Unpopular opinions on gear

[Spaced Out Ace]

i do the same. 9/10 the higher I turn mids, the more some weird boxy/low mid shit gets added that muddies up the sound

I normally either keep mids at noon or lower them

I think there should be 2 or 3 mid knobs on an amp in addition to the low/high and pres/depth knobs. The 4/5 EQ knobs should have what frequency they are. For example: 350Hz, 500Hz, 800Hz, 1.2kHz, and 3.3kHz.

 

[spudmunkey]

So far, i've hated every boutiuque, thick-bodied picks/plectrums. i've got one more in-coming in a few weeks to give it one last try, but after 4 different ones, over the course of several months using each one exclusively for at least a full week, i just don't gel with any of them. it could very well just be what I'm used to after 30 years of guitar with 'normal' picks.

 

[lewis]

I think there should be 2 or 3 mid knobs on an amp in addition to the low/high and pres/depth knobs. The 4/5 EQ knobs should have what frequency they are. For example: 350Hz, 500Hz, 800Hz, 1.2kHz, and 3.3kHz.

that really would be excellent!

Thats actually one of the reasons Im really enjoying my recent turn to playing Bass instead because it tends to be that my Darkglass stuff and wish list, all include proper EQ options rather than just one single mid sweep knob like an Amp would.

My first pedal is the X Ultra and it is incredible.

 

[TedEH]

Guitars don't sound like guitars anymore.

I honestly think this is more because of modellers, IRs and heavy processing than it is just "mids". I can mid-scoop the bajeezus out of my real amp, or have all the nasally honking mids I want, and it still sounds like a guitar as long as you don't drown it in ungodly amounts of gain.

There's only so much variety you're going to get out of variations of boosted-5150-esque model, plus the ownhammer IRs, compressed and gated to oblivion, sitting on top of midi bass and a drum machine.

 

[Necky379]

Is the "djent tone" now that garbage ultra-spanky clean sound guys use? I can't even remember the bands name cuz they're so bad, but it sounds like a VST from 1999. Outrageously horrible tone.

It varies but yeah, that’s how I hear it. When I dialed it in on my POD XT it was Big Bottom, gain low, mids and lows basically maxed and then pull out the lows and 400 hz stuff with a GE-7 upfront. Add in 1.6k as if the POD high mids aren’t harsh enough, gate aggressively and you’re there.

That’s the old way at least. I was never interested enough to keep up with the genre. Even Meshuggah seems to be getting away from that sound.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I honestly think this is more because of modellers, IRs and heavy processing than it is just "mids". I can mid-scoop the bajeezus out of my real amp, or have all the nasally honking mids I want, and it still sounds like a guitar as long as you don't drown it in ungodly amounts of gain.

There's only so much variety you're going to get out of variations of boosted-5150-esque model, plus the ownhammer IRs, compressed and gated to oblivion, sitting on top of midi bass and a drum machine.

Yeah, that's going to sound like a dog smeared its ass juice all over the rug no matter how you slice it.

 

[Emperoff]

"Perfect tone doesnt exi......

I almost fell off my chair when I read the first comment after the distorted part

I think there should be 2 or 3 mid knobs on an amp in addition to the low/high and pres/depth knobs. The 4/5 EQ knobs should have what frequency they are. For example: 350Hz, 500Hz, 800Hz, 1.2kHz, and 3.3kHz.

The ENGL E530 preamp has two midrange controls plus the contour switch. Which is pretty nice.

Is the "djent tone" now that garbage ultra-spanky clean sound guys use? I can't even remember the bands name cuz they're so bad, but it sounds like a VST from 1999. Outrageously horrible tone.

This band popped right after the video @lewis posted. Not sure if it was the one you meant but the tone of the tattoed guy is the most horrid one I've ever heard, which also matches your description.

 

[jco5055]

So far, i've hated every boutiuque, thick-bodied picks/plectrums. i've got one more in-coming in a few weeks to give it one last try, but after 4 different ones, over the course of several months using each one exclusively for at least a full week, i just don't gel with any of them. it could very well just be what I'm used to after 30 years of guitar with 'normal' picks.

How thick are we talking? I've bought all the same kind of picks, and I've found my sweet spot is like 3.25mm or so. Just food for thought if you've only had the normal 2.0 or less mm and then the like 6mm+.

