Early Metallica is all 100W Marshall amplifiers. Master Of Puppets marks the introduction of Mesa as Preamps only, into 100W Marshall heads. On MOP, Kirk used a Mark IIC+, which is pretty much the equivalent of the Mesa Studio preamp, which he later used. Kirk also used, and still does, the ADA MP-1. And Justice For All marks the beginning of the All mesa tone. AJFA has the be the worst 'tallica tone ever. They were experimenting a lot though and refined their sound by the time they got to the Black Album.
The fourth title in the Metal Guitar Gods series presents 50 unique amp and cab settings modeled directly after the personal tones of four top metal players: Gus G. James Hetfield of Metallica's Guitar Gear.
For the black album, you need a 32 band eq and tweak the frequencies very carefully. Here's an exerpt from Wiki on Jame's gear: By 1990, along with the assistance of Bob Rock, Hetfield perfected the scooped-midrange studio tone that he had been seeking since 1983. He discovered that utilizing the midrange frequencies straight from a modified Marshall amplifier, layered over guitar tracks of his trusty Mesa/Boogie MarkIIC+ as well as the Mesa/Boogie MarkIV, plus an ADA MP-1 preamp and a Mesa/Boogie Strategy 400 poweramp, he would get a much thicker and richer tone. He enhanced the frequencies by enclosing his four Marshall 1960B speaker cabinets with foam walls and U-Haul blankets, and carefully phase-canceled particular frequencies with eight closely-positioned microphones and two ambient condenser microphones. That means a LOT of tracks through a lot of different amps. I wonder if the early sound used stock or modded Marshalls? Much discussion of the MOP sound has been made.
I remember reading that the enginner's notes on the recording of this album stated that 'a Mk IIC+ was 'slaved' into a Marshall power amp, and a parametic EQ was used to scoop out the mid frequencies.' I have a question about the ADA MP-I preamp. Can the output of the preamp go directly into the input of a head or do you have to use a power amp alone? Or, can the output go into the effects return on a head with a loop.
I agree with your opinion of the AJFA album tone. The tone is far too harsh.
Mesa makes great gear, but any amp can sound like crap if set wrong. I don't know much about these guys and there gear, but i do know that the black alblum was recorded using some marshall amps as well, my pal has a video of the making of that alblum and you see Kirk plugged into and old marshall head, also you see in the back ground a JMP1 and power amp in a rack along side a ADA mp1.
Its funny i was just having this converstion with a guy at my local music store and he likes the newer guitar sounds from these guys, and i say that the best guitar sounds from them is off RELOAD, not there most popular effort in terms of a alblum, but the guitars are huge and warm, i had to revisit some of this material after having this talk with my friend, and its a better group of work than it gets credit for imo! Load/Reload are fine examples of Metallica's work.
I'm a life-long fan and never figured out the dissension among the rank and file of Metallica fans over these albums. In my opinion, they absolutely ROCK! I think that's it though. These are the two albums where The Mighty Met decided to turn the mids up. Just listen to 'Ronnie' or 'Poor Twisted Me' from the Load album or 'Bad Seed' from Reload. While on 'Bad Seed' there's still a bit of scooping, it's still got the guts of serious mid's rock 'n roll.
I say, that they've weathered the storm of bullshit and somewhat placated the throng of naysayers. I saw them recently and they rocked heavier, with more heart, than they had in pretty much fifteen years or so. They no longer just go through the motions. Oh, and as far as the Metallica tone.
A pair of EMG 81's and my SL-X get me there, and when I need a change I grab for the 81/60 guitars. I really don't have the resources to replicate the Metallica sound through the decades so I go with what gets me there and drive on.
I am looking at a Mesa Tripple-Rec and cab in the distant future, however. Because, while it has nothing to do with Metallica or searching for that tone, I really love the Mesa sound. The Mesa sound that Godsmack gets is just plain gut churning, heavy. Load/Reload are fine examples of Metallica's work. I'm a life-long fan and never figured out the dissension among the rank and file of Metallica fans over these albums. In my opinion, they absolutely ROCK! I think that's it though.
