It sounds surprisingly decent as an overdrive, not amazing, but certainly very passable. I like the idea of chopping out all the gain and leaving it as an EQ, which is the best part of the Metal Zone anyway. Great work, I'll certainly be trying these at some point.
Metal Zones are finicky but you can get a great distortion out of it with some careful tuning, even stock. And no, the distortion doesn't really need to go past somewhere around 2 o'clock or maybe slightly past 3 max.
The short movie plot: Accidently taking only the non modded MT2 to a blues gig and and using it anyway. Getting kudos for being brave and getting laid that night for sticking to your metal roots.
I'm still a cheeseburguer lover... and I love this mod, too! This is the perfect excuse to give some usefulness to an MT-2 that a friend gave me some time ago. Thanks a lot!
Brian is very knowledgeable when it comes to the details of the " pedal options " always learn wathing his vids, great job Brian-thank u for sharing. be well.
Really appreciate this info. I've been building kits and doing a little tinkering. Getting to know what the parts do and the theory of circuit designs is challenging and fun. Thank you!
After watching several of your videos, I felt inspired to make something useful out of my Ibanez Smash Box. I almost got it where I want it and I'm quite stunned at the difference. Just a few kinks to iron out.
Hi Brian, I made some mods convined like, led diodes, diezel but with a twist to my test and I get some squealing from the pedal, where can I adress that problem? happen when I use more treble in the mid or high control and with some high gain settings, where do you suggest change cap value? in the feedback loop of some of de girators or in the first gain stage before clipping?
I'm starting to think that you're one of those jokers that like to mess with people's minds. A Metalzone or two on your pedalboard for a Blues Jam. You'll have to fill you're entire board with them, and see the confusion in their eyes. I've built a few 5e3's into the wooden cabinet of a Crate SL-1, and left the front panel looking completely stock. The funny looks that I got from players in the crowd was priceless. They didn't even notice my horrible playing, thankfully. I love these videos, btw, I hope that you can keep them coming. Good stuff, Brian.
Great video, great attitude and great mod; it makes this pedal usable outside Scandinavia. I saw these two videos like two months ago and was just waiting to get my hands on a (30€)second hand Metal Zone to perform this mod. I have a question that could be answered by just soldering/desoldering the parts, but if you could shed your light over it, it would be great. The pedal is going to be used mainly on bass, so I am wondering if I should leave the bass boosting circuitry on. I know it sounds rhetorical. Thanx.
Mr Wampler, i THINK the inverting buffer is intended for preventing (parasitic) oscillations, when the PCB trace is going back close to the previous gain stages. High gain & 0/360 degree phase diff. & close proximity = Bad practice. ;)
Made one of these babies into a doom pedal, with a Sallen-key filter input gain stage , rat-ish drive/clipping stage , active double rectifier (using two emitter followers from the gyrators + the inverting buffer stage) aka octave fuzz. The tone control was left untouched, since it is cool AF. :)
what is the noise floor like on this mod when using it as an EQ, compared to the noise of, say, boss GE-7? obviously the ge-7 would give more precise control and there are mods to reduce the factory-stock noise, but if the MT-2 could be had and modded for cheaper it'd be an interesting alternative.
+Haven Since it makes all of the other gain stages obsolete, it's fairly quite. Of course, if you turn up the gain know you'll introduce more noise but for most people, they'll want to keep the gain control all the way down.
Is there any good reason not to experiment with different types of diodes maybe just using two different ones. Or maybe attaching the original clipping diode to a switch so you can turn that second clipping stage on as well just for fun.
yesterday i got a mxr fullbore metal,it is smd and there is no schematic for it, but the idea is pretty the same. Modded it little bit different way to get more jcm-ish to nice distortion sound, very satisfied with the results.
I was kind of thinking about modding one for myself but doing it for bass guitar instead. If I replace the feedbak resistor in the first filter stage with a 250k log pot and bump the RC values down a little, I might get a nice distorted boost at around 4.2 kHz, which I can dial in by gusto. So if say, I wanted the first filtering stage to be completely dry, I could just dial the pot all the way to the left and the opamp would act as a buffer. Btw, that first tone shaping stage has some huge gain potential! If my calculations are correct it's like 39dB peaking at around 970 Hz. Wtf?
