?? from what im reading its a big brute of a neck which is kinda worrying as while i dont have small hands at all i have the weird combination of a big palm and shorter fingers, middle finger is maybe only 3.5inches long  would i be better with something like a Universe??
> 
> In normal circumstances i would just walk in and try the Loomis but due to rarity in these parts it'l have to be an online purchase im afraid.



It is shaped different, it's a thin U profile according to Schecter but it's still kind of thick since it's a 7 string. Quite honestly, I have the Loomis NT and the thing basically plays itself. My middle finger is 3.25" and I have zero problems with it.


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## Harry (Aug 11, 2011)

Gryphon said:


> Zero Order Phase was ENGL SE and Axe FX



Any sources to confirm this?
Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product


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## Gryphon (Aug 11, 2011)

Harry said:


> Any sources to confirm this?
> Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product



Yea I've been looking for where I originally read it. I remember reading a quote where Jeff said the Engl and "something else" and a separate source saying it was the Axe-FX.


EDIT: Found this
http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/jeff-loomis/1513
"I used the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx for most of the clean sounds and effected tones that were on the record. It&#8217;s an awesome unit."

But I believe he's referring to The Obsidian Conspiracy


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 11, 2011)

Double A said:


> I thought this was all guitar players that give a shit about what they sound like?


 
It's kinda like how if you have a hat on and someone takes it off your head suddenly, even if they were to place it EXACTLY the way you had it on, you'll still adjust it afterwards.


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 11, 2011)

Harry said:


> Any sources to confirm this?
> Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product


 
How exactly does that work? Bc I've seen Broderick use an ENGL head and AxeFX (simultaneously) through a physical cab.


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## Harry (Aug 11, 2011)

Gryphon said:


> Yea I've been looking for where I originally read it. I remember reading a quote where Jeff said the Engl and "something else" and a separate source saying it was the Axe-FX.
> 
> 
> EDIT: Found this
> ...



The album was tracked with 2 tracks of 5150 and 2 tracks of ENGL for the distorted guitar.
And the 2 tracks of ENGL never ended up making the final cut anyway, as Sneap himself confirmed he re-amped those 2 tracks with a 5150 anyway, so really it's 4 tracks of 5150 you're hearing.
However, the clean tracks being the Axe FX is believable for since Sneap only mixed the album , and probably wouldn't have bothered reamping the clean tracks.



Konfyouzd said:


> How exactly does that work? Bc I've seen Broderick use an ENGL head and AxeFX (simultaneously) through a physical cab.



Live situation =/ studio situation.
It's common in a studio situation for guitarists and bassists to be using amps and cabs they don't use/don't normally use live.

Let's be real here, if you got to work with a guy like Andy Sneap, chances are you're going to want to use the amps he has in his studio, rather than bringing in an Axe FX and telling him to dial some shit in.
In general, almost of the top level engineers in any kind of heavy guitar based music are going to be using real amps, pedals, cabs and mics.


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## Cmv120 (Aug 11, 2011)

metalheadblues said:


> The secret to his tone is the small little box




I lol'd..... very hard.


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## Mwoit (Aug 12, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> No i live in Glasgow and the guitar shops around here are limited, at least the ones i have knowledge of. Its a bit of a pain to be honest lol. Yeah now that you mention it you notice when he slows his riffs down for videos n stuff it never sounds the same as when he goes crazy and starts playing about 15 notes a second furiously! lol. Tho having the same equipment is a start then its just a matter of progression (over the years) i guess till i can attain some sort of similar standard lol.
> 
> How big is the neck compared to say a Universe? Is it much wider or just more fuller thicker feeling?



Have you checked out Merchant City music? I bought my Loomis C-7NT from there.


