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lead guitar from “venus doom” by him | ToneDB

venus doom

him

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

This lead guitar tone is dark, brooding, and heavily saturated, with a distinct gothic metal vibe. It features a thick, fuzzy distortion with a touch of reverb, creating a haunting and atmospheric sound.

Gear

ESP Eclipseinstrument
Reverb$1600Sweetwater
ENGL Powerballamp
Reverb$75Sweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater
Ibanez Tube Screamerprocessing
ReverbSweetwater
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressorprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

For 'Venus Doom' by HIM, guitarist Mikko 'Linde' Lindström reportedly used his ESP Eclipse equipped with humbuckers running through an ENGL Powerball amplifier. The signal chain included an Ibanez Tube Screamer for additional overdrive and saturation, plus a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor to tame the high-gain noise. The album was produced by Hiili Hiilesmaa at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki.

Production Credits

Producer: Hiili Hiilesmaa

Engineer: Hiili Hiilesmaa

Recorded at: Finnvox Studios, Helsinki

Signal Chain

Instrument: ESP Eclipse

Amp: ENGL Powerball

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a guitar equipped with humbucker pickups for a thick, saturated tone.
  • Use an ENGL Powerball amplifier as a foundation for the tone and dial in a high-gain sound with a slightly scooped midrange.
  • Add an Ibanez Tube Screamer to boost the signal and add additional saturation to the sound. Adjust the drive and tone controls to shape the character of the overdrive.
  • Use a noise suppressor to eliminate excessive noise generated by the high-gain amplifier and overdrive pedal.
  • Experiment with different microphone placements on the cabinet to capture the desired amount of aggression and warmth.

Original Gear

  • ESP Eclipse(guitar)
  • ENGL Powerball(amp)
  • Ibanez Tube Screamer(pedal)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

ESP LTD EC-1000$800-$1000

Alternative to: ESP Eclipse

Similar body style and EMG pickups deliver the thick, saturated humbucker tone needed for this dark gothic metal sound

ReverbSweetwater
ENGL Powerball II$2800-$3200

Alternative to: ENGL Powerball

The updated version of the exact amp used, maintaining the same brutal high-gain character and four-channel versatility

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Nameless Suite$100-$150

Alternative to: ENGL Powerball

Features authentic ENGL amp modeling with similar high-gain saturation and tonal characteristics at a fraction of the cost

ReverbSweetwater
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer$100-$130

Alternative to: Ibanez Tube Screamer

The classic reissue provides the same midrange boost and saturation used to push the Powerball into tighter, more focused distortion

ReverbSweetwater
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor$100-$120

Alternative to: Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

The same pedal used on the recording, still in production and essential for controlling noise with this high-gain setup

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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