# Getting a high gain metal sound!!



## OMA (Feb 11, 2015)

First of all, i'd like to say i'm a complete noob when it comes to guitars and stuff.. 

So i just bought a 7 (Schecter Omen 7 extreme fitted with 10-59s) but i couldn't get a good tight metal tone out of my Blackstar ID Core 10. Decided to buy an EHX Metal Muff. Guess what? The metal tone i got was way worse with the EHX MM. I tried almost everything thing i could but couldn't fix it. 

Can anyone tell me how to get a nice polished and tight metal sound out of that setting?

Thanks for the replies.


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## Promit (Feb 11, 2015)

Bigger, better amp. Dunno what else to tell you.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 11, 2015)

Out of all the practice amps I tried, the only ones that seemed to stay tight with a 7-string are the Vypyr VIP and, surprisingly, the Spider IV. I also found that the ID combo got pretty mushy even with a 6-string. 

I agree with Promit, you need a better amp for tuning down low and retaining clarity. That, and those stock Diamond series pickups aren't the best.


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## Splenetic (Feb 11, 2015)

The stocks may not be the best, but man....they're not too shabby really! Could just be me, but my omen extreme 6's pickups sound pretty nice for metal.(Tuned to C standard) ....I hated them initially, but after some adjustment, they grew on me. 

Then again, I don't djent or whatevs...moreso Death Metal/Thrash territory.


Simple question that gets overlooked all the time: Have you tried boosting with a tubescreamer/od pedal ahead of your amps preamp? I know people say it's only for tube amps blah blah blah....but really, in my experience it works on too many model amps/modelers and VST's to ignore outright.


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## Discoqueen (Feb 12, 2015)

I'd also say getting a bigger amp that is designed for high gain purposes. Maybe look up some Bugera products? They seem to have some good tones, and they are quite cheap. That is, if you don't have much of a budget.


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## AlmaMater (Feb 12, 2015)

If it is for practice amp +1 for the Vypyr.


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## chassless (Feb 12, 2015)

a general thing that people tend to overlook: too much gain isn't a good thing. actually, too much of _everything_ isn't a good thing. reduce the gain by a bit, and raise the volume by the same amount. this usually tightens things up on most amps when it all gets mushy. same goes for the eq, i find myself keeping almost everything around noon on most amps to keep a natural sound, with no frequency overbearing the others.


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## Vrollin (Feb 12, 2015)

Ola proving that bigger isnt always the only option, marshall mg15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-xpaMmtBBI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be9oMgWXC3g


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## UV7BK4LIFE (Feb 12, 2015)

OMA said:


> First of all, i'd like to say i'm a complete noob when it comes to guitars and stuff..
> 
> So i just bought a 7 (Schecter Omen 7 extreme fitted with 10-59s) but i couldn't get a good tight metal tone out of my Blackstar ID Core 10. Decided to buy an EHX Metal Muff. Guess what? The metal tone i got was way worse with the EHX MM. I tried almost everything thing i could but couldn't fix it.
> 
> ...



I am just going to assume that you are a novice guitar player, and just bought your first electric + practice amp. 

I think you made a good choice with the Schecter and the Blackstar. Here's a video of a normal guy with a normal guitar playing normal tight metal riffs with your amp. Your amp should be okay. I advise you to return that Metal Muff pedal and get your money back ASAP. Keep your money in the bank and work on technique some more. By the way I love Blackstar, I have an ID:30 for practice at home.



Getting a tight rhythm tone does not come from your gear alone. In fact, the gear makes a very small part of your overall tone. There's plenty of guitarists who know all the scales and can sweep pick and tap solos at blinding speeds but still suck at rhythm and play metal riffs with a really sloppy sound because they're not adjusting their picking hand.

First, don't turn the gain on your amp all the way up. Keep it halfway or so. Then try picking muted notes on the thickest string. While doing so, move your hand away from the bridge towards the bridge pickup. You will hear how the sound tightens up, and how it gets more loose the closer you move your picking hand back towards the bridge.

