I just got an MXR Fullbore Metal and I am so glad I did. It's the best pedal and tone i've found yet. Simply amazing bass response. I totally recommend it :D
Peavey make solid amps, I've played on a few, one was my go to for gigging whilst in college, trying to remember the model though! I'm looking into getting a Blackstar HT5-RS Mini Stack soon though! Nothing Mini about it :p
Achena US I own the metal muff and I think its kind of a nasty pedal, honestly, but... it's much better than it sounds here? I'm not sure I understand the decision to crank the bass and distortion up to full and turn off the top boost. That was... yeah...
Laura Marx It's definitely a personal preference to whether you like it or not as it does have quite a distinctive sound which some people just don't agree with, but I don't get what he managed to do here to make it sound so bad!
+Jordon 1707 Pretty fair demo, I'd say. I don't think any distortion pedal sounds particularly good. Perhaps they seem to work better through the clean channel of cheaper solid state amps. That's pretty much what they're designed for- making weak amps sound like they're packing some serious horse-power. But to be honest... the awesome sounds you're getting probably aren't that awesome either. For lovely distortion it's gotta be a tube amp. I'm not saying that to be snobby, that's just how it is. Maybe high-end modelling amps could work too if you're into the extreme stuff. I've tried various distortion pedals with my amp to try and take it to the max but the results weren't amazing. Overdrive seems to be the way to go. Actually I boost my signal with an EQ pedal most of the time.
The history of the MT-2 Boss at Boss (circa 1989): "What's the best metal amp?" Engineers: "Mesa Boogie Mark 2." Boss at Boss: "Make one in a pedal." Chief Engineer "Hold my beer..."
I've been a huge Boss Metal Zone MT-2 user for years, it was my go to pedal for the longest time. After wanting to get into the some more modern metal sounds, I picked up a Schecter Omen 8 to experiment on. Not feeling the sound with my MT-2, I picked up the Boss Metal Core ML-2 and found it gave a better over all tone for the newer metal sound. So now when wanting that 80's/90's thrash tone, I go to the MT-2 but for the modern metal tone, I high recommend the ML-2.
...I bought the Arion back in 1982 or something as a kid. Very cheap peddle but it was quite good. Got to check the loft back at my parents to see if its still there!!
Really anybody who buys the HM-300 (myself included) gets it because they can't find/afford an Boss HM-2. It's really only used fully cranked to get that Swedish Death Metal tone.
I always thought this "fully cranked" stuff was just a meme. I have an actual HM2 and use it with various settings. IMO the best for SWedeath tone is to run it through a high gain chanel, but ofc not FULLY cranked up. You'll get a lot of unwanted noise and lose definition.
*2:15** Should of played Bathory - Don't Burn The Witch with this, stylistically they suit. Thanks for introducing me to this amazing* *sounding ped. Just praying I can find it for a decent price and it would be compatible with my amp. Metal till the end.*
constellationpegasus yeah, but, dummy me, I didn't watch this before I bought my pedal and got the BOSS Metal Zone MT-2 instead. I do have to say it works perfectly fine and I like it, but would have been smarter to see this review first. Oh well, you live and learn!
I can't play but thinking about a charvel or a jackson one day. If I did buy one, that pedal will be a part of the deal. I'm old now but remember the charvels and jacksons from the 80's.
constellationpegasus Hey, sounds like a good time to pick up a hobby! Charvels and Jacksons are great. I just use a Fender Stratocaster for most everything I do. I play across genres, so like the general versatility of the Strat, but for metal, a Jackson, B.C. Rich, or even a Gibson would probably be better. Anyways, go for it! Why not? :)
bangamullet The Behringer is actually a clone of the Metalzone. I own both and I can tell you the differences between the two: 1 - The Metalzone is more solid (made of metal) whereas the Behringer is plastic. 2 - The Behringer has a VERY bright LED light that will blind you (you can put a peice of tape on it). 3 - The Behringer is a pain to get batteries into (if you are into that sort of waste). The Behringers level is dialed in higher (it's louder).
Great Video, i have 80 % of these pedals at home, and can confirm, that you capture the sound as they sound, which often is not the case at youtube vids ! CHEERS !
agreed, none of these pedals are going to sound like a $3000.00 Marshall tube amp but if you don't want to spend that kind of money,these pedals are the next best option.i use the Boss Metal Zone and Digitech TL-2 Metal Distortion,after trying every setting on both,the Metal Zone has the better sound.also,this video was made in 2010 newer,improved distortion pedals have come out since then.
