Cornford RK100 & metal...

[MontyW]

Hi,

I bought a used Cornford RK100 a few months ago and one of Cornfords 212 closed back cabs loaded with V30s. I did this as the amp has always been on my 'wish' list and the price was cool.

The RK100 is ideal for my Black Crowes style rock/blues through to Angus Young tones. I have no complaints about the lush tones I can get to cover those styles of music.

My problem is.... I've been asked to play with a band that is best described as heavy metal... sort of Alice in Chains type drop tuned material AND I don't have enough cash to run out and buy a Mesa Dual or something from Engl - so is there any way I can get the RK100 to get enough gain and compression so that it sounds metal?

I've tried boosting the RK100 with a Maxon OD808 and using some hot humbuckers, but it doesn't get those tight metal compressed tones.

Any advice?

[rkstarr]

its such a great amp...the boost helps...its takes the hbe power screamer well...if i recall which is a ts variant but has diff settings...or if you have a boss 7 or 10 b ez use that to boost..

[MontyW]

Thanks for the reply - I'll look into the hbe and I should be able to borrow a Boss 7.

Cheers.

[Giga]

Maybe use a "metal" pedal with the amp purely as a clean(ish) poweramp ?

Giga

[MontyW]

Originally Posted by Giga

Maybe use a "metal" pedal with the amp purely as a clean(ish) poweramp ?

Giga

Great idea, but seriously I have no idea where to start with metal pedals LOL

I'll do some searching on here!

[kurtsstuff]

Get yourself a graphic EQ pedal of some kind
The amp itself has plenty of gain to do what ya want
But not voiced for it. Insert EQ pedal into the loop..Suck some of the
mids out and set the lows/highs to taste and that should do it.

[MontyW]

Originally Posted by kurtsstuff

Get yourself a graphic EQ pedal of some kind
The amp itself has plenty of gain to do what ya want
But not voiced for it. Insert EQ pedal into the loop..Suck some of the
mids out and set the lows/highs to taste and that should do it.

Man I think you might right! Just checked out the MXR 10 band EQ pedal and it demos scooped mid metal

[kurtsstuff]

Originally Posted by MontyW

Man I think you might right! Just checked out the MXR 10 band EQ pedal and it demos scooped mid metal

You'd be amazed at what any amp can sound like
running a graphic eq......Was really funny that
years ago I got complemented all the time on
my guitar tone at gigs from fellow guitarist's.
And funny as hell when I answered the question,
"What kind of amp are you playing" When
I told them a Peavey Special 130 (A bandit with 2X the power)
The looks of disbelief were priceless of course,
I never told them I had a Scholz rockman 1/2 rack EQ
mounted in the amp cab .....lol!!

[jcj]

Originally Posted by kurtsstuff

Get yourself a graphic EQ pedal of some kind
The amp itself has plenty of gain to do what ya want
But not voiced for it. Insert EQ pedal into the loop..Suck some of the
mids out and set the lows/highs to taste and that should do it.

Kurt is a wise man

[MontyW]

Okay - are there any other EQ pedals I should look into other than the MXR M108?

[Improbable Joe]

Alice in Chains isn't a band with particularly high-gain tones as part of their signature tone. Any basic distortion pedal should work.

A better and more cost-effective thing to look at would be your guitar and the strings you use. Thicker strings tuned down a half-step would make as much difference as anything else. Humbuckers are easier than single coil pups when looking for a thick tone.

[MontyW]

I'm playing Ernie Ball skinny top - heavy bottoms .010 - .052 and Bare Knuckle Cold Sweet and Painkiller in my Axis, so I would have thought I'd get the RK100 there or there abouts.

I'm certainly going to have a serious play with MXR EQ as its not that expensive :-)

[lespaul6]

I have a marshall reissue 1959 with a ppimv installed and an overdrive pedal and it does AIC tones in spades so you should be able to get that with the RK100.

[panhead5]

Originally Posted by kurtsstuff

Get yourself a graphic EQ pedal of some kind
The amp itself has plenty of gain to do what ya want
But not voiced for it. Insert EQ pedal into the loop..Suck some of the
mids out and set the lows/highs to taste and that should do it.

Is this a joke ?? Not sure I ever saw the RK100 as a gain monster.I was going to recommend the mk50h or mk50hII .I have both of those and they'll do it !!!

[Improbable Joe]

Originally Posted by MontyW

I'm playing Ernie Ball skinny top - heavy bottoms .010 - .052 and Bare Knuckle Cold Sweet and Painkiller in my Axis, so I would have thought I'd get the RK100 there or there abouts.

I'm certainly going to have a serious play with MXR EQ as its not that expensive :-)

Have you tuned down a half step?