Any chance you can point me to a band that uses stupid high gain with EMG 81's? It'd be nice if you could tell me what they record with as well. Using the example of JP and Jon Shaffer, I know JP uses (recorded so far) Mesa Mark IIC+, and Mark IV, with v30 loaded cabs, basswood/alder guitars, with dimarzio pickups of this variety or that. Jon uses fucking $7000 Larry amps, v30 loaded cabs, Les pauls, and WCR pickups...I think he has customs made for him, actually...yeah, The "Ice Bucker".
I don't really hear any tones that make me go "DAMN, I want my distorted chords to sound like THAT"
For reference, I use the EMG's in mahogany winged neck thrus with my peavey XXX. All EQ at 12:00, gain at 9:00. It's boosted with an OD 808 (gain @12:00, level at max, tone at 12:00), with an MXR in the loop.-12db@31.25hz, +4db@2khz, -12db@16khz. All that's run through an oversized 2x12 w/ eminence man-o-war and v128.
It's plenty tight and I think it sounds downright sexy for technical stuff and even cleans (yes I said it. my XXX can get a decent clean sound with a little help from my XXX), but with the distortion on, the even 3 note intervals like minor 3rds and stuff aren't very clear.
[epiphany] Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I've been having this problem for as long as I've had an amp, and have only ever had the XXX as a basis for comparison...
Maybe it is the amp...I gotta get my axe fx FAST!!! [/epiphany]