Huge palm mute sound

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Sam Laming

Sam Laming

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Hey guys, just posted this in the amp forum and realised this'd probally be a better place to post it...

I'm trying to get a sound doing palm mutes, the main thing I want is the 'scorchingness' of it, if that makes sence to anyone

I hope that made sence. This song's called An Autopsy:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=3533294

At about 2:2 demonstrates the sound, it just sounds like gain is on 11 but I try it on my Herbert and it doesn't cut, Herbert can't do this sound?
 
I would think the Herbert can get there. Gain isn't the issue w/ the Herbie, but what I think your experiencing is the Herbert starts compressing and getting too squishy when the gain gets too high. A couple of things to try out:

-Boost the front end of the amp or slap an eq pedal in the front, which will allow you to boost the gain and the mids so it'll cut more.

-Try some EMG pickups. People either love 'em or hate 'em, but they will definately help give you a cutting tone. They are very tight, have a very apparent boost in the mids, and the low end does not flub. With my Herbert I noticed the mids didn't squish out with the EMGs as compared to my guitar without them.
 
Yeah, I like EMG pickups for distortion :) haven't had the chance to play loads with them unfortunatley.

Thanks for your responce.

Any recommendations for the best EQ pedals?
 
With eq pedals you really have a lot of options. The Boss 7 band eq (GE-7 I believe) has served well numerous times. I've used them in the loop without any noise or problems, but I've heard they may have hiss if you put in the front end. There's a mod to quiet any hiss, but I forget what it's called. If you search The Gear Page you'll find it. Who knows just putting it in the loop may get what you want. You could probably find one used and get the mod and it would be really cost effective. You could also find an old Boss PQ-4 parametric eq pedal. I haven't had experiece with, but heard good things about the Barber Pedals aswell.

Frank
 
What kind of guitar are you using? That can really make a huge difference in palm muting. The 3 LP's I have and singlecut PRS offer WAY more in that department then other guitars I have tried with the same amp set up I use. To me, if it isn't a guitar with a large/dense body and humbuckers then it's going to be hard to get a really crushing palm mute....

I tried to check out the link you offered to see the music sample but it isn't working for me...I would love to hear it....
 
Link edited sorry and I'm using an old Ic300 Iceman (2 hums) and more so using my RG2077XL 7 string (2 hums + single coil).

Any other EQ pedal recommendations? how much are they roughly?
 
Wow....that's songs pretty badass in a face ripping extreme metal way! That palm mute does sound great, I think a lot of what is adding to that is the bass beneath it then of course the "hip hop bass" hits that shortly follow. I do hear the "scorchingness" you are refering too but am too new with my herbert to exactly figure out how to dial that in....I couldn't however see the herb not being able to do that sound. Do you know what amps The Faceless record with? I would love to know....sounds like a Framus Cobra to me...
 
I don't acctually but I've mailed them before about their amazing drum production (I play drums to and looooooove their sound) and they replied something like 'studio effects baby!' or something to that effect.

Pestilence is awesome too, after the silence the tremolo picking riff \m/ love this band, need to buy the album.
 
Thats an actual drummer that did that?? It sounds to me EXACTLY like a kit from Drumkit From Hell. Same stuff Meshuggah uses and a ton of other bands. That last time I was in the studio our producer told us it's what pretty much every single metal band uses to do their drums with nowadays.
 
Nice tone! Reminds me of Fear Factory's tone from Demanufacture. I've heard Splawn Competition clips posted that sound like they are in the same realm as that.
 
Yeah man, one of Nile's guitarists I think has been seen using a Splawn before and they have a fucking siiiiick tone, Drop A :beardbang:
 
:|::QBB:
Sam Laming":8bbb7 said:
Link edited sorry and I'm using an old Ic300 Iceman (2 hums) and more so using my RG2077XL 7 string (2 hums + single coil).

Any other EQ pedal recommendations? how much are they roughly?
Click to expand...

You don't need a pedal, just change your pickups.