Although I'm not a fan of metal pedals, I really liked the video. The new concept of shooting out a lot of pedals this way works very well. Good job! Have a happy New Year.
The metal muff is just under $100 the MXR you can get for just over $100. in my books that's not a bad price at all. So I would just spend a few extra bucks and get those instead of some piece of shit.
I personally own a DigiTech Metal Master, and I love it. People say its not a good pedal, but I would beg to differ. If you set it up right, instead of just cranking up the bass and treble all of the way, you get such a great tone out of it.
Hardwire metal dist is very impressive i like the sound, in my opinion its the best of all these pedals i have a metal zone at home but i dont like the metal zone by the way dont buy all of these shitty metal distortion pedals save some money AND BUY A GOOD AMP!!!!
I own three of these, the Digitech Death Metal, EHX Metal Muff, and the Metal Zone. Funny enough, the Metal Zone is the one I've used the most (so far). IT is quite flexible and has a very neutral sound which makes sound engineering easier in my opinion. The Death MEtal is a bit over the top; not enough tone or flexibility, and even though I like the idea of having an amp that is always st on full distortion, this means I will seldom use it. I love the Metal Muff because of the top boost switch; I am a noise rock fan; what can I say. Although the only pedal I own which never fails, which always stands out on its own and never needs editing in post-production is my Idiotbox Ron Swanson Superfuzz. That shit makes my guitar grow a moustache just by smelling it..
I feel like he did none of these pedals any justice he didn't take the time to find the sweet spot. It seemed like the pedals that sounded the best were the ones he turned up the loudest. I own the mxr fullborne metal and I thought it sounded like the worse pedal on the demo. Shit find the sweet spot on it and it can just as nasty as any of these pedals
Yeah, I'm surprised he did not scoop out all of the mids either. All the bass and all that gain made EVERY pedal sound a little flabby. Take the Behringer for example. Yes, it is a cheap pedal, but you can make it sound a lot better that what was given here.
You guys should cut this guy some slack. Can you imagine trying to make this video? With all you fucking fan boys out there saying this is the best or that is the best. If you already know what the best pedal is then why did you click on this video? Try to appreciate that he even did this shootout. I doubt any one of you have tried to make this video so stop crying lmao. Could some of the adjustments have been better yes but at least I have an idea of what each one sounds like. Keep rocking Tone King
People like to diss the Digitech DM but if you dial in your amp right , then dial in the Pedal you can get some Nasty in a good way Tones !! 1 Minute is not enough time plus your amp can make a Impact as well ! The Digi is bright but still chunky enough . Got over 30 yrs experience and I have learned its all about the player and their ear ....
Also...for metal heads...if you can ever get lucky enough to find one, the Zoom Driver 5000 is another "must have" pedal. It sounds very much like the Fullbore on some settings with a lot of juiciness to it.
🤣🤣🤣 Dokken is exactly what I was reminded of too, good to see someone noticed that, Hahaha, Yeah, especially hearing that type of riff played on a pedal like the Digitech Death Metal just sounds so out of place. No disrespect Tone King, I like your work, but put some more thought into what style of music you choose to play to show an example of how a certain distortion pedal sounds. Just some feedback for ya.
General rule of thumb; If it has the word Metal on it, don't buy it. These pedals tend to usually be complete crap. All the manufacturers think the same. "Lets make a pedal with absolutely NO body whatsoever." Every pedal sounds nearly the same. They all sound like they have way too much gain and that shit scooped sound. It may just be the operator, but the results seem the same in any case. Buy a good High/Mid gain amp like a 5150, Mesa, Mesa/Boogie, Orange, Bogner, or Marshall with great tubes (like JJ's) and if you want, a tube screamer for leads. You have to have a solid amp if you want any quality tone. I always thought high gain pedals were a cheep way of replacing a great quality amp head.
In general, yeah, if it had the word "Metal" on it, it's a good idea to stay away. However, the reason these pedals sound so similar, is because this guy is setting them all up to sound similar. He's not going through the different sounds each pedal is capable of. And ironically, since this guy calls himself The Tone King, he's dialing in some truely awful tones. Which is par for the course going off of the other videos I've seen of his.
