Death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is characterized by its extreme brutality and heaviness. Death metal guitarists typically use high-gain amps and distortion pedals to achieve a thick, saturated sound.
Here are some tips for setting up your amp for death metal:
- Use a high-gain amp. Death metal guitarists typically use high-gain amps to achieve their signature sound. Some popular high-gain amps for death metal include the Marshall JCM800, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, and Peavey 5150.
- Use a distortion pedal. A distortion pedal can help you to achieve a more aggressive sound. Some popular distortion pedals for death metal include the Boss Metal Zone, MXR Super Badass Distortion, and ProCo Rat.
- Set your amp to the right settings. The settings on your amp will have a big impact on your sound. For a death metal sound, you’ll want to start with the gain set to about halfway. You can then adjust the treble and bass to your liking.
- Use an EQ pedal. An EQ pedal can help you to shape the tone of your guitar. You can use it to boost the frequencies that you want to hear and cut the frequencies that you don’t.
Here are some additional tips for getting a death metal sound on your amp:
- Use a boost pedal. A boost pedal can help to increase the output of your guitar, which can lead to a more aggressive sound.
- Use a noise gate. A noise gate can help to reduce unwanted noise from your amp. This can be helpful for death metal, as it can help to make your guitar solos sound more powerful.
- Experiment with different pickup combinations. Many death metal guitarists use humbucker pickups in both the bridge and neck positions. However, you can also experiment with different pickup combinations to find a sound that you like.
- Try different playing techniques. The way you play your guitar can also affect your sound. For example, picking close to the bridge will produce a brighter sound, while picking close to the neck will produce a darker sound.
By following these tips, you can get a death metal sound on your amp that you love. Just remember to experiment and find what works best for you. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to getting a death metal sound.
Here are some additional tips for playing death metal guitar:
- Use a thick pick. A thick pick will help you to produce a heavier sound.
- Downpick. Downpicking is a technique where you pick the strings in a downward motion. This is a common technique in death metal, as it helps to produce a more aggressive sound.
- Use palm muting. Palm muting is a technique where you mute the strings with your right hand. This can be used to create a more percussive sound.
- Use tremolo picking. Tremolo picking is a technique where you rapidly pick a single string. This can be used to create a sustained sound.
By following these tips, you can improve your death metal guitar playing skills. Just remember to practice regularly and experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you.