These are the two albums where The Mighty Met decided to turn the mids up. Just listen to 'Ronnie' or 'Poor Twisted Me' from the Load album or 'Bad Seed' from Reload. While on 'Bad Seed' there's still a bit of scooping, it's still got the guts of serious mid's rock 'n roll. I say, that they've weathered the storm of bullshit and somewhat placated the throng of naysayers. I saw them recently and they rocked heavier, with more heart, than they had in pretty much fifteen years or so. They no longer just go through the motions. Oh, and as far as the Metallica tone.
A pair of EMG 81's and my SL-X get me there, and when I need a change I grab for the 81/60 guitars. I really don't have the resources to replicate the Metallica sound through the decades so I go with what gets me there and drive on.
I am looking at a Mesa Tripple-Rec and cab in the distant future, however. Because, while it has nothing to do with Metallica or searching for that tone, I really love the Mesa sound. The Mesa sound that Godsmack gets is just plain gut churning, heavy. Click to expand.Have you been talking to my wife? But that doesn't keep us from wanting one, does it? I think that the Mesa, while I have never really had one at home to run through its paces, has a tighter sound. Not that the SL-X is loose by any means, but there's something there in the Mesa that I like.
It could actually be the Mesa that I happened to be playing through at the time also. Maybe what I really need/want is a Mesa cab. Hmmmm, I think that may be it. I will have to test that theory. Have you been talking to my wife? But that doesn't keep us from wanting one, does it? I think that the Mesa, while I have never really had one at home to run through its paces, has a tighter sound.
Not that the SL-X is loose by any means, but there's something there in the Mesa that I like. It could actually be the Mesa that I happened to be playing through at the time also. Maybe what I really need/want is a Mesa cab. Hmmmm, I think that may be it.
I will have to test that theory. Have you been talking to my wife? But that doesn't keep us from wanting one, does it? I think that the Mesa, while I have never really had one at home to run through its paces, has a tighter sound. Not that the SL-X is loose by any means, but there's something there in the Mesa that I like. It could actually be the Mesa that I happened to be playing through at the time also. Maybe what I really need/want is a Mesa cab.
Hmmmm, I think that may be it. I will have to test that theory. Click to expand.And that's why after years of procrastinating I went and got me what I consider one of their crown jewels (I already have a Triple Recto) an early 90's dual channel Dual Recto solo head and the 4 x 12 half back with MC90's up top and EV23L's on the bottom, you know the one with the metal grill and you need a forklift to move the thing? ABY that with my VM2266 and it's Metallica, Godsmack, Alter Bridge, whoever I want it to sound like. I recently changed my home studio pedal lineup and have a Maxon AD999 Delay, A Digitech Hardwire Reverb, a Micro Pog Octaver, a modded DS-1 and a Tremonti Power Wah.
This is a dream setup for practice and at some point my gig rig will go on standby while I put this online, it's that good imo. Fwiw, the vintage DR kicks my Triple Rec's ass tone wise. It just has the IT factor for the Mesa tone.
And that's why after years of procrastinating I went and got me what I consider one of their crown jewels (I already have a Triple Recto) an early 90's dual channel Dual Recto solo head and the 4 x 12 half back with MC90's up top and EV23L's on the bottom, you know the one with the metal grill and you need a forklift to move the thing? ABY that with my VM2266 and it's Metallica, Godsmack, Alter Bridge, whoever I want it to sound like. I recently changed my home studio pedal lineup and have a Maxon AD999 Delay, A Digitech Hardwire Reverb, a Micro Pog Octaver, a modded DS-1 and a Tremonti Power Wah.
This is a dream setup for practice and at some point my gig rig will go on standby while I put this online, it's that good imo. Fwiw, the vintage DR kicks my Triple Rec's ass tone wise. It just has the IT factor for the Mesa tone.