Video For Gear Snobs:

Ozzy Osbourne’s 1988 album, No Rest for the Wicked, may have introduced Zakk Wylde as the Prince of Darkness’s new guitarist, but his 1991 follow-up studio album, No More Tears, is the record that established Wylde as a bona fide guitar hero.

The title cut, which was released as the album’s first single, is an epic track that proved that Wylde had his own distinct voice and truly deserved to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee.

During the early '90s, mammoth refrigerator-sized racks were all the rage with metal and hard rock guitarists, but Wylde relied on a much simpler, comparatively primitive rig to lay down his huge tones.

His main setup consisted of various Gibson Les Pauls with EMG 81 and 85 active humbucking pickups, four stompboxes - a Cry Baby wah, Jim Dunlop JH-4S Rotovibe expression pedal, Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus - and a pair of Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt amps, driven in stereo via the Boss chorus pedal’s outputs.

For No More Tears, he eschewed the wah and Rotovibe, using just the Boss pedals and Marshalls to generate the song’s bone-crushing crunch.

Several key elements of Wylde’s rhythm tones on the song include boosting the bass and treble almost all the way while still retaining a decent amount of midrange to provide ample definition and body for individual lines, the tighter attack and extended treble and bass response courtesy of the Marshalls’ 6550 tubes, heavy-gauge strings on the low E, A and D, and the extra output boost from the EMG pickups and Boss SD-1.

The chorus pedal remains on throughout the song as well, to provide extra body and just a hint of modulation. The delay effect at the end of Wylde’s solo was added during mixing using a digital delay unit.

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Robert Herndon said:
Ozzy Osbourne’s 1988 album, No Rest for the Wicked, may have introduced Zakk Wylde as the Prince of Darkness’s new guitarist, but his 1991 follow-up studio album, No More Tears, is the record that established Wylde as a bona fide guitar hero.

The title cut, which was released as the album’s first single, is an epic track that proved that Wylde had his own distinct voice and truly deserved to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee.

During the early '90s, mammoth refrigerator-sized racks were all the rage with metal and hard rock guitarists, but Wylde relied on a much simpler, comparatively primitive rig to lay down his huge tones.

His main setup consisted of various Gibson Les Pauls with EMG 81 and 85 active humbucking pickups, four stompboxes - a Cry Baby wah, Jim Dunlop JH-4S Rotovibe expression pedal, Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive and Boss CH-1 Super Chorus - and a pair of Marshall JCM800 2203 100-watt amps, driven in stereo via the Boss chorus pedal’s outputs.

For No More Tears, he eschewed the wah and Rotovibe, using just the Boss pedals and Marshalls to generate the song’s bone-crushing crunch.

Several key elements of Wylde’s rhythm tones on the song include boosting the bass and treble almost all the way while still retaining a decent amount of midrange to provide ample definition and body for individual lines, the tighter attack and extended treble and bass response courtesy of the Marshalls’ 6550 tubes, heavy-gauge strings on the low E, A and D, and the extra output boost from the EMG pickups and Boss SD-1.

The chorus pedal remains on throughout the song as well, to provide extra body and just a hint of modulation. The delay effect at the end of Wylde’s solo was added during mixing using a digital delay unit.

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Absolutely! No fancy layout, no expensive racks: just a guitar, 2 pedals really and two basic 800 Marshalls minus the 6550 tubes. A sound that stands out on any album he plays and even guest plays on: when Zakk plays you know instantly who it is.

The trick and you hit on it, is he uses the Chorus to stereo the two Marshalls. Ive tried copying this on a single 900 SLX ( the direct succesor to the 2203) and it doesn't work right BECAUSE its not producing a true stereo effect as its intended.
 
had one of them little marshall heads........ I believe Goo has it now -- its probably buried under 100 ft of snow though!!! Pound for pound and dollar for dollar -- those little Marshall Micro stack heads are AWESOME -- I always will snag them anytime I come across them in the opium dens
 
this is the tone I chase........................... Ace Frehleys Alive 1 album............... that was what RUINED me as a mere youth .......

if your not "familiar" --- here ya go
 
Not quiet a 100 feet of snow but close hahahaha.Ya i use the Cube you sent me most because of space but yes love the little Marshall and its paired with Blackheart 112 cab with a real Celestian Creamback.
 
smitty_p said:
I completely understand. Music is very personal and holds different meanings in different ways for each of us.

And, as often as I speak glowingly of Eric Johnson, he is not my favorite player! Surprised? I do mention him a lot and there are many things about his style that I find very creative and unique.
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Here ya go. Smitty. I quite enjoyed the Phil X parts, Wait for the Eric Johnson

 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Jimmy Page is likely Number 1 or Number 2 of why my first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul
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Yeah, definitely the same here. Probably a tie between him and Lerxst. The sounds on the live albums ('The Song Remains the Same' and 'All the World's a Stage') were indelibly drilled into my skull and all I wanted in life was to be able to make those sounds. Hence...Les Paul.
 
Robert Herndon said:
Tone is subjective. I'd say it's good enough to earn money in a club, that's my evaluation standard.
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I totally agree with this sentiment, however I do think we can all also agree that the average patrons in a club/bar/etc represent a pretty low bar as far as expectations. They just wanna imbibe and hear a few songs they know the words to.
 
Yes ,I know what you are saying Gary. I had the same feelings when I watched Keith Richards play the Tele..
 
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gball said:
I totally agree with this sentiment, however I do think we can all also agree that the average patrons in a club/bar/etc represent a pretty low bar as far as expectations. They just wanna imbibe and hear a few songs they know the words to.
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True, but I think my point is to focus on the energy and making the performance memorable, as opposed to striving for technical proficiency.

I hope that came out right...
 
gball said:
Yeah, definitely the same here. Probably a tie between him and Lerxst. The sounds on the live albums ('The Song Remains the Same' and 'All the World's a Stage') were indelibly drilled into my skull and all I wanted in life was to be able to make those sounds. Hence...Les Paul.
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Love me some Lerxt!!!! BTW, If you ask me what fueled my juices for Rock Music, it was and always is guitar and the first few axe slingers I was drawn to like metal to magnet. Blackmore, Lifeson, Page, Travers, even Pete Willis,
 
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