How transparent is it when run just as an EQ? I use a modeler into a SS power amp and guitar cab. I've been thinking about an EQ between the modeler and the poweramp for adjustments on the fly without having to edit patches. Do you think this would suit that purpose?
I have done some similar things with an Ibanez LM7 L.A. Metal and a Coffin Case Blood Drive(Made by MXR).Both pedals look great but sound like crap.Did mods to both.Did the Fat Cat mod to the LM7 and put a better MXR distortion circuit in the Blood Drive.
I ever mention that I've got a serious respect for an uneducated pedal builder!? Yup! I learned so much, but it hurts in analog circuits... short of 400kV klystrons. The only joy you get in that job is watching another guy use a paperclip to prove 440v motor positioning...😂 Always funny watching a guy fly backwards while standing vertical to bounce off a cabinet assembly!!! 😬😬😬
Jesse Yasaitis I can't manually add you as that violates spam laws, however if you go to wamplerpedals.com/ and scroll down you'll see where you can join the email mailing list.
Is there a resource with a text-based guide for pulling of the "turning it into an EQ pedal" mod? I'm a novice at modding so the video is a little hard to follow
This makes me want a second MT-2, one for when I want an MT-2 and one to mod into just the EQ section from an MT-2 so that everything can be an MT-2. Actually, didn't Cannibal Corpse use MT-2s like this in the effects loops of Mesa Rectos for ages?
I don't like cheeseburgers that much I prefer fiorentina (t bone steak italian way, much better, and some italian red wine with it) nice mod, I got a MT2 passing thru my hands, as well as a DS2, tried to develop my own mods, just by changing/taking off components and see the results...now I got some decent mod, still workin on them tho'
this pedal has been MIS-USED by sooooo many 13 year olds with a 6" speaker-equipped combo amp and either a youtube channel or a ride to Guitar Center, that it has been unfairly maligned(that, and the continued bias against anything 'metal'). The KEY to the entire thing is *the mid frequency knob*. You aren't scooping the mids as in ALL of the mids(which would be like turning your amp's bass, mid, treble to 10-0-10, which would pretty much guarantee suckage LOL, but first you turn the mid knob ALL THE WAY UP(stick with me here), then you slowly sweep the mid frequency knob around until you find that nasally AWFUL tone - you'll know it when you hear it, and it will be different with different guitars - then you scoop THAT frequency out, adjusting bass, treble, level & gain as appropriate... *that* is how to properly use a Metal Zone pedal. Of course, context is everything - BB King's Lucille would "suck" if you're auditioning for Cannibal Corpse. ;0)
+tony93666 of course, the best way to make it sound better is to get rid of the mid peaking circuits at the front end of the circuit which make it sound so damn nasally. Air was Boss' answer to tightening up things, but sometimes things on paper don't work so well in the real world.
I'd like to hear this pedal in a modern metal context in front of a dirty channel as a boost, kind of like how a tubescreamer is used, but with more eq options.
Glad you said leave the holes ... but what about jumper wire the empty hole's ... unnecessary? as that section removed any way, right? ... or if you did they would what? put minuscule load in the Cap/Resi place ? and not what this Video about ? sorry Brian just one of those guy"s that need Supreme Clarity on directions other wise i fall victim too "you didn't jump that spot? every body knew that" (except me) + if one did jump empty holes, it wouldn't be this pedal correct ? 8>)
+Rick VH If it needs a jumper, I'll tell you :) If you put a jumper where I say "leave the holes", then depending on the location you won't have any sound at all, as it could throw the entire guitar signal to ground which is the same effect as turning the volume knob all the way down
I'm vexxed as to why someone would want to mod a METAL pedal into a drive pedal. Why not just go get a boss blues driver or SD1? Even if you wanna go on the cheap without losing quality, just grab an EHX Crayon or Soul food. Both great affordable drives.
