Jeff Loomis Tone?

[FarBeyondMetal]

That being said, Loomis is Loomis. In his own words, he's a plug and play kind of guy. He manages to sound like Loomis through a wide variety of setups as long as some basic ingredients are there (tubescreamer, decent gain amp, etc.) His heavy handed and aggressive picking style, combined with EMG 707s, really contributes to his biting sound. Also, NEVER play on the neck pickup if you're Jeff, it's forbidden by his personal code .

Have you ever saw his promo vid for Zero Order Phase, where their is this street peformer outside a record store playing a Loomis through a shitty combo practice amp strumming some campfire chords, and Jeff walks out, grabs the guitar and shreds his balls off with some dimished runs? My point is that even though he's playing his sig, the tone he was getting outta that little amp sounded killer...because HE was playing

 

[Deathbringer769]

Yea, I've seen that video. Pretty funny actually, walks up and pwns that guitar from guy sitting there strumming. But yea man I agree, and I basically said the same thing. Loomis is Loomis, and he sounds like himself through anything. Granted he was playing his signature guitar with 707s so that helped a bit. The tone wasn't the same obviously since it was a crap little practice amp but the more ingredients added (gainy amp, tubescreamer, etc) the more it'll turn into his recorded tone.

 

[Metalus]

Jeff is a big fan of large amounts of gain. One interview i remember him saying he cranks the shit out of the gain and he doesnt give a fuck

 

[Harry]

The engineering and mix job on the solo album is an absolute joke compared to DHIADW and This Godless Endeavor (both Sneap productions/enginering jobs/mixes and masters IMHO. Definitely not a sound I'd want.
It sounds like a pre-production take or a demo. The mix is just so horribly unbalanced and weird sounding.

As far as DHIADW goes, it's EMG 707s into a Ibanez TS-9 into 4 tracks of Dual Recto into a Marshall 1960B 4X12 Cab with Celestion T-75s.
Unless I'm off, but I believe Arch Enemy's Doomsday Machine album had the same setup going as did This Godless Endeavor.
In which case it was a Maxon OD820 into Krank Rev1 into Krank cabinet into 57, OD820 into Mesa Racktifier into Mesa cabinet into 57.
The album has that Mesa Boogie cab sound to it, so I don't think that's far off at all.
If I were gonna go for a particular Loomis sound, those two albums are a better bet. Those tones slot into a mix much more nicely without having a weird mid range characteristic.

His tone has never been consistent and it's probably safe to say a 5150, Mesa Dual Recto, ENGL Savage or 5150III with a Mesa Cab would get you into the ballpark.
People will say playing with a lot of gain makes it easier to play........dead wrong.
That saturated, gainy sound Loomis, the Amott brothers from Arch Enemy etc use is a hard beast to tame. It's the kind of sound that will let you know whenever you mess up even slightly on your left hand muting and a super consistent right hand is required to keep it under control.
However, if you can tame the beast, the reward is some seriously sexy, full sounding palm mutes and a level of sustain you just can't get from lesser amounts of gain.

 

[Gryphon]

Zero Order Phase was ENGL SE and Axe FX

 

[Gryphon]

How is the neck on a Loomis?? from what im reading its a big brute of a neck which is kinda worrying as while i dont have small hands at all i have the weird combination of a big palm and shorter fingers, middle finger is maybe only 3.5inches long would i be better with something like a Universe??

In normal circumstances i would just walk in and try the Loomis but due to rarity in these parts it'l have to be an online purchase im afraid.

It is shaped different, it's a thin U profile according to Schecter but it's still kind of thick since it's a 7 string. Quite honestly, I have the Loomis NT and the thing basically plays itself. My middle finger is 3.25" and I have zero problems with it.

 

[Harry]

Zero Order Phase was ENGL SE and Axe FX

Any sources to confirm this?
Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product

 

[Gryphon]

Any sources to confirm this?
Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product

Yea I've been looking for where I originally read it. I remember reading a quote where Jeff said the Engl and "something else" and a separate source saying it was the Axe-FX.


EDIT: Found this
http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/jeff-loomis/1513
"I used the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx for most of the clean sounds and effected tones that were on the record. It’s an awesome unit."

But I believe he's referring to The Obsidian Conspiracy

 

[Konfyouzd]

I thought this was all guitar players that give a shit about what they sound like?

It's kinda like how if you have a hat on and someone takes it off your head suddenly, even if they were to place it EXACTLY the way you had it on, you'll still adjust it afterwards.

 

[Konfyouzd]

Any sources to confirm this?
Can't imagine Loomis actually agreeing to use amp modeling on a final product

How exactly does that work? Bc I've seen Broderick use an ENGL head and AxeFX (simultaneously) through a physical cab.

 

[Harry]

Yea I've been looking for where I originally read it. I remember reading a quote where Jeff said the Engl and "something else" and a separate source saying it was the Axe-FX.


EDIT: Found this
GuitarPlayer: Jeff Loomis
"I used the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx for most of the clean sounds and effected tones that were on the record. It’s an awesome unit."

But I believe he's referring to The Obsidian Conspiracy

The album was tracked with 2 tracks of 5150 and 2 tracks of ENGL for the distorted guitar.
And the 2 tracks of ENGL never ended up making the final cut anyway, as Sneap himself confirmed he re-amped those 2 tracks with a 5150 anyway, so really it's 4 tracks of 5150 you're hearing.
However, the clean tracks being the Axe FX is believable for since Sneap only mixed the album , and probably wouldn't have bothered reamping the clean tracks.

