Help me perfect my setup?

[Cogito]

So, I've become quite bored with my setup recently:
Peavey 6505+ stock everything
5150 cab stock
Jackson DKMG with 81/85's
Boss NS-2 gate
A Bloody Murder as a boost (in transit to me)

First I'll let you guys know what I'm after...
I play progressive death metal..Veil of Maya, The Faceless,
Beneath the Massacre, Those Who Lie Beneath...so on and so fourth.
So I'm looking for a chunky, articulate sound

So I would love suggestion...I've heard adding a
compressor/sustainer will spice my sound up?
Maybe a change in pickups?

any tips would be appreciated

 

[ZXIIIT]

6550/KT88 tubes
Better cabinet (V30s/G12K-100 or both in X pattern)
A mahogany bodied guitar with passive pickups (I like actives but seem to be preferring passives lately)
ISP Decimator (from my experience with a NS-2, the NS-2 sucked my tone)

Sounds like a awesome setup aside from that in my opinion, what part has you bored?

 

[Leuchty]

6550/KT88 tubes
Better cabinet (V30s/G12K-100 or both in X pattern)
A mahogany bodied guitar with passive pickups (I like actives but seem to be preferring passives lately)
ISP Decimator (from my experience with a NS-2, the NS-2 sucked my tone)

Sounds like a awesome setup aside from that in my opinion, what part has you bored?

+1

 

[warlock7strEMG]

your cab is probably the main reason you are bored with your tone. 5150/6505 cabs sound pretty good but arent particularly the best for heavy stuff, theyre a bit dull and lack articulation in comparison to alot of other cabs. get a cab with V30's (used Mesa or Orange or an Avatar Comtemporary) and your tone will really come to life.

as for everything else, i wouldnt bother changing anything. youve got a badass setup that ll easily get you the type of tones you are looking for, especially once you get the Bloody Murder. only other thing i would consider changing would be the NS-2, i personally prefer the ISP Decimator. the ISP has better signal tracking, so it cuts noise and feedback without noticeably altering your tone.

 

[Galius]

im rocking the 6505+, ISP decimator, Bloody Murder, and a Vader cab.....everyone that hears it says

 

[Cogito]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I guess the only reason I'm bored is because I've basically had the same setup for about 2 years. the other guitarist I jam with have an ENGL Fireball, Decimator pro-rack and boosts with a TS9 and i get soo damn jealous of the tone when I play through his gear haha

Now that I think of it..its about time for a new set of tubes. So a set of 6550/KT88's help tone considerably? (I'm a t00b-n00b) but you guys confirmed my thoughts of investing in a Decimator, and a new cab setup.

 

[Cogito]

I had my eye on a vader 2x12 floatin around here...would I be at risk of being at the back of the mix if I went the way?

 

[Larrikin666]

You'll never get buried against a Fireball 100. The 6505+ buries pretty much any amp put next to it in a mix. I learned that the hard way with the Fireball.

 

[Forced Chaos]

6550/KT88 tubes
Better cabinet (V30s/G12K-100 or both in X pattern)
A mahogany bodied guitar with passive pickups (I like actives but seem to be preferring passives lately)
ISP Decimator (from my experience with a NS-2, the NS-2 sucked my tone)

Sounds like a awesome setup aside from that in my opinion, what part has you bored?

This is all good advice except you can't run KT88's in the amp without getting it modding. In stock form the only tubes the amp can run is 6L6's. But yeah a quality cab is a must....really for any good tube head. Have you tried clean boosting your rhythm channel with an overdrive? Sick tones that way for sures. Good luck.

 

[Leuchty]

Isn't it possible to run 2 KT?? and 2 6L6's at a time?

 

[ZXIIIT]

This is all good advice except you can't run KT88's in the amp without getting it modding. In stock form the only tubes the amp can run is 6L6's. But yeah a quality cab is a must....really for any good tube head. Have you tried clean boosting your rhythm channel with an overdrive? Sick tones that way for sures. Good luck.

Modded 6505+ =

6550 tubes will bring out the low end and make your sound huge.

 

[JPhoenix19]

I'd recommend changing the speakers in your cab first. As previously stated, Vintage 30's or G12K-100's are a great choice. I can personally attest that G12K-100's are great speakers for the 5150/6505's, and they are what I'd recommend for you. I think this will have the greatest positive effect on your tone. Whatever speakers you choose, drop 'em in your cab- then look at changing tubes.

 

[getaway_fromme]

Change the cab, then get some SD blackouts. Way more roar in the mids. For me, anyway...

 

[sentagoda]

Cab - Vader / Mesa
Isp Decimator
BBE sonic maximizer

Solved.

 

[budda]

what are your settings?

crunch channel, gain at 6, 6/4/6 bass/mid/treb, post at 4, boost it drive at 1 tone at 5 level at 8 (out of 10).

Giv'r hell.

 

[Forced Chaos]

Isn't it possible to run 2 KT?? and 2 6L6's at a time?

I've heard that before from Bob over at Eurotubes but I personally wouldn't trust it with my amp. The head was not designed to run an integrated quad. It's fixed bias so the only way I would explore that idea is to talk to an amp tech first to see what would have to be swapped out and if the transformers will handle it.