Elpelotero said:
I think you nailed it! I agree with you that those are some of the best tones out there. Very raw yet smooth.
What cab and guitar/pickups did you use?
Do you think you can get that tone out of a regular Mark amp?
Did you doubt track?
Thanks! I think they're definitely underrated albums and tones. That time period spanned my teen years as well, and I remember standing in line for "TBA" and being outside Disc Jockey to buy "Load" my senior year of high school as soon as the store opened too. Maybe those albums just hit at the right time for me, but they were a soundtrack for my teen years.
Signal path on that track was:
Les Paul (EMG 81) -> '92 Mesa Triaxis (Mesa rack EQ in loop) -> '87 Mesa Strategy 400 -> '94 Marshall 4X12 (V30)
I had an SM57 and MD421 on the cab (pictured above). There's 4 tracks of rhythm on it. There's 2 tracks with LD2 Yellow and 2 tracks with LD1 Red (V2, non-fat Recto). They're equal in volume on the clip. Main tracks are split 100% wide left/right, support tracks are 70% left/right and sit about 3-4db lower. The 421s sit about 4-5db lower than the 57s on each track. No additional EQ used (wanted everyone to hear raw guitars), just a HP/LP around 80hz and 13.5khz or so.
I tried with the Mesa cabs a lot, then grabbed a well broken in, era appropriate ('94) Marshall V30 cab to try, and it was definitely a missing link for this sound. It has that something in the top end and upper mids the Mesa doesn't have that made a lot of difference. I prefer the Mesa cabs as a whole, but this cab specifically does TBA and Load/Reload better. I got it on the cheap from GC used for about $350. Stripped tolex on the bottom, lots of wear, but I wanted the most broken in one I could find and called around until I found one specifically from the early 90s, haha. Check them out for cabs if you haven't. This one was $350 and shipped to store for about $29. Tough to beat that if you care about function over aesthetics.
The Triaxis definitely has its own unique vibe that's inspired by Marks, but stands on its own. That said, you could get **** close with a Mark amp.
I think I'll keep the fanboy-ism rolling and try TBA tones next.