Those "good crappy" tones can indeed be great for certain songs. Usually for a fill or a few bars or something. In a song of mine, I play part with a wide-open Fuzz Face through this crappy little karaoke CD player thing that my niece left at my house. It's got a built in echo that's pathetic, and it sounds awful... only in a charming kind of way. That's one thing. It's not at all what this guy is doing here, though. He's just dialing in the same terrible, muddy tone on each pedal. That 80s riff doesn't help things at all, either.
exactly, I use a digitech RP-7 Valve digital processor, not for the extra gain for the most part, but, because of the other effects like flange, delay, compression, ect. I might use a small amount of tube overdrive (from the actual tube in the processor), but, I like the gain from my amp more than artificial distortion in any pedal. I think a pedal should be used to compliment an amp's natural tone, not change it completely, unless you are using a crap amp like a Line6 spider for instance
TK, dude, love the intro. I own a Boss ML-2 and it sounds AWESOME! The Digitech Death Metal sounds great and so does the MXR. That Box of Metal has that thick, sludgy sound that I like. The Behringer Heavy Metal actually sounds fairly decent. I'm not crazy about the Hardwire Metal Distortion, but at least it's a bit better than the Line 6 Uber Metal. The Arion Metal Master sounds grungy, but a little too grungy. The Metal Master (Digitech) sounds okay.
I have an original boss HM-2 and that behringer misses the mark bad. Also, this video reminds me why I sold off my fullbore. I do use my metal core almost exclusively, though now i'm interested in a hardwire!
i own the fullbore metal and the metal zone by boss and they are good metal pedal but you have to create your own sound, i just purchased a dime distorion an di love it for playing thrash so really its all up to you, but great video!
I have the EHX metal muff and it's by far the best I've seen for metal. It's really versatile. I can get a nice bluesy tone all the way to a super distorted but clear sounding Drop A tuning metal.
I played a US made DOD Death Metal once and I was suprised at how cool it was but even with a tele it was overgained (something needs to do a mod to add a gain knob or switch I reckon)
LoL.. holy crap some of you are hard on this guy's effort to demo this stuff. Yeah.. he could have demonstrated some more defined palm muted crunching, held chords for tonal examination and a more "current" lead style.. fair enough. There is a continual rumbling *pedaling going on.. kind of 80's I suppose. But still we got to hear each pedal to a similar sample of playing. Thanks to the Tone King for his efforts. I'm a huge boss pedal fan. The Metal Zone is my fave, and the Metal Core can turn a 10 watt solid state amp with an 8" speaker into the monster in your closet. The digitech MM was cool.. loved the demo of the "x" series knob moving the scoop zone around. Cool pedal. The Hardwire was neat, but I'd have eq'd it a bit differently. The BIG surprise for me was the Zvex. LoL.. never heard of it.. and cool sounding. Great looking' chassis too (which doesn't matter but whatever) I'm a thrasher. And the muff doesn't do it for my style. To each their own. And you mouth-piece mofo's dissing this guy want to get your heads cut? LoL.. if you can rip half as bad as you yap.. you might even entertain me. Thanks Tone King! Good job. 8/10
@BEN1997CAM I agree. You really need to take your time with it to get what you want, but once you find the right tone you just cant go back. I also have the Metal Core and I like it, but I find it just doesn't have as much bite as the Zone.
GREAT DEMO!!! My top 3 are: 1. EHX Metal Muff 2. MXR Fullbore Metal 3. Digitech Death Metal I tend to use very swept mids sounds as a rhythm guitar tone and boosted mids when playing lead stuff.
I personally think that all the pedals sound awesome. Thank you so much for the video dude. I've been playing metal for 20 years. All these pedals rock the metal world. If you play death metal, get the digitech death metal or digitech metal master, if you play thrash get a boss distortion or mxr. If you want a megadeth tone, get the hardwire. If you play power metal. Get any of the lighter sounding distortion metal pedals that he demonstrated in this video. These pedals will never let you down with the time that you want. Great video. I really enjoyed it. Thanks again. \m/
Thanks to this video, I think I found the distortion pedal that has a sound like an "insane" channel on a Line 6 amp. Its between the Hardwire and the Digitech Metal Master
I get a really good metal tone with a metal muff and seymour duncan sh-1 blues in the bridge. great for prog/sludge and you can get some cool heavy tones out of it
Hey tone king I'm a big pedal junky and I love all your videos. I was wondering if 1. You could show us all at home what the tone lab looks like and 2. What is an ideal pedal setup for someone who plays every style and Wants to be able to jump into any style band? Let me know your thoughts and opinions. Thanks ARoD
when I listen to the fulbore I could swear, that I've got ton of bees in my Head... don't like it at all. But in general MXR Pedals sound great. Thanks for that demo Mr Imsjr ;-)
I usually don't chime in on these things, but I've tried most of these pedals, and with the exception of behringer and arion, they are all fine. Some people are loyal to brands like they are to a sports team. But it depends on your amp, guitar, humbucker or single coils, and the desired tone you're after. I'm not a huge fan of boss, but if its got the sound I need, I'm lovin it. I'm not a fan of scooped mids, but if ya want a decent pedal that can do both, try the delta lab MD-1. I own one. Nice
Great Comparison. Might I suggest that in the list you have written, would if be possible to add a time (Minutes, Seconds) to each to the ten pedals, so that folks could more easily go back to a specific pedal so they could get to the demonstration more quickly? :) Thanks. Max
I will agree that the full bore is a beast. I bought one after comparing it to my HM-2 and a few others. but dont knock the guy. Im still tweaking my full bore and ihave had it 2 years.
