Is the SL2H Brutal enough?

[ADR]

I had a pair (HMLW) in my 86 Jackson, and NOT even a Roland Jazz Chours head could even close to getting clean. FACT! I still have one (86-87 vintage) that ill be using again when I build a guitar.
I was running a .50 cal Boogie with them

[toejam]

It doesn't help with those. even on the clean channel they were distorted with mine.

Maybe you can't get a great, undistorted clean sound, but lowering the gain on the amp will still help your distorted sound from being too distorted. You may have to lower it a lot more than you're used to, but it will work.

[Bengal65]

Thx for all the replies!

I can't get no clean sounds at all (yes I know that's not what they are meant for) and the distortion sounds just a bit to distorted, no body, like playing a synthguitar. I guess that's what active pickups do. Have anyone compared theese to pickups to the EMGs?


As you say it's a jungle out there and I'll probobly will try a bunch of pickups before I feel satisfied. But whats your experience with the SL2H? Have you change the pickups? How does it feel with EMGs?

/ Fredrik


www.myspace.com/0infinity

To add to what's already been said, the EMG 81 and 85 will cleanup tighter than a Roland Jazz Chorus amp. You can get them almost sterile. Think of EMG's as a blank canvas, in which you will be doing a painting. With effects and EQ, they will go from super clean to Brutal. Also, they use a modular plug-in at the pickup. So, you can switch them back and forth to suit your tonal desires quite easily.

[Inazone]

I play death metal, albeit in standard tuning and more on the melodic end of the spectrum I suppose. I've never been satisfied with EMGs, which puts me in the minority among death metal guitarists. What has worked well for me in my Soloist (bridge position) is the Duncan Full Shred, although that is alder rather than mahogany. It has great clarity and sustain for solos, and incredibly tight low end that is perfect for palm muting. You can also get a neck version of it. I also like the Invader a lot, but have only tried it in bolt-on guitars.

[DonP]

First you ask:

The question is; is it brutal enough?

Then you complain:

I can't get no clean sounds at all

:ROTF:

[Carbophos]

Have never tuned that low with a Floyd.....Will it work?

I used to play in Drop C for awhile with one band.
If the low E - or better say low C in this case - string is heavier than 52, there will be intonation problems because there will be no room for the saddle to move. But I found anyway that a little bit of "sloppines" doesn't hurt and heavier gauge showed to be too "boomy". So "sloppy" 52 turned out to have in fact more definition than more "tight" gauges.

[demeyes]

I've an SL2 with EMG's and its going to get you heavy enough sounds for extreme stuff. Ralph Santolla used to play a soloist live with Death and most Black metal bands play Jacksons too.

[gravol]

I have a SL2H with EMG-81 and -85 tuned to B with .60-.14 strings.
The distortion/attack and brutality is exactly what you need for any kind of extreme metal

[BenoA]

tuned to B with .60-.14 strings.

Interesting. We tune down to drop B flat (Bb-F-Bb-Eb-G-C). We do modern/alt metal and I use 12-54 strings.

Using a 60 for my Bb would remove that slinky feel.

BTW, I'm from the school of using less gain from the amp and pushing it a lil' further with an tube screamer (gain 0 - level maxed).

[Vass]

Not making fun of the OP at all, but I caught myself looking at my poor stock SL1 yesterday and thinking, "BITCH, are you brutal enough? ARE YOU?"

Vass

[RR05xx]

I am an EMG guy and tend to set my amps to sound good with them, especially live. I am a fan of high gain and scooped mids (Tri-Axis with a Ran stereo EQ). I have a SL2H that came stock with the SD JB (as most did for a while if they still dont - I dont know - mine is a 2002 and i have been a on charvel only kick for several years now). With the amps tuned for the EMGs, I have found that the JB is a little too distorted if I have the gain up too high, not too bad really, but you can tell, especially with a clean channel. I like the guitar and plan on keeping it, but it is what it is.

[Frigo89]

Hello evryone I'm new here this is my first post. I would like som help about the SL2s.

I need a new guitar and the SL2H MAH looks killer. The question is; is it brutal enough? I play metal, tuned down to drop C and I wonder if pickups can handle that sort of music. Or do I need to change them the first thing I do?

What do you think?


/ Fredrik

www.myspace.com/0infinity

the real question is...

are you brutal enough?