Please don't take me completely wrong here.If I'd gotten a pedal in a trade and wanted something a bit different, and also had the talent to do mods, that sounds like a great idea. I'm just saying I wouldn't go out and buy a specific pedal that I didn't completely care for, just to end up modding it. Also, your pedals and mods are awesome.
After watch these vids..now i'm back using my metalzone Metalzone as Eq: ruclips.net/video/94WM-OGk5hM/видео.html Metalzone in blues: ruclips.net/video/YBZqZiIKwqA/видео.html Metalzone worst dist ? : ruclips.net/video/nxRe99Tjlwg/видео.html
better to buy a cheap overdrive there are many that souds awesome and leave that pedal like a preamp via fxs loop, the kit for transform that cost 30 bucks plus the labor , better find other solution and have both sounds
Just as I said in my comment. It seems pointless to me to mod this pedal when you can just get either a Blues driver, SD1, or even any array of affordable drives that sound just as good, and honestly, even better.
It sounds surprisingly decent as an overdrive, not amazing, but certainly very passable.
I like the idea of chopping out all the gain and leaving it as an EQ, which is the best part of the Metal Zone anyway.
Great work, I'll certainly be trying these at some point.
Yes!
Metal Zones are finicky but you can get a great distortion out of it with some careful tuning, even stock. And no, the distortion doesn't really need to go past somewhere around 2 o'clock or maybe slightly past 3 max.
The short movie plot: Accidently taking only the non modded MT2 to a blues gig and and using it anyway. Getting kudos for being brave and getting laid that night for sticking to your metal roots.
this post for the win
Glad I saw this video... I was just about use my Metal Zone for a trot-line weight.
I'm still a cheeseburguer lover... and I love this mod, too! This is the perfect excuse to give some usefulness to an MT-2 that a friend gave me some time ago. Thanks a lot!
You should keep on making videos like this. Explaining the theory behind the mods helps a lot.
wow that overdrive mod is actually really really good. and the eq still works. it will add such a nice color to the tone!
that overdrive is surprisingly pleasant!
Brian is very knowledgeable when it comes to the details of the " pedal options " always learn wathing his vids, great job Brian-thank u for sharing. be well.
Really appreciate this info. I've been building kits and doing a little tinkering. Getting to know what the parts do and the theory of circuit designs is challenging and fun. Thank you!
Wow, Feel like I'm in school again..awesome informational video!!! Brian is the Best Pedal Mod Teacher and overall Great Guy!!!
dude this could be amazing if ran through a 5150 or some other "metal" amp sort of like a tube screamer would be.
this is a awesome mod I did. Its really cool, I plan to do more!
Cats are nice 😊
Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate. Contents may settle during shipping. Do not feed the bears. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
After watching several of your videos, I felt inspired to make something useful out of my Ibanez Smash Box. I almost got it where I want it and I'm quite stunned at the difference. Just a few kinks to iron out.
Hi Brian, I made some mods convined like, led diodes, diezel but with a twist to my test and I get some squealing from the pedal, where can I adress that problem? happen when I use more treble in the mid or high control and with some high gain settings, where do you suggest change cap value? in the feedback loop of some of de girators or in the first gain stage before clipping?
I like cheeseburgers😊😎🎸 Awesome mod man, gonna do this and do a quick review on my channel. Thanks for the awesome info and soundcheck👍🎶🎸
wow. this mod actually sounds great in comparison.
Apparently the humble meat pie was, in ancient times, a simple container for storing meat, when there were no fridges. Before cheeseburgers
+Coffee Dude ;)
I've done pretty much the same thing with my fender starcaster distortion pedal. It has a great parametric eq section and I use it for that.
I'm starting to think that you're one of those jokers that like to mess with people's minds. A Metalzone or two on your pedalboard for a Blues Jam. You'll have to fill you're entire board with them, and see the confusion in their eyes.
I've built a few 5e3's into the wooden cabinet of a Crate SL-1, and left the front panel looking completely stock. The funny looks that I got from players in the crowd was priceless. They didn't even notice my horrible playing, thankfully.
I love these videos, btw, I hope that you can keep them coming. Good stuff, Brian.
