Citation:
Metallica's James Hetfield: "Distortion always starts with the amp. Pedals just site on top of the sound. They don't feel like a full part of it, just some fuzz on top. You can fiddle with parametric EQs and all that shit for days, but it still won't have the smooth distortion of an amp. The last time I used a distortion [overdrive] pedal was on Ride the Lightning, and it was hell. It was an Ibanez Tube Screamer like Kirk uses. It really helps his solos cut through, but it puts a shitty coating on smooth rhythm tones, and it was hard to make it not sound like a pedal. You can recognize Marshall distortion in an instant; that's why I shied away from that and went with MESA/Boogies. I basically use the Boogie's distortion with a non-programmable studio-quality Aphex parametric EQ to fine-tune certain frequencies, dipping out some of the midrange. All my speakers are Celestion Vintage 30s."
Metallica's Kirk Hammett: "My philosophy has always been a clean amp with a stomp box. I hate the sound of piling distortion on top of distortion. [It sounds like he's criticizing using a mix of preamp and power amp distortion.] I was using a MESA/Boogie preamp, but I've gone back to the ADA MP-1 [the first preamp to combine MIDI and a preamp vacuum tube] with an ADA programmable EQ through a MESA/Boogie Strategy 400 power amp. For leads, I use a low gain setting on the ADA MP-1, but switch on an Ibanez Tube Screamer. Using the Tube Screamer in conjunction with a tube amp really brings out the tube qualities of the amp. And there's just something about that simple, raw, gritty fuzz box sound. One of the best lead sounds I ever got was when I played an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff through a Montgomery Ward amp with 3" speaker, for a Jeff Beck tone."
Also, Metallica is the cover story for Guitar Player Sep 1991, which I have. James: "I use a lot of mics... up to 8. I use them to phase-cancel each other, to control the sound like with an EQ but instead of an EQ. ... for the 1991 album, I'm using MESA/Boogie amps, with ADA MP-1 preamp, but Boogie Simul-class II is the main part of the sound. Cabs: Boogie for clean, cutting stuff, Marshalls with 30 watt Celestion Vintage 30s for warmth." Kirk: "VHT power amp with Bradshaw preamp through Marshall cab for lows. Straight Marshall for highs. I didn't use the Boogie gear I used on Master of Puppets and Justice for All. I also stopped using the ADA preamp. The Bradshaw is my favorite preamp. I use the Bradshaw Patchmate, which lets you switch amps through MIDI. No TS-9 this time. I used an old VOX wah, warmer than Cry Baby [this is one more time: the Cry Baby is the *worst* wah pedal, unanimously, except for the Morley. - Michael] The VOX is mouthier; it talks."
pas l'air d'avoir de MT-2 la dedans....
