How to get Skid Row tones?

F

Facemelter

Member
Skid Rows 1st two CDs....

Especially the lead guitar tones of Dave Sabo...

I can't even find what amps & guitars he used to record the solos in Wasted Time, I remember You, Little Wing, 18 & Life....

Anyone know how to get those tones with Fractal?
 
I was curious, so I Googled it:

"The setup for the guitar sound for the EXTREME sessions as well as the first SkidRow album and White Lion's "Pride" album (in most cases, not on all tracks) was a Furman PEQ-3 into an unmodified ADA MP-1 (version 1.0, still got it) going into a McIntosh transistor poweramps (2100) into an original Marshall cab with 4x G12H (30W). The mics were, if I remember it right: Fostex M11RP Ribbon, Countryman lavalier and possibly a SM57/58 going into John Hardy M-1s and from there via a mono buss into a UREI 530 EQ and a BBE 802 then to digital tape (Mitsubishi 32 tack)" -- Michael Wagener
 
Check out the JS410 Crunch RD with a G12-75 speaker cab.
 
I was a big fan in my teen years. I am pretty sure Scotti Hill played the solo in 'I remember you'. He always had a warmer, mids-heavy tone than Snake, more honk. I am going to have to revisit that stuff.
 
Strictly speaking live tone, I know they have used JCM900's and for a short time Rivera M100 amps.
I believe the M100's were for the slave to the grind album (my personal favorite). But even now I believe the last time I saw them they are still using JCM900's.
 
I've read about the first album, IIRC something was mentioned somewhere that EMGs were a big part of the sound, at the time they were using Spector guitars loaded with them, but something was also said about Steinberger guitars. There's some really good threads where Michael talks about it, mostly about Nuno but also about Skid Row and White Lion.

I love the lead tone on that first Skid Row album, sspecifically I Remember You, it feels like it's on the verge of feedback the whole time, while still being controlled but just barely.
 
Just wanted to say I am actually listening to Skid Row as I browse the forum this morning - The Threat at the moment. Was weird to see this post at the same time! :)
 
I remember reading in one of the guitar magazines that when skid Row went into the studio to record slave to the grind, they brought a copy of master of puppets as a reference for the wooden guitar sound they wanted, and a copy of Gary Moore's still got the blues for the lead tone they wanted. Maybe that is a place to start?
 
Rook said:
I remember reading in one of the guitar magazines that when skid Row went into the studio to record slave to the grind, they brought a copy of master of puppets
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I almost recommended the Mark IIC+. Listen to Stryper's album Soldiers Under Command. Freakin' amazing tone and it was a IIC+
 
I just pulled up that stryper cd on youtube, checking it out now, it is good tone and similar to skid row. I don't have much experience with the IIC Mark amps in the Fractal, I've never messed with them much, but now I'm gonna give them another try
 
Facemelter said:
I just pulled up that stryper cd on youtube, checking it out now, it is good tone and similar to skid row. I don't have much experience with the IIC Mark amps in the Fractal, I've never messed with them much, but now I'm gonna give them another try
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Here's some info about that album, straight from Michael Sweet himself.

I used the same train of thought when I changed to Mesa Boogie amps for "Soldiers Under Command." I also switched from the MXR equilizer to a Furman PQ3 parametric equilizer preamp. This was a "LOW - MID - HIGH" section EQ with + or - 20db boosting or cutting. The low section would be set at a narrow bandwidth, 50 to 100hz at -20 db.......mid section at a narrow bandwidth, 1500 or 1.5Khz at +20db......high section at a wide bandwidth, 2000 or 2Khz at +20db. It had an input level control and I set it around 8. The rear input and output had a choice between -10db or +4db jacks. I used the -10db jacks.This setting would work with a Marshall as well.


My Mesa Boogie amp was a Mark-II-C long chasis head with a variable voltage transformer for traveling. For some reason this head sounded like no other Mk-II.Originally the Mesa Boogie Co. sent this head to Grover Jackson at his guitar plant in San Dimas for some of his artists to try. It was also said that this head in particular was the prototype to the Mk-III amp still in development at the time.It was obvious that I had to have this head so Mesa Boogie allowed me to buy it and they sent Jackson a Mk-III in it's place. Later on, when I test drove a Mk-III head, my Mk-II-C blew it away.............To this day I still have this head. This head like most Boogie heads has push-pull knobs to change the characteristics of its parameter.It had a lead mode with a pull knob to turn it on and adjust its level and a separate lead gain knob.


The lead gain would be set to around 8; lead volume to 10. Preamp volume on the head would be set to 8 or 9 and pulled out; treble around 9 or 10 and pulled out; midrange around 2 or 3 and pushed in; bass around 3 and pushed in. The master volume knob would be my volume control but I wouldn't go past 3- 1/2. The master volume also had a pull gain feature that I would use on occasion. This head also had a graphic EQ that I would set in a "V" shape, dropping out honking mids and boosting lows & highs to my tastes. These settings plus slamming the front end of the head with the Furman PQ3 helped to make that Stryper tone that buzzed through halls around the world and caused many treble controls on home audio systems to be turned off ! I used this setup for "Soldiers Under Command" and "To Hell with the Devil" albums.
 
As far as replicating his knobs being pulled on that amp. Just use the IIC+ BRT amp with Fat switch engaged. Then follow the rest of his settings. ;)
 
The tone on To Hell With the Devil to me still kills. Thank you Lionheart for sharing I've been craving and asking for a Furman PQ3 as a drive block in the AF2 for a while (seems like it got a lot of use in the day), I will try these settings in a PEQ block and see how it does.
 
ElectricPhase said:
I was curious, so I Googled it:

"The setup for the guitar sound for the EXTREME sessions as well as the first SkidRow album and White Lion's "Pride" album (in most cases, not on all tracks) was a Furman PEQ-3 into an unmodified ADA MP-1 (version 1.0, still got it) going into a McIntosh transistor poweramps (2100) into an original Marshall cab with 4x G12H (30W). The mics were, if I remember it right: Fostex M11RP Ribbon, Countryman lavalier and possibly a SM57/58 going into John Hardy M-1s and from there via a mono buss into a UREI 530 EQ and a BBE 802 then to digital tape (Mitsubishi 32 tack)" -- Michael Wagener
Click to expand...
That's a recipe for a signal chain full of awesomeness!
 
stm113 said:
The tone on To Hell With the Devil to me still kills. Thank you Lionheart for sharing I've been craving and asking for a Furman PQ3 as a drive block in the AF2 for a while (seems like it got a lot of use in the day), I will try these settings in a PEQ block and see how it does.
Click to expand...
Just be careful with the PEQ block settings. I've found it to be a bit different and more powerful than the Furman PQ3. Just use your ears for adjusting the Q and dB around those frequencies.
 
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