Favorite Distorted Tones? [Archive]

meLoCo_go

July 22nd, 2010, 08:49 AM

Interesting.
I listen to a lot of music with distorted gtr sounds but it strikes me that I don't have "favorite distorted tone". What am I doing wrong?:vuvu:

Anyway, if I think of few records that I think have some cool/interesting sounds it would be (in no particular order):
Mastodon -- Leviathan
Deftones -- Adrenalin (I know most people hate gtr sound on it, but I think it is beautiful/unique)
Pantera -- Far Beyond Driven
Limp Bizkit -- Three Dollar Bill, Y'All
Meshuggah -- Chaosphere

John Eppstein

July 22nd, 2010, 10:30 AM

Hendrix - lots o' stuff, start with Purple Haze and Foxy Lady.

Social Distortion

Rubber City Rebels

The Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer

Motorhead (Fast Eddie)

AC/DC

Lightnin' Hopkins

Jeff Beck

Jack White, for pure trash tone

gonzo-x

July 22nd, 2010, 03:37 PM

favorite recorded distorted guitar tones?

hm.

that is really tough.

there are so many.

and sometimes, it's the tone, in context with the song, that makes it so perfect, rather than the tone taken by itself.

i'm going to be very specific with this..

top 5 only.

1. John Goodsall's solo tone in the middle-to-end section of "Deadly Nightshade", off of the Masques album.

2. Allan Holdsworth's tone on the entire solo of "Peril Premonition", from Secrets.

3. Eddie Van Halen's rhythm tone on "Mean Streets".

4. Brian May's rhythm tone on "Brighton Rock", from Killer Queen.

5. Jimmy Page's slide guitar sound on "When the Levee Breaks", from Zeppelin 4.

chrisj

July 22nd, 2010, 11:56 PM

Outside of the usual suspects- all the guitars on ZZ Top's La Grange. It is distorted, even if it's not high-gain :) especially the rhythm guitar, holy balls man...

High gain? I dunno. If you ignore the basic unmusicality, I quite like Yngwie's sound on Black Star. Those crazy bursts of notes just get a really nice texture on 'em. Pity he's such a one-half trick pony...

Naturally, lots of Roth era EVH, because come on- those are some really nice tones in general.

Larks Tongues In Aspic, anyone? Nice examples of the more abrasive, less buttery distorted texture. Works great for that music and player :)

Cape Team Industry :D

otek

July 23rd, 2010, 01:01 AM

1. John Goodsall's solo tone in the middle-to-end section of "Deadly Nightshade", off of the Masques album.

2. Allan Holdsworth's tone on the entire solo of "Peril Premonition", from Secrets.

3. Eddie Van Halen's rhythm tone on "Mean Streets".

4. Brian May's rhythm tone on "Brighton Rock", from Killer Queen.

5. Jimmy Page's slide guitar sound on "When the Levee Breaks", from Zeppelin 4.

Damn. That's an eclectic but nonetheless memorable list. :D

Certainly took ME back and made me cast a sideways glance over at my vinyl collection.

I will add some other random moments of inspiration:

Ritchie Blackmore's tone on Highway Star from Made In Japan.

Steve Tibbetts's main electric tone on Vision from Safe Journey.

Pat Thrall's solo tone from The First Step Of Love from Hughes/Thrall.

Adrian Belew's lead theme tone from Portrait of Margaret from Desire Caught By The Tail.

Jeff Beck's tone on The Final Peace from There and Back.

otek

Damage, Inc.

July 23rd, 2010, 04:21 AM

This is good. I'm getting some great replies citing a wide variety of artists, just like I hoped. Keep 'em coming, when I get some more time I'll come up with some non-metal ones.

johndou

July 23rd, 2010, 10:57 AM

Tool - Parabola

Gojira - The way of all flesh

Devin Townsend - Accelerated Evolution

Chevelle - The Clincher

gonzo-x

July 23rd, 2010, 04:17 PM

otek:

Ritchie Blackmore's tone on Highway Star from Made In Japan.

heheh, i totally agree.

i've always considered that tone, to be the sonic equivalent of a mugging.

hughes thrall?! man, not many people know about that stuff, or automatic man.....
more good stuff there as well...

devin townsend.......
larks tongue...
jack white....
deftones.....
the who...
killswitch....

man, all killer stuff!

omikl

July 23rd, 2010, 04:30 PM

Bill Nelson on Be Bop Deluxe "Lve in the Air Age". Especially on "Mill Street Junction" and "Advebntures in a Yorkshire Landscape".

