PRS + High Gain; Best combinations?

[xxxadixxx]

I find it interesting to hear about guitar/amp combinations people see as the best. It's a wide ranging debate though I always seem to find cool new combinations I would not have thought of. As a starting point, my playing preferences are rather limited... there simply is not a clean channel for me. Reverb, who uses that? Chorus? Never heard of it. My musical tastes range (yes, this is a relative term for many who have a broader appreciation of musical styles) from punk to hardcore to melodic death metal, think Bad Religion to Hatebreed to In Flames, with a hint of Deftones thrown in for "style". In this world, I find myself gravitating to a small range of tones to which I keep returning:

SC594 Soapbar + boosted JCM800
DC594 + Peavey 5150/6505
Tremonti/SC594 + Soldano SLO100 (current favorite, especially for D-Standard/Dropped C)

The Tremonti+SLO100 is an amazingly inspirational combination for me. I love the tightness of the low end and the way it cuts through the mix when I am playing along to my favorite songs. As I spent all of my allowance (according to my wife) on my guitars, my amp experimentation is limited to amp sims (mainly via Amplitube) so something like the MT15 may not be something I could try out. What are some other PRS/high gain combinations people prefer? Is there any love for a particular Mesa Boogie or is someone rocking a Silver Jubilee? Bonus points for any rig pics!

2022 Tremonti + Peavey 6505+ 1x12 combo (my only physical amp)

 

[DISTORT6]

This:



Into this:



Into this:

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I would think Tremonti guitar plus Tremonti MT-15 would be pretty sweet!

 

[WEDGE]

Out of the guitars you mentioned, the only one I would choose is the Tremonti. P90’s and the 594 pups are cool but are decidedly not tight enough IMHO for the music you listed. Punk maybe, but the rest they wouldn’t be my choice. A Tremonti through a Soldano must be amazing….
I used to run a Tremonti through a Mesa Mark V and that was real tight.

 

[jxe]

post a clip.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Either of these

 

[Dimebag11]

I’ve had fantastic luck with a 5153 and the metal or Tremonti pickup

 

[Deleted member 5962]

NF3>Archon.

And my other PRS guitars do great with it too.

 

[bodia]

If we're talking about PRS guitars, West St Ltd into Archon. Otherwise, JP 15 or Majesty into Archon.

 

[DISTORT6]

post a clip.

Here’s a quick crappy iPhone recording in Drop D

https://soundcloud.com/distort6%2Fdrop-d-slo-slider-8-8-22

 

[Lewguitar]

The music the OP listed is not my style. But I think my CE22 with the original Dragons through my Blackstar Artisan 30H could handle it.

That amp delivers killer Marshall sounds, as well as Vox and Fender.

The bridge Dragon measures almost 20K and it rocks!

The neck Dragon is basically an alnico 4 paf style pickup. 8K.

I found mine used for $1300 so good deals are out there.

The CE24 is a little easier to find though.

Just get one from '97 or before if you want the original Dragon pickups.

 

[Tanya_Venom]

I run my PRS through a Laney IRT 120!! That thing RIPS!! LOVE the Soldano shoutout too! I played through one of those in the studio a couple months ago and absolutely loved it!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Here’s a quick crappy iPhone recording in Drop D

https://soundcloud.com/distort6%2Fdrop-d-slo-slider-8-8-22

Dig!

 

[DISTORT6]

Dig!

Thanks!
That’s using the gear I posted above.
Any recording is better than no recording…barely in this case.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Thanks!
That’s using the gear I posted above.
Any recording is better than no recording…barely in this case.

I know what you're saying, but you're right about any recording is better than none. Besides, Tag put up phone clips that had TONS of guys rushing out to buy a $4K amp, so phone clips, while limited, can convey the tone of an amp. Even with phone clips, I fell in love with the Louis Electric Cobra!

The moral of this story: Keep those phone clips coming! We love some Soldano up in here!

 

[VHTStark]

Any of my PRS's sound/feel/respond incredibly through my 1996 Bogner Ecstasy 101b + 1999 recto cab. That said, Mcarty's through that rig are just next level; both my 2015 McCarty and Robben Ford kill through that rig!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

p.s. For those who think the NF3 is more "fat strat" than metal guitar, I'll once again say that the combination of 57/08 spec but narrow coils, steel vibrato, etc., make it a FANTASTIC guitar for pretty much anything. It's brighter than my other PRS guitars, so with lots of gain it cuts great!

The only thing that could make it even better for metal would be a decked bridge. A decked vibrato (or fixed bridge) always has more low end content and is more solid and tight from the low mids on down.

But that said, it's great the way it is and that would create other tradeoffs, so I wouldn't do that unless that was all I did with the guitar. Then I'd internally block it to "down only" mode. So... if I ever get another NF3 and drop an \M/ in the bridge, that's probably what I'll do, and have the ultimate metal super strat.

 

[VHTStark]

p.s. For those who think the NF3 is more "fat strat" than metal guitar, I'll once again say that the combination of 57/08 spec but narrow coils, steel vibrato, etc., make it a FANTASTIC guitar for pretty much anything. It's brighter than my other PRS guitars, so with lots of gain it cuts great!

The only thing that could make it even better for metal would be a decked bridge. A decked vibrato (or fixed bridge) always has more low end content and is more solid and tight from the low mids on down.

But that said, it's great the way it is and that would create other tradeoffs, so I wouldn't do that unless that was all I did with the guitar. Then I'd internally block it to "down only" mode. So... if I ever get another NF3 and drop an \M/ in the bridge, that's probably what I'll do, and have the ultimate metal super strat.

Oh dude....the NF3 is an absolute monster gained up! I know it is the combination as a whole, but an NF3 in the bridge position is super tight, bright and aggressive in all the right ways!

I won't mess with my NF3....I love it the way it is. Plus, the secret seems to out on them, as you don't see as many for sale anymore. I still see DC3's for good prices....that would also make a great platform for a \m/ in the bridge position!

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

NF3>Archon.

And my other PRS guitars do great with it too.

NF3 + Gain is pretty glorious!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Any PRS with humbuckers + any Mesa with a GEQ