That MXR fullbore sounded pretty badass.
Thats the pedal that i use and its fucking awesom !!
I agree that one sounded pretty good
01:21 Zvex "Box of Metal"
02:15 Digitech "Death Metal"
03:19 MXR "Fullbore Metal"
04:18 Behringer "Heavy Metal"
05:06 Boss "Metal Core"
06:20 Hardwire "Metal Distortion"
07:26 Arion "Metal Master"
08:13 Digitech "Metal Master"
09:25 EHX "Metal Muff"
10:11 Boss "Metal Zone"
My preference was the Zvex 'Box of Metal' and the Boss Metal Core.........I liked the fullness that came out of them....
Favorites: metal muff, fullbore, and hardwire. Those have awesome sound.
I just got an MXR Fullbore Metal and I am so glad I did. It's the best pedal and tone i've found yet. Simply amazing bass response. I totally recommend it :D
How about all at once?
That's called Merzbow.
iv never seen anyone fuck up more gear then this guy
Blah blah blah
+The Tone King Welp
bug
Own a Boss MT-2 and can get some great tones from it (you just got to tweak till it suits your amp, honestly).
The Hardwire sounded really good to me. No mid scoop, a reasonable amount of low end and nice clarity.
The HM-2 is still to date a great pedal and it is why I kept that one back when I scaled back after getting my gtr workstation.
Metal muff is an incredible sounding pedal and you managed to make it sound horrible.
Exactly! It sounds incredible on my old cheap beginner amp too :p
Peavey make solid amps, I've played on a few, one was my go to for gigging whilst in college, trying to remember the model though! I'm looking into getting a Blackstar HT5-RS Mini Stack soon though! Nothing Mini about it :p
Achena US I own the metal muff and I think its kind of a nasty pedal, honestly, but... it's much better than it sounds here? I'm not sure I understand the decision to crank the bass and distortion up to full and turn off the top boost. That was... yeah...
Laura Marx It's definitely a personal preference to whether you like it or not as it does have quite a distinctive sound which some people just don't agree with, but I don't get what he managed to do here to make it sound so bad!
+Jordon 1707 Pretty fair demo, I'd say. I don't think any distortion pedal sounds particularly good. Perhaps they seem to work better through the clean channel of cheaper solid state amps. That's pretty much what they're designed for- making weak amps sound like they're packing some serious horse-power. But to be honest... the awesome sounds you're getting probably aren't that awesome either.
For lovely distortion it's gotta be a tube amp. I'm not saying that to be snobby, that's just how it is. Maybe high-end modelling amps could work too if you're into the extreme stuff. I've tried various distortion pedals with my amp to try and take it to the max but the results weren't amazing. Overdrive seems to be the way to go. Actually I boost my signal with an EQ pedal most of the time.
congratulations. you managed to make all of them sound like shit. i have two of those pedals and they sound great.
right.. the only 2 I even somewhat liked were the metalcore pedal and the MXR pedal
The hm300 needs all nobs maxed out how can he dismiss the chainsaw tone
The history of the MT-2
Boss at Boss (circa 1989): "What's the best metal amp?"
Engineers: "Mesa Boogie Mark 2."
Boss at Boss: "Make one in a pedal."
Chief Engineer "Hold my beer..."
Crank the gain and the bass up, and scoop those mids!!! Hell yeah that's metal! ...and then sell your shit at your local pawn shop.
I've been a huge Boss Metal Zone MT-2 user for years, it was my go to pedal for the longest time. After wanting to get into the some more modern metal sounds, I picked up a Schecter Omen 8 to experiment on. Not feeling the sound with my MT-2, I picked up the Boss Metal Core ML-2 and found it gave a better over all tone for the newer metal sound. So now when wanting that 80's/90's thrash tone, I go to the MT-2 but for the modern metal tone, I high recommend the ML-2.
metal core and metal zone....oh yeah!
