Presets to nail the sound in the songs of my 80's Hair Metal / Hard Rock cover band (

I am truly honored that FireHouse is on your list of songs!!
I can tell you that my rhythm guitar tone for the entire album was recorded with 6 passes: 2 passes of a modified Fender Bassman, 2 passes of a modified 50 watt mid 70's Marshall mk II, and 2 passes of a Soldano SLO-100. The model that I'm using live these days for this song (and most of my other dirty tones) is the 5153 Red. I'm still learning every day about this magic box, but I've never been happier with my live tone. Neither has my sound man! :) Thank you Fractal!!!!!!
 
I am truly honored that FireHouse is on your list of songs!!
I can tell you that my rhythm guitar tone for the entire album was recorded with 6 passes: 2 passes of a modified Fender Bassman, 2 passes of a modified 50 watt mid 70's Marshall mk II, and 2 passes of a Soldano SLO-100. The model that I'm using live these days for this song (and most of my other dirty tones) is the 5153 Red. I'm still learning every day about this magic box, but I've never been happier with my live tone. Neither has my sound man! :) Thank you Fractal!!!!!!

Best cumpliment I've ever heard, the honor is mine, believe me!!!

Finding one of my teen years guitar heroes here in the Fractal community, using the same gear I do...how awesome is that???!!

Thanks Bill, and keep on Rockin'!!!!
 
I agree with everyone above on keeping your presets simple to cover more songs with less presets. spv has some great advice with using 3 basic presets.
As for tunes, you've got a great start, but I'd consider adding some of these:
GnR: Welcome to the Jungle
Tesla: Call it what you want
VH: Mean Streets
Slaughter: Up all night
AC-DC: Shoot to Thrill
Def Leppard: Rock of Ages
Ratt: Round & Round
Ozzy: I don't know
Winger: Headed for a Heartbreak
Billy Idol: Rebel Yell
Extreme: Get the Funk Out
Queensryche: Revolution Calling
Queensryche: Jet City Woman
Helloween: I Want Out
Iron Maiden: Flight of Icarus
King Diamond: Dressed in White (OK, maybe too over the top!)

Best of luck!
 
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The crowd hears vocals first and foremost. Do whatever songs your singer can make sound the most convincing. Over the years, I've had to jettison a whole bunch of songs that the band was nailing otherwise because our singer just wasn't finding his groove.
 
Loved reading this, I've seen cover bands that don't sound anywhere near the song they're playing. We cover from Prince 1999, Oasis, Van Halen, The Who, Depeche Mode, Chic and forever trying to nail the tone and effects as original. I'll never get there but I'll die trying! When the band get fed up with my tone tweaks I just say "Okay then I'll use the same gain and drive from Bon Jovi to the Stones" After listening I'm back on the tweak.
 
I am truly honored that FireHouse is on your list of songs!!
I can tell you that my rhythm guitar tone for the entire album was recorded with 6 passes: 2 passes of a modified Fender Bassman, 2 passes of a modified 50 watt mid 70's Marshall mk II, and 2 passes of a Soldano SLO-100.

One of my previous bands used to do Shake & Tumble. The SLO was always my go-to amp for that kind of tone. Had to modify the fretting on that riff, though. You have some big hands, Bill. :D
 
Instead of going after individual tones, I would load up something like the Friedman HBE or the Splawn Quick Rod 2nd gear and an appropriate cab model. Either a 412 greenback cab or G12H30's. Or both. :) Think of what you'd do if you only had one amp to cover 80's Hair. It'd be the Friedman or the Splawn for me. Any effects you add after that are gravy. You'll probably need a Tube Screamer, phaser, solo boost, delay, and reverb. Enjoy! And don't make it too complicated. You might even get away with a single patch!

+100
I keep saying that. I find it annoying when a guitar player in a cover band changes his sound every song.
It's also a recipe for disaster: you'll keep tweaking.
 
I'm also in the camp of fewer presets for cover songs.

I've never been in a tribute band, but for a show like that I could see going the extra mile to copy the original band tones as close as possible.

But for covers, we always try to bring some energy to it and make it our own. In my experience the crowd has fun if the band is having fun.
 
+100
I keep saying that. I find it annoying when a guitar player in a cover band changes his sound every song.
It's also a recipe for disaster: you'll keep tweaking.