David Gilmour's solo on "Time"

Again, Ritchie Blacmoore on Made in Japan.

Allan Holdsworth on the first UK album.

Brendo

July 23rd, 2010, 06:27 PM

Deftones -- Adrenalin (I know most people hate gtr sound on it, but I think it is beautiful/unique)ADA MP-1 Baby!!! :vuvu::vuvu::vuvu::vuvu:

otek

July 23rd, 2010, 06:57 PM

i've always considered that tone, to be the sonic equivalent of a mugging.

There is a spot right before he goes into the first note of the solo, where he's just mashing 8th notes and then goes "brraannng, brrraaannng, brrrraaaannng" with these fat, saturated chords. That sound still has me piddling my pants 35 years after I heard it the first time.

hughes thrall?! man, not many people know about that stuff, or automatic man.....

Well, I am older than Satan. Bought the record same month it was released. :D

Gojira - The way of all flesh

...or Oroborus. Not sure the guitar tone in and of itself is an absolute fave, but they sure play some mighty riffs on that one.

otek

meLoCo_go

July 23rd, 2010, 06:57 PM

ADA MP-1 Baby!!! :vuvu::vuvu::vuvu::vuvu:
Yeah. But it is used all over Around a Fur and White Pony, no?
Definitely killer sound there as well.
But Adrenalin has that crazy-phasey, comb-filtery sound which is reaally strange but stands out great!

otek

July 23rd, 2010, 07:14 PM

But Adrenalin has that crazy-phasey, comb-filtery sound which is reaally strange but stands out great!

On the crazy-phasey note, how about the rhythm tone on Korea from White Pony?

Deftones's contribution to the debate on "combating low-end bloom on rhythm guitars". :lol:

otek

meLoCo_go

July 23rd, 2010, 07:36 PM

On the crazy-phasey note, how about the rhythm tone on Korea from White Pony?

Deftones's contribution to the debate on "combating low-end bloom on rhythm guitars". :lol:

otek
That too.
I wonder what they did.
Second mic about a foot back?
Putting cab near to a reflective surface.

Unfcknblvbl

July 23rd, 2010, 07:54 PM

The usual suspects:

EVH - Van Halen I
Darrell Abbott - Vulgar Display of Power
Jimmy Page - "Whole Lotta Love"
David Gilmour - "Comfortably Numb" - Delicate Sound of Thunder
Link Wray - "Rumble"
Eric Johnson - "Zap"
Tony Iommi - "War Pigs"
Greg Ginn - "Slip It In"

.

waterboy

July 23rd, 2010, 09:00 PM

Nuno Bettencourt - Extreme (3 Sides To Every Story, and Waiting For the Punch Line)

Behemoth: Evangelion

Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood

(and I loved Vulgar Display's tone as well)

But I gotta admit: there are so many others that I have not mentioned.
Take care

Scott

AxeSlash

July 23rd, 2010, 11:17 PM

Ritchie Blackmore's tone on Highway Star from Made In Japan.

+1000000

For a balls-to-the-wall rock tone, that album is yet to be beaten. They just don't make albums like that any more. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of blackmore as either a player or a person, but his tone on that album is undeniably awesome. In fact the whole fucking record sounds like a live rock album SHOULD sound. 38(? 72?) years and no-one's beaten it. That's classic for you.

As for other stuff that springs to mind:

Heaviness: Testament - The Gathering. It's like a benchmark for me.

'Brutality' (sic): Dew Scented - Inwards (and/or Impact they're damn near the same album)

Taste/smoothness: Anything of Mark Knopfler's that involves distortion. Some stuff on Golden Heart is frankly jaw-dropping.

