DrMetal Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Hi,, (I'm new to the Helix family, just bought an LT). I was messing around with a Helix preset that I created (heavy gain, heavy distortion). I was trying to compare the sounds of my Fender Strat vs. my Gibson LP Standard. In this particular preset that I have, both guitars sound exactly the same (you can't tell them apart). Now, this is probably my own doing, in that the preset is very heavy gain, heavy distortion, that probably bleeds out the unique sound of the guitar (Strat vs Gibson LP). So I was wondering: what are (in general) the best settings to maximize the unique sound of your guitar? (solid body LP, vs Strat, etc etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 I think you answered your own question. The more FX you apply (especially heavy gain/distortion) the more the FX outweigh the natural guitar signal. The inverse of that is also true: the less/fewer FX you apply the more the natural guitar signal is heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 The best sound of the guitar is it's natural sound, and they're all different. Probably the best way to understand it is to use a simple clean preset and play the guitars through it. THAT is the natural sound of the guitar, and I prefer to maximize the sound of a guitar by choosing the right guitar for the sound I'm going for in the preset. For example, I generally use one of 4 different guitars on presets that require an electric guitar. I also have a resonator (steel guitar) and an acoustic, but we'll only deal with electrics for now. My 4 electrics that I use in the band are, a Les Paul standard, a Strat Elite, a Tele Elite, and a Gretsch Silver Falcon Hollow body. If I were to put them each through a simple clean preset I would hear the Les Paul with a tight mid-range and low end punchy sound. My Strat would have a very crisp tone that favors more higher mids and highs without a lot of bottom end. The Tele would tend to be more twangy and plucky with less mid range. My Gretsch would be a very even, full sound across the full typical frequency range of the guitar. Those are things that are built into the guitar based on the way it's designed and the type of pickups they use. How that converts to how they're used is based on the style of the guitar in a given song. If I want a lot of punch and heft for things like rock or metal so I'd build my patch for the Les Paul. I wouldn't try and build a patch that was a jazz tone for the Les Paul, I'd build it for the Gretsch or sometimes for the Tele depending on the jazz style. The bottom line is if I want a patch to sound authentic, I'll target it for the guitar that will have the proper characteristics. I wouldn't try and force-fit the guitar into a style using EQ and other effects as it will never be as good as an appropriate guitar for that sound. Not only will it sound better and more natural, it will be a less complex patch. In my case this is how they tend to be used for different styles: Les Paul - Heavier and/or classic rock, southern rock, higher gain blues. Strat - Mid gain or clean blues, chunky mid-gain rock, punk, non-twangy vintage country, 50's style rock and roll. R&B. Tele - Funk, modern mid-gain country, twangy country, chunky mid-gain rock (Rolling Stones or Who), black high energy gospel, certain types of rock and roll. Gretsch - Finger picked Chet Atkins style, Jazz Rock (like Atlanta Rhythm Section, Toto or Stevie Wonder), Rockabilly, orchestral style ballads. very big sounding rock anthems, traditional clean jazz. But that's just me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to having a sound that best matches the style of song. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin-M Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 I like creating my presets around the guitar. I have a high gain patch for my Les Paul, and one for my Telecaster that are completely different from each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_hotch Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 The "mix" parameter is your friend: set it at 70% or so to let some of the uneffected signal through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrMetal Posted November 18, 2019 Author Share Posted November 18, 2019 mix on my effects? its never more than 30% 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amsdenj Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 Generally the more distortion and effects you have, the more you will cover up the unique characteristics of both your guitar and your playing. That could be good or bad depending you and the guitar. I have a lot of effects in my goto patch. I use Helix with an HX Effects for front of the amp effects in a send/return in Helix. But I minimize their use, going for quality of different sounds for the song rather than quantity of effects. A good practice is to minimize the effects and distortion you use to just what's needed for the song and no more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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