It still amazes me how a tone in the context of a mix works despite it sounding brash and gnarly on it's own. Case and point: the fuzz tone you had there. Actually sounded good in the mix!
I like the "song inside a song" concept of guitar solos. Makes lots of sense. During the recording sessions of our last album, our producer wanted different flavors in the solos. He made our guitar player record them with different guitars through a Line 6 Helix which he uses for touring. Hearing the same tone in every solo can be boring...
Another alternative is to double track your guitar solo and pan, the slight differences in performance gives a cool old sabbath sound especially good if there is no rhythm guitar during that part.
@@LeonTodd What basic setup would one need to get that solo tone on a budget? (I’m talking practicing at home). I have a small Orange Amp 20 watt practice amp, an Ibanez TS-9, noise suppressor... also, built in reverb on amp. Would you recommend a specific pedal to achieve that lead sound in your “stereo delay” example? Side note, I owned a Boss DD-20 Giga delay pedal about 10 years ago but times were rough and I had to sell it to pay rent : /
That solo has cemented its place in my mind for the foreseeable future.... Killer playing and love your technique... Subscribed for more content. Cheers man.
Me too, and even variations and other parts over it. Good solo, great potential for classical music. I could write a whole orchestral accompaniment involuntarily, and may do so mentally if I listen a few more times.
Wicked solo. Some serious Opeth vibes going on there. Another technique I really like to use in solos is double tracking but then also harmonizing some parts in thirds. Hide from X-Japan used this a lot on their records and it just gives a huge sound, though it doesn't work for all styles of music
@@LeonTodd I've been a big X fan for years, mostly their earlier speed / thrash metal sounding stuff. I've been working on being able to play through their epic "Art of Life" piece for the last few months. Finally I'm almost getting to the point of being able to nail the solos... hard to keep up with the tempo a lot of the time
Right as you showed us the demo I clicked subscribe. Simply the demo is so well-done! I'm tired of people trying to A/B a sound demo but stopping and saying "and here's..." in between. How am I supposed to hear the differences when you've interrupted?! Thank you so much for not doing that and showing the perfect demo with unprocessed, processed, and processed-in-solo as a single run. :D
I agree with you here!!! I tend to use my instincts with it. For me, its just about how the part strikes me. I like and have used most of these here. I dont really like fuzz tho. I dont like the mess. Just me tho. Id be more a fan of the treble booster in that scenario, however i have an H9 tape delay setting i like for in front of the amp and i feel it goes well with the wah in a more traditional style. For the loop I'll use stereo delays. (so far, I prefer the echplex by mxr) I like an amp that has a parallel loop beside another that has a series loop with the volume in there which varies the effects in real time on the parallel loop side its handy in some instances. I sometimes like to detune my guitar by 5-6 cents for space as well. Not a huge verb fan, but i do like it, and i think it goes nicely there. I keep a phase on deck as well. Kept low like you said. Great video, peace!!!
As someone who is just getting into recording guitars and exploring the different possibilities of sounds to make mixes more interesting to listen to, this video was very helpful. Thanks!
This was totally awesome. You need to do more of these kinds of vids. If I would have heard you solo some of those without music I would have thought that sounds terrible. Fuzz I would have never guessed that would sound good and I liked it. We play ain't talking bout love and I use the EVH Mxr 90 for lead and EVH flanger accenting in the rythym on and off. I have been using mod reverb in some of my Solo's, kind of sounds like ambience. We'll be opening up for Saliva in April, can't wait!
I love double tracking solos a lot, especially for stuff with bends and double stops. Give some really nice natural chorusing. I typically combine with different delay times on each track (neither matching the project tempo). I usually end up taking off the boost and gate that is normally on for rhythm sounds and adding more amp gain/volume to compensate. This allows me to control the feedback and just makes the overall feel more spongey and fluid due to the power tubes being opened up.
I don't record in the studio but I've been leaving the high gain at home lately. Going for pure raw tone of an over-driving amp (maybe with boost) with great dynamics. Think of the Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde video.
