Big amps still used by the pros - what do we know

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ZEN Amps said:
From my experience as a studio nerd what players use live, and what they say was used on a recording are often wildly different.

Many players bring in old favourites, or end up using what the studio has laying about, or what the producer brings in. It's even quite common for a player to not be aware of what was used in the mix, especially if there are multiple amps used / blended or there's reamping involved. This is part of the reason chasing recorded tone is a bottomless pit. Even if you did know what amp was used, there's dozens of other variable between it and the sound hitting your earholes.

After that little rant, I saw the Living End play recently - what a band. Chris was rocking a Wizard MC50 and some blonde Bassmans. Incredible tone.
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Chris is so good
 
ZEN Amps said:
From my experience as a studio nerd what players use live, and what they say was used on a recording are often wildly different.

Many players bring in old favourites, or end up using what the studio has laying about, or what the producer brings in. It's even quite common for a player to not be aware of what was used in the mix, especially if there are multiple amps used / blended or there's reamping involved. This is part of the reason chasing recorded tone is a bottomless pit. Even if you did know what amp was used, there's dozens of other variable between it and the sound hitting your earholes.

After that little rant, I saw the Living End play recently - what a band. Chris was rocking a Wizard MC50 and some blonde Bassmans. Incredible tone.
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I thought that band was known for using Wizard's. Seems a bunch of Aussie bands use them
 
VESmedic said:
Yea so anyways…just so we are clear, you know jack shit about any record ever made or have never seen one made, correct? Cool, got it. Please stay in your lane of things you know about, which im not sure is anything relevant to this thread at all at this point.

you didn’t rain on my 5150 parade, you just say dumbass shit that literally makes no sense, or have no factual evidence to back up your claims. “It’s not debatable”…. Yet, everyone here made you look like a moron with that statement. Because clearly, once again, you have no clue what you’re talking about. The iconic kicks ass though, I’ll definitely agree with you on that. WAY better than the mark III used on the black album.
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Yea anyways, just so we are clear, you come in all in flames defending your beloved 5153 like it's your little boyfriend, and then, like clockwork you bring up 'the C+' while shouting as loud as you can about 'the C+'.....sorry little girl, but it's pretty damn obvious the C+ owns your ass with any and every post here. All you can do is obsess and obsess about "BBBut no one no one no one EVAR records with one" while, of course, the FACTS are that the C+ has been on more actual RECORDS SOLD between Metallica, Night Ranger, and Dream Theater than ALL the 'metulzz' bands like Cannibalpussycockswat or Eatmydeaddogsdick and whatever tiny ass unknown 'metulzz' bands that used the studio's 5153s on their records. So, in simple terms, more people ON THE WHOLE PLANET have heard a C+ on a record than have heard a 5153.
Because, and I'll say it simply, the C+ bands I mentioned SOLD WAY MORE RECORDS than ALL the bands that EVAR used a 5150, on ANYTHING.

So, even though the albums recorded with a C+ are far fewer, more people have actually heard a C+....vs a 5150. And, it's not close.

And, to be even more clear, I never said the 5153s are not a good sounding amp; nor did I say the DSLs are not a good sounding amp. They are good sounding. I just prefer about 100 other amps, to them.
 
In the 3 bands I’ve seen this year, one used 5153, another a Marshall DSL variant, and another an AxeFXIII. The DSL (Nuno) sounded the best. Axe was the worst.
 
novosibir said:
The circuitry of the 5150 is based on that of the SLO100, as well as that of the MB Rectifier, the Framus Cobra and many more...
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Never got the slo hype.

The revisions seem like improved versions to my ear for good metal tones. By revisions I mean things "based" on them.
 
Racerxrated said:
Yea anyways, just so we are clear, you come in all in flames defending your beloved 5153 like it's your little boyfriend, and then, like clockwork you bring up 'the C+' while shouting as loud as you can about 'the C+'.....sorry little girl, but it's pretty damn obvious the C+ owns your ass with any and every post here. All you can do is obsess and obsess about "BBBut no one no one no one EVAR records with one" while, of course, the FACTS are that the C+ has been on more actual RECORDS SOLD between Metallica, Night Ranger, and Dream Theater than ALL the 'metulzz' bands like Cannibalpussycockswat or Eatmydeaddogsdick and whatever tiny ass unknown 'metulzz' bands that used the studio's 5153s on their records. So, in simple terms, more people ON THE WHOLE PLANET have heard a C+ on a record than have heard a 5153.
Because, and I'll say it simply, the C+ bands I mentioned SOLD WAY MORE RECORDS than ALL the bands that EVAR used a 5150, on ANYTHING.

So, even though the albums recorded with a C+ are far fewer, more people have actually heard a C+....vs a 5150. And, it's not close.

And, to be even more clear, I never said the 5153s are not a good sounding amp; nor did I say the DSLs are not a good sounding amp. They are good sounding. I just prefer about 100 other amps, to them.
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I disagree. More people have heard a mark III, because that’s what was used on the black album. The 2c+? Mmmm probably not, as it’s always mixed with something else because it’s so soft sounding. But the III? Like on the album? Now that’s an amp!
 
