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lead guitar from “bite the pain” by death | ToneDB

bite the pain

death

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

This lead guitar tone is aggressive and cutting, with a high-midrange focus that allows it to slice through the mix. It's a classic thrash/death metal sound: tight, present, and harmonically rich.

Gear

Charvel Guitars Custom Shopinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Randall RG100ESamp
Reverb$974Sweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

Chuck Schuldiner used a Charvel custom guitar through a Randall RG100ES solid-state amp for his lead tones on Death's later albums. The album was recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa with producer Scott Burns, who was known for his work with many death metal bands of the era. The RG100ES was a key component of Schuldiner's signature sound, providing the tight, aggressive solid-state distortion that cut through the dense mix.

Production Credits

Producer: Scott Burns

Engineer: Scott Burns

Recorded at: Morrisound Recording, Tampa, FL

Signal Chain

Instrument: Charvel Guitars Custom Shop

Amp: Randall RG100ES

Microphone: Shure SM57

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a guitar equipped with a high-output humbucker in the bridge position.
  • Use a solid-state amplifier or an amp modeling plugin that emulates a solid-state amp's characteristics, such as the Randall RG100ES.
  • Focus on dialing in a tight, aggressive distortion tone with plenty of high-midrange presence.
  • Experiment with mic placement to find the sweet spot that captures the amp's aggression without sounding muddy.
  • Consider blending in a touch of a clean DI signal to add clarity.

Original Gear

  • Charvel Guitars Custom Shop(guitar)
  • Randall RG100ES(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal$150-$200

Alternative to: Randall RG100ES

Provides similar aggressive solid-state style distortion with the characteristic midrange bite needed for this cutting lead tone

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Fortin Cali Suite$100-$150

Alternative to: Randall RG100ES

High-gain amp modeling that can replicate the tight, aggressive characteristics of solid-state amps with precise midrange control

ReverbSweetwater
Charvel Pro-Mod DK24 HSS$600-$800

Alternative to: Charvel Custom Shop guitar

Modern Charvel with high-output humbuckers that maintains the brand's fast neck and aggressive pickup characteristics

ReverbSweetwater
Orange Crush Pro 120$400-$500

Alternative to: Randall RG100ES

Solid-state head that delivers tight, cutting distortion with strong midrange presence similar to the RG100ES

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$100-$130

Alternative to: Shure SM57

Same microphone model used on the original recording, still the industry standard for capturing aggressive guitar tones

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

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