I always go with the raw tone (and ambient reverb, to simulate the room), but i'm trying to use more the park wah and analog echo to spice things up, great tips! 👏👏👏
Thanks- this was great. I’m looking forward to trying the slow rate phaser. Sometimes a short slapback delay with short feedback can thicken things up. (Works well for power chords, too.)
My favorites are the phaser and the crooked wah. I been trying a different lead tone too, and I really liked the effect that creates using a tri chorus with not too much mix (just a tiny bit) to get that eventide vibe but with a little bit of movement and get a Kee Marcelo kinda vibe but a little bjt less pronounced. Killer video as always dude!
I find this to be an interesting example of sound vs feel. I watched this video three times to tripple check my impressions. I felt the strongest emotional impact of your solo in the raw clip. For soundscape pleasure, I prefered it with some echo. So to me, they were different approaches to different end goals.
That was an awesome solo and a great video idea. Honestly, they all had a similar feel, I liked them all. I think that the fuzz had a chewy texture, but I could be into any of the tones. Do you have any tips for lead tone variation for live use? I find it hard to get away from a tube screamer (which I totally dig) as everything else has a less predictable place in the mix. I suppose any of these tricks for studio could also work live -have you had any success live with them? Thanks for the great video!
Hi Leon, Excellent Video, Love the Solo, really liked the Reverb, Huge sound. I did like the last Solo with the Lot Massive sound if you had the Headroom. The Wah half cocked is a Classic, Sound, Tony Iommi,👍 I have found a Treble Booster really cuts and gives each individual Guitarist a different sound through their Rig. 4:18 Eddie Page, lol. Brilliant Playing as always 👍👍👍. Take care Mate. Melbourne, Australia.
These all sound good. I like adding a fast loud single repeat delay as well, even quicker than slapback types, like 30-40 ms, that can add a different texture as well.
Some great tips there Leon. I've been playing for years, but until recently always just plugged into the amp and went for it. Mainly because I think I've never been too keen on clean sounds, even reverb's don't excite me. Some people can do it, me not so much (yep, I play Beatles with a cranked Marshall \m/). The older I get, the more I think there's something in there that needs to be explored further with delays, phaser's etc. I remember reading something about Mark Lizotte (Diesel) where he said he'd always played electrics because he never found an acoustic that "fit" his sound. He obviously found it, as I don't think he plays much electric anymore. BTW Yeah, the phaser, echo & verb was a bit over the top and didn't sound too good.
Killer solo Leon and some great tips. Cant beat a Tube screamer and some delay for a great solo but also adding other effects at times like the phase 90 and some modulation really can juice them up some.
I am a fan of using some sort of octaver, octafuzz, or something that introduces so harmonic modulation into the signal. Basically anything that says "you will listen to my solo now." If I'm using some "industry standard" lead tone, I will almost always introduce a 2nd lead guitar part to accentuate certain phrases or to fake a "trade-off." I am a sucker for dual and dueling lead parts. Brian May all day!!
In the Court of the Crimson King back there. Yeah! This was good. Really liked the Phase 90. Inspired to bring it back out. Always loved the parked wah sound.
Probably the best way to cut thru a mix and one you forgot is using an EQ before the amp with narrow boosts. The other is dryer rhythm tracks for wetter lead tones but you run the risk of sounding more like hard rock then metal.
thx! 35 years testing everything, never found better for me than this dry/wet mono solution I spent years to find the good cabs sometimes I play your way with the stereo delays, but it's harder to setup, depends the room
The general idea for recording solo as for me is to change amp/preamp to another for soloing. Also I mostly record three tracks-right,left and center. If you play it well and almost the same it sounds great. Next track I'm going to try MXR Distortion+ in clean channel of my Engl. Usually I use for recording my solo parts Triaxis by Mesa/Boogie. But Mxr so close to the earlier Slash,I will try it)
Hey bro I'm from India can you show me some lead guitar tone in boss GT100 and I'm literally struggling to get a lead tone for my solos over a songs if you could show me in your next video It would be a great Thank you
That's a really nicely crafted solo, Leon. Proper cool. Tonewise, I reckon the more is more approach would be OK if the echo and delay mixes were a bit more subtle. But you made your point. It's not the 80s anymore and we're not Steve Lukather. ;)
First ever video I’ve added to a playlist and then immediately taken off. This is pretty tailored to this ^ guys sound. Most of this advice is complete bullshit, and will heavily be hit or miss. Good luck
4:18 Eddie van Halen - Whole Lotta love?! What was I smoking?!?!