How exactly does that work? Bc I've seen Broderick use an ENGL head and AxeFX (simultaneously) through a physical cab.

Live situation =/ studio situation.
It's common in a studio situation for guitarists and bassists to be using amps and cabs they don't use/don't normally use live.

Let's be real here, if you got to work with a guy like Andy Sneap, chances are you're going to want to use the amps he has in his studio, rather than bringing in an Axe FX and telling him to dial some shit in.
In general, almost of the top level engineers in any kind of heavy guitar based music are going to be using real amps, pedals, cabs and mics.

 

[Cmv120]

The secret to his tone is the small little box

I lol'd..... very hard.

 

[Mwoit]

No i live in Glasgow and the guitar shops around here are limited, at least the ones i have knowledge of. Its a bit of a pain to be honest lol. Yeah now that you mention it you notice when he slows his riffs down for videos n stuff it never sounds the same as when he goes crazy and starts playing about 15 notes a second furiously! lol. Tho having the same equipment is a start then its just a matter of progression (over the years) i guess till i can attain some sort of similar standard lol.

How big is the neck compared to say a Universe? Is it much wider or just more fuller thicker feeling?

Have you checked out Merchant City music? I bought my Loomis C-7NT from there.

 

[Mcneilio190]

Nah I haven't seen this shop mate, my friend told me guiatrguitar stocks a wide variety of axe's tho so was planning to check ou there this Saturday and hopefully get a feel for a guitar. Where abouts is the merchant city one located anyways? I know merchant city well just the location of te shop is eluding me haha! Defo want to get a feel for both the Loomis and a UV, if I could find a guitar that was capable of both Loomis and Vai tones I'd be a happy man! lol. Don't mind if I have to alternate between pickups or anything like that, not sure if a guitar with passive can be converted to actives tho. Thanks again

 

[Captain Shoggoth]

No i live in Glasgow and the guitar shops around here are limited, at least the ones i have knowledge of. Its a bit of a pain to be honest lol. Yeah now that you mention it you notice when he slows his riffs down for videos n stuff it never sounds the same as when he goes crazy and starts playing about 15 notes a second furiously! lol. Tho having the same equipment is a start then its just a matter of progression (over the years) i guess till i can attain some sort of similar standard lol.

How big is the neck compared to say a Universe? Is it much wider or just more fuller thicker feeling?

I've played a few C-7s that should hypothetically have the same neck profile.

I've never played a UV but I'm fifteen and don't have especially gigantic hands (though some of my friends may disagree) and I was shredding all of the C-7s I've tried within minutes.

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

The engineering and mix job on the solo album is an absolute joke compared to DHIADW and This Godless Endeavor (both Sneap productions/enginering jobs/mixes and masters IMHO. Definitely not a sound I'd want.
It sounds like a pre-production take or a demo. The mix is just so horribly unbalanced and weird sounding.

What (specifically) do you think is so weird/bad about the mixing/production on that disk?
I think it sounds great. These are just opinions, I'm not trying to start a big flame war (or even a small one) but I'd like you to explain what you mean a bit more.

 

[ThePinealGland]

A lot of the information in this thread is wrong.

Yes, Loomis owns an Axe-FX... but that doesn't mean he's using it for amp tones live or on album. I think he mostly just uses it at home to practice through.

Also, he isn't with Engl anymore. I think at various different points he used the invader, savage, and SE, but none of them now. He's with Fender now, using the EVH 5150 III head. He really liked what he heard of the 5150 III and Fender sent him one to try out. He was allowed to keep it if he signed a new endorsement deal with them... and that's what happened. He's used various cabs throughout his career. I'm not sure what he's using now, but at one time he tried out a whole bunch of cabs and said his favorite was a Mesa 4x12... which was also the cab used on This Godless Endeavor, and it's a perfect match for a 5150 or 5150 III.

Also, neither the guitar tone or overall mix on Zero Order Phase is even close to being as good as on any of the last 3 Nevermore albums. Drums sounded more like a demo than a pro release, and the guitar tone is really muffled and dark.... nothing like the extremely clear, aggressive tones on DHIADW or TGE (my favorite Loomis guitar tone).

Expect to most likely hear the 5150 III and/or a 5150 on the new album... and it will for sure be boosted with a tubescreamer, either the maxon od-820 or the maxon od-808. maybe the axe-fx will be used for cleans, but it most definitely won't be used for any of the distorted tones, because the guy producing it is a big Andy Sneap fan, and thus also a big fan of using real amps.

 

[Mwoit]

Nah I haven't seen this shop mate, my friend told me guiatrguitar stocks a wide variety of axe's tho so was planning to check ou there this Saturday and hopefully get a feel for a guitar. Where abouts is the merchant city one located anyways? I know merchant city well just the location of te shop is eluding me haha! Defo want to get a feel for both the Loomis and a UV, if I could find a guitar that was capable of both Loomis and Vai tones I'd be a happy man! lol. Don't mind if I have to alternate between pickups or anything like that, not sure if a guitar with passive can be converted to actives tho. Thanks again

I've sent a PM regarding where the shops are so I'm not clogging up the thread!

Regarding the Loomis, I feel it has a slightly thinner neck profile than typical C-7 guitars, mainly due to the satin neck.