I'm finally putting together a proper rig, but I'm dissatisfied with the tone I'm getting. I'm aiming for a modern metal tone (Nevermore, Arch Enemy or Demanufacture era Fear Factory, Opeth, even djent would be fine!), but I'm getting either crunchy 80s thrash / (kill em all meets acdc) or over distorted noise washout if I crank the gain. Any tips? Where is the weak link in my signal chain? Are the passive pickups the problem? Will a compression or distortion pedal before the amp fix things? I'm hoping that good tone can be had without needing an Axe FX.
Rig:
PRS CE24 1997 maple top mahogany body
Peavy Ultra 120 tube head
Orange 1x12 cab