 

[TedEH]

I think there should be 2 or 3 mid knobs on an amp in addition to the low/high and pres/depth knobs. The 4/5 EQ knobs should have what frequency they are. For example: 350Hz, 500Hz, 800Hz, 1.2kHz, and 3.3kHz.

So basically they should just build every amp with a Mesa-style 5-band.

 

[TedEH]

Oh, we're including picks in this thread?

Thin picks all the way. 1mm and more picks feel like I'm scraping a brick across the top of the guitar. I use usually somewhere between .6 and .7.

 

[lewis]

Oh, we're including picks in this thread?

Thin picks all the way. 1mm and more picks feel like I'm scraping a brick across the top of the guitar. I use usually somewhere between .6 and .7.

im a convert after trying 0.68s for my bass

 

[sakeido]

This band popped right after the video @lewis posted. Not sure if it was the one you meant but the tone of the tattoed guy is the most horrid one I've ever heard, which also matches your description.

Yes those guys! God they sound so, soooooo bad

it's like they fed a bunch of poor quality vinyl records of Stratocasters playing through Fender Twins to a shitty machine learning algorithm or something. If they wanted to sound spanky, why didn't they just... play maple board, single coils Strats through Fender amps? They'd still be unlistenable but at least it wouldn't be so offensive

 

[Nanker Phelge]

Flying V's are not guitars. They're jokes

I actually have come to the conclusion that Flying Vs are my ultimate guitar (when they aren't neck heavy).
Great tone
Awesome upper-fret access
No trem
Lightweight
Knobs out of the way
Wide, flat neck
and they look killer

Plus, many of my heroes play/played them: James Hetfield, Michael Amott, Brent Hinds...etc


If I could afford a Gibby I'd be playing one now.

 

[lewis]

Yes those guys! God they sound so, soooooo bad

it's like they fed a bunch of poor quality vinyl records of Stratocasters playing through Fender Twins to a shitty machine learning algorithm or something. If they wanted to sound spanky, why didn't they just... play maple board, single coils Strats through Fender amps? They'd still be unlistenable but at least it wouldn't be so offensive

I love modern metal and even I agree. Those guys are shit haha
Its like someone plugged their guitar into a sega haha

 

[oneblackened]

Clarity is overrated. As long as the guitar is reasonably decipherable, it doesn't matter.

 

[Shask]

Yes those guys! God they sound so, soooooo bad

it's like they fed a bunch of poor quality vinyl records of Stratocasters playing through Fender Twins to a shitty machine learning algorithm or something. If they wanted to sound spanky, why didn't they just... play maple board, single coils Strats through Fender amps? They'd still be unlistenable but at least it wouldn't be so offensive

I think that is a pretty cool sounding song, but yeah, that sounds like a telephone through a megaphone. Awful, and almost unlistenable.

 

[Masoo2]

it's stupid how many "high gain metal" amps still require boost pedals to sound halfway decent

the NeuralDSP amp plugins (Nameless, NTS, Omega) honestly sound like hot garbage and I can make a better tone with "outdated" plugins like POD Farm and Cubase's VST Amp Rack

I've yet to hear a simulated cab DI-out that actually sounds good

it boggles my mind how in the sea of options for guitars these days some companies manage to forget to release basic classic finishes (ie: black with white binding)

speaking of which, I love seeing the recentish popularity in sparkle, shell, and pastel finished guitars all of which look 100x better than a crappy veneer from the scrap pile on a budget guitar

thinner strings don't require lighter playing

 

[Matt08642]

- Stock pickups are often nowhere near as bad as people think they are and are in some cases better than a set of Bareknuckles (any).

The Dimarzio/IBZ pickups in my 2550 are my favorite pickups in any guitar I own

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

speaking of which, I love seeing the recentish popularity in sparkle, shell, and pastel finished guitars all of which look 100x better than a crappy veneer from the scrap pile on a budget guitar

thinner strings don't require lighter playing

Both of these. The only company I've seen that does decent veneers is PRS on their SE line. Everyone else needs to stick with plain wood or solid finishes. Also I use like 9 - 46 in standard, 10 - 48 in drop C, 10 - 59 (or 62) in G# standard/drop F# and I still strum like a motherfucker.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

So basically they should just build every amp with a Mesa-style 5-band.

No, this would be pre gain. If you want to shape post gain, put an EQ pedal or rack unit in the loop. Then you'd have a ton of ability to dial in the tone.