Power: The Cult - anything on either Ceremony or Beyond Good & Evil. Or even Electric in places. It vies with AC/DC for 1st place in this arena. However, with hindsight the power on BG&E may be coming largely from the bass sound coupling with the guitars...whatever, it's fucking HUGE.

Random other shit I like the guitar sound on:

Dust Junkys - Done And Dusted (think modern hendrix. Maybe not that modern...90s ish)

Opeth - Blackwater Park, but I don't think it would work for anyone else.

Spin Doctors - Pocket Full Of Kryptonite, particularly Refrigerator Car's opening riff - there's something undeniably awesome about that sound. I think it's closely related to the context it's in - the entire band sound fucking amazing.

Some people will hate me for this...but for shreddy leady shit, Steve Vai still rules the tone roost for me. Malmsteen can take a long hike into OvergainedSingleCoilLand for all I care.

In Flames used to have a nice guitar sound back in the day if you could just get past Nordstrom's love of 2.5K.

Cannibal Corpse's Bloodthirst has a guitar sound that is always sounds great on it's own, but shit compared to anything else. That's the power of context right there. In a similar way, Aborted's Engineering The Dead is a delightfully fucked-up sounding record that works very well in it's own right...just don't play anything else immediately preceding or following it!

chrisj

July 24th, 2010, 12:09 AM

On the crazy-phasey note, how about the rhythm tone on Korea from White Pony?

Deftones's contribution to the debate on "combating low-end bloom on rhythm guitars". :lol:
otek

How about Jimmy Page on 'Living Loving Maid'? There's nothing left but frizz and crazy-phasey. Beautiful and ridiculous all at the same time. Sort of "Let's put up mics and make them all cancel each other out as much as possible, it'll be cool!" It was...

chrisj

July 24th, 2010, 12:15 AM

Some people will hate me for this...but for shreddy leady shit, Steve Vai still rules the tone roost for me. Malmsteen can take a long hike into OvergainedSingleCoilLand for all I care.

I was thinking of Vai too! I couldn't pick out anything and I wasn't really thinking anything off Flex-Able. I said Yngwie because that one track I mentioned has something special, it's almost before he took that hike.

Vai's crazy shreddy stuff is like a bionic violin on acid and bad crack. It's an arc welder of virtuosity, yet listenable at the same time. I've bought a pickup (Breed- don't use it anymore though) solely because I heard Vai playing something on it and magic happened in the tone. The nearest I've gotten to that with my own rig is those Deathbucker Alumitone pickups, still needing to crank out some heavier tracks somehow because I got a lot closer to being able to convey the strings that vividly...

Sorry I didn't say Vai now. You are of course so right :)

waterboy

July 24th, 2010, 01:23 AM

Heaviness: Testament - The Gathering. It's like a benchmark for me.

Agreed. Mr Andy Sneap can whip up some serious tones, and I believe this is a good example of such.

Scott

otek

July 24th, 2010, 02:08 AM

How about Jimmy Page on 'Living Loving Maid'? There's nothing left but frizz and crazy-phasey.

I think you misunderstood my comment about Korea? :Wink:

What I meant by the "low-end bloom" comment was that Deftones (or more likely Terry Date) must have just said "fuck this" and let it all boom and rumble as much as it wanted. The low-end swing on those guitars is one of the most extreme I've heard on record.

otek

Damage, Inc.

July 24th, 2010, 04:41 AM

OH yeah, I forgot about Beyond Good and Evil! Great tones on that one. However, as much as I respect Steve Vai as a player, I've never liked his guitar tone. Very uninspiring.

The context of the mix is obviously very important, and there are plenty examples of tones that would sound atrocious when soloed but fit perfectly in the mix. I tried to separate the player's tone from a good mixing job when I made my list. For example, I've never tried to emulate Dime's tone (although I did use a Randall Cyclone for a while), but it is perfect for their music and sounds great in context.

otek

July 24th, 2010, 08:52 PM

Steve Vai is kind of strange to me.

Musical genius.

A wizard with arrangements and composition.

