James Hetfield's Recto Tone- how does he get it?

[petejt]

Here is the Youtube video of James Hetfield performing the Waylon Jennings song Don't You think this Outlaw bit has done got out of hand?, at CMT Outlaws.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rbaXAV56e7c



This is the BEST I have EVER heard out of a Recto!

I have never heard anyone use a Recto amp like this! Usually it's just a loose flubby buzzy mushy mess, or less gainy but weak and boring. The output control on the Recto amps has a LOT to be desired, and that the amp won't sound good unless cranked past 5 on the master volume control, and the bass tamed when using high gain.


How on earth did James get such a godly tone out of the amp? Is he using external equalisers with it? Or is he running his TriAxis preamp along with the Recto? What's going on?

 

[clutch71]

Looks like an older 2ch to my eyes.

 

[chennie]

I don't know what the fuzz (no pun) is about?
I keep telling, a recto doesnt have to sound fuzzy and messy. Turn down the gain. That is the clue. Then adjust the EQ. turn down the bass. Turn up the treble. You're the guitar player, not the bass player. If you want to sound heavy, write heavy music. Having a low low low dropped tuning as if you are trying to drive a boombox isn't helping.

If it sounds weak and boring, it is your technique. Mesa are uncompromisable, regarding tone and mistakes. Hetfield has a lot of attack and is a great rythem player. His fingers add to the sound, definitely.

 

[Sling Blade]

I read in a Metallica gear list that both James and Kirk are currently using Trem-o-verbs. Who really knows though. The guitar that he is playing is the one that I own though, it is the ESP Truckster.

 

[ToneAddictJon]

I can get that exact tone on ch 3 vintage gain at noon maybe 1:00 at the highest, it's just a fairly medium gain setting with a hard pick attack. I would say the reason most people don't get the recto's is that the controls go to such extremes, no reason to crank any of the controls (except master volume). Turn your bass to 0, mids 9:00-noon depending on the guitar, treble about noon, gain about noon, presence 9:00-noon depeding on guitar, channel 3 vintage, bold, tube recto, channel volume 3:00 and master volume up as high as you can stand it, and your there. If it doesn't sound right then, you just need a new guitar, or a new cab, or you have a need to practice a lot more.

 

[Elpelotero]

All of James' gear is modded by the top folks at Mesa all the time. They know what his sound is and what he likes, so they mod the amps to get that for him.

Even 20 years ago, his Mark2C+'s were modded for more gain.

So just getting a 2ch recto and EMG's will not get you his sound (or his ferocious picking hand).

 

[LaneMeyer]

I can get that exact tone on ch 3 vintage gain at noon maybe 1:00 at the highest, it's just a fairly medium gain setting with a hard pick attack. I would say the reason most people don't get the recto's is that the controls go to such extremes, no reason to crank any of the controls (except master volume). Turn your bass to 0, mids 9:00-noon depending on the guitar, treble about noon, gain about noon, presence 9:00-noon depeding on guitar, channel 3 vintage, bold, tube recto, channel volume 3:00 and master volume up as high as you can stand it, and your there. If it doesn't sound right then, you just need a new guitar, or a new cab, or you have a need to practice a lot more.

Great post. I'm currently using a TOV and watched this video and thought, "Hell, that's a tone I play with all the time." Pretty much the settings you described as well. Vintage is where its at on the TOV.

 

[Sling Blade]

I can get that exact tone on ch 3 vintage gain at noon maybe 1:00 at the highest, it's just a fairly medium gain setting with a hard pick attack. I would say the reason most people don't get the recto's is that the controls go to such extremes, no reason to crank any of the controls (except master volume). Turn your bass to 0, mids 9:00-noon depending on the guitar, treble about noon, gain about noon, presence 9:00-noon depeding on guitar, channel 3 vintage, bold, tube recto, channel volume 3:00 and master volume up as high as you can stand it, and your there. If it doesn't sound right then, you just need a new guitar, or a new cab, or you have a need to practice a lot more.

Great post. I'm currently using a TOV and watched this video and thought, "Hell, that's a tone I play with all the time." Pretty much the settings you described as well. Vintage is where its at on the TOV.