ZEN Amps said:
Many players bring in old favourites, or end up using what the studio has laying about, or what the producer brings in. It's even quite common for a player to not be aware of what was used in the mix, especially if there are multiple amps used / blended or there's reamping involved. This is part of the reason chasing recorded tone is a bottomless pit. Even if you did know what amp was used, there's dozens of other variable between it and the sound hitting your earholes.
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lol. I can confirm that. Most of the time, I don't know which takes, with which amps, ended up in the final mix. I've never done more than small time indie stuff, so limited time/budget.....but still, we'd do a guide track with some kind of direct deal, then record a few takes on a couple of amps for each tune. By the time everything gets EQ'd, any effects, mixed, and mastered, I really couldn't tell you what the actual used guitar tracks where recorded with. I've never once bothered trying to recreate recorded tone with a live amp. It's always seemed pointless/impossible to me.
 
Steve Stevens, with Billy Idol, a few months back, was using his signature Friedman amp.
Paul Gilbert, with Mr.Big, was using Marshall half-stacks.
 
Catthan said:
Always curious to know which of the rigs that forum-folk tend to talk about, buy or obsess over are still used on records, tours etc.
Ideally within the last 5-10 years, i.e. not the 90s when the XTCs, SLOs, CAAs etc were considered 'contemporary'.

45-50W or more, not talking princetons etc. Big and gainy

I'll start with what I know/ saw about amps that interest me:
Boogie Mark: Petrucci.. I've seen some old ones in social posts from the recent recordings.
Bogner Helios: Luke and Evergrey dude
Bogner Uber: other Evergrey dude
5150: Andy Sneap, Priest
Gower Rock Monster mod: Andy Sneap
Mezzabarba: John Norum, Mario Sfoggli, Eric Steckel
Folkenson mod: Kee Marcello
Hermanson mod: Meshuga dude?
Jube: JoBo
Engl: Steve Morse, new Deep Purple dude
Wizard: Richie Faulkner, Priest
Bogner XTC: Andre Nieri
Victory Kraken: Rabea
CAA/ Suhr: Reb Beach
Bogner Shiva: Justin Derrico (AFAIK studio use nowadays)

Soldano??
Recto??
Friedman??

what else?
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Paul Stanley's been using Engl Artist Edition 100 for the last several years. Tommy Thayer's been using his H&K sig for many years.
 
rstites said:
lol. I can confirm that. Most of the time, I don't know which takes, with which amps, ended up in the final mix. I've never done more than small time indie stuff, so limited time/budget.....but still, we'd do a guide track with some kind of direct deal, then record a few takes on a couple of amps for each tune. By the time everything gets EQ'd, any effects, mixed, and mastered, I really couldn't tell you what the actual used guitar tracks where recorded with. I've never once bothered trying to recreate recorded tone with a live amp. It's always seemed pointless/impossible to me.
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I feel like this is possibly a strong point to be made about modelers for capturing perfect tone and displaying it live perhaps.
 
Very pleased and happy with my JP-2C.


Petrucci brought his Mesa collection (with a few 2c+) to the studio for their current album:


No photo description available.


 
ChuggNorris said:
I feel like this is possibly a strong point to be made about modelers for capturing perfect tone and displaying it live perhaps.
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I don't have anything against modelers, but I also have never used one outside the studio for some tracks. They were still in their infancy when I was last playing in bands, and their feel wasn't there.....but I'm sure more modern ones have improved overall. I'll be honest, I never tried to match tones. It seemed pointless. The studio is it's own place, and live is a different place. They're different environments requiring different tools. (I don't even tend to play the same guitars in them.)
 
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Catthan said:
my impression is that 5153s are very common in heavy music studios.
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DanTravis62 said:
It most certainly can, especially the mainstream deathcore Killswitch Engage/Lamb of God etc bands

They literally all use a variation of the 5150 of some kind
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Never knew lamb of god to use em...

Always been mark tones there.
Their music, and sound to me. Absolutely screams "I'm not a 5150".

Lamb of god, I'd never label them death core. That's like, thrash core if it's going to be categorized.

Their tone is to me, the example of how modern and nasty a MKiv can sound in a 2 guitar band, always been some of the absolutely best live tone also. That clear mid grind, never too harsh, just so much grinding mids!!

Anyway, lamb of god... one of my early influences. Great shit.

And of course killswitch, that's definitely the recorded 5150/808 vibe and it's noticeable. Dragon, cobra, that dude used alot of stuff, but it was usually layered with a 5150 of some type.

Machine head is THE modern 5150 tone. That's real modern. Not the bullsbit clackity clack tin can tone they calling modern now. For sure, to me those are still modern tones. And dine more tastefully. 👌
 
Caliban
They said they used layered 5150 & jcm800 for the heavy juicy thick tones on:



I mean it's a huge guitar sound, I like alot of their material.
 
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