Monster guitar player.

And bores the absolute snot out of me.

And no, it has nothing to do with how technically proficiency somehow magically suppresses musicality or some nonsense like that. I know of plenty of technically very advanced players who are a joy to listen to (and I also do NOT believe that technique is necessarily about speed).

I have the Live at The Astoria DVD. Never managed to sit through the whole thing. Somehow he just manages to be extremely advanced AND predictable at once.

Just watched Stevie's Spanking from an old Zappa DVD. For all of Vai's incredible chops, Zappa is just SO much more interesting to listen to on that one.

otek

meLoCo_go

July 24th, 2010, 09:27 PM

The low-end swing on those guitars is one of the most extreme I've heard on record.
Probably aided by Terry Date's tendency to bury the bass))

johndou

July 24th, 2010, 10:01 PM

...or Oroborus. Not sure the guitar tone in and of itself is an absolute fave, but they sure play some mighty riffs on that one.

Sorry, was unclear. Actually meant the whole album. If I have to pick a single song it'll have to be Yama's Messengers. The bass sound has a lot to do with it though.

The entire white pony album has some bizarre shit going on. Truly unique. Never been a big fan of Deftones' guitar sound, but the whole package works.

In terms of distorted tones that's supposed to be nasty instead of heavy... I nominate Khanate for first prize. The sleaze and filth is almost tangible on their guitar sound.

Someone mentioned early in flames... i like the colony sound. Everything from reroute to remain onwards was maybe a tad too scooped. IMO. Is it just me, or are the guitars on their latest album really, really, really far back in the mix?

Dillinger Escape Plan - the ire works album.

Slipknot - Subliminal verses. Not a big fan of the band, but they had a nice midrange-y sound going there.

AxeSlash

July 25th, 2010, 12:31 AM

Someone mentioned early in flames... i like the colony sound. Everything from reroute to remain onwards was maybe a tad too scooped. IMO. Is it just me, or are the guitars on their latest album really, really, really far back in the mix?

Yeah, Colony is listenable. Clayman too if you ignore some of the actual music (!). Everything before that was pretty good sounding.

Fuck, never thought I'd find myself reccomending to ignore the music when listening to a mix. Pretty sure I'm awaitin' a flamin' now!

Damage, Inc.

July 25th, 2010, 08:00 AM

I can't really deal with In Flames either, although the production is stellar. I forgot about Bleeding Through's The Truth. The tones aren't scooped at all, but fit the mix and style brilliantly. Now for my list of non-metal tones:

Black Sabbath-- "Paranoid" solo. (Oops, metal)
ZZ Top--"La Grange"
Dire Straits--"Money for Nothing"
Zeppelin--"Traveling Riverside Blues," "Heartbreaker," "The Rover," for starters
Rush--"Limelight" (let the flaming begin, it's just my opinion!)
Who--"Won't Get Fooled Again"
Def Leppard--"Photograph"
something off the first few Van Halen albums, pick it.

johndou

July 25th, 2010, 10:55 AM

For non-metal tones, Perfect Circle's debut album. The leads are extremely textured. The lead guitar in the verse on 'The Hollow', as well as the leads from about 20s into 'Magdalena' are really something else.

Placebo - Follow the cops back home. The leads are unlike anything else they've ever done. Reminds me of perfect circle, he he.

The thread title only said distorted tones, not exclusively guitar tones...:grin: will need to say that Apocalyptica's distorted cello tones are fantastic.

On the topic of in flames, the production on the jester's race album is anything but my cup of tea. That said i believe it to be their best album, musically speaking.

Drummerboy

July 25th, 2010, 12:52 PM

ZZ Tops "Loaded" on the album rhythmeen. Not necessarily for tone, but how the guitar craps out in all the right places :grin: sounds like a wire is loose.

Oh, and if distorted tones from bass counts too then I'll go with Eminence Front by the Who.

AxeSlash

July 25th, 2010, 02:24 PM

Ah, ZZ Top...the band I always want to say have a fizzy sound, yet on closer inspection it never is. I'm sure it's related to that synth sound they use a lot.