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## Mcneilio190 (Aug 12, 2011)

Nah I haven't seen this shop mate, my friend told me guiatrguitar stocks a wide variety of axe's tho so was planning to check ou there this Saturday and hopefully get a feel for a guitar. Where abouts is the merchant city one located anyways? I know merchant city well just the location of te shop is eluding me haha! Defo want to get a feel for both the Loomis and a UV, if I could find a guitar that was capable of both Loomis and Vai tones I'd be a happy man! lol. Don't mind if I have to alternate between pickups or anything like that, not sure if a guitar with passive can be converted to actives tho. Thanks again


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## Captain Shoggoth (Aug 12, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> No i live in Glasgow and the guitar shops around here are limited, at least the ones i have knowledge of. Its a bit of a pain to be honest lol. Yeah now that you mention it you notice when he slows his riffs down for videos n stuff it never sounds the same as when he goes crazy and starts playing about 15 notes a second furiously! lol. Tho having the same equipment is a start then its just a matter of progression (over the years) i guess till i can attain some sort of similar standard lol.
> 
> How big is the neck compared to say a Universe? Is it much wider or just more fuller thicker feeling?



I've played a few C-7s that should hypothetically have the same neck profile.

I've never played a UV but I'm fifteen and don't have especially gigantic hands (though some of my friends may disagree) and I was shredding all of the C-7s I've tried within minutes.


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## All_¥our_Bass (Aug 12, 2011)

Harry said:


> The engineering and mix job on the solo album is an absolute joke compared to DHIADW and This Godless Endeavor (both Sneap productions/enginering jobs/mixes and masters IMHO. Definitely not a sound I'd want.
> It sounds like a pre-production take or a demo. The mix is just so horribly unbalanced and weird sounding.


What (specifically) do you think is so weird/bad about the mixing/production on that disk?
I think it sounds great. These are just opinions, I'm not trying to start a big flame war (or even a small one) but I'd like you to explain what you mean a bit more.


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## ThePinealGland (Aug 12, 2011)

A lot of the information in this thread is wrong. 

Yes, Loomis owns an Axe-FX... but that doesn't mean he's using it for amp tones live or on album. I think he mostly just uses it at home to practice through.

Also, he isn't with Engl anymore. I think at various different points he used the invader, savage, and SE, but none of them now. He's with Fender now, using the EVH 5150 III head. He really liked what he heard of the 5150 III and Fender sent him one to try out. He was allowed to keep it if he signed a new endorsement deal with them... and that's what happened. He's used various cabs throughout his career. I'm not sure what he's using now, but at one time he tried out a whole bunch of cabs and said his favorite was a Mesa 4x12... which was also the cab used on This Godless Endeavor, and it's a perfect match for a 5150 or 5150 III.

Also, neither the guitar tone or overall mix on Zero Order Phase is even close to being as good as on any of the last 3 Nevermore albums. Drums sounded more like a demo than a pro release, and the guitar tone is really muffled and dark.... nothing like the extremely clear, aggressive tones on DHIADW or TGE (my favorite Loomis guitar tone).

Expect to most likely hear the 5150 III and/or a 5150 on the new album... and it will for sure be boosted with a tubescreamer, either the maxon od-820 or the maxon od-808. maybe the axe-fx will be used for cleans, but it most definitely won't be used for any of the distorted tones, because the guy producing it is a big Andy Sneap fan, and thus also a big fan of using real amps.


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## Mwoit (Aug 13, 2011)

Mcneilio190 said:


> Nah I haven't seen this shop mate, my friend told me guiatrguitar stocks a wide variety of axe's tho so was planning to check ou there this Saturday and hopefully get a feel for a guitar. Where abouts is the merchant city one located anyways? I know merchant city well just the location of te shop is eluding me haha! Defo want to get a feel for both the Loomis and a UV, if I could find a guitar that was capable of both Loomis and Vai tones I'd be a happy man! lol. Don't mind if I have to alternate between pickups or anything like that, not sure if a guitar with passive can be converted to actives tho. Thanks again



I've sent a PM regarding where the shops are so I'm not clogging up the thread!

Regarding the Loomis, I feel it has a slightly thinner neck profile than typical C-7 guitars, mainly due to the satin neck.


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