Also check out this video at 3:00 to see how holding a pick influences your sound:



So, go enjoy your new gear and experiment, find out what works for you and develop a solid right hand technique


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Feb 12, 2015)

I'd try an EQ or overdrive out front to cut some lows, boost a little mids, and add some aggression. 

The DT video makes some good points, too  picking technique can make all the difference.


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## EchelonXIII (Feb 12, 2015)

chassless said:


> a general thing that people tend to overlook: too much gain isn't a good thing. actually, too much of _everything_ isn't a good thing. reduce the gain by a bit, and raise the volume by the same amount. this usually tightens things up on most amps when it all gets mushy. same goes for the eq, i find myself keeping almost everything around noon on most amps to keep a natural sound, with no frequency overbearing the others.


This. It is known that many modern players use pickups with somewhat less output and compensate this with a high gain amp that uses relatively little distortion to get that full saturated sound. This keeps a tight and defined sound opposed to a dark muddy tone.

tl;dr: pickups and amp


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## filipe (Feb 15, 2015)

I agree with a tube screamer it works great in a SS amp atleast it did for me.


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## guitarfan85 (Feb 15, 2015)

That video above the devin video, looks like a royal pain in the arse the way he's trying to tweak it using a laptop!!


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## cGoEcYk (Feb 17, 2015)

I'd save up for a low wattage tube amp and a tube screamer to use as a boost. Tone will greatly improve.

It general I'd probably dial in- the least amount of gain to get you where you want, cut/control lows, boost mids, treble to taste.


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## Sephael (Feb 21, 2015)

The muff is definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum of tight. Research gear, listen to demos and read reviews before buying. 

If you have been playing only a couple months or so work on technique before buying gear to nail the tone you want. Even the tightest tube amp won't fix something like sloppy palm mutes (and might even make it more noticeable. And again research gear, for example an Orange amp isn't likely to get that tight tone you seem to be after, even if it is all tube.


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## Mprinsje (Feb 21, 2015)

I made the mistake to buy the metal muff too and it's really no good for anything tight. If it's just for practice, you might be better off selling that MM, buying some box to plug your guitar in your pc/laptop and use amp sims.


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## Shimme (Feb 21, 2015)

ID cores are a fun practice amp, but really you should look at a buying a higher end amp before getting little pedals to tweak your tone.

But it seems like you're pretty new. In that case the single biggest thing that you can do to get tight riffs is practice. No 3000 thousand dollar rig in the world can hide improper technique, in fact some of the "tight" rigs would probably expose it more. Save your money for a bit, research what it is that you want in terms of *your* tone, and upgrade to something that will blow your mind instead of sidegrading to another entry-level amp.


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## 07adams88 (Feb 24, 2015)

I will +1 the VIP VYPR. I have one and use it with my 7 string for a quiet jam amp. Anything past 4 or 5 and it gets a little flabby. But 1-2 is actually pretty loud.

But that doesn't mean I think what you have isn't viable. What are your settings? What are you comparing your sound to?

If you have the misconception that you are going to get a tone that sounds like something on a CD, then you are in for a rather disappointing result.

Now what you can achieve guaranteed, is a sound that will be viable for you to learn and jam out in your room on. I remember a long time ago when I got my first starter kit and I thought to my self, man I need this I need that, looking at pedals and all that jazz. Then one, enlightening day a friend of mine came over and played around on my gear and I was just like.... WTF how come it doesn't sound like that when I play it!!! lol Seriously don't just go spending money. Work with what you got until your skill surpasses your gear.

This is just a shot in the dark here. But maybe bring your bass to about 4 (10 o'clock ish)mids to 4 -5(10-12 o clockish) treb to 5-6(12-1 o clockish) *gain 4-5(10-12 o clockish)* and adjust from there. I know nothing about that amp and I am just giving a rather general scope. Gain is highlighted because most of the time people think they need that maxed out.

EDIT: Almost forgot. Ditch the metal muff. lol


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