Daz
High-Gain & Modelling Editor
Based in Birmingham, UK
I'm Daz and I play LOUD. Spent years on the road playing modern metal — drop tunings, seven and eight strings, the works — so high-gain tone is genuinely my whole life. Honestly, I came up worshipping tube heads and 4x12s, then digital modellers got good enough to change my mind completely, and now I run a profiler at every gig. I care about two things: does it djent, and does it hold together when you stack the gain? I'll measure the noise floor so you don't have to.
40 published articles · most recent October 7, 2026
I'm Daz and I play LOUD. I spent years on the road playing modern metal — drop tunings, seven and eight strings, the works — so high-gain tone is genuinely my whole life.
Honestly? I came up worshipping tube heads and 4x12s, then digital modellers got good enough to change my mind completely. Now I run a profiler at every gig.
I care about two things: does it djent, and does it hold together when you stack the gain. I'll measure the noise floor so you don't have to.
Articles by Daz
Why fan-fret and multiscale necks actually matter for low tuningsMultiscale necks aren't a gimmick for drop-tuned players. Here's what fan frets actually fix, and when a straight scale is still the smarter buy.
Why a metalhead should still own one acoustic guitarDaz explains why even a drop-tuned, high-gain player benefits from one decent acoustic, and what actually matters when picking one.
Pickup output vs string gauge: the real relationship for high gainDaz breaks down how pickup output and string gauge actually interact on high-gain rigs, and why chasing bigger output isn't the fix for a flabby low string.- Trails and freeze effects: building ambience that doesn't fight your riffTrails and freeze modes can build huge ambient textures on a high-gain rig without turning your chug into soup. Here's how I actually use them.
- Analog vs digital ambient tones on a high-gain rigAnalog or digital delay and reverb for a high-gain rig? Here's how each behaves under gain, and how to set them so the chug survives.
- Scale length and drop tunings: why it matters more than you thinkStruggling to keep drop tunings tight and in-tune? Scale length changes string tension more than gauge does. Here's what actually works.
- Neck pickup, bridge pickup, or both: wiring choices for high-gain rigsWhy your pickup selector switch matters more than your amp settings for tight, djenty high-gain tone, and what actually changes between positions.
- Palm mute pressure: why your chug sounds different every takeSame riff, same gear, different chug every time? Palm mute pressure is the variable most high-gain players never actually control.
- String skipping under gain: why fast riffs turn to mush liveYour string-skipping riffs sound tight at home but collapse live. Here's why gain amplifies picking errors and how to actually fix it.
- Acoustic body shapes for low-end: why some acoustics thump and others don'tWhy dreadnoughts, jumbos and small-bodied acoustics respond so differently in the bass, and how to pick the shape that actually suits your playing.
- Ambient delay and reverb on a high-gain rig without losing the chugHow to run ambient delay and reverb on a high-gain or djent rig without turning your palm mutes into mud.
- Pickup output and string gauge for drop tunings: matching the two properlyHeavier strings and hotter pickups don't automatically work together. Here's how to actually match output and gauge for drop tunings without losing clarity.
- Pick hand accuracy at low gain: why practising clean exposes your riffsPractising riffs on a clean or low-gain tone strips away the compression that hides sloppy picking, and it's the fastest way to fix what's actually wrong.
- Can fuzz actually work for high-gain and djent tones?Fuzz and modern high-gain don't usually mix, but the right circuit in the right spot can add something your gain channel can't. Here's when it actually works.
- Running an overdrive always-on: the low-gain trick high-gain players skipAn overdrive left on at low gain, all the time, does more for a high-gain rig than another distortion pedal ever will. Here's why it works.
- Rhythmic muting: why your right hand is the real gate on high-gain riffsNoise gates and profiler settings only get you so far. Here's why your picking-hand muting technique controls tightness more than any gear on a high-gain rig.
- Mid-boost overdrives for high-gain rigs: cutting through a wall of guitarsStruggling to cut through a dense mix at high gain? A mid-boost overdrive placed right can fix it without you touching your amp's EQ at all.
- Using an overdrive to fix a scooped high-gain toneA scooped high-gain tone sounds huge alone and disappears in a mix. Here's how a mid-forward overdrive pedal fixes it without retracking anything.