+tiny b haha that's awesome! I wonder how many went on ebay to try to find that amp :D
Rehouse all your pedals in MT-2 casings. Absolute genius! I’d be tempted to try that! It would look awesome.
I just found your videos and they are great and thank you very much
Great video, great attitude and great mod; it makes this pedal usable outside Scandinavia.
I saw these two videos like two months ago and was just waiting to get my hands on a (30€)second hand Metal Zone to perform this mod. I have a question that could be answered by just soldering/desoldering the parts, but if you could shed your light over it, it would be great. The pedal is going to be used mainly on bass, so I am wondering if I should leave the bass boosting circuitry on. I know it sounds rhetorical. Thanx.
Good job , these talks are awesome !
I like chess burgers too but hold gerkin those things are as awful as an original Metal Zone ;-). Loving the mods video btw...very cool!
You know...I really like the way the of mod sounds. Maybe I should do this at some point.
I dig bacon cheeseburgers actually. sweet mods!
I once ate Jeff Aments cheeseburger. He deserves it for making that river green.
Dude! Great video! Best pedal mod video I've see on YT. More mod videos please. Liked and Sub'd.
Mr Wampler, i THINK the inverting buffer is intended for preventing (parasitic) oscillations, when the PCB trace is going back close to the previous gain stages. High gain & 0/360 degree phase diff. & close proximity = Bad practice. ;)
Made one of these babies into a doom pedal, with a Sallen-key filter input gain stage , rat-ish drive/clipping stage , active double rectifier (using two emitter followers from the gyrators + the inverting buffer stage) aka octave fuzz.
The tone control was left untouched, since it is cool AF. :)
what is the noise floor like on this mod when using it as an EQ, compared to the noise of, say, boss GE-7? obviously the ge-7 would give more precise control and there are mods to reduce the factory-stock noise, but if the MT-2 could be had and modded for cheaper it'd be an interesting alternative.
+Haven Since it makes all of the other gain stages obsolete, it's fairly quite. Of course, if you turn up the gain know you'll introduce more noise but for most people, they'll want to keep the gain control all the way down.
Very cool. Thanks for the info. Come to Nashville Browns dinner has the best cheese Burger
Great videos, I can't wait for the book reissue. Also, cheeseburgers.
Is there any good reason not to experiment with different types of diodes maybe just using two different ones. Or maybe attaching the original clipping diode to a switch so you can turn that second clipping stage on as well just for fun.
yesterday i got a mxr fullbore metal,it is smd and there is no schematic for it, but the idea is pretty the same.
Modded it little bit different way to get more jcm-ish to nice distortion sound, very satisfied with the results.
I was kind of thinking about modding one for myself but doing it for bass guitar instead. If I replace the feedbak resistor in the first filter stage with a 250k log pot and bump the RC values down a little, I might get a nice distorted boost at around 4.2 kHz, which I can dial in by gusto. So if say, I wanted the first filtering stage to be completely dry, I could just dial the pot all the way to the left and the opamp would act as a buffer. Btw, that first tone shaping stage has some huge gain potential! If my calculations are correct it's like 39dB peaking at around 970 Hz. Wtf?
I have a mod to turn an ordinary burger into a cheeseburger :)
For extra gain, you could add more relish.
War Zone why stop there? Mayo IN the buns!
Hi @Wampler Pedals. Can you use a Stock Metal Zone as an EQ pedal as well?
You can but it’s going to clip (distort) the signal as well as color it quite a bit
How transparent is it when run just as an EQ?
I use a modeler into a SS power amp and guitar cab. I've been thinking about an EQ between the modeler and the poweramp for adjustments on the fly without having to edit patches. Do you think this would suit that purpose?
That was fucking AWESOME
Such a cool channel man!
I really like cheeseburgers. also your pedals are excellent!
in my scheme recommended by my engineer diodes are mounted inverted 1N914 diode LED and measuring the small yellow. d3 = D4 = LED 1N914
I have done some similar things with an Ibanez LM7 L.A. Metal and a Coffin Case Blood Drive(Made by MXR).Both pedals look great but sound like crap.Did mods to both.Did the Fat Cat mod to the LM7 and put a better MXR distortion circuit in the Blood Drive.