Leon Todd I was about to comment. 😄
Total brain fart
😂
Cerebral Flatulent 🤯
I laughed. We knew what you meant. Clearly you were talking about the classic EVH song, "All You Need is Love"
It still amazes me how a tone in the context of a mix works despite it sounding brash and gnarly on it's own. Case and point: the fuzz tone you had there. Actually sounded good in the mix!
I like the "song inside a song" concept of guitar solos. Makes lots of sense. During the recording sessions of our last album, our producer wanted different flavors in the solos. He made our guitar player record them with different guitars through a Line 6 Helix which he uses for touring. Hearing the same tone in every solo can be boring...
Using a different guitar is often the quickest way to spice up solos
Another alternative is to double track your guitar solo and pan, the slight differences in performance gives a cool old sabbath sound especially good if there is no rhythm guitar during that part.
I was impressed you played that solo perfectly every time! Nice video man!
This solo has a Revocation-esque sound to it. Thanks for the tone tips!. I liked the stereo delay the best!
Great band, I'm flattered!
@@LeonTodd What basic setup would one need to get that solo tone on a budget? (I’m talking practicing at home). I have a small Orange Amp 20 watt practice amp, an Ibanez TS-9, noise suppressor... also, built in reverb on amp. Would you recommend a specific pedal to achieve that lead sound in your “stereo delay” example?
Side note, I owned a Boss DD-20 Giga delay pedal about 10 years ago but times were rough and I had to sell it to pay rent : /
Thats funny i thought the same exact thing about the solo
His raw tone is better then my overall tone
A hint of chorus, tape/analog delay and plate verb (all used very lightly) is instant god-mode solo tone for me!
Love the stereo delay! The tone sounds way bigger!
That solo has cemented its place in my mind for the foreseeable future.... Killer playing and love your technique... Subscribed for more content. Cheers man.
Cheers! Enjoy your stay :)
Me too, and even variations and other parts over it. Good solo, great potential for classical music. I could write a whole orchestral accompaniment involuntarily, and may do so mentally if I listen a few more times.
Man, the solo itself was the high light :)
You're too kind mate!
Wicked solo. Some serious Opeth vibes going on there. Another technique I really like to use in solos is double tracking but then also harmonizing some parts in thirds. Hide from X-Japan used this a lot on their records and it just gives a huge sound, though it doesn't work for all styles of music
This is real good stuff. I did this on one solo on the guest Ragdoll record but I can't remember which one!
@@LeonTodd I've been a big X fan for years, mostly their earlier speed / thrash metal sounding stuff. I've been working on being able to play through their epic "Art of Life" piece for the last few months. Finally I'm almost getting to the point of being able to nail the solos... hard to keep up with the tempo a lot of the time
Right as you showed us the demo I clicked subscribe. Simply the demo is so well-done! I'm tired of people trying to A/B a sound demo but stopping and saying "and here's..." in between. How am I supposed to hear the differences when you've interrupted?! Thank you so much for not doing that and showing the perfect demo with unprocessed, processed, and processed-in-solo as a single run. :D
My pleasure, means a lot to know it hit the spot :)
I agree with you here!!! I tend to use my instincts with it. For me, its just about how the part strikes me.
I like and have used most of these here. I dont really like fuzz tho. I dont like the mess. Just me tho. Id be more a fan of the treble booster in that scenario, however i have an H9 tape delay setting i like for in front of the amp and i feel it goes well with the wah in a more traditional style. For the loop I'll use stereo delays. (so far, I prefer the echplex by mxr) I like an amp that has a parallel loop beside another that has a series loop with the volume in there which varies the effects in real time on the parallel loop side its handy in some instances. I sometimes like to detune my guitar by 5-6 cents for space as well. Not a huge verb fan, but i do like it, and i think it goes nicely there. I keep a phase on deck as well. Kept low like you said.
