That 80s metal tone

@Thatbastarddon hit on the big notes already, specifically rackmount gear as it dominated this era.
But the late 80s metal sound is best described as Digital Delay, Stereo Chorus ( sometimes a Flanger) and multiband EQ. Remember, that alot of the guitar guys of that era were using Jcm 800s mostly, so the gain isn't as heavy as you would imagine but they WERE using lots of modded amps ( specifically Jose mods).

Using Warren DeMartini as an example: he was a big rack user in the heyday but these days he's switched to almost exclusively pedals and achieves nearly the same results. So again like Don said, pedals CAN get you here

Dont know what all pedals you do have? But if you got a decent Digital Delay, Stereo Chorus and at least a 6-10 band EQ, you should have a good starting point. A good overdrive is always great to have in the arsenal for tightening up the sound or just as a boost but a lot people today playing the 80s metal style, have a preamp pedal in the mix there too.

Hope this helps some?
 
Clockworkmike said:
but a lot people today playing the 80s metal style, have a preamp pedal in the mix there too.
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This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^too…..that’s what the ADA units were for…
Yeah…..wasn’t this also the start era of the Boogie MKIII, with the 5 band GEQ? I remember seeing a few of those back then…even played through a couple…so yeah…I had a 7 band eq in my rack patches…a bit of compression, for leads, too.

Then there’s this thing that @67plexi has made me want to get my hands on since he mentioned it in another thread….

I have a couple of patches in my old rack units, that do this, that live in my PA rack these days.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^too…..that’s what the ADA units were for…
Yeah…..wasn’t this also the start era of the Boogie MKIII, with the 5 band GEQ? I remember seeing a few of those back then…even played through a couple…so yeah…I had a 7 band eq in my rack patches…a bit of compression, for leads, too.

Then there’s this thing that @67plexi has made me want to get my hands on since he mentioned it in another thread….

I have a couple of patches in my old rack units, that do this, that live in my PA rack these days.
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Yeah you are dead on with the Boogie MkIII: pretty much made-to-order for that late 80s sound with that graphic EQ. Hell, my uncle was a poodle-haired metal guy and sold an early 80s JMP2203 and a Laney AOR just to buy a Green Stripe MKIII, had up to the time he passed away. VERY LA 80s sounding.
 
Soldano amps were big as well, but mostly Marshall. I think a lot of what you are hearing is studio production and ambience. They hit the tape hard recording back then and unlike today, did not compress the Hell out of their masters. You are hearing dynamics and I think you like that. Who wouldn't.

ACDC is a good example if you listen to the difference between 'Who made who' and 'Thunderstruck' - the first was still like my first paragraph and the second was squashed and thin sounding ...all while Angus's actual guitar tone was probably still the same.
 
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Sapient said:
Soldano amps were big as well, but mostly Marshall. I think a lot of what you are hearing is studio production and ambience. They hit the tape hard recording back then and unlike today, did not compress the Hell out of their masters. You are hearing dynamics and I think you like that. Who wouldn't.

ACDC is a good example if you listen to the difference between 'Who made who' and 'Thunderstruck' - the first was still like my first paragraph and the second was squashed and thin sounding ...all while Angus's actual guitar tone was probably still the same.
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Yeah, wasn't George Lynch one of the first really visible guys to start promoting the SLO's? He has killer tone with the Soldanos as long as its not too wet, which was a hallmark of the era.
 
gball said:
Yeah, wasn't George Lynch one of the first really visible guys to start promoting the SLO's? He has killer tone with the Soldanos as long as its not too wet, which was a hallmark of the era.
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Exactly - not too wet was the key. Amps were very chunky and extremely tube sounding back then. These days you wouldn't know if it was and amp sim or whatever because they are so saturated and flattened out with compression. If they went in the studio today with their '80s rig it would sound nothing like back then.
 
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