I have the boss mt2 Keeley mod and use it as a boost, makes my dirty channel sound evil and chainsawy lol
I have a TC Electronics Fangs pedal and all I have to do is turn all the gain down and play with the EQ for a bit and then it's an overdrive
I really love cheeseburgers! I mean, cheddar, man! It's goddamn awesome!
I ever mention that I've got a serious respect for an uneducated pedal builder!?
Yup!
I learned so much, but it hurts in analog circuits... short of 400kV klystrons. The only joy you get in that job is watching another guy use a paperclip to prove 440v motor positioning...😂
Always funny watching a guy fly backwards while standing vertical to bounce off a cabinet assembly!!! 😬😬😬
Why are you running the modded pedal on a battery and the stock pedal off your daisy chain power?
Hey Brian! Great channel. I saw in your video previous to this one, that you wrote a book. I would love to get my hands on one.
+Jesse Yasaitis yes, but it's out of print right now. I'm working on a complete rewrite. :)
Put me in your mailing list? Can't wait to see it.
Jesse Yasaitis
I can't manually add you as that violates spam laws, however if you go to wamplerpedals.com/ and scroll down you'll see where you can join the email mailing list.
anyone douches around with my MT-2 there WILL be blood...!💥
Awesome vid.
brian, youre a genius. they spelled it wrong on your mug.
how the fuck this video has only 619 likes... the internet is broken. Thanks for the explanations Mr B.
Is there a resource with a text-based guide for pulling of the "turning it into an EQ pedal" mod? I'm a novice at modding so the video is a little hard to follow
I like to read video notes about cheeseburgers!!!!
Good video...just go to show 'it's the thought that counts'....it's like a revelation🤔😃😃
How do you make a Metal Zone listenable? Take out half of it.
I really like cheeseburgers. Especially In 'n' Out.
This makes me want a second MT-2, one for when I want an MT-2 and one to mod into just the EQ section from an MT-2 so that everything can be an MT-2. Actually, didn't Cannibal Corpse use MT-2s like this in the effects loops of Mesa Rectos for ages?
Yepp they did as well as other big death metal bands too.
Great mod!
I really like Vanilla slice!
Great work. Where do you get the schematics and pcb layout diagrams from?
schems for the metal zone? Just from the google machine
Great. Now i'm craving cheeseburgers :-(
This cheeseburger mod is awesome.
Brian why does everything you touch terns to gold
Power to the grilled rib steak
Hey Brian, Why don't you give uma to hear the sound of this mods? Greetings from Brazil.
How do you get such a clean tone from the Metal Zone? I may have gotten confused, is the mod schematics showing how to make is an overdrive or an EQ
Woah, that tele neck is bare naked.. Is there a fine coat of lacker or ahm ? Nice video man
I don't like cheeseburgers that much I prefer fiorentina (t bone steak italian way, much better, and some italian red wine with it) nice mod, I got a MT2 passing thru my hands, as well as a DS2, tried to develop my own mods, just by changing/taking off components and see the results...now I got some decent mod, still workin on them tho'
🚫 Hamburger 🤨
✅️ Cheeseburger 😃
In case of emergency "Break Glass"
As an overdrive sounds a bit like the Blues Driver.
this pedal has been MIS-USED by sooooo many 13 year olds with a 6" speaker-equipped combo amp and either a youtube channel or a ride to Guitar Center, that it has been unfairly maligned(that, and the continued bias against anything 'metal'). The KEY to the entire thing is *the mid frequency knob*. You aren't scooping the mids as in ALL of the mids(which would be like turning your amp's bass, mid, treble to 10-0-10, which would pretty much guarantee suckage LOL, but first you turn the mid knob ALL THE WAY UP(stick with me here), then you slowly sweep the mid frequency knob around until you find that nasally AWFUL tone - you'll know it when you hear it, and it will be different with different guitars - then you scoop THAT frequency out, adjusting bass, treble, level & gain as appropriate... *that* is how to properly use a Metal Zone pedal. Of course, context is everything - BB King's Lucille would "suck" if you're auditioning for Cannibal Corpse. ;0)
+tony93666 of course, the best way to make it sound better is to get rid of the mid peaking circuits at the front end of the circuit which make it sound so damn nasally. Air was Boss' answer to tightening up things, but sometimes things on paper don't work so well in the real world.
