Recording high-gain guitar and getting it to sound tight and smooth

[JohnG]

I was using a Trademark 60 with a Les Paul in my recordings and the distortion was coming out pretty good. I was connecting the amp directly to the recorder. Now I'm using a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100 and it sounds a lot better... way better!!!

 

[playit]

compressors are not for rhythm guitar playing. if you want a more compressed rhythm sound you must turn up the amp. there is no other effective way.

edit: wait, a 1960 VINTAGE cab? like, with Greenbacks? there's your problem. Greenbacks are low-wattage, open, midrangey speakers with early cone breakup (OPPOSITE of tight-sounding).

switch cabinets. use G12T-75's. scooped mids, lots of lows and highs. perfect for screamo and nu-metal.

Yeah I've kind of suspected that for a long time. This cab definitely has a sound and it's the classic Marshall vintage rock kind of sound. I'd love to get my hands on a Mesa cab.

We're not a screamo or nu-metal project, though. Think Promise Ring, Braid, Get-Up Kids with some Saves the Day type influence, which is what makes us more hi-gain, but not really hi-gain.