The Amptweaker TightMetal is a distortion pedal built for metal and hardcore players who want a heavy sound that still tracks fast. Announced on January 9, 2011, it takes the company's TightDrive and TightBoost overdrive platform to the next level, providing what the maker called "over-the-top metal and hardcore crunch tones with adjustable tightness thanks to the Tight control"1. Amptweaker is the company of amp guru James Brown, and ideas for the pedal were discussed early on with Mark Kloeppel, guitarist from the hardcore band Misery Index2.
How the circuit works
Just as high gain tube amps are designed by cascading extra tube stages, the TightMetal was created by adding additional stages in front of a carefully modified TightDrive circuit2. The resulting thicker and much heavier distortion is shaped by a simple built-in output EQ curve tweaked for a thicker, heavier voice2. In other words, it is an overdrive platform pushed well into metal territory rather than a completely different kind of circuit.
The controls and switches
The Tight control is the pedal's signature: it varies the pick attack from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive2. The Mid slider emphasizes the midrange when moved to the left; moved to the right, the Thrash direction, the low end is boosted while the mids are scooped3. The Gate switch activates the built-in noise gate when moved to the right, or Chomp setting3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tight | Varies pick attack from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive2 |
| Mid slider | Left emphasizes midrange; right (Thrash) boosts lows and scoops mids3 |
| Gate switch | Right (Chomp) position activates the noise gate3 |
Power and battery
The pedal runs from either a 9 or 18 volt power supply. At 18 volts, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the tone opens up and cleans up more, reacting more like a 100-watt amplifier with a sharper, more immediate attack3. For battery power, the TightMetal uses a magnetic battery drawer, which the reviewer described as simple, effective and impossible to make more convenient3.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review found the pedal stayed tight even without the gate engaged3:
"Even with the Gate off, the pedal was tight in the low end, which worked great for some Slayer-inspired, palm-muted riffs."
By 2015, MusicRadar reported that Amptweaker's popular TightMetal series had become a standard in metal tones, with many metal artists touring with them4.
The TightMetal family
The TightMetal grew into a series. Amptweaker, amp guru James Brown's company, built the original as a distortion pedal aimed at over-the-top metal and hardcore crunch tones with adjustable tightness, and the TightMetal series went on to become popular enough that many metal artists tour with them124. The pedal's approach came from amp design: just as high gain tube amps cascade extra tube stages, the TightMetal was created by adding additional cascading stages, with a built-in output EQ curve tweaked for thicker and much heavier distortion2.
Videos
Premier Guitar
The Tone King
Metalhead Productions
Questions
What does the Gate switch on the Amptweaker TightMetal do?
The Gate switch turns the pedal's built-in noise gate on and off. Moving the switch to the right, to the Chomp setting, activates the gate. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that even with the Gate off, the pedal stayed tight in the low end, which worked well for Slayer-inspired, palm-muted riffs.
Does the Amptweaker TightMetal take a battery?
Yes. The TightMetal has a magnetic battery drawer, which Premier Guitar's reviewer called simple, effective and very convenient. The pedal can also run from a 9 or 18 volt power supply, with 18 volts opening up the tone and giving a sharper, more immediate attack.
How is the TightMetal different from the TightDrive?
The TightMetal takes Amptweaker's TightDrive and TightBoost overdrive platform to the next level. It was created by adding extra gain stages in front of a carefully modified TightDrive circuit, the way high gain tube amps cascade extra tube stages, with a built-in output EQ curve tweaked for thicker, much heavier distortion.
Who helped design the Amptweaker TightMetal?
Amptweaker founder James Brown, described in the press as an amp guru, developed the pedal, and ideas for it were discussed with Mark Kloeppel, guitarist from the hardcore band Misery Index. The question of tightness came up early in those discussions.
Sources (4)
- Amptweaker Introduces TightMetal Distortion Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2011-01-09
- NAMM 2011: Amptweaker introduce TightMetal distortion pedal, MusicRadar, 2011-01-11
- Amptweaker TightMetal Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-09-20
- NAMM 2015: FatMetal distortion pedal from Amptweaker, MusicRadar, 2015-01-19