- Alternate picking vs economy picking for palm-muted riffs at high gainWhy the picking style you choose for muted riffs matters as much as your gear. A high-gain player's take on alternate vs economy picking.
- Nylon, steel or a hybrid: acoustic strings and why the guitar underneath mattersNylon and steel-string acoustics aren't interchangeable with a string swap. Here's why the guitar itself decides which one you should actually buy.
- String gauge for drop tunings: why heavier isn't always the fixDropping tuned and losing tightness? String gauge matters, but nut slots, pickup height and scale length decide whether heavier strings actually help.
- Picking hand synchronisation: the real reason your palm mutes sound sloppySloppy chugs usually aren't a gear problem. Here's why picking hand sync, not your amp or pedal, decides whether your palm mutes actually sit tight.
- Boosting a modeller's amp block: why an overdrive pedal still mattersRunning a profiler doesn't mean the overdrive-into-amp trick is dead. Here's how boosting a modelled amp block actually works, and why it still tightens up high gain.
- Clipping types explained: why your distortion pedal feels the way it doesSymmetrical, asymmetrical, diode vs op-amp clipping — here's why two "distortion" pedals with the same gain knob can feel completely different under your pick.
- Using an overdrive as a tight gate for high-gain amps and profilersA low-gain overdrive in front of your high-gain amp or profiler isn't just for extra grind. It tightens low-string chug and cleans up flub.
- Palm muting and picking hand tension: why your chug dies at higher gainYour palm mute technique changes with gain and tuning. Here's why tension in the picking hand kills chug, and how to fix it without buying new gear.
- Scale length and high-gain tone: why 25.5" isn't always the answerLonger scale lengths get spruiked as the fix for tight low-end riffing. Here's what scale length actually changes, and when it doesn't matter as much as you think.
- Wattage for high-gain rigs: why 15 watts of valve beats 100 watts of headroomWhy a 15-watt valve amp can feel heavier than a 100-watt stack, and what that means for choosing a high-gain amp that actually djents.
- Freezing delay and reverb tails for high-gain drones without losing the chugFreeze and infinite-hold reverb sound massive on a clean patch but turn to mud under distortion. Here's how I actually run it live.
- Power amp modelling explained: why your profiler still needs a real power stageWhy modellers model the power amp too, not just the preamp, and why that stage decides whether your rig actually holds together at gig volume.
- Palm muting technique: why your chug falls apart at higher gainLoose palm muting gets exposed by high gain fast. Here's why the chug falls apart and the technique fixes that actually hold under drop tunings.
- Multiscale necks for high-gain players: worth it or just marketing?Fanned frets promise better low-end and easier bends across the neck. Here's what actually changes for drop-tuned, high-gain players and what doesn't.
- Ambient delay and reverb settings that still djent: a high-gain guideHow to run ambient delay and reverb with high-gain guitar tones without turning your riffs into mud. Real settings, real placement, real tradeoffs.
- Pickup output and gain staging: why "hot" pickups aren't always heavierHigher output pickups don't automatically mean heavier tone. Here's how pickup output actually interacts with gain staging on a high-gain rig.
- Why your modelling amp sags different to a tube head, and how to fix itModelling amps model gain and EQ well but power amp sag trips people up. Here's why your palm mutes feel different, and how to fix it.
- Silicon vs germanium vs Big Muff style fuzz: picking the right circuitSilicon, germanium or Big Muff style fuzz all sound completely different in practice. Here's how to pick the right circuit for your rig, not just your ears.
- Fret buzz after restringing to drop tunings: setup fixes that actually workDropped to drop C and now everything rattles? Here's the actual setup chain to sort fret buzz after a drop tuning, in the right order.
- Fuzz pedals with a noise gate: why the two rarely get alongFuzz and noise gates fight over the same territory. Here's why gating a fuzz kills the thing that makes it sound good, and what to do instead.
- How pick attack technique changes what high-gain rig you actually needYour picking hand shapes high-gain tone more than any pedal or amp setting. Here's how attack angle and force change what gear actually works for you.
- Reamping explained: why recording a clean DI first will save your takeReamping means tracking a clean DI first, then running it through amps or sims later. Here's why that one habit fixes most of your home recording headaches.