Great video, peace!!!
As someone who is just getting into recording guitars and exploring the different possibilities of sounds to make mixes more interesting to listen to, this video was very helpful. Thanks!
That's awesome to hear, I'm really glad it was helpful :)
This was totally awesome. You need to do more of these kinds of vids. If I would have heard you solo some of those without music I would have thought that sounds terrible. Fuzz I would have never guessed that would sound good and I liked it. We play ain't talking bout love and I use the EVH Mxr 90 for lead and EVH flanger accenting in the rythym on and off. I have been using mod reverb in some of my Solo's, kind of sounds like ambience. We'll be opening up for Saliva in April, can't wait!
It's all context! Saliva are good dudes congrats.
I love double tracking solos a lot, especially for stuff with bends and double stops. Give some really nice natural chorusing. I typically combine with different delay times on each track (neither matching the project tempo). I usually end up taking off the boost and gate that is normally on for rhythm sounds and adding more amp gain/volume to compensate. This allows me to control the feedback and just makes the overall feel more spongey and fluid due to the power tubes being opened up.
The band Loudness did a cool trick. Play the solo and octave up. Then mix both together. Great video.
I don't record in the studio but I've been leaving the high gain at home lately. Going for pure raw tone of an over-driving amp (maybe with boost) with great dynamics. Think of the Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde video.
Great as always, Leon. Thanks
I always go with the raw tone (and ambient reverb, to simulate the room), but i'm trying to use more the park wah and analog echo to spice things up, great tips! 👏👏👏
A lot of the time cutting the raw tone and adding fx in mix down works, but sometimes it's fun to commit to a dirty tone with fx for the character
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that solo.
Thanks- this was great. I’m looking forward to trying the slow rate phaser. Sometimes a short slapback delay with short feedback can thicken things up. (Works well for power chords, too.)
great idea! You get the thickness without any of the comb filtered artifacts a flanger might add that way
My favorites are the phaser and the crooked wah. I been trying a different lead tone too, and I really liked the effect that creates using a tri chorus with not too much mix (just a tiny bit) to get that eventide vibe but with a little bit of movement and get a Kee Marcelo kinda vibe but a little bjt less pronounced. Killer video as always dude!
As an aside, how good is Kee? Beast mode player
@@LeonTodd absolute killer playing imo. One of the cleanest alternate pickings I've ever heard.
I find this to be an interesting example of sound vs feel. I watched this video three times to tripple check my impressions. I felt the strongest emotional impact of your solo in the raw clip. For soundscape pleasure, I prefered it with some echo. So to me, they were different approaches to different end goals.
what a lead. huh wich effects. The solo is kickass mate.
A subtle octave down would of sounded awesome on that solo! Cool solo Leon, Phrygian dominant?
I'll have to dust the pog off! Yeah, mostly Phrygian dominant with some extra stanky outside notes thrown in
Nice video mate!
When you don’t even know how to get a lead guitar solos sound but everyone else apparently can 😭
Cool video as always Leon! 🤘💪
Thanks so much man!
Very Schenker-like solo, i dig it. Very nice!!
I have the free version of guitar super system 6. Can you provide presets for lead guitar like the tones in this video?
That was an awesome solo and a great video idea. Honestly, they all had a similar feel, I liked them all. I think that the fuzz had a chewy texture, but I could be into any of the tones.
Do you have any tips for lead tone variation for live use? I find it hard to get away from a tube screamer (which I totally dig) as everything else has a less predictable place in the mix. I suppose any of these tricks for studio could also work live -have you had any success live with them?
Thanks for the great video!
