The Hellion's Corner

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The Hellion

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OK, I just had to create this topic, because I have too many stupid questions to ask and it would be stupid to make a new topic every time, no? But if somebody finds this unsuitable for here...

Ok, to start with my first question is a very classic one, frustrating? absolutely! Don't think there are any good answers for this, but hey! You guys are guitar specialists.

So, it's about guitars.. here it comes, what would be the ideal guitar for a metal guitarist(not necessarely power metal or somethin', more like heavy metal; Judas Priest, early Iron Maiden...) Maximum cost (again a hard one, in my country everything is a lil' bit more expensive than elsewhere) is about 1200€, but I wouldn't use that much for a used guitar, want to be sure that my guitar is either cheap and good or expensive and good but in top condition!

Ok, thank you, thank you...

 
You should get a million takes on this but...

Depending on your $$$ situation I would go for a cheaper guitar then upgrade the pickups. For metal it is hard to beat a Seymour Duncan Distortion or Gibson 500T in the bridge. I use both and one of my bands is a Priest tribute band. If you have some decent money to part with, it never hurts to by a better made guitar i.e. USA, Japan. A lot of Japanese guitars are easily as well made as some USA made and can almost always be had for less $$$.

After you get a guitar, go get a Marshall JCM 800 2205 or 2210 and plug in and rock. That amp will give you those tones your are looking for in a big way.

 
Early metal was played on 70's guitars. Judas Priest was a Strat and an SG. Iron Maiden was a Strat and Les Paul. Floyd trems were around, but had not taken over yet. So, any Gibson style Hamer will do. A Strat styled guitar will do well, also. Parts-O-Casters were common back then, so the suggestion that you upgrade a cheap guitar fits in well. It was the Los Angeles based metal bands that really pushed the Floyd guitars on us. British metal guys used Floyds, too, but not as much.

 
The money itself is not the problem as long as it stays under ~1300€. I don't want to buy just some crappy guitar and access some nice pickups to it, I want guitar for a life time use /emoticons/default_unsure.png

Gibson Flying V is the only new guitar I'm actually looking for, could buy a used one too with decent price of course. It has 500T and 496R pick ups. For 80's style, I presume EMG-81 would do the job? I have already made a topic about Phantom GTs, that guitar would be also nice one, can't make out much 70's style, but good for metal generally.

Old 80's Kramer's are also intresting, Randy Rhoads style flying V at least, but you never know if those are fake or not, I've seen some of them out there for selling and pick ups are always wrong, tremolo is just a licenced floyd rose etc... Sad that there aren't too many Hamers out here in Finland and they don't offer much for metal at these days...

Of course my next question would have been about amplifiers... I've been thinking for a TSL100, but I'm not a professional, so... opinions? /emoticons/default_wink.png thanks for answering so far

 
Killertone already gave you the amp answer, Marshall JCM 800 2205 or 2210,

But I would imagine a TSL100 would do in a pinch.

EMG 81's will work, but if you're really trying to capture the Priest/Maiden tone the original Gibson 500T's or a Duncan Distortion would be more accurate.

 
Any recommends on electric bass? I've been thinking about buying old used cheap Rickenbacker 4001 or 4003, depends which is cheaper.

 
You can't go wrong with a Ricky, and if anyone says you can, I refer you to one Lemmy Kilmister.

 
If the Flying V makes you happy, it will be perfect for early Judas Maiden.

As for the Rickenbacker bass, it has its place in metal, but the tone is going to be unique. You may want to look at a Fender style bass to be more on target. My first really nice bass was a Rickenbacker 4001 strung with Rotosound Swing Bass strings. It was fun to play, but the ends of the truss rod were bent. Also, there is a super thick finish over the fretboard and frets that made me worry about how a refret would have to be done. Those Swing Bass strings have stainless steel winding that eats frets. Also, when adjusting the truss rods of a Rickenbacker you are supposed to bend the neck and adjust the truss rods to the bend. They are nice, but there are some issues to be aware of.

 
Yeah, if I want Priest sound with my bass, then I should look for a Fender Jazz Bass or something like that, true. /emoticons/default_laugh.png

Have to think about the guitars, world is full of nice guitars /emoticons/default_wink.png Best looking guitar I know is propably 660 model Ricky or 650S, hehe. But I try to be as open minded as I can and will buy great quality guitar, no matter if it's Flying V or Phantom A5/GT, as long as it's relatively cheap. Doesn't really matter if the pick ups in Phantom wouldn't work for example, could allways replace them with EMG-81s.

Thanks so far for answering my posts. Belive it or not, there'll be lots more stupid newbie questions coming! /emoticons/default_unsure.png

 
You want a cheaper alternative to a Fender P-bass for Priest-type stuff?

Try a Chap 4 or 5 - works for them. There's still a black Chap bass in the racks when JP is on tour.

 
A Marshall JMP MV model would work good, too. All you have to do is put a pedal in front of it like a tubescreamer, a DOD 250 (an early one) or even better, a TC dist./booster. They're kinda noisy so you may want to look into a good noise gate. The trick is to adjust your preamp gain on the Marshall and the gain on the pedal accordingly. That'll give you a Priest type sound with any guitar!

 
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Ok ok, I went to the local music shop once again and talked about the guitars and amplifiers with the shop keeper. We talked about good Marshall amplifier. He told me that the best thing would be that I'd buy MG series amplifier and cabinet, might get them bouth with less than 1000€. Next best thing would be to buy TSL 100 'cause there are a lot of small stuff in that one, pedals of some sort. But how about JCM 800? No reverb or effects and costs 400€ more than TSL 100... so is it actually so good? Of course I'm intrested in it, but is there any specific reason to buy JCM 800 and not TSL 100 which is cheaper and has built-in-effects (comes handy in the early "career" /emoticons/default_unsure.png )

I just fear that I can't actually afford it, 400€ is after all quite a lot. If I work 3 months I could maybe gather 2800€ if I also add almost all the money I have to it. Gibson Flying V = ~1190€ and JCM 800 = ~1850€

 
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Dude. Go back to the music store and tell them you want to play both. Decide which one you like best and you can afford easiest and go for it.

 
heh, might be a good idea, though they don't have either one  /emoticons/default_unsure.png
Click to expand...
Doh

homer-simpson.jpg


 
/emoticons/default_wink.png

Why does 1+1 not = 2

/emoticons/default_laugh.png/emoticons/default_unsure.png/emoticons/default_laugh.png

Sir DOuglas /emoticons/default_laugh.png

Randy /emoticons/default_smile.png

 
hmmh, what's that flood control, just tried to reply... well, anyway... Don't get so depressed c1hamerplus /emoticons/default_wink.png Ok ok, I was just thinking which of them was the best, but I let the money decide it! and JCM 800 sounds better than just tsl 100! just think about it, so JCM 800 must be better. /emoticons/default_unsure.png

 
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