Perfect for live and studio, the Tight Metal Pro II has included a balanced DI, cab sim and headphone output in addition to three separate loops for multiple processing and switching combinations. Specifications Find out more about how we make our recommendations and how we testeach of the products in our buyer's guides. Related buying guides Sometimes pedals with a full-EQ will turn some players off, this pedal finds a nice middle ground. Another great feature of this pedal is the true bypass, even when you turn the pedal off a lot of pedals will still affect the clean tone the true bypass eliminates that. In fact, many killer metal tones use a mid gain setting, whether from a pedal or amplifier. The key is usually gain staging.

All the pedals in the listing are potential targets, even though the Metal Muff and Throttle Box EQ are somewhat large and that will work against them. I’m always on the look for clever pedal evolutions, and I really like what James Brown is doing at Amptweaker. It’s not at all clear what my next Metal pedal will be as I have several in my sights - on this list and in addition, and it really depends on what inspires me, what is available at the time and at what price - oh - and size is sort of important too - to a degrees. At Guitar World, our team of experts comprises seasoned musicians, many of whom have played in metal bands of varying genres and questionable quality over the years. We have played and tested numerous guitar products, including an unimaginable amount of guitar pedals. effects loops....Universal, Boost with Pre/Post switches, and the SideTrak loop that works when the pedal is OFF! Patch in clean effectsAs always I have a preference for compact pedal enclosures - unless I am offered a dual channel feature or additional dials which require further real-estate. I favour tone, as well as utility, versatility and form-factor. It’s quite unusual that I actually have the Diezel VH4-2, as I’m normally put off by such large enclosures, but bizarrely really like this one. That said, my pedal chain space is tight, so any new acquisitions will be either out-an-out replacements / upgrades - or else temporary swap-outs just for different flavours.

It can be used to add a compressor, chorus or chain of effects that only works when you play clean, or to switch to another distortion pedal to use for an alternate rhythm sound...all without having to hit more than one switch....it’s like having a built-in A/B box. A green LED alternates with the normal red one to indicate that the loop is active when the pedal is bypassed. Specifications DeFizzerator – Take out some of the excessive high end associated with some amps and speakers in high-gain mode.

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A word about the founder of Amptweaker none other than the father's home peavey 5150 (he is also TransTube, triple xxx, JSX, and other home kustom, etc.) if there is evidence that Mr. James Brown, if not the godfather of funk knows about design stuff of quality oats.

The final pedal on this list is the Abasi Concepts Pathos Distortion pedal. This is the signature pedal from Animals As Leaders guitar player Tosin Abasi. This is a perfect pedal for the prog metal player. This pedal is designed to mimic the sound of a tube amplifier and it really captures that feel. This pedal really sounds great whether it’s to add some drive to the clean setting on your amp or really expanding on the dirty setting.

Reviews

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. Current: 18mA with 1 or 2-9V batteries, 22mA with 9V adapter, 24mA with 18V adapter(adapters add knob LEDs....internal switch disconnects 1-9V battery clip The first pedal on this list is the Amptweaker Tight Metal Jr. I love how nice and compact this pedal (it’s only 2.7”W) so it won’t take up a bunch of room on your pedalboard. And when you start adding all the effects you need, space becomes a premium. Some pedals have effects loops, this one has 3: a universal loop, another active with the boost, and our popular SideTrak loop which activates when the pedal is OFF, to automatically shut off clean effects. Another great feature of the noise gate is it shuts off when you switch the pedal off so, your clean tone is completely unaffected when the pedal is turned off. Amptweaker has a multitude of pedals and this is my favorite. The Tight Metal Jr gives you sounds that you can get from their Fat Metal and Tight Metal models, it’s almost like two pedals in one which is hard to beat. #2 MXR Fullbore Metal Distortion

Since introducing the popular TightMetal™ distortion pedal in 2011, Amptweaker™ has received many requests for a two button version and they are famous for giving customers what they want. Unlike most distortion pedals with boost, the TightMetal Pro includes 2 Boost knobs, one before and one after the distortion.....so it’s easy to boost the gain AND volume, for the perfect solo tone. There’s also a Midboost button that works with the output Boost knob, to help solos cut through the mix. Take a look at his set up for the curious on youtube, he uses it live in the power amp of his head, and it sounds. The 2nd switch is what MI Audio calls the Mode switch also has 3 settings that will change the contours of the overall tone. The Presence knob gives you even more control over those high end frequencies. So it’s difficult to go wrong with a pedal that will do so much, and allows so much control and fine tuning to the sound than you can normally expect from just a pedal. #10 Abasi Concepts Pathos Distortion It's not super versatile but still a little, the settings are there to adapt the sound of the pedal to the material on which it is connected not to change the character of the device even with the switch in the off position thrash we are in a record sound more civilized.

Why You Must Have It……. And Have It Now!!!

Many of us are die-hard metal enthusiasts, so we understand the importance of achieving the crushingly heavy guitar tone. We leverage our extensive experience using guitar pedals in live performances, studio recordings, and rehearsals to identify the best products for our guides.