...I bought the Arion back in 1982 or something as a kid. Very cheap peddle but it was quite good. Got to check the loft back at my parents to see if its still there!!
Really anybody who buys the HM-300 (myself included) gets it because they can't find/afford an Boss HM-2. It's really only used fully cranked to get that Swedish Death Metal tone.
I always thought this "fully cranked" stuff was just a meme. I have an actual HM2 and use it with various settings. IMO the best for SWedeath tone is to run it through a high gain chanel, but ofc not FULLY cranked up. You'll get a lot of unwanted noise and lose definition.
All knobs to the max. Thats Swedish DM. Period. No fucking metal (gay) zone.
*2:15** Should of played Bathory - Don't Burn The Witch with this, stylistically they suit. Thanks for introducing me to this amazing* *sounding ped. Just praying I can find it for a decent price and it would be compatible with my amp. Metal till the end.*
I was impressed by the Digitech Metal Master
I agree. Best of the bunch.
constellationpegasus yeah, but, dummy me, I didn't watch this before I bought my pedal and got the BOSS Metal Zone MT-2 instead. I do have to say it works perfectly fine and I like it, but would have been smarter to see this review first. Oh well, you live and learn!
I can't play but thinking about a charvel or a jackson one day. If I did buy one, that pedal will be a part of the deal. I'm old now but remember the charvels and jacksons from the 80's.
constellationpegasus Hey, sounds like a good time to pick up a hobby! Charvels and Jacksons are great. I just use a Fender Stratocaster for most everything I do. I play across genres, so like the general versatility of the Strat, but for metal, a Jackson, B.C. Rich, or even a Gibson would probably be better. Anyways, go for it! Why not? :)
WOW !! .. the coolest metal pedal shootout on youtube so far, THANKS !!
box of metal, hardwire and the muff have "it". And I laughed very hard when the Arion came up...
That one and the Behringer sounded like toys compared to the rest.
The Fullbore sounded like shit to me. And the Digitech Death Metal
was surprisingly good.
To be honest the Arion got its vibe. Kinda fuzzy sound. I'd stomp on that for a warm distorsion for solos.
bangamullet
The Behringer is actually a clone of the Metalzone. I own both and I can tell you the differences between the two: 1 - The Metalzone is more solid (made of metal) whereas the Behringer is plastic. 2 - The Behringer has a VERY bright LED light that will blind you (you can put a peice of tape on it). 3 - The Behringer is a pain to get batteries into (if you are into that sort of waste). The Behringers level is dialed in higher (it's louder).
Adrian X Stacy the UM300 is the MT-2 clone, the one in the video is a HM300, clone of the HM-2 (behringers have more attack and level)
Great Video, i have 80 % of these pedals at home, and can confirm, that you capture the sound as they sound, which often is not the case at youtube vids ! CHEERS !
agreed, none of these pedals are going to sound like a $3000.00 Marshall tube amp but if you don't want to spend that kind of money,these pedals are the next best option.i use the Boss Metal Zone and Digitech TL-2 Metal Distortion,after trying every setting on both,the Metal Zone has the better sound.also,this video was made in 2010 newer,improved distortion pedals have come out since then.
The Boss Metal Zone is probably the worst pedal you can get. Joyo even has a better pedal that doesn't just make white noise.
***** nah, the sound of a good head with a preamp is miles ahead of any 'metal' high gain pedal on a clean channel
Metal Zone has the highest range of shitty, unusable, scooped, paper/plastic sounds, I agree. Which makes it virtually useless
I'm a guitarist and a drummer and the intro song on all these videos is really fun to play on drums. Great vids TTK
where is my lovely Proco Rat!?
Although I'm not a fan of metal pedals, I really liked the video. The new concept of shooting out a lot of pedals this way works very well. Good job!
Have a happy New Year.
id say the MXR and the Metal Muff were the best, but they probably cost the most
The metal muff is just under $100 the MXR you can get for just over $100. in my books that's not a bad price at all. So I would just spend a few extra bucks and get those instead of some piece of shit.
Que bueno!!!! al fin un video que sirva para comparar pedales, ahora ya me decidi quiero el FULLBORE METAL M16!!!!
How does he manage to make 10 pedals sound like complete crap?
Thanks for posting this, it's really cool to be able to compare that many distortion pedals in one vid!!
Metal zone and metal muff were great
Thanks for the effort. It have a great ballpark of tone for each.