That's a great topic actually, I'll have to do a video on it
I really like your videos dude.. all the best 🤘🏽
Thanks so much for watching
Hi Leon, Excellent Video, Love the Solo, really liked the Reverb, Huge sound. I did like the last Solo with the Lot Massive sound if you had the Headroom. The Wah half cocked is a Classic, Sound, Tony Iommi,👍 I have found a Treble Booster really cuts and gives each individual Guitarist a different sound through their Rig.
4:18 Eddie Page, lol. Brilliant Playing as always 👍👍👍.
Take care Mate.
Melbourne, Australia.
Thanks for the video dude!
These all sound good. I like adding a fast loud single repeat delay as well, even quicker than slapback types, like 30-40 ms, that can add a different texture as well.
Not tried that, but I soon will!
@@LeonTodd The TPS guys did a good vid on delays a few years ago, think this is where I got the idea ua-cam.com/video/uRucVIy-MKc/v-deo.html
Loved that solo.... :)
Great video Leon. How about the detune trick? 11cent up left, 11cent down right.
loved watching it, thank you~!
Hey Leon!!! Great man 🤘😎. I'll try these tips on muy AA. Have you some details to use eco in front??
200ms, feedback at 0, mix at 5% :)
@@LeonTodd thanks a lot 🤘😎
Some great tips there Leon. I've been playing for years, but until recently always just plugged into the amp and went for it. Mainly because I think I've never been too keen on clean sounds, even reverb's don't excite me. Some people can do it, me not so much (yep, I play Beatles with a cranked Marshall \m/). The older I get, the more I think there's something in there that needs to be explored further with delays, phaser's etc.
I remember reading something about Mark Lizotte (Diesel) where he said he'd always played electrics because he never found an acoustic that "fit" his sound. He obviously found it, as I don't think he plays much electric anymore.
BTW Yeah, the phaser, echo & verb was a bit over the top and didn't sound too good.
thanks for these awesome tips!
Killer solo Leon and some great tips.
Cant beat a Tube screamer and some delay for a great solo but also adding other effects at times like the phase 90 and some modulation really can juice them up some.
It's all about changing it up just enough.
We use ibanez ts9 after the distortion pedal to boost mid when solo kicks in. Are we doing it right or wrong, we don't know!
I am a fan of using some sort of octaver, octafuzz, or something that introduces so harmonic modulation into the signal. Basically anything that says "you will listen to my solo now." If I'm using some "industry standard" lead tone, I will almost always introduce a 2nd lead guitar part to accentuate certain phrases or to fake a "trade-off." I am a sucker for dual and dueling lead parts. Brian May all day!!
Grab their attention with tone, hold it with the solo
Tips on amp EQ and mic placement for avoiding harshness? Especially using the bridge pickup
And what about reverb before the amp?
I noticed the little Steve Via lick in your solo @ 1:35
Use the neck pickup/Rectifier (Sykes), use a Marshall low gain loud, or do it clean for a classical interlude effect.
"Use the neck pickup" really should be in this list
I like the parked Wah sound. Reminds me of Brian May although he used a treble booster
Brian May and Michael Schenker made great use of that nasal, mid heavy lead tone. Slices through a mix like a knife.
In the Court of the Crimson King back there. Yeah! This was good. Really liked the Phase 90. Inspired to bring it back out. Always loved the parked wah sound.
Option 6 for great lead tones - be Robert Fripp :p
Leon Todd LOL. Yeah, Leon!
How to get such tones in Bias fX 2 mobile?
Great playing! Which guitar brand/model is this? Looks and sounds great
Great class!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Probably the best way to cut thru a mix and one you forgot is using an EQ before the amp with narrow boosts. The other is dryer rhythm tracks for wetter lead tones but you run the risk of sounding more like hard rock then metal.
