Matt Pike "Everyone loves some thunder"

db3jed · May 23, 2011, 12:15:02 AM

Wow.
Saw his ad in the latest Guitar World magazine.
Are these gonna' be the new "green" Matamp?
Anyway, cudos to him for landing an endorsement and maybe walking away with some money

VOLVO))) · May 23, 2011, 12:19:01 AM

meh. Whatever. His tone eats fat dick, now, anyways.

Baltar · May 23, 2011, 08:34:37 AM

"Are these gonna' be the new "green" Matamp?"

No.

Let's face it, those amps are for metal dudes, super high-gain. They sound nothing like Matamp.
Sleep based it's whole sound around Laney and Matamp. HOF is a totally different vibe.

From the website:

100W Watt head with built-in DPR power reduction
4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC82, 4 x EL34 valves
4 switchable channels (Why?)Clean channel with Warm (Plexi) {you coulda stopped at PLEXI!!} and Bright (Class A) type modes
Crunch channel with Crunch and Super Crunch modes (watch out Line 6!)
Two overdrive channels with high and low output damping
Two ISF equipped tone control sections
Presence and resonance controls
Master Volume (pre or post-phase MV?)
(Yukky digital crap!)Series effects loop
MIDI switching
Speaker emulated output

No thanks.

Hemisaurus · May 23, 2011, 08:37:26 AM

Wasn't he playing Soldano's up until recently.

I can't listen to any HOF after Art of Self Defense.

Baltar · May 23, 2011, 08:47:04 AM

http://www.blackstaramps.co.uk/products/artisan/artisan100.html

This doesn't sound too bad though.

RacerX · May 23, 2011, 09:59:34 AM

I'm in love with my 5-watt Blackstar.

Jake · May 23, 2011, 11:11:13 AM

I've been listening to a lot of High on Fire lately. As much as I prefer the older material in terms of songs/style/tone, it seems like it'd be nearly impossible to pull off the last few albums with that Matamp rig. It's just way, way too mushy. Not that that's a bad thing per se, just that it wouldn't have worked well with the more "traditional metal" trajectory that he's been on.

And, FWIW, I don't necessarily think that his Soldano/Carvin/whatev guitar tone "blows" on the albums. Live, yes...it's downright awful and icepicky. I can't defend that. But for whatever reason, the studio seems to smooth it out.

zachoff · May 23, 2011, 11:13:30 AM

I listen to High on Fire more than any other band these days & if he's getting some cash to play something then cool for him. I'll still go see them and buy their albums.

Metal and Beer · May 23, 2011, 12:40:42 PM

--I'd be surprised if he walked away with any money; maybe lifetime free speaker cables or someshit
--He doesn't use these things, right? Does any endorser ever actually use the shit?
--His recorded tones are always great--even now--but I'll absolutely agree his live tone is a bunch of bunk. Trebly, harsh, ever stood on his side of the stage for a whole set? Me neither. Ear Spear Brigade, no thankee sir. (in fairness I never saw Sleep, I'd imagine his Sleep stage tone is much better? I've seen HoF numerous times over the years)

He's still one o' my favs...

zachoff · May 23, 2011, 12:46:55 PM

Sleep is just ridiculously loud, live. He used a Soldano and something else when I saw them last Fall. I'm pretty sure that show permanently harmed my hearing. By far the loudest show I've ever seen.

yesca · May 23, 2011, 08:13:24 PM

yeah Sleep did play loud as fuck there past reunion tour. saw them in Philly Matt was running four orange 4x12s and 2 JCM800's

clockwork green · May 23, 2011, 08:48:14 PM

What does new Sleep have to do with anything?
As much as I love the old days with the cranked Green's and Laney's, Jake is right. They'd sound really bad with the higher speed stuff...it's just not what they do. I've been thinking about this on and off all day and I can't really think of any super high gain, fast metal stuff that has tone that I really love. Some of it is fine and some of it is awful but nothing that amazes me. I think it's the nature of the beast that gain that high will never be as rich, dynamic and most importantly unique. Even shitty sounding fuzz pedals and a boring slow riff still have a lot more there for you to sink yourself into. I own several thousand records and I know I've said to myself "damn, that's good tone" but it says something that it doesn't stand out enough for me that I can really remember who that was but I can do that for many more stoner/doom bands.

nonoman · May 23, 2011, 08:50:49 PM

"Speaker emulated output"

Horrors. I could have just ignored and not used some of the other crap, but this^^?

clockwork green · May 23, 2011, 08:55:30 PM

I almost forgot. While I still think Surrounded by Thieves has the best tone of any HoF record (by far) I don't hate the tone on most of the newer records. Somebody really needs to tell him to turn the damn treble down live or just break the knob off his Soldano's at zero.

RAGER · May 23, 2011, 09:11:55 PM

Too many goddamned fukn knobs

Metal and Beer · May 23, 2011, 09:40:59 PM

I mentioned the recent live Sleep work because I saw clips/pics of Orange/Matamps and no Soldanos in sight so I assumed his tone differed thusly? I heard they rented gear at each city though so....

Couldn't agree more on the treble, someone murder that knob!

Ayek · May 24, 2011, 07:21:36 AM

When they played here in February he had a Blackstar, a Soldano and I want to say a JCM800 as well. Not sure if he was using all 3 cause he only had 2 4x12s unless one cab was stereoed. I thought his tone was pretty good, though my tinitus makes me wear cheap foam earplugs to gigs now so maybe they offset the treble enough

Hemisaurus · May 24, 2011, 09:06:48 AM

Well the producer / mixer has his own EQ in the studio, which might account for the tone. Or maybe the HOF FOH guy just doesn't know his job. I can't see a show in the US without earplugs, not so in the UK.

RacerX · May 24, 2011, 09:21:21 AM

Quote from: nonoman on May 23, 2011, 08:50:49 PM
"Speaker emulated output"

Horrors. I could have just ignored and not used some of the other crap, but this^^?

It's just a headphone jack with two settings, dude.

db3jed · May 24, 2011, 09:03:40 PM

Heh, tongue was firmly in cheek when I asked "Are these gonna' be the new "green" Matamp?"
Curious if his endorsement is going to drive any sales Blackstar's way?

peyotepeddler · May 24, 2011, 10:36:59 PM

another taosd lover, tone for days

about the shrill tone as of late, dude has played at small animal killing volumes forever, hes probably tone death on the upper registery, thats where all the hearing damage occurs

about the amps, i don't think he is getting anything out of the deal but some free or discounted amps or cabs, more likely discounted, eeekkkk

dogfood · May 24, 2011, 10:50:38 PM

ahem, first act, cough cough.

Worthless Willie · May 25, 2011, 02:27:29 AM

I'd say at his level, I bet he scored some free shit.

VOLVO))) · May 25, 2011, 08:10:36 AM

Quote from: Worthless Willie on May 25, 2011, 02:27:29 AM
I'd say at his level, I bet he scored some free shit.

It isn't like he's in Metallica, dude. Once Sleep scores a guitar hero spot, they'll start catching some free shit, until then... I doubt it.

justinhedrick · May 25, 2011, 09:07:59 AM

Quote from: SunnO))) on May 25, 2011, 08:10:36 AM
Quote from: Worthless Willie on May 25, 2011, 02:27:29 AM
I'd say at his level, I bet he scored some free shit.

It isn't like he's in Metallica, dude. Once Sleep scores a guitar hero spot, they'll start catching some free shit, until then... I doubt it.

right on. that first act guitar was expensive. when i met him he told me that the first acts and the soldano were the best "investments" he'd ever made in his live tone. he probably has what, close to 5 grand in those 2 things?