In my opinion death metal sounded best for my taste
agreed.... for the review anyway.... need more setups though
*Bathory 1st wave black metal, fucking awesome.*
i seen death metal pedal go for $30 brand new, and i still passed.
If you know what your doing and tweak it with the right gear, it's awesome!
I personally own a DigiTech Metal Master, and I love it. People say its not a good pedal, but I would beg to differ. If you set it up right, instead of just cranking up the bass and treble all of the way, you get such a great tone out of it.
Boss mt-2 THE BEST!!
Thank you for another great 30P30D TTK! Hope you had a good Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!
Hardwire metal dist is very impressive
i like the sound, in my opinion its the best of all these pedals
i have a metal zone at home but i dont like the metal zone
by the way dont buy all of these shitty metal distortion pedals
save some money AND BUY A GOOD AMP!!!!
i play a schecter ATX blackjack C-1fr with active blackouts SD pickups..comb those with the MetalZone is awsome! love it!
I own three of these, the Digitech Death Metal, EHX Metal Muff, and the Metal Zone. Funny enough, the Metal Zone is the one I've used the most (so far). IT is quite flexible and has a very neutral sound which makes sound engineering easier in my opinion. The Death MEtal is a bit over the top; not enough tone or flexibility, and even though I like the idea of having an amp that is always st on full distortion, this means I will seldom use it. I love the Metal Muff because of the top boost switch; I am a noise rock fan; what can I say. Although the only pedal I own which never fails, which always stands out on its own and never needs editing in post-production is my Idiotbox Ron Swanson Superfuzz. That shit makes my guitar grow a moustache just by smelling it..
I've got the Death and the Zone too! Lol
Great Video TK. What a way to end the year 2010. Here's my favorites. 1. Zvex Box of Metal 2. MXR Fullbore, 3. Hardwire Metal Distortion
metal muff is the BEST..........
Digitech metal master! Im gonna order me one of those now i think! Fantastic range of sounds
I feel like he did none of these pedals any justice he didn't take the time to find the sweet spot. It seemed like the pedals that sounded the best were the ones he turned up the loudest. I own the mxr fullborne metal and I thought it sounded like the worse pedal on the demo. Shit find the sweet spot on it and it can just as nasty as any of these pedals
Excellent video, man! Very easy to hear and see exactly what's going on. It's also very informative and right to the point.
you are not doing any of these justice !
bug
Nice demos. Best way to decide what to buy. Thanks
Love the channel but this is the worst video sound I have heard in a long time.
Thanks. Please consider the time stamp of the video. Things have gotten better 6 years later.
Wow that much better? Thanks for info and wow again on how much the tech is better now.
You got a point... sorry Tone King...
I have the BOSS MetalCore ML-2. By far one of my faves in my collection.
Bass - 100% Gain 100% - What for?
Yeah, I'm surprised he did not scoop out all of the mids either. All the bass and all that gain made EVERY pedal sound a little flabby. Take the Behringer for example. Yes, it is a cheap pedal, but you can make it sound a lot better that what was given here.
Mark iic plus 44 that's right i used to play with that pedal and its not bad at all
A great demo and service to your fellow guitar players. This helped me a lot. I am a neophite in Metal Land.
You guys should cut this guy some slack. Can you imagine trying to make this video? With all you fucking fan boys out there saying this is the best or that is the best. If you already know what the best pedal is then why did you click on this video? Try to appreciate that he even did this shootout. I doubt any one of you have tried to make this video so stop crying lmao. Could some of the adjustments have been better yes but at least I have an idea of what each one sounds like. Keep rocking Tone King
+Chris Longdon this! why would you even bother clicking?
+Chris Longdon Yeah, they are all experts ! If you want a laugh go to any of their channels and checkout their uploads! hee hee hee
ive got the hardwire metal distortion and its awesome
I prefer metal core, zone, mxr distortion and death metal by digitech.
People like to diss the Digitech DM but if you dial in your amp right , then dial in the Pedal you can get some Nasty in a good way Tones !! 1 Minute is not enough time plus your amp can make a Impact as well ! The Digi is bright but still chunky enough . Got over 30 yrs experience and I have learned its all about the player and their ear ....
Metal zone rules
Also...for metal heads...if you can ever get lucky enough to find one, the Zoom Driver 5000 is another "must have" pedal. It sounds very much like the Fullbore on some settings with a lot of juiciness to it.
You can't do a shootout with modern metal pedals and then play Dokken riffs thru them. They all sounded horrible.
