Marshall JCM 800: Scorching, Defined Overdrive

Author: Russ
Views: 5490

Equipment Used
Marshall JCM 800 (100 watt)
Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
Boss GE-7 Equalizer
(guitar with bridge-position humbucker)

Description
Burning overdrive without "sludge." This gives a nice, hot "driven" sound with great definition. Brings out awesome harmonics.

Setting
Do this on the CLEAN channel of a decent tube amp. I use a Marshall JCM 800 (100 watt). Any respectable tube amp should work as well.

Run the two pedals between the guitar and amp, NOT through the effects loop!

Go into the GE-7 EQ FIRST. I've read advice on the Web to the contrary, but make the GE-7 the FIRST pedal between the guitar and amp. The sliders are set as follows from left to right: 100 - FLAT (ZERO position)

200 - Centered on the second notch BELOW flat (One notch above -15)
400 - Centered on the first notch ABOVE flat
800 - Centered on the first notch BELOW +15
1.6k - FLAT (ZERO position)
3.2k - FLAT (ZERO position)
6.4k - Centered on the first notch BELOW flat

LEVEL (IMPORTANT) Leave the LEVEL (Far-Right) slider control FLAT (center position). There will be a degree of hiss involved if you deliberately boost it!

Next, go into the Metal Zone with these settings: LEVEL - Your choice (This is for volume, obviously)

HIGH and LOW (Inner and Outer ring, respectively):
both at 12:00 (Straight up)

MIDDLE and MID FREQ:
Middle (Inner ring) all the way OFF. Mid Freq. at about 1:00 to 1:30

DISTORTION - 3:00