+Wampler Pedals *this not air
Re Info Section - Cheeseburgers? Sure. ... and since you asked: some people prefer cupcakes, but I for one care less for them.
I got id. I like to put it on my burgers, mid rare with a soft fried egg. Helps my overdrive bypass truer.
i really like cheeseburgers
+Ryan Basha ;)
what the heck just give me a chicken burger
w/ extra pickles
Amazing! Can you turn a Tube Screamer in a Hi Gain pedal? hahahahha
+Mario E Robertson yep! 😉
AH but can it fry bacon?
Do I put my amp on the clean channel or the dirty (Overdrive) ?
clean channel
Thanks!
I'd like to hear this pedal in a modern metal context in front of a dirty channel as a boost, kind of like how a tubescreamer is used, but with more eq options.
I don't like cheeseburgers, I prefer normal hamburgers.
does anyone make a pedal that is similar to this modded pedal ? I not into soldering :(
I like bacon on my cheeseburger
Glad you said leave the holes ... but what about jumper wire the empty hole's ... unnecessary? as that section removed any way, right? ... or if you did they would what? put minuscule load in the Cap/Resi place ? and not what this Video about ? sorry Brian just one of those guy"s that need Supreme Clarity on directions other wise i fall victim too "you didn't jump that spot? every body knew that" (except me) + if one did jump empty holes, it wouldn't be this pedal correct ? 8>)
+Rick VH If it needs a jumper, I'll tell you :) If you put a jumper where I say "leave the holes", then depending on the location you won't have any sound at all, as it could throw the entire guitar signal to ground which is the same effect as turning the volume knob all the way down
+Wampler Pedals 10~4 good buddy....
cheeseburguers!
Tocayo!
+Andrei Martinez Agras haha, mucho gusto!
But I like double cheese burger!
De mi se burlaron por decir que utilizo mi metal zone como eq para mis limpios, y ahora veo su video
I'm vexxed as to why someone would want to mod a METAL pedal into a drive pedal. Why not just go get a boss blues driver or SD1? Even if you wanna go on the cheap without losing quality, just grab an EHX Crayon or Soul food. Both great affordable drives.
Because it’s fun, and funny to make a metal pedal into something totally doffernet
Please don't take me completely wrong here.If I'd gotten a pedal in a trade and wanted something a bit different, and also had the talent to do mods, that sounds like a great idea. I'm just saying I wouldn't go out and buy a specific pedal that I didn't completely care for, just to end up modding it. Also, your pedals and mods are awesome.
Why? I love the MZ...
I didnt think the MZ did 'neutral'
My only problem with it is that it's too damn noisy lol
The EQ mode is way col.
After watch these vids..now i'm back using my metalzone
Metalzone as Eq: ruclips.net/video/94WM-OGk5hM/видео.html
Metalzone in blues: ruclips.net/video/YBZqZiIKwqA/видео.html
Metalzone worst dist ? : ruclips.net/video/nxRe99Tjlwg/видео.html
better to buy a cheap overdrive there are many that souds awesome and leave that pedal like a preamp via fxs loop, the kit for transform that cost 30 bucks plus the labor , better find other solution and have both sounds
it sounds like a mesa boogie V
stock is better..by far. I don't see the point in modding it to overdrive pedal.,. as overdrive pedals exist by BOSS..
Just as I said in my comment. It seems pointless to me to mod this pedal when you can just get either a Blues driver, SD1, or even any array of affordable drives that sound just as good, and honestly, even better.
Its if you have a MZ collecting dust and want to repurpose it. Its also just a bit of fun
my dog just lost a tooth
Cheeseburguers like me.... Really?
my butt hurts