Set me on the right path please!!

[mikeYekim]

I play a MIM hss strat, with a peavey Windsor studio and a boss blues driver. I'm trying to build my first 'real' gear setup (aside from always having a metal machine guitar with a Roland cube).

 

I'm striving to be able to achieve a BTBAM tone, and idk what it is exactly but I can't get my tone to get metal enough. Is it the stock fender pickup? Do I need an eq? I'd rather avoid getting a distortion pedal if I can get a good high output gain with my overdrive.

 

I know some people say fenders aren't made for metal but I like it, it's versatile and it feels good so I'd rather just hot-rod it.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Presc]

I don't know what BTBAM is, but I think pickups are a great place to start. They are definitely a weak point of the MIM Strats, and can be an inexpensive replacement. Since it sounds like you're a metal guy, a really easy starting point would be to swap out the bridge humbucker for something that will give you more oomph. A basic DiMarzio or Duncan would be a huge upgrade. Depending on how the guitar is routed, you may be able to go to a H/H setup.

 

I'm not too familiar with the Windsor Studio, but ultimately the tone is really in the amp, moreso than the guitar. A high end amp is expensive, but start thinking about the amps your favorite artists use, and spend some time getting to test them out in stores. Well worth an informed purchase.

[frankthomson]

wat he sed ^^^
esp the pup part. u need a very good pup. i was gonna say a 500t
take the enamel off ur teeth

[Cobalt Blue]

Well. it looks like you might want to go for humbuckers, but I will say that the tone here sounds like it's just the bridge HB or he has the coils split.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jiclPmM0RM

[scott944]

Your setup, it seems to me, isn't going to produce the kind of gain sounds you're looking for, especially if you're not cranking the amp. I don't understand why a distortion pedal isn't on your list - same idea as an overdrive, just with more gain. LOTS of distortion pedals out there, in all price ranges, and even the priciest units are less than a new amp. Check out the YT vid demos for: MI Audio Crunchbox, Wampler Pinnacle or SLOstortion, Blackstar HT-Dual, Fulltone OCD, Box Of Metal, Suhr Riot...

(Presc, methinks BTBAM = "Between the Buried and Me", a heavy, fast, over-gained band with cookie monster vocals)

[ajympt]

Go check out some ibanez guitars and amps,Schecter , look at randall amps, - those and a good distortion will get you closer to what you are after - you could always tear your guitar apart and put in an HH set up, but really, you seem to be trying to play hard core on a blues set up and that's just not really going to make you happy if that's your desired sound.

[BeanoBoy]

I owned a Peavey Windsor Studio, it's not a metal amp. No offense, it's not a very good amp at all. Mine, and others I've heard about, had virtually no bottom and the overdrive was anemic. I'd sell it and get ANYTHING else. If you keep the Peavey you WILL need a metal distortion pedal.

[craigny]

If your dead set on keeping your amp, like the others have said a Distortion pedal may be your best bet...If your open to getting a new amp and ff your on a budget snag an Line 6 or a A Vox VT or the Fender Mustang or Super Champ, and that can get you a good metal tone...a PU swap for the Stock Fender HB will make a huge difference as well.