James Hetfield's Mark II C+ "Crunch Berries"

[kekam35]

Somehow for that graphic eq setting, I get tones nowhere close to the black album sound. :? Anyway, I replaced the stock seymour duncan JB with a Dimarzio X2N and I can get fat, saturated distortion at low volumes, gain around 6 and drive around 7. I'm going direct into amp with a jackson dinky. However, even with the X2N, I cant get remotely close to metal on the R2 channel.

Really? Mine is dead-nuts on. Gain=8, T=7.5, M=6.5, B=1.5, LD=6, M=4, presence=pushed, Fat=pulled, harmonics, triode, simul-class, 2x12 cab. EQ in the "Hetfield M".

What do you mean by "Hetfield M"?

The 2 outside sliders being lower than the 2 inside sliders, like in the pic.

 

[JimmyB]

The 2 outside sliders being lower than the 2 inside sliders, like in the pic.

The Hetfield M? I thought that EQ setting was always called "the ram's horns"... for obvious reasons! :lol: :wink:

 

[gibson5413]

Tried these settings and not liking it as much as how I have it dialed in. Didn't record the way I like. Oh well, back to my normal killer settings!

 

[Masterof1angel]

Thank you so much! I love my IV! and get some awesome tones with it. I was confused about the black album cuz i love it so much and grew up listening to it. When I listened to it after getting my V and playing a IV, I was like "they must have used a iv, i hear the softer feel and more thunder scoop." Then when I got my IV I was like man, this amp feels so much better than my V. It feels a lot like the black album but now I think they are using a iic+ (now hearing the brightness and cut after getting tuned in with my IV). I now want a iic+ but they are so hard to find. I love my IV as it can give me the iic+ tone and feel but with the IV's Tranny. I'd love to have both. Each does something different and equally cool/beautiful. They are like two sides of a coin, a coin that God flips when he can't decide if he would rather hear Zepplin or Metallica today. If the IIC+ is as great to play as my IV (not stiff like a V) and can do the same amount of bass and scoop, I'll be in heaven.
(what's up with the 5db more mid scoop and bass boost in the IV's GEQ compared to the V's anyway?)

-Angel

 

[chipaudette]

The Mark IV GEQ has a different response than the IIC+? This is the first that I've heard of this. Is it true.

If so, when did it happen? Is the Mark III GEQ like the IIC+ or the IV?

Curious.

Chip

 

[Boogiebabies]

Look at the schematics for the GEQ from the MKI to MKV. They have different operating voltages, input caps and output caps.
Looking at the MKV, it appears they switch the 10uf output cap to a .22uf when in C+ mode. The cut function re-voices the EQ's
inductors with preset amounts of fixed resistors at much higher values than the standard 470 Ohm to 1K. The boost is just normal EQ
operation.

 

[rockboy999]

I just dialed in those settings on my DC -10!!! Pretty cool. It's amazing how the EQ can change the distortion. I believe the DC and Mark are similar and it has more than enough gain for metal. Just remember Mesa gain is not super saturated.

 

[ryjan]

Kirk blended an ADA MP-1 in his leads a bit along with Marshalls and Bradshaw preamps. James used an ADA eq sometimes but mainly just a Mark IIC+ with a parametric in the loop for both live and studio.

 

[ryjan]

Lately my favorite Metallica tones have been off of Garage Inc.

 

[emperor_black]

I think my favorite tones were on MOP, and TBA...

TBA? To Be Announced? :lol: J/K

 

[Guitar GeeK]

Whats the settings on that thing?

 

[Facelift]

I recently put a Furman PQ-4 in the loop of my Mark III and it made a HUGE difference in how saturated the gain is. Very gritty and way more headroom. I can see why James used one. I cant imagine plugging in without it now. It jsut gives it that extra something that youve been missing.

 

[ryjan]

Yeah, a parametric in the loop is way cool but it needs to be high quality. The cheap stuff really degrades the tone and feel of the amp.

 

[mesa1360]

what c+ amps did metallica own and use, the simulclass or the 100/60?

 

[ryjan]

In the interviews I have read, James always refers to the C+'s as being the Simul-Class.

 

[petejt]

Lately my favorite Metallica tones have been off of Garage Inc.

A lot of James Hetfield's guitar tone on Turn the Page & Astronomy from that album, is a Wizard Modern Classic loaded with E34Ls. Man that tone is HUGE!

Of course there's the TriAxis/Recto combo, but the Wizard's articulation and full-bodied hi-fi punch stomps through everything!

 

[#2121313]

I recently put a Furman PQ-4 in the loop of my Mark III and it made a HUGE difference in how saturated the gain is. Very gritty and way more headroom. I can see why James used one. I cant imagine plugging in without it now. It jsut gives it that extra something that youve been missing.

Facelift, have you used any other parametric EQ's in the loop? I'm using a Rane PE15 with my Mark V in C+ mode and it helps but I still feel like it's missing something...I've been eying out other parametric eq's like the old Furmans...Also if you'd like to share any tips in terms of frequencies your adjusting in/out...I take it your going for a similar type old Hetfield tone?

 

[eet fuk]

I recently put a Furman PQ-4 in the loop of my Mark III and it made a HUGE difference in how saturated the gain is. Very gritty and way more headroom. I can see why James used one. I cant imagine plugging in without it now. It jsut gives it that extra something that youve been missing.

I'm curious, what do you mean by headroom? The very definition of headroom is clean signal before distortion, so you cannot increase distortion and headroom at the same time, they are mutually exclusive. So you don't mean headroom, but you do mean something else, what exactly is that something else?

 

[cremona]

When i had the quad/295 siumual class combo i was completly baffeld by have much more brutal and dynamic i could make my sound when i used a TC eletronics 2240 parametrical EQ in the Loop.


I did alot of A/B testing and i would never be without kvality studio EQ.

Without it it sound abit overtight , midrangy and saturation of the gain was also much better, and it was first when i used the EQ i got that ball braking hetfield GOD sound.


I have No idea why.



Actually i do,

When working with music reproduction (hifi) you are alwasy trying to get as close to the org recording as possible, and herefor a EQ is the devil, you dont wann screw around with further EQing metallicas sound if you like it.


But in with a guitar amplifire your are not recreating enything your are playing it live and here there are no rools for what sounds best.

With a parametrical EQ you can Boost or cut, therefor you can boost surthen Frq that makes the sound more dynamic , but it takes a bit of skill because you can quickly also screw up the sound .




James also dubbels most rythmen tracks why ? because it sounds better to him as do a EQ in the Loop .

 

[eet fuk]

According to the studio notes from Flemming himself, James boosted 120Hz, scooped 1.2k, and boosted 4.6k. That's kind of like 3 extra graphic eq sliders on the boogie between the amp sliders that are already there. AND he scooped the graphic on the IIC+. Man, that's a lot of scoop. But he also went right on the dustcap with both the midsy sm57 and a SDC mic, kinda balances it out I guess. I'm just looking at my notes on this and realizing that he used the parametric for the bass and treble more than the amp graphic. Interesting. But the 750 Hz is on top of the bottom line or right in it. SCOOP FEST. Whatever works for you...

Just drew a quick 8 slider eq including the amp and the para eq approximations, and it's a big M, holy ****. I can see where he was going with this...