I agree, I love the vintage. I clone it to my red. Now if I were playing drop D stuff I would hang out on the red channal

 

[phillyred79]

I'm pretty sure I can nail that tone with Ch 4. on my RK. Modern voicing, gain @ 2, bass at 2, middle around 12, treble around 2, presence to your liking. 2xEL34/2x6L6, diode rectified, Spongy/50W.

 

[4nkam]

I don't know what the fuzz (no pun) is about?
I keep telling, a recto doesnt have to sound fuzzy and messy. Turn down the gain. That is the clue. Then adjust the EQ. turn down the bass. Turn up the treble. You're the guitar player, not the bass player. If you want to sound heavy, write heavy music. Having a low low low dropped tuning as if you are trying to drive a boombox isn't helping.

If it sounds weak and boring, it is your technique. Mesa are uncompromisable, regarding tone and mistakes. Hetfield has a lot of attack and is a great rythem player. His fingers add to the sound, definitely.

That's really it in a nutshell right there. People go on and on about how Rectos can be loose or fuzzy and to some extent (especially with the 3 channels) that can be true but that's mainly due to how the user has it dialed in. Just because controls can go to 10 doesn't mean they have to be on or close to 10. I find that on the Rectos, the heavy tones actually sound best around noon with my particular gear. Just turn up the volume and it should be thumpin away rather easily.

they used to use tremoverb combos backstage but haven't done so since like 2000. Now they just use the old 2 channel triple rectos (James), 2 Channel Duals (Kirk), Stiletto (Kirk), and Randall RM100 (Kirk).

 

[4nkam]

You can hear these settings/amp in the KSJO Breakfast with Metallica "show" from a few years back.

 

[MetalMatt]

In the user manuals it states the swet spot for most controls is between 11:00 and 1:00. With Rectos sometimes less is more.

 

[Johnson]

In the user manuals it states the swet spot for most controls is between 11:00 and 1:00. With Rectos sometimes less is more.

+1^ All of my settings are between 11:00-1:00 and I am really happy with my tone. The only exception is the gain which sometimes I push to 2:00-2:30 depending on the song, but I find anything above 3:00 gets too hairy.

 

[wildrat666]

what so special about his tone. that is a standard tone coming out of a dual recto!!! it is easy to get that tone

 

[Random Hero]

Marked for later.

 

[Fixxer6671]

I played an old dual rec this past weekend, and it was great. Number 6hundred and something or another.....

I came home and revved up my t-verb and to be honest the T-verb is not going anywhere. Although there may be a huge allure to the vintage Dual recs, I think Mesa makes the best amps. If your jonzen for that tone, go with the T-verb, and put some EL34's......

:wink: I learned my lesson!!!

Now, I also had a 3 channel dual back in the day, and I will take the T-verb hands down.

next on my list though is the Roadster.........

 

[Leng]

I'd have to say that tone is no where near the quality I've heard others get out of Dual Rectos. Hetfield is a background guitarist, and Mesa is more for foreground guitarists due to the cut and quality of the tones they produce.

 

[fpoon]

You're the guitar player, not the bass player. If you want to sound heavy, write heavy music. If it sounds weak and boring, it is your technique. Mesa are uncompromisable, regarding tone and mistakes. Hetfield has a lot of attack and is a great rythem player. His fingers add to the sound, definitely.

+1

A lot has to do with the way you pick. My friend tried playing on my Mark IV and it just didn't sound as aggresive. It was "weak and boring".

 

[CoG]

How on earth did James get such a godly tone out of the amp? Is he using external equalisers with it? Or is he running his TriAxis preamp along with the Recto? What's going on?

It's a basic Recto rhythm tone BUT...

it's mixed like it's supposed to be!

The rhythm guitar and bass are locked in super tight and staying the hell out of each other's frequency range. That way the guitar adds definition to the bass and the bass adds whomp to the guitar. It's a beautiful thing. Listen close and notice that even when James takes a riff "solo" the bass is in there too.

 

[Spirithunter]

It's a basic Recto rhythm tone BUT...

it's mixed like it's supposed to be!

The rhythm guitar and bass are locked in super tight and staying the hell out of each other's frequency range. That way the guitar adds definition to the bass and the bass adds whomp to the guitar. It's a beautiful thing. Listen close and notice that even when James takes a riff "solo" the bass is in there too.

+1