Also, another band that has had a consistently great guitar sound: Whitesnake. Yes, some of it is typical 80s fare, but by god there's some tone going on there. Good To Be Bad sounds phenomenal, and there's some fantastic playing on there too.

+1 on Won't Get Fooled Again - it's in the same league as any track on Made In Japan; it's got that kinda growly, beefy tone that just hasn't been seen since the 70s (other than by bands of that era).

Back on the Metal Train, Arch Enemy's Burning Bridges had a considerably better tone than most of the stuff that followed, but again suffered a little from Nordstromitis. I swear someone needs to hide an Eq with a -3dB 2.5K on it on his 2bus that he's unaware of, and flick it out of bypass every time he goes to mix down.

Brendo

July 25th, 2010, 05:07 PM

Yeah. But it is used all over Around a Fur and White Pony, no?
Definitely killer sound there as well.
But Adrenalin has that crazy-phasey, comb-filtery sound which is reaally strange but stands out great!

That's the Chorus on the ADA, rate on 0, depth at... whatever. It becomes an adjustable comb filter.

And from my understanding, Adrenalin and Around The Fur are the albums where the MP-1 was used extensively. That's what it sounds like anyway. White Pony doesn't sound like MP-1 to me... think it's Marshall JMP-1.

Korea, to me, sounds like MP1 and JMP1 layered.

MKZ

July 25th, 2010, 05:26 PM

Steve Vai is kind of strange to me.

Musical genius.

A wizard with arrangements and composition.

Monster guitar player.

And bores the absolute snot out of me.

This is pretty much how I feel, although "For The Love Of God" is still one of my favorite songs or "instrumental pieces" ever.

It's kinda weird, it's like I could almost say that I am a fan of Steve Vai, but don't like 90% of his music. I don't know how that's logical... I guess it's not.... makes no sense.

Edit: On the topic:

I have no favorite "guitar tones." Distorted, or not. I have favorite songs, favorite riffs, favorite solos, and favorite "overall tone" (Ie production, arrangement, mix) of certain songs. I think, and I may very well be wrong, isolating shit is just misleading and too fuckin confusing for it to be of any good use. "Tone" is also a funny term... 99% of the time the player's style and how it fits to the arrangement get talked about as "tone."

otek

July 25th, 2010, 07:22 PM

This is pretty much how I feel, although "For The Love Of God" is still one of my favorite songs or "instrumental pieces" ever.

Sure, I own "Passion and Warfare" like probably a couple of million others. And I listened to it EVERY DAY for a long time.

I guess, after a while it just got a bit old. Or maybe I'm the one who got old. :lol:

I have no favorite "guitar tones." Distorted, or not. I have favorite songs, favorite riffs, favorite solos, and favorite "overall tone" (Ie production, arrangement, mix) of certain songs. I think, and I may very well be wrong, isolating shit is just misleading and too fuckin confusing for it to be of any good use. "Tone" is also a funny term... 99% of the time the player's style and how it fits to the arrangement get talked about as "tone."

I agree with this too. Tone is SO much about context. The greatest guitar tone EVER will sound pretty bland on a mediocre record. And a so-called "shitty" guitar tone can be hailed as pure genius if it's attached to, and preferably the hook on, a great song.

And sometimes the guitar tone gets a ton of praise simply because it's the loudest thing on the fucking record.

otek

Damage, Inc.

July 26th, 2010, 01:05 AM

OH yeah, Arch Enemy!! I can't believe I forgot that, thanks for reminding me. That's what I like about Killswitch's tone...distorted to fuck but with that sweet top end that isn't harsh.

Unfcknblvbl

July 26th, 2010, 04:18 AM

...but how the guitar craps out in all the right places :grin: sounds like a wire is loose.

I believe Billy did use a broken guitar cable on that album.

.

Sausage Maker

July 27th, 2010, 05:20 AM

Brendo

July 27th, 2010, 06:40 AM

I couldn't agree with you more!!

