Gain: Is Less Sometimes More?

“Less is more” is a popular cliché in the music world that’s up there with “The check’s in the mail,” and “We’ll fix it in the mix!” In fact, the former saying has become such a classic rock staple that a very famous, British-born guitar hero synonymous with a low-slung Les Paul and a top hat often used the alias “Les Ismore” when checking into a hotel anonymously. As another cliché astutely states though, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Cliché talk over, let’s discuss distortion and the art of — gulp — dialing it back.

The Dreaded Art of Dialing Back the Gain on Your Precious Guitar Sound

Like most hard rock and heavy metal guitarists, I used to think that there was no such thing as too much gain. In fact, when it came to distortion, I was a disciple of Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s tongue-in-cheek mantra: “Less is not more. More is more!” Then, in the late 1980s, I was fortunate enough to record an album with the esteemed English producer/engineer Max Norman — the man who sat behind the mixing desk when the late, great Randy Rhoads recorded Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman with the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Plus, he also produced and engineered Ozzy’s Bark at the Moon album, which introduced Jake E. Lee to the world. So, when it came to recording great guitar tones, Max had quite a pedigree. Consequently, I was smart enough to check my ego at the studio door and listen to the man. What a concept!

Note: The amp in the photo is the recently released Friedman 50-watt Jake E. Lee signature tube head – the JEL-50.

When it came time to record my rhythm guitar parts, I was armed with an EMG-loaded ESP with a built-in 12dB booster and a fire-breathing, hot-rodded Marshall JCM800 2203 we’d managed to get our hands on. To my surprise though, once I’d dialed in the amp to my liking, the first thing Max said was, “Not bad, but back the gain off.” Despite this heinous act going against all I believed in, I obeyed and was met with, “That’s getting there. Dial it back some more though.” This happened at least once more before Max was happy. He also insisted that I turn up the mid control on the amp, too... rude!

To be honest, while sounding pretty darn good, I found it harder to play because I was no longer hiding behind a wall of distortion — you could hear every note and every little inconsistency in my performance. Consequently, it forced me to play better. I had to be very precise and accurate. Also, because of the gain reduction and mid-boost Max instigated, the track was more articulate and “in your face.” Then, when said track was doubled, the result was tighter and, to my surprise and delight, “heavier” and punchier despite the pulled-back gain. Part of that was, IMHO, due to the fact that my playing was much more precise on both takes — I no longer had my safety blanket, a huge curtain of gain to hide behind.

Less Is More Indeed

Fast-forward to the early ’90s, and I had the fortunate opportunity to interview Metallica’s James Hetfield for a cover story in the leading British monthly magazine, Guitarist. At the time, the band’s eponymous LP, the one affectionately known as The Black Album, had made Metallica one of the world’s biggest acts of any genre. One of my many questions for James concerned the marked difference in his guitar tone on Metallica versus its predecessor,... And Justice for All. His response went something like this: “Bob Rock [producer] taught me two valuable lessons: using a little less gain often sounds heavier, especially when you’re doubling. He also made me realize that midrange on guitar is good!”

As James Hetfield is rightly hailed as one of metal’s finest rhythm players, I rest my case. Less can indeed be more when it comes to gain. So, the next time you’re recording or jamming, try dialing down the gain more than you would maybe like — the results might well surprise and delight you, your band, and your fans. It’s a lesson worth learning, I promise!
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