Heavy sound with strat.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dunder XIII
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Dunder XIII

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Ok sorry if this hick-ups but as I'm looking at the thread now, my original message never got posted (got a bunch of server errors while posting).

I have a Fender strat. with single coils, maple neck and .010 strings. I want to play some Metallica with it. I plug it in a POD v2 and use patches with the rectified and modern high-gain amps. I get a decent sound but its a bit thin.

I'm wondering if there is anything to make the sound heavier such as a stomp box? I do not really want to buy another guitar with humbuckers, I just spent most of my money on a preamp and mic. I might later, but not now. I basically need a quick efficient hack :P

Later today I'll try running the signal through a preamp and see how boosting the signal will react but I'm afraid it will only make the signal louder but still thin.
 
How about switching out pickups? Seymour Duncan makes some replacement humbuckers (Hot Rails; George Lynch Lil Screamin' Demon) that fit into a single coil slot. No personal experience with them, but that might be the best bet.
 
Put you a Seymore Duncan Hot Rails pickup in the bridge position........
 
Really don't have a clue, Gidge, since it seems to take me forever to post *anything* to this site :D.
 
Speaking of slow, I feel a bit that way myself, 'cause I'm not making the connection between humbuckers and Mr. Disney's theme parks. Must be this urinary tract infection is shifting to my brainpan :rolleyes:.
 
Gidge, if that was an insinuation that I should get myself a mickey mouse guitar (aka ES-335) I already have one and it doesn't sound right playing metal :-) lol

Oh, and thanks for the tips ;-)
 
A SD hot rails or Lil Demon will help a bit. However, you will never come close to Metallica (or the like) with a Strat. Aside from normal humbuckers, a Strat has a long string length and an alder body. Using a guitar with a shorter string length and a mahogony body (like many Gibsons) will also help to give you a heavier tone.

Using at least a Mesa/Boogie TriAxis, Quad, or Mark IIC+ also helps. There may be other models that work, but these are the only ones I have experience with.
 
beaverbiscuit said:
How about switching out pickups? Seymour Duncan makes some replacement humbuckers (Hot Rails; George Lynch Lil Screamin' Demon) that fit into a single coil slot. No personal experience with them, but that might be the best bet.
Click to expand...
i've played both the Lil Screamin' Demon and the Screamin' Demon, and actually i play the the Screamin'Deamon on my main axe, but IMO the Lil Screamin' Demon isn't nearly as good. didn't seem to have the same bite. but, i really the Screamin'Deamon.

i also played a Hot Rails for several years on an SG in the bridge position, but i never liked it. i never felt it distorted cleanly, always seemed muddy. i think i still have it in my spare/old pickups box.
 
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Sonixx —
Like I said, no personal experience, so I'm glad you have yourself played them.

I wondered if there was any sonic difference between the Screamin' Demon and the Lil'. So it's noticeable, huh? Bummer.

Lopp —
Hadn't thought of the argument for mahogany bodies and shorter string length. Does the string length make that much of a difference? I don't doubt your veracity; it just seems like an inch and a half longer neck wouldn't be that much of a factor. Spoken like a true English major who hated physics :rolleyes:. If it *is* a major factor, I wonder what the implications would be for a Warmoth LP styled guitar that has the 25 scale neck? Maybe something in between? I'd be interested in your opinion.

Cheers, dudes!
 
However, you will never come close to Metallica (or the like) with a Strat.
Click to expand...

Maybe im crazy but im pretty sure Kirk Hammet (Hammett? Hamett?) has been known to wield a Strat from time to time.. in fact thats exactly what he uses in the video for "One".... and im fairly certain you can see him using one in both the Cunning Stunts and S&M vids as well... if i could be bothered checking id have a look at the Cliff Em All vid as well....
 
Gidge said:
Put you a Seymore Duncan Hot Rails pickup in the bridge position........
Click to expand...
i would never play one of these again...i played one for several years and i never liked the tone...too muddy...
 
DOH!

OK OK OK so its an ESP strat copy.... looks the bloody same! Hey Im a bassist what do i know?

but its 3 single coils or at least stacked humbuckers.... probably EMGs come to think of it

Ill shut up now....
 
Dunder,

Rather that try to change the signal before it is recorded you might try some things after you've laid down the track. For instance, you can make a copy of your guitar track into an unused track and change the panning and reverb on one of the tracks to open up the sound.

Another thought is to put a lot of compression on one of the tracks.

One trick that I have used is to use the POD as an insert into one of your guitar tracks. The instructions for doing this are in the POD manual.
 
Metallica sound

James Hetfield plays ALL of the rhythm tracks. I believe he favours gibson type guitars. Also, he double and triple tracks his parts (or more). Doubling your guitar parts may fatten them up.

Hope this helped.

Matty
 
stompbox into mic'd amp, then EQ....then double it and adjust the EQ again to taste.............EQ is vital to fat.........gibs
 
my brother puts a Dimarzio ToneZone in his American Standard Strats (bridge position) and it gives it a great heavy fat sound
 
I play a strat....always have since 1976. If I ever wanted the heavy sound (my material dosen't call for it) I would get a guitar with humbuckers.
One thing you might consider is that alot of the new strat pick-up sets (texas specials...tex mex....delta tone) have a reverse wound middle pick-up...so positions 2 and 4 (with a 5 way switch) incorparate 2 pickups in a humbucking mode.
If your real tight on cash it seems like you could just take the pick guard off and flip flot the wiring of the middle pick-up and achieve the same thing (IM NOT SURE ON THIS...MAYBE SOMEONE HAS TRIED IT ALREADY AND COULD VERIFY THIS....FIND OUT BEFORE YOU START SOLDERING PICKUP WIRES)
I like the out of phase sound of the 2 and 4 positions so thats the way i left it.
 
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