Agreed! I'm in a cover band that does rock covers. Late 60's-2014. We have over 200 songs to pick from, 40+ on any night.
I have 1 Clean, 1 Cunch/Blues, 1 Classic Distorted, and 1 Heavier/Modern Distorted tone all in one preset using one amp/cab. I have a lead/boost for the Crunch, Classic Distorted and Modern Distorted tone as well based off the above tones. I use 2 drive blocks and GEQ's to get tones right.
Strat with single coils and series switch for Bridge/Middle to get Humbucker tones.

I have a handful of specialty presets to nail very tone/effect specific songs.
But for the most part, 1 guitar, 1 amp/cab, 1 preset all night. Serves my situation really well and keeps tone consistent.


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Hi,
well to me my favorite 80' Metal Amp is the Big Hair with 4x12 Basketweave TV Mix or 4x12 Recto Mix (UR) Cab and your done :)
If you need more use the T808.

Never mind but the Big Hair Amp is awesome!
 
Same here, always kept it really simple. I never found the need to be super accurate on tones, just ones that "hopefully sound good" at show volumes.

I set up a 5 patch, Clean,Rhythym,Lead w/trem,Lead w/Wah, Lead w/Phaser. WHen doing the Motley Crue stuff cover wise, I have the same patches listed previous on the next bank up but with a Pitch Detune (D) for their tunings. Super Simple.

For us, it's a rock show, and for the most part, at least I believe, the audience could care less how accurate I am....especially when the booze sets in, that's when we sound better! Hahahaha!!
 
Here's a song I did with my band. We really tried to sound as close as possible to the bands. I posted this awhile ago, but is a good example of how close I try to get to the tone https://soundcloud.com/eljodon/more-than-a-feeling4

Hey Eljodon ~ Very good job! Any pointers on how you went about getting the classic Boston electric guitar tone? Yours seems to have the required midrange without the bogus (imo) 'Rockman' sound...
 
Thanks Radly. I used a parametric eq and a filter block, boosting 500 Hz, 800 Hz and 1000 Hz. You have to play around with the q and the amount of boost until to get the desired tone. I believe I used the Brit Brown amp with minimal distortion. I also used a doubler with different milliseconds on each side and a different pitch settings. I would give you the file, but I used an Ultra when I did the recording.


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Hey Eljodon ~ Very good job! Any pointers on how you went about getting the classic Boston electric guitar tone? Yours seems to have the required midrange without the bogus (imo) 'Rockman' sound...
I made a new now with the Axe Fx 2. It doesn't have Ir's but you can play with it until you're satisfied. It'll be a good starting point.Doing the Hyperspace Fx is hard with the Axe Fx because you have to control the delay time and the feedback with a control pedal for each. I recorded several until I had at least 5 good ones and I just placed them were they supposed to go on my timeline.So let me know if you wanted and I'll post it.
 
Here's the preset. I did some research on Tom Sholtz before he unfortunately switched to the Rockman awhile ago. He used a treble booster first and either a MXR eq or a Wah to get the midrange. I used the Wah block in a blend configuration so it can blend with the direct signal so you don't loose the top end of the guitar. I don't use IR's but I did use one on the recording.I used a cabinet with Scumback BM75 on this preset. You can use Celestion 25 watt greenbacks IR's or any type of IR's that have a nice top end. I set up my patches weird so feel free to experiment, perhaps someone can improve on it.
 

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Hi you all guys!

I've just returned to the Axe Fx world after a couple of years, and I'd appreciate some help with this....

I'm the lead guitar in an 80's Hard Rock / Hair Metal band (and play some rythm parts), and, as far as there are TONs of presets here in the forum and in In Axe Exchange, I would like your advice about where can I find specific presets for the songs in our setlist, or wich one would you recommend in case you use them or also play these songs, or killer 80's guitar presets that I could use.

This is our actual Setlist:

- Scorpions: Rock You Like A Hurricane
- Van Halen : Ain't Talkin' Bout Love
- Whitesnake: In The Still Of The Night
- Dokken: Into The Fire
- Alice Cooper: Poison
- Bon Jovi: You Give Love a Bad Name
- Dokken: In My Dreams
- Europe: Final Countdown
- Europe: Rock the Night
- Firehouse: All she wrote
- RATT: Lay It Down
- Guns N' Roses: Sweet Child O' mine (like the one in Fremen presets!)
- Hardline: Hot Cherie
- Iron Maiden: The Trooper
- Survivor: Eye of the tiger
- Scorpions: Big City Nights
- Toto: Hold the Line
- Van Halen: Jump
- White Lion: Broken Heart
- Bon Jovi: Runaway


I also would love to hear your oppinions about our setlist / suggestions about songs to add ;)

Thanks in advance guys!!!
Did
 
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