I had the IC300 and it has standard muddy pickups.
Get a EMG, althoug i think they are lifeless, or get a Seymour Duncan JB.
The JB is very responsive and bright, excellent palmmute pickup.
 
My 7 strings pickups are fine and it's not getting what I want... I'm totally aware the Iceman's stock pickups are junk.

Anyone else agree with what's been said above about the JB?
 
Alot of people like the JB, and while it's a good pickup it's not my first choice. I ditched a JB to go with a Distortion in one of guitars and it made a huge difference. It's clear too, but hotter and more powerful than the JB. Check out the clips on the seymour duncan website. Personally I would give the EMGs a shot first, but if you have to go passive I'd try the Duncan Distortion. Or if you feel like breaking the bank you could always checkout Bare Knuckle pickups, I hear they can really bring the hurt :gethim:
 
I do not like the JB. To me it sounds like the guitar would have been played with a pick made of glass or something. It has a strange spiky sound (upper midds) which you just cannot dial out. OK sound if you use über-scoop sounds, but then again you are on the mud-zone.

I used to have EMGs (707 and 81-7) in my guitar, but I just couldn't get the sound I was after from them. They sounded like a sack full of bees. Very plastic-like sound - Unmusical and lacked in personality.

For last three or so years I have been using Lundgren M7 in bridge and I couldn't be happier. Percussive and really punchy sound. Responds very well to picking and volume pot fiddle. I love the palm mute sound of this pickup. I am going to have M8 on my 8-string, which should already prove that the bass responce is not muddy at all, but still remains huge.

Bare Knuckle pickups are flaming great as well (at least the 6-sting ones. Are there also 7s available?).

Have you experimented with different PM techniques? By the PM techniques I mean how hard and from where you press/mute the strings?
Sometimes when I want to get really tight and agressive sound I PM rather hardly and "far" from the bridge. That way I am able to get really agressive and percussive sound which truly cuts through. I use this kind of PM especially if I am playing something like Fear Factory (i.e. Shock).
Works well with both, actives (at least with EMGs) and passives.

Also, do not expect to be able to get heavy tone if you are just gently touching the strings. Sometimes guitar needs to be employed as a percussion instrument.

Like already about million purist guitarists have stated: "The sound comes from your hands and fingers - The rest is just crap to disquise that one is not able to play well".
However, in contradiction to the statement, I am helpless gearhead, but still find that sentence to be the essence of all playing.

Anyhow, it is again the notorious question of personal preferences, thus none should begin to crucify me because I did not like their pickups or something. It seems that this is a major problem in all forums - people just take everyting too seriously and parsonally.

All the best
 
What a brilliant post :) thanks man! I've never really been able to try out many pickups, no one around here has much except the odd EMGs, other then that you have to order some and I've been trying to save money recently :( but I'll bear your recommendations in mind!

I've tried different p.m techniques as you said but I didn't think about the pick attack which obviously would have a great effect so I'll try that too.

Who's making your 8 string?/I'd be very interested in pictures, I dream of getting an 8 string.
 
As already briefly mentioned in some other thread, Im waiting for Blackmachine 884. I ordered it about 6 months ago and I should get it in fall or so - I hope. Thus, unfortunately I do not have any pictures yet.

Technique is an essence. You can play the very same riff or lick with different techniques and that way make it sound absolutely different. Somehow I try to feel the riff. If it is Nile or Cannibal Corpse, etc. it should be played like slaughtering your guitar. If it is blues the touch and feeling transposed should be more "blue" than when playing Slayer or Meshuggah.

Of course on should not over exaggerate. Everything should stay under control.
 
Yeah man, thought it might be a Blackmachine, just your from Finland so I thought maybe not...

Let us know when you get that beast! Doug's a great guy, I was lucky enough to talk to him when I tried out the Diezels.

Thanks for your posts. :)
 
haha Yes mate! :D I borrowed it off my mate once but need to buy it, fucking brilliant production and a great album, loads of fucked up timing rather fast stuff going on.
 
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