🤣🤣🤣 Dokken is exactly what I was reminded of too, good to see someone noticed that, Hahaha, Yeah, especially hearing that type of riff played on a pedal like the Digitech Death Metal just sounds so out of place. No disrespect Tone King, I like your work, but put some more thought into what style of music you choose to play to show an example of how a certain distortion pedal sounds. Just some feedback for ya.
I got one off of eBay for less than $50. Worked perfectly and was in great shape (thanks to Boss's high quality manufacturing).
General rule of thumb; If it has the word Metal on it, don't buy it. These pedals tend to usually be complete crap. All the manufacturers think the same. "Lets make a pedal with absolutely NO body whatsoever." Every pedal sounds nearly the same. They all sound like they have way too much gain and that shit scooped sound. It may just be the operator, but the results seem the same in any case. Buy a good High/Mid gain amp like a 5150, Mesa, Mesa/Boogie, Orange, Bogner, or Marshall with great tubes (like JJ's) and if you want, a tube screamer for leads. You have to have a solid amp if you want any quality tone. I always thought high gain pedals were a cheep way of replacing a great quality amp head.
In general, yeah, if it had the word "Metal" on it, it's a good idea to stay away. However, the reason these pedals sound so similar, is because this guy is setting them all up to sound similar. He's not going through the different sounds each pedal is capable of. And ironically, since this guy calls himself The Tone King, he's dialing in some truely awful tones. Which is par for the course going off of the other videos I've seen of his.
Those "good crappy" tones can indeed be great for certain songs. Usually for a fill or a few bars or something. In a song of mine, I play part with a wide-open Fuzz Face through this crappy little karaoke CD player thing that my niece left at my house. It's got a built in echo that's pathetic, and it sounds awful... only in a charming kind of way. That's one thing. It's not at all what this guy is doing here, though. He's just dialing in the same terrible, muddy tone on each pedal. That 80s riff doesn't help things at all, either.
exactly, I use a digitech RP-7 Valve digital processor, not for the extra gain for the most part, but, because of the other effects like flange, delay, compression, ect. I might use a small amount of tube overdrive (from the actual tube in the processor), but, I like the gain from my amp more than artificial distortion in any pedal. I think a pedal should be used to compliment an amp's natural tone, not change it completely, unless you are using a crap amp like a Line6 spider for instance
I have been using the digitech metal master for years... Best distortion I have ever found to date.
Learn a new riff lol
Jesus man! You are like the gear guru or something! awesome Job!!!!
the hardwire sounds like a mesa rec i like them so much i own 2
TK, dude, love the intro. I own a Boss ML-2 and it sounds AWESOME! The Digitech Death Metal sounds great and so does the MXR. That Box of Metal has that thick, sludgy sound that I like. The Behringer Heavy Metal actually sounds fairly decent. I'm not crazy about the Hardwire Metal Distortion, but at least it's a bit better than the Line 6 Uber Metal. The Arion Metal Master sounds grungy, but a little too grungy. The Metal Master (Digitech) sounds okay.
Metal muff and Zvex were my favs, Digitech metal master and mxr fullbore were pretty nice too
I have an original boss HM-2 and that behringer misses the mark bad. Also, this video reminds me why I sold off my fullbore. I do use my metal core almost exclusively, though now i'm interested in a hardwire!
I used the Zoom TM-01 Tri Metal and LOVED it. I was stupid and sold all my gear and now they are discontinued and can't find one :( lol
that is one of the best pedal infos on youtube
i own the fullbore metal and the metal zone by boss and they are good metal pedal but you have to create your own sound, i just purchased a dime distorion an di love it for playing thrash so really its all up to you, but great video!
Think you could do a comparison video of the Hardwire Metal Distortion and the DigiTech Metal Master?
I have the EHX metal muff and it's by far the best I've seen for metal. It's really versatile. I can get a nice bluesy tone all the way to a super distorted but clear sounding Drop A tuning metal.
I have a digitech metal master and its a VERY digital sound a f has been my go to pedal for YEARS
I have the Metal Muff one and it sounds awesome even on my small Blackstar HT-1R.
Hardwire, Death Metal and of course the Zvex. They're nicely voiced IMO.
I played a US made DOD Death Metal once and I was suprised at how cool it was but even with a tele it was overgained (something needs to do a mod to add a gain knob or switch I reckon)
@ZombicidalMan Yeah!! I saw another movie and it sounds frigging great. And you customize it as well with all it's features.
Thx!!
its all about perception I play with and with out pedals and I love the sound of both
LoL.. holy crap some of you are hard on this guy's effort to demo this stuff.
