alex skolnick gear question

[Fragle]

as far as i know alex is using (or used to use in his metal days) an ada mp1 into a marshall jcm900.
my question is, does he run it into the fx return, or the clean channel? i assume we're talking about a 5881 loaded jcm900, right? if so, why does he use the head instead of a rack poweramp?!
if anyone is able to share some further details about his setup, feel free to do so, of course [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[pagemalicious]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

I read on his website that he put it through the front of his JCM900. Giving it more gain and crunch. He also said that it gave more 'noise' but it sounded cool.

[sworn_enemy]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

I've read the same thing. I'm pretty sure he also used an Alesis Quadraverb and that was his entire live setup.

[Inearthed]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

I got a good look at his live rig when they played up here for one of their USA Reunion one off's. JCM900 fullstack, guitar running into an Ibanez TS-9, and the TS-9 running into a volume pedal. The volume pedal seemed to be configured in an 85% when in the 0 position, and a 100% when in the full position. He'd push his volume pedal to all the way on when he would go into a solo, and then flip it back to all the way off when playing rhythm parts alone. His tone was a bit more abrasive than on the First Strike Still Deadly record, but I think his tone is a bit too warm on that record anyways. Also what appeared to be the BOSS delay "double pedal" was in there as well (in the loop?). He used his goldtop LP the whole night, whereas Eric Peterson used his white Gibson LPC the whole night (except maybe for the encore?)

[Fragle]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

cool, thanks
inearthed, so he didn't use the ada mp1? only the jcm900 with a ts9 in front?

that's the proof right there, tone IS in the hands [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Inearthed]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

[ QUOTE ]
cool, thanks
inearthed, so he didn't use the ada mp1? only the jcm900 with a ts9 in front?

that's the proof right there, tone IS in the hands [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

If he was using the ADA MP1 it was hidden off stage. No racks were visible at the show (well..... No guitar racks [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] )

[Chrisb]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

The entire time he was playing at the TSO show in DC he used a tobacco sunburst Les Paul. With the exception of when they did their little Zep cover bit. For that song he used a double neck SG. Pretty stark contrast to Chris who for the first half of the set (the "Christmas Eve" portion of the song) changed guitars after every song. He must have used at least 12 guitars during the whole show. Almost all jacksons but he did use a Black LP during a few songs.

Anyways back to Alex, couldn't tell his amps and shit from where I was but he's got a great sound, very articulate however his treble was too high IMO. The high notes didn't come through clearly at all.

[Wayniac]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

In TSO, they just use line 6 for the guitars.... This summer, in the Jazz trio, Alex was using a Fender combo and some pedals (delay, etc)
I think Alex used a mix of Gibson and Heritage LP's on the TSO tour. Chris used Jacksons (RR natural top, RR violin burst, White Rhoads w/ Black pinstripes) an old 3 p'up Gibson Les Paul with stripped Maple neck, a Peavey Rotor and a Peavey Wolfgang or whatever they are called now ...

[Chrisb]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

At one point Chris played something that I thought was a custom body, It looked somewhat like a explorer or a kelly but the cut was different. It could have been a kelly and I was just at a bad angle. Also he used a KV at one point during the show, which was a suprise to me. As well as a soloist/dinky. I didn't see any peavey's at all here in DC. Definitely not a Wolfgang, dunno what this Rotor is.

[Dave L]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

The Rotor is like an Explorer with Vandenberg-style cutouts, if memory serves me, so that´s probably the "custom body" right there.

[Chrisb]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

Sounds like that was it! I remember thinking "what the fuck is that?" I thought it was a new custom shop Jackson or something.

[Wayniac]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

Yep - that's the Rotor.. kind of Ibanez Destroyer-ish in look.

[Fragle]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

man, i'm listening to some old testament right now...it's totally amazing how fuzzy and overgained the rhythm tone on their older records is (esp. practice what you preach), but alex's lead sound on those records is to die for....

[Fragle]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

btw, i remember reading an interview with alex where he said one of the reasons for him leaving testament was the fact that they always turned him down in the mix.
i always thought he was nuts, but later i noticed that all you can hear are his leads, none of his rhythm stuff. seems like they panned alex' parts dead center, and eric's rhythm work hard left/right. it's very obvious during e.g. "the ballad", when it goes from alex distorted lead into the first distorted chorus.....you can still hear him playing the rhythm, but way quiet.
did i mention that eric's tone on the earlier stuff sucked? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] even the gathering is rather muddy and undefined, and that's with andy sneap behind the controls. it's very thick sounding, though, i gotta give him that [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

does anyone know what eric used back then for legacy-order-practice? the gathering was done using a triple recto....i *think* practice was done with some kind of marshall, and new order was a mesa mark series wasn't it?

[Inearthed]

Re: alex skolnick gear question

Not sure.

I always thought Skolnick quit because he just wasn't into that style of music as much as every one else. Doing the reunion stuff was took a lot longer than everyone thought it would because his schedule wasn't exactly very accomidating since he has his own project that he's working on now. They originally were going to do a full USA tour with the Reunion lineup, but ended up just doing fesitivals / one-offs because of other members' prior commitments.