My way for lead guitar :
ESP Horizon Kiko Loureiro SE100 -> EVH wah -> MXR Black Label Chorus -> Lehle P-Split :
-> dry : Mesa Dual Rectifier Rev F + Engl Richie Blackmore signature 4x12 V30
-> dry : Soldano SLO + Rivera RockCrusher Recording
-> wet : Mesa Dual Rectifier Rev G + Bogner 412ST V30 / into the loop : Boss Dm2 (mix 50%) + Ernie Ball volume pedal
mics : 2 SM57 + Summit Audio TPA200B
2 R121 + TubeTech MP2A
Holy smokes, what a rig!
thx! 35 years testing everything, never found better for me than this dry/wet mono solution
I spent years to find the good cabs
sometimes I play your way with the stereo delays, but it's harder to setup, depends the room
Great video!
Which song is this 4:35 ?
It is simply superb....
Thanks! That's "Rust" by Ragdoll
The general idea for recording solo as for me is to change amp/preamp to another for soloing. Also I mostly record three tracks-right,left and center. If you play it well and almost the same it sounds great. Next track I'm going to try MXR Distortion+ in clean channel of my Engl. Usually I use for recording my solo parts Triaxis by Mesa/Boogie. But Mxr so close to the earlier Slash,I will try it)
variety is the spice of life!
@@LeonTodd 100%!)
Ping pong delay with a bit of chorus and reverb 🤘🏻
Ah, the phaser! There it is!
glad for this ..🤘
Your sound is awesome,I have 3 or 4 videos on my channel and they sound muddy.
Thanks mate. Axe-Fx makes it easy!
Fuzz fan over here ! Tho I would have added some modulation maybe.
Very tasty solo! Do you listen to much Vai? The slight semitone bend is very freakshow excess, in the best way possible. Great tones
Vai, Marty Friedman and Jeff Beck are big influences and I always think of freak show excess when I do stuff like that!
Great vid! Question though, the first time around when you play the solo without any effects what are you amp/pickup settings?
What presets did you use for this? Really dig the tones 🔥 are they available???? 🤤
Hey bro I'm from India can you show me some lead guitar tone in boss GT100 and I'm literally struggling to get a lead tone for my solos over a songs if you could show me in your next video It would be a great Thank you
I'm looking for a white lionish sound hehehe.Thanks!
Is that a cigar box guitar leaning against speakers?
Yeah, one made in Dallas
Thanks for reply man. I was wondering if you play one time to time.
Sorry if you talked about it in another video, I'm new to your channel. Cheers
That's a really nicely crafted solo, Leon. Proper cool. Tonewise, I reckon the more is more approach would be OK if the echo and delay mixes were a bit more subtle. But you made your point. It's not the 80s anymore and we're not Steve Lukather. ;)
To be Steve Lukather in the 80s for a day = the dream
What type of amp did you use to get that RAW sound/tone?
I'm using the USA IIC++ model in the Axe-Fx for this
how can i get a good lead tone out of dual rec?
What version do you have?
@@LeonTodd 3 channel non multiwatt
Nice one👍
Very Marty friedman sounding, similar specifically to his solo from hangar 18.
THANKS
Would be cool to hear your leads tones through actual amps instead of the Fractal.
brother your bad ass...
Pretty sure you meant Eruption instead of whole lotta love right?
Liked your solo tho.
Keep it up!
Possibly Aint Talkin' Bout Love
@@stevedurrant8815 epic fail on my part!
What's is a "poc'd wah" and how do you spell it? :D
Dudley DooRight parked wah, as it doesn’t move, it is parked in the middle of the range of motion of the pedal
you forgot Randy Rhoads trick, chorus in front of the amp..dang
Somebody likes Uli Jon Roth, right on!
You know me too well :D
66,6k subs
Nice.
Step 1: have an *awesome* solo.
jesus that stereo delay beats everything else imo.
Bliss. My pick too ;)
first demo little dryer off the bridge only tone dry
What I do Is I just Do, Is I Put a CHORUS Pedal In front of my amp, then I Chuck A Distortion pedal Right after it. And that’s My Lead tone. :)
I love chorus in front of drive too!
Leon Todd :)
Do I spy a phat cat in the neck?
First ever video I’ve added to a playlist and then immediately taken off. This is pretty tailored to this ^ guys sound. Most of this advice is complete bullshit, and will heavily be hit or miss. Good luck
Is that a commie guitar in the background?