How to Get a Heavy Sound From an Electric Guitar
Electric guitars can be made to create an array of sounds and sound textures. One of the most popular sounds in the world of rock is the heavy crunch that metal guitar players get from their instruments. These sounds have often been described as resembling those of a buzz saw. Getting a heavy sound from an electric guitar can be accomplished in several ways, all of which will make your audience's teeth rattle.
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Instructions
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1
Try to achieve the heavy sound naturally. Your amplifier doesn't need to be massive, but you don't want a little practice amp, either. Turn the volume of your amp up halfway, then adjust your gain until you just begin to hear feedback. You can even let a little feedback slip through and control it by muting strings with the side of your palm.
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2
Play a couple of power chords on your low strings, and you'll hear the crunch that sounds so good. Now adjust the knobs on your guitar. Bring the treble down to halfway and crank the bass control up about 1/3 of the way. This will give you a darker, heavier tone. Play a few more power chords, muting with the side of your palm and playing eighth-note patterns to achieve a chunky rhythm. Make any adjustments to the sound with the tone knobs.
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3
Try different pickup combinations. If you're using three pickups, try all three together, then test them in different combinations to see how the sound is affected.
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4
Add a distortion pedal to the mix. Adding processed distortion on top of the natural variety creates a heavy sound that will set your teeth on edge. Experiment with other effects as well. If you can afford it, get yourself a rack of effects and try different combinations with the settings described in Steps 1 and 2.
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5
When recording, play with the same settings you use live. You can use mixing equalizers to bring the levels down, but you want the characteristics of what you play to remain the same. Turning your guitar down and changing the effects will still leave you with a flat sound when you record, even if you try to bring them up in the mixing process.
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