Deep Dive into Adam Jones's Tones

[MirrorProfiles]

got fairly close with my 2002 Mesa OS Straight Slant, I think Adam uses a Straight/Slant too and wouldnt be surprised if its from a similar year.... Did this with Helix Native, but Fractal gets just as close and I'm sure any other VH4 model would work



I actually don't think there's as much studio wizardry on the tone as I once did, just the right amp+cab+mics and of course AJ's playing

 

[theimageofall]

Here's a couple of very quick examples of Mirror Profiles Mesa Rectifier Tonex profile, which I "think" capture Adam Jones' tone pretty well? Straight out of Tonex with no processing at all.

Rosetta-type example and some random Jones type Chugs.

It is the closest I have so far been able to get with amp sims.

 

[Porkpie]

Had another go this morning at this, here’s my attempt -



This is using Mirror’s Herbert and AJ Marshall Tonex presets on 2 tracks in Reaper, same take on both and just volume blended by ear. Just using the stock IR’s that come with the patches.

For this to sound good I’ve had to use helix native to put a low cut at around 100, as well as the ten band eq to boost 500 and 1k on my signal before hitting the amps, otherwise it sounds too scooped even tho I’m using a les Paul with a Seymour Duncan sh6 pickup. I’ve then used a slight low cut after as well.

It’s got the mids that were absent from the Nameless attempt yesterday - adding that Marshall into the mix is essential also. Question now is how do I re capture this as a single Tonex patch lol.

 

[theimageofall]

Had another go this morning at this, here’s my attempt -



This is using Mirror’s Herbert and AJ Marshall Tonex presets on 2 tracks in Reaper, same take on both and just volume blended by ear. Just using the stock IR’s that come with the patches.

For this to sound good I’ve had to use helix native to put a low cut at around 100, as well as the ten band eq to boost 500 and 1k on my signal before hitting the amps, otherwise it sounds too scooped even tho I’m using a les Paul with a Seymour Duncan sh6 pickup. I’ve then used a slight low cut after as well.

It’s got the mids that were absent from the Nameless attempt yesterday - adding that Marshall into the mix is essential also. Question now is how do I re capture this as a single Tonex patch lol.

That’s sounds pretty good to me! That set up would be possible in one instance of Amplitube 5 if the signal is eq’d and then split into two in Amplitube, wouldn’t it?

Which Mirror Profiles pack is the AJ Marshal Tonex profile in that you mention?

 

[Orvillain]

That’s great, thanks. I’ll try them out later.

That is one heck of a tone on the intro to Jambi. That’s the “chunk” I’ve been struggling to get with Amp Sims…having said that I have just started using some Mirror Profiles Tonex profiles (the Diezel Herbert and Mesa Recto in particular) and for the first time I feel like that “chunk” is there. Really enjoying using them at the minute.

I'm fairly convinced the intro to Jambi involves a 5150 somewhere along the way. Also in that MixOnline article from ages ago it says:

The signal chain for tracking guitar was a bit complex. “Adam would play into whatever pedals he needed,” Barresi says. “That signal then went into a Systematic Systems Splitter. Then it would go to between three and five heads. The signal from the heads went to their own individual cabinets. Each cabinet had two or three microphones on it. Then all the microphones came back to the console, and they were blended down as separated for each amp. The Diezel amp went to its own track. The Marshall amp went to its own track. The third track was a blend of the Bogner and the Rivera, or whatever I liked for the song. And that would be one take — three tracks of guitar.”

Source: https://www.mixonline.com/recording/making-tools-10000-days-365657

And I'm pretty sure in his recording rock/mixing rock tutorial videos, he talks about a 5150 that he loves.

 

[theimageofall]

I hadn’t read that. It’s interesting, thanks.

I’m not chasing his tone per se, but I am interested in what goes into building a tone like his, so that’s helpful to read.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

And I'm pretty sure in his recording rock/mixing rock tutorial videos, he talks about a 5150 that he loves.

Joe does love a 5150, but there has also been a few mentions of an older Peavey amp (that they refer to as a “Mississippi Marshall” in interviews mentioning Fear Innoculum and 10,000 days. If it was a 5150 I think they’d just call it that, rather than an old Peavey. I reckon it’s a VTM120, Joe also LOVES that amp and it was in that pile of amps AJ posted from United Studios:

 

[Orvillain]

Joe does love a 5150, but there has also been a few mentions of an older Peavey amp (that they refer to as a “Mississippi Marshall” in interviews mentioning Fear Innoculum and 10,000 days. If it was a 5150 I think they’d just call it that, rather than an old Peavey. I reckon it’s a VTM120, Joe also LOVES that amp and it was in that pile of amps AJ posted from United Studios:

View attachment 17270

Yeah could be, could be.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I’d assume the Rivera should be easy to spot because it went through T75’s. Uberschall is a possibility too

