Metalica tone with boss metal zone or EMGs?
Metalica tone with boss metal zone or EMGs?
Hi,
i have a Mesa boogie triple rectifier and 2 metal zone pedals running into it, but I don't have any guitars with EMGs. Would it be better to get Metallica tone by replacing my guitars with EMGS or buying 1 more metal zone pedal ?
thanks
On the Boss Website they give you settings for a Puppets sound out of one pedal.... I use a MXR Fullbore metal on the clean channel for my Metallica sound (I do use an Ouija nad Truckster though )
Not the same one I saw years ago but scroll down to the MT-2
http://cms.rolandus.com/assets/media/pdf/guitar_effects_guidebook_vol_20.pdf
Truckster has the Het Set EMG's.
I also use my Full Thickness Ec -400 with JB/59 Duncans with aTech 21 SansAmp GT-2 for that early ie Fade to Black type when they used Vees with passives.
I find the Full bore sounds better with the actives and the GT 2 with passives, but that is just how I have set them up.
Heres another generic settings page for the MT-2
http://www.bestguitareffects.com/tag/boss-mt-2-metal-zone-settings/
Ditch the metal zones and get yourself an EMG 81 in the bridge. The triple rectifier alone is enough. If you want a little extra, run any tubescreamer or tubescreamer copy in front. Anything from a bad monkey to a maxon od808 will do. The earlier Metallica sound Master of Puppets through Black Album is Mark series. Kirk started using the Dual Rectifier in the rackmount version in the mid '90s. I believe he still has two in his live rack. Kirk and Hetfield also use the Triaxis which has both Mark and Rectifier circuits. If you want to keep running the metal zone, just turn down the distortion on the pedal all the way and use the eq and level controls. The whole idea behind having a Rectifier or other high gain amp is to not have to use a distortion pedal.
edit: Metallica does not use that much gain. Don't go higher than 12 o'clock-1:30 on the gain in modern mode. Keep the treble around 1 o'clock, middle at 10:30-11, bass 10 o'clock, presence at 12 o'clock or less. Set the channel master at least at 9 o'clock and the output 10 o'clock if possible. The more volume you have, you will notice that the sound gets fuller and thicker and you don't need to crank the gain.
P.S. Watch some to YouTube videos where Kirk and James are playing by themselves. You will hear that the sound doesn't have that much gain. On the albums they record 4 guitars at least for the rhythm parts. This is why the albums sound so huge.
You need at least 5 metal zone pedals before you'll get close even. I hear sometimes they used nearly 7-8 on their last album alone.