Swedish Death Metal Using Warpig Most Likely

[BobtimusPrime]

Alright, so here's the deal. I have a Jackson DK7 (Dinky 7 string) using a DiMarzio Evolution 7 going to a Japanese Boss HM-2 into a Peavey 6505+ on the Rhythm channel. Currently using a BlueVooDoo cab with V30s and T75s in the X-Pattern. I cannot for the life of me dial in the tone I want. I know I won't be able to get the exact Entombed sound since I'm not using the same exact gear, but I know I can get something I will be pleased with.

I've tweaked knobs on the amp in every possible combination I could think of and even have toyed with the HM-2 all dimed out, and even turned down the high knob a little. The problem with the tone is that it's too harsh on the high end. When I try to adjust that, I get a more muddy and flat distortion sound.

I don't know my amp's exact settings right now, but I do know the gain is down about as low as I can get it without either killing it completely and not high enough to just make everything get overrun by distortion.

After doing some research and tinkering, I've determined that I probably need a different pickup, and have found nothing but good reviews on the Warpig. My concern is will this pup be what I need? I'm tuned standard BEADGBE, and I believe the guitar body is basswood. Also, Alnico or Ceramic? Currently, I'm leaning towards Alnico.

[Madsakre]

Well entombed used emg-81's. But i've gotten quite close results with the a5 warpig. Theres just this thing that its a bit too powerful. I would advice you to look into the vintage/vintage hot range for something a bit less hot.

My call would be either the riff raff or the black dog

[BobtimusPrime]

Looking at those pickups, they seem to be less on the low end and more on the mids and highs. Not sure how I feel about that.

[Madsakre]

its the pickup. compared to itself. not other pickups

[BobtimusPrime]

Right, but I can only work with the information I have available. If I'm feeling like I'm getting too much high end, I don't want a pickup that is advertised to push more on mids and highs than the lows. It'd just be easier to have a handful of pickups to try out :lol:

[BobtimusPrime]

I guess I also have to keep in mind I'm using a high gain amp through a monster of a pedal. You may be on to something.

[Madsakre]

i got two :) Both a taiwanese and a japanese hm-2 :)

[BobtimusPrime]

I have two Japanese ones. You notice much of a difference between the two?

[Madsakre]

yep the japanese is less fizzy. but it sucks more tone when on bypass

[Alex]

I always thought the evolution was a rather nasty-sounding pickup which can sound very scratchy on the top end. I you haven't gotten Vai's chops, I'd steer clear from it. I think it is made for his extreme soloing style with lots of whammy abuse and for standard tuning.

Personally I have a Miracle Man in my baritone and I think it does the Swedish Death Metal sound quite well. I'm a big fan of Arch Enemy, In Flames and Hypocrisy and the MM works for that sound.
But I also think that probably most BKP higher gain models - Warpig, Miracle Man and Painkiller come to mind - would work fine and be better than the Evolution.

[Madsakre]

the miracle man dont work with the hm-2. They cant get along. But the miracle man works wonders if you run it through a bass overdrive into a engl blackmoore. it gives you a sound very close to nasum's

[BobtimusPrime]

The Evo sounds really good through my TS-9 on the lead channel of my 6505+, it just doesn't play well through the HM-2.

There's also different Swedish sounds. Gothenburg bands went for a more scooped mid sound with bouncy melodic riffs. I'm all about the power of the riff, not bouncing melodies.

I want a monstrous growl from my rig. I want the tone to sound like a giant chainsaw ripping through flesh and bone. I don't want that annoying high end that pierces the ears. I want it to be a thicker fuller sound. Oddly, I like Entombed's tone better on DCLXVI than Left Hand Path. I think it's a more sophisticated take on the sound they originally had. http://youtu.be/tU74gImrd1c

[King IzzO)))]

I liked using a Super Distortion for the Entombed/Dismember sound and a Duncan Custom works for the Trap Them sound pretty well. I prefer both more than an EMG, actually a 500T does pretty well too. What those equate to in the BK line, I have no idea.

The pickup really doesn't matter that much though, HM-2 dominates the sound, maybe the Evo is a little bright, and the 6505 might be too. Lately to smooth the sound of the HM-2 and tighten up the flubbiness I've turned down the treble on the HM-2 for a less harsh setting and set the level for equal volume to the amp, as opposed to running all the knobs up. Then I front end the HM-2 with an MXR OD (any TS type would work). This really makes a better sound and works with the R2 channel on my Mark III Boogie and on a Peavey Butcher. Both are pretty bright 6L6 amps, so that might worth a shot.

[BobtimusPrime]

At this point, the pickup really matters. The stock "Duncan Designed" vs the DiMarzio Evo is a whole world of difference.

EMGs will never be used by me. I prefer passive pups only, and EMG passives are garbage I think. Their actives are cool, but sound too compressed for my likes.

I've been rolling back knobs on the HM-2 because it actually sounds better. The pedal dimed out on my 10w practice amp gives me an almost perfect replication of that Entombed sound. That isn't practical for band practice and live situations.

[Madsakre]

the way i use my hm-2 on a live rig is like this:
Level: Max. High: Max. Low: Max. Gain 1/10.

Run it into the dirty channel, and chasam!

Metalaxe in here made this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw6c44hUK8o&feature=plcp&context=C33bb3dcUDOEgsToPDskLpAs4nAMDKFiNucKZGG0UK

Awesome sound imho.

i dont have my rig at home, so i could not record my hm-2's through an amp. but i got an acceptable result with my ux2.
The pickup i used here was a ceramic Pig90:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6647159/Unsilent%20ideas.mp3