Yeah.. he could have demonstrated some more defined palm muted crunching, held chords for tonal examination and a more "current" lead style.. fair enough. There is a continual rumbling *pedaling going on.. kind of 80's I suppose. But still we got to hear each pedal to a similar sample of playing.
Thanks to the Tone King for his efforts. I'm a huge boss pedal fan. The Metal Zone is my fave, and the Metal Core can turn a 10 watt solid state amp with an 8" speaker into the monster in your closet.
The digitech MM was cool.. loved the demo of the "x" series knob moving the scoop zone around. Cool pedal. The Hardwire was neat, but I'd have eq'd it a bit differently.
The BIG surprise for me was the Zvex. LoL.. never heard of it.. and cool sounding. Great looking' chassis too (which doesn't matter but whatever)
I'm a thrasher. And the muff doesn't do it for my style. To each their own.
And you mouth-piece mofo's dissing this guy want to get your heads cut? LoL.. if you can rip half as bad as you yap.. you might even entertain me.
Thanks Tone King! Good job.
8/10
@BEN1997CAM I agree. You really need to take your time with it to get what you want, but once you find the right tone you just cant go back. I also have the Metal Core and I like it, but I find it just doesn't have as much bite as the Zone.
GREAT DEMO!!! My top 3 are:
1. EHX Metal Muff
2. MXR Fullbore Metal
3. Digitech Death Metal
I tend to use very swept mids sounds as a rhythm guitar tone and boosted mids when playing lead stuff.
I personally think that all the pedals sound awesome. Thank you so much for the video dude. I've been playing metal for 20 years. All these pedals rock the metal world. If you play death metal, get the digitech death metal or digitech metal master, if you play thrash get a boss distortion or mxr. If you want a megadeth tone, get the hardwire. If you play power metal. Get any of the lighter sounding distortion metal pedals that he demonstrated in this video. These pedals will never let you down with the time that you want. Great video. I really enjoyed it. Thanks again. \m/
My favourite was the Digitech Metal Master, but the EHX with boost on would be incredible for solos up the neck
I own the fullbore and its a killer
Must have for metal fans
Beautiful demonstration. Thank you ! (the great "Uber Metal" from Line 6 is missing)
Thanks to this video, I think I found the distortion pedal that has a sound like an "insane" channel on a Line 6 amp. Its between the Hardwire and the Digitech Metal Master
I get a really good metal tone with a metal muff and seymour duncan sh-1 blues in the bridge. great for prog/sludge and you can get some cool heavy tones out of it
MXR sounds pretty good but I still like the Metalzone for the mid sculpting versatility.
Hey tone king I'm a big pedal junky and I love all your videos. I was wondering if 1. You could show us all at home what the tone lab looks like and 2. What is an ideal pedal setup for someone who plays every style and Wants to be able to jump into any style band? Let me know your thoughts and opinions. Thanks
ARoD
Happy New Years my friend! I hope you have some pedals for next year!
thanks!!! I've been looking around for a good death metal pedal with a good sound
when I listen to the fulbore I could swear, that I've got ton of bees in my Head...
don't like it at all. But in general MXR Pedals sound great. Thanks for that demo Mr Imsjr ;-)
This video is very useful THANKS A LOT !!!!!!!!
However, Where is the Blackstar HT DIST X !!!!
I usually don't chime in on these things, but I've tried most of these pedals, and with the exception of behringer and arion, they are all fine. Some people are loyal to brands like they are to a sports team. But it depends on your amp, guitar, humbucker or single coils, and the desired tone you're after. I'm not a huge fan of boss, but if its got the sound I need, I'm lovin it. I'm not a fan of scooped mids, but if ya want a decent pedal that can do both, try the delta lab MD-1. I own one. Nice
For me all pedals are kind of coolness !!!! hahaha happy new year TTK !
would be nice to see some of the amt pedals
Great Comparison. Might I suggest that in the list you have written, would if be possible to add a time (Minutes, Seconds) to each to the ten pedals, so that folks could more easily go back to a specific pedal so they could get to the demonstration more quickly? :) Thanks. Max
@griffinmpable they are ibanez super 58's in a 2007 arx 500
I will agree that the full bore is a beast. I bought one after comparing it to my HM-2 and a few others. but dont knock the guy. Im still tweaking my full bore and ihave had it 2 years.
You made the metal zone sound the best at the end how
Metal muff is the best! Crank the clean channel to 2 o'clock and still sounds great!!!
Wow!! The MXR really stands out. Don't know if I'm gonna buy the Metal Core or the Fullbore. Any suggestions - arguments. :)
wow you really are the tone king