Steve Vai at his best!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiXR9ggRdFI)
\

:Roll eyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qyeUOoAZU

Molly's Lips

July 27th, 2010, 10:25 AM

In no particular order:

Rage Against The Machine -Bulls on parade
Weezer -Say it ain't so
Soundgarden -The day I tried to live
Kyuss -Thumb
Hendrix -Voodoo Child (slight return)
SRV -Little wing
Smashing Pumpkins -Eherub rock
Deftones -Shove it
System of a Down -Prison song
AC/DC -What do you do for money honey
R.E.M. -What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
Pixies -Where is my mind?
The Pillows -Beautiful morning with you
Alice In Chains -Man in the box
Dredg -Lechium
Bad Religion -Infected
Tool -Forty Six and 2
Fu Manchu -Hell on wheels

Brendo

July 27th, 2010, 01:32 PM

Smashing Pumpkins -Cherub rockJCM800 2203 with KT88 power tubes, and a 70's Big Muff Pi... Stratocaster with Red/Silver/Blue Lace Sensors...
Deftones -Shove itADA MP1 BABY!!!!! :vuvu::lol:

Molly's Lips

July 28th, 2010, 06:30 AM

ADA MP1 BABY!!!!! :vuvu::lol:
And a neck-through-body ESP with a JB in the bridge!

...baby?

Knastratt

July 28th, 2010, 07:30 AM

Jeff Beck on Waters' "Amused to death". The entire album but particularly "What God Wants, Part III". Happens to be my favourite solo as well.

Beers - Pär

otek

July 28th, 2010, 02:48 PM

Jeff Beck on Waters' "Amused to death". The entire album but particularly "What God Wants, Part III". Happens to be my favourite solo as well.

I agree with all of the above. Monster album, monster players.

otek

transistordaze

July 28th, 2010, 07:42 PM

The solo in "Hi HO Silver Lining" -Jeff Beck,
anything by Marc Bolan "Ride a white swan" especially
Dave Edmunds..:) of course
and many more in that vein....

Knastratt

July 28th, 2010, 07:54 PM

I agree with all of the above. Monster album, monster players.

otek

And I appraise your knees(?) for the suggestion of (not in this thread and really not related) "Gray pianos flying" by (R.I.P.) Shawn Lane. Listen to the part where the bass is doubling the harmony at 220 MPH after the initial solo! :headpalm:

I don't mind the dist sound either.

Rhum - Pär

transistordaze

July 28th, 2010, 09:18 PM

The secret of distortion is to keep it thin and dangerous sounding,
a lot of guitar distortion makes my ears tired....at least i get more paid coffee <ear) breaks:Coolio:

John Eppstein

July 28th, 2010, 11:56 PM

Anything by Ross The Boss - Dictators, Shakin' Street, Manowar, his present band, anything.

(Disclaimer: I used to be his guitar tech.......)

Don Roeser with Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper, Godzilla, lots o' other stuff.....

KungFuLio

July 29th, 2010, 12:35 AM

Heave Ho - Smash Mouth
Sharkey's Night (Live Version) - Laurie Anderson (Adrian Belew guitar)
Pillowcase Sail - McKinley (David Torn guitar)
Travels With Myself - And Someone Else - Bill Bruford (Alan Holdsworth Guitar)
Careful What You Wish For - Jonatha Brooke (Geoffrey Moore guitar... I think)
She Still Loves Him - Jellyfish

otek

July 29th, 2010, 03:13 AM

"Gray pianos flying" by (R.I.P.) Shawn Lane. Listen to the part where the bass is doubling the harmony at 220 MPH after the initial solo!

Oh believe me, I have. :headpalm:

Shawn Lane always had a rather peculiar tone, but nice all the same. Always on the kind of dark and bassy side for the distorted tones.

What freaks me out about his playing is the frightening sense of pitch and the sheer amount of detail in his vibrato and whammy bar work.

I think it's a shame he never sought outside production help, even during his Warner Brothers years when he ostensibly had some budget to throw at it. I would have loved to hear what a good producer like Andy Johns (whom he worked with) could have done with it. His guitars always sounded decent on the records but the productions as a whole were atrocious.

And apropos Gray Pianos:
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otek