 

[Stone]

View attachment 17274

I’d assume the Rivera should be easy to spot because it went through T75’s. Uberschall is a possibility too

In other words anything can work and anything is possible

 

[MirrorProfiles]

In other words anything can work and anything is possible

Yep, it’s not really important. Although I don’t have a VH4 and I’ve never played a Rivera so I wouldn’t feel that confident one way or another unless I was really familiar with all of those amps

I’m also too crap at doing the string pull technique to try playing it

 

[Stone]

Yep, it’s not really important. Although I don’t have a VH4 and I’ve never played a Rivera so I wouldn’t feel that confident one way or another unless I was really familiar with all of those amps

I’m also too crap at doing the string pull technique to try playing it

Agreed as dialing tone and using similar gear can only get you so far
and then even using identical gear the toanz can be achieved with non similar gear
im not saying you can get ride the Lightning tone using just a Roland jazz chorus but anything similar higher gain will get you there
Mind you its always a great starting point to try identical if available and lots of fun

 

[theimageofall]

I think his tone changes throughout each song as well as they bring in/remove blends of amps, so it is more of a case of try and achieve a particular tone at that part of the song.

I have been working on trying to get the clarity he gets on palm mutes, which I think I’m getting closer to finally and is as much to do with the IR/mic blend/placement as it is the amp.

 

[Orvillain]

I have been working on trying to get the clarity he gets on palm mutes

Ironically, I think it is basically keep the gain lower than you would for typical metal tones.... maybe slam the front of the amp with an EQ to bring out some high-frequencies... not a OD pedal, because that'll change the saturation characteristics.... and then really attack the strings with yer pick, like a mad bastard with evil owl corpses in yer garden.

 

[theimageofall]

Have you seen my garden?!

I’m actually not a fan of overdrive pedal into distortion as I don’t like what happens to the mids/saturation, so an eq could be a good shout.

Definitely a lot to be said about technique as well…!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I think his tone changes throughout each song as well as they bring in/remove blends of amps, so it is more of a case of try and achieve a particular tone at that part of the song.

I have been working on trying to get the clarity he gets on palm mutes, which I think I’m getting closer to finally and is as much to do with the IR/mic blend/placement as it is the amp.

This is the key to his tone(s) IMO, the rest is just seasoning.

 

[EOengineer]

Ironically, I think it is basically keep the gain lower than you would for typical metal tones.... maybe slam the front of the amp with an EQ to bring out some high-frequencies... not a OD pedal, because that'll change the saturation characteristics.

IMO this is one of the things often missed when chasing the AJ thing - usually way too much gain happening.

I’ve always had the best luck keeping the crunchy/rocky Marshall tone front and center, and then blending in the Recto/VH-4 underneath to fill out the depth/breadth.

I do think there’s some merit to the EQ as a boost too. I think at some point he was using 2 boss EQs out front in his rig but I don’t recall the specifics of how he was using them…I thought one was actually a big volume cut and top end lift that he used for his cleanish tones.

 

[Porkpie]

That’s sounds pretty good to me! That set up would be possible in one instance of Amplitube 5 if the signal is eq’d and then split into two in Amplitube, wouldn’t it?

Which Mirror Profiles pack is the AJ Marshal Tonex profile in that you mention?

The AJ Marshall is in the British Royalty pack, theres loads in that pack I can recommend it. I used the Herbert channel 2 patch also. I’ve never used Amplitube but yeah you just need to run the two Tonex patches in parallel somehow. I’d like to capture the whole thing down as one patch to load into the Tonex pedal for ease of use one day, assuming that would work.

I’m just after that dense, scratchy midrange that he gets. His live tone does a good job at it and that’s the Marshall and the Diezels blended. I’ve tried blending amp sims before and it’s always sounded like shit, but those Tonex patches work really well together.

 

[theimageofall]

The AJ Marshall is in the British Royalty pack, theres loads in that pack I can recommend it. I used the Herbert channel 2 patch also. I’ve never used Amplitube but yeah you just need to run the two Tonex patches in parallel somehow. I’d like to capture the whole thing down as one patch to load into the Tonex pedal for ease of use one day, assuming that would work.

I’m just after that dense, scratchy midrange that he gets. His live tone does a good job at it and that’s the Marshall and the Diezels blended. I’ve tried blending amp sims before and it’s always sounded like shit, but those Tonex patches work really well together.

Great. Thanks for that. I’ll try it in a parallel signal chain in Amplitube later and see how it goes!

 

[DrewJD82]

I can’t remember if I was listening to something off Fear Innocculum or 10,000 Days, but I remember sitting in my studio one night getting lost in the guitar tones, just listening and realizing how much Baressi’s mixing/blending of the amps/mics is a performance in itself. Those aren’t set it and forget it mixes, that’s for sure.