Chasing the Boston / Tom Scholz Guitar Tone using Overloud TH-U

Boston’s Guitar Sound from THU-Full by Overloud? That’s what I have attempted… the tone from their first, 1976 album. Sure, I know that Tom Scholz got a head start on me, but I’m doing my best to catch up!
Close-ups of Overloud's component settings found at the end of video.
All guitars heard in this video were recorded through the computer version of Overloud THU.
Ron’s Setup:
Guitars: 1979 Hondo II , 1990’s Zion Custom - zionguitars.com/
KMI Midi SoftStep Foot Controller
Overloud TH-U Full ver 1.1 - overloud.com/
Cameras: Nikon D7100 & D5100, Logitech
DigiCamControl and OBS
Vegas Movie Studio 17
Boston Song Snippets Featured:
Long Time
Smokin'
Peace of Mind
Rock and Roll Band
Something About You
WATCH: Achieving Boston's Guitar Tone with Impulse Response (IRs) using ver 1.3.3 of Overloud THU: • Boston/Scholz Guitar T...
#overloud #overloudthu #overloudthufull #tomscholz #zionguitar #zionguitartechnology​ #tomscholztone​ #bostonguitartone​ #bostontone #rockman

[@MrBen58862]

Well done,that sound and chord progression at 6:30,is absolutely incredible.

[@StephenRybacki]

You must be super stoked with the new Rock Guy add-on (and standalone) for TH-U from Overloud. I know I am. They took all the work out of the seminal Boston tone chase.

[@YukonJim]

Excellent video. I did it!! Took an hour with all the plug ins. Tweaked the wah for about 15 minutes and I got the sound.. Thank you.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Love hearing this, James. Have fun and 'Party' on!

[@ReapR_X]

Sounds excellent!! I just bought a Headrush Pedalboard and im hoping to be able to halfway create a Boston sound or two. One of the most sought after sound in rock and roll. Tom Scholz is a legend!

[@lahcenebelbachir7929]

Man, that lead is killer. Thanks for the preset.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Glad you like it!

[@williamking8033]

It's obvious that you enjoyed yourself with trying to find that elusive sound. That's really why we all love to play electric guitar!

[@DBroce]

I finally just bought the Keeley Halo. The sound, it’s in there and it’s pretty spot on.

[@anthonyarredondo6356]

Very cool ! Love that sound and tone !!! Great job !!!!😊👍

[@jettramel]

Nice job, I don't think anyone thinks a person can get his sound down by what's on the album but this is pretty damn good enough for gigging or jamming.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Thanks, James. I think it's so cool that even after 4 decades there's still fun to be had with Tom's tone/music.

[@razhua]

thanks for your work man! i downloaded the OVP file awesome sound!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Glad I could help!

[@Rudigervocals]

Thats Awesome , So fun

[@scottmcclure4855]

Sounds great!!! Thank you for doing this. I love Tom's sound. Cool thing is, when you get his sound you also get in the ballpark of Def Leppard's sound. So it is a win win lol.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Gotta love those win-win scenarios!

[@gitarman666]

Still got my rockman!

[@walshy2116]

Sounds awesome man. I don’t know if you can get much closer. Tom is like an enigma to me. His story blew me away. I always thought Boston was a big band. Had no idea this MIT dude was Boston!

[@user-ne6nz2lb6w]

Him doing everything but vocals and some drums on the first Boston album make him one of the greatest musicians to me. The fact he learned guitar when he was 21 and has a record breaking album 7 years later is crazy.

[@criddyla696]

Excellent pal …

[@zoinks99potentate]

Well done, Ron! You always impress me.

[@banzanto1]

All you need is the Scholtz power soak , an X100 b (the rockman) and A small clean amp. I used 50 watt Jmp's. But really the Marshall's have nothing to do with it. Awesome video for those who use plug ins. Thank you so much. Oh by the way he used extreme eq. There is a video about his eq settings. Nice Lp

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Appreciate the ideas. I have to admit, that power soak would be a cool piece to own. Maybe one day!

[@pvanhalen2009]

Love it !! 👍

[@funfreq9282]

You need to get n FM series or Axe FX III! You can get really close to any of the Boston tones with the FAS gear. With the rolling back of the volume to clean up you need to take into consideration that Tom tracked a lot of guitars to get to certain sounds. Not sure what pickups are in that Zion but a low output is needed for that trick. If I'm not mistaking he did use an LP with P90's... And might have used that guitar for that part in the song.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Thanks for the details.

[@sweetpain67]

Cool. Having fun!

[@michaelpekala1494]

Chasing that tone now on my Line 6 Pod go!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Dial it in, and turn it up!

[@brianmorrison4865]

Ask Barry Goudreau if you can borrow his fingers, then you'll have the Boston Guitar tone...

[@SandcastlingGuy]

I thought about it, but then I'd have 20 fingers running into one another...and Barry would have none. So, I believe its time to initiate the PGSA ( Public Guitarists Service Announcement ) ATTENTION! Place all sharp utensils in their respective drawers. Everyone Keeps Their Fingers! That is all.

[@ihop4no14]

Dude! It sounds REALLY good! I will say that's seems like a LOT of work and probably a lot more money, but it's the closest I've heard. I recently got the idea that if I picked up an old Rockman, ran my guitar through it and then sent the output to my Blackstar amp, I could get close. I haven't tried and it's not really how that device was intended to be used, but the chorus on the original Rockman is THAT Boston sound!

[@OttoNomicus]

The Guitar Rig plugin has a nice preset called Dimebag's Delight, or Dimebag something, pretty sure it was delight, it was a while ago.

[@garrywatson5346]

I'm guessing you've now got the TH-U 'Rockguy' plug-in?

[@Rickyboricky]

Righteous, Bro!

[@jshelhorse]

So informative. Not sure you can ever replicate an analog-generated tone with apps.

[@jamesvines3379]

Soooooo coooool!!!!!!!!

[@michaeldalton8374]

The half-cocked wah sound can be replicated with a Crybaby Q zone pedal. Or, in Tom’s case, a wah pedal. He was doing this in the early/mid 1970’s. Not nearly the available choices. He also knew what made sounds and how to manipulate them. THAT is the part everyone is missing. We’d all be better off creating riffs of our own, and sounds of our own, rather than chasing a ghost. Tom doesn’t do social media in any manner. So no, he’s not watching.

[@StillChrist]

Very good, you've come very close, short of overlayed tracks. The sound is like violins on steroids. So, why not get a small orchestra together? That's basically what Tom did digitally.

[@keithdarling8290]

No joke here. Man, I'm TOTALLY DIGGIN' your Hondo II LP Custom Copy! Everybody laughed at those back in the 70's and 80's, I think it's ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! I loved those and, not sure if you remember them, the Elektra LP Style that had these little Effect Boxes like Phasers to Preamps to Overdrives in a compartment area on the back. Those were so cool and played really well. My favorite was the White Elektra LP Style! If you ever want to sell it, I would "Hold her, love her and squeeze her and name her George!!" Sorry, I'm a little bit of a Bugs Bunny fan. Ok, I just lied. I'm a HUGE Bugs Bunny fan!...lol...Bugs and Daffy climbing the giant Bean Stalk then the Giant above the Clouds wanting Daffy to work in his Pocket Watch.....sorry.... My 1st Electric IS, and STILL HAVE IT, is called a Cimar, made by Hoshino....Ibanez. My mom bought me the Guitar when I turned 10 when my parents were realizing that I was taking the Guitar a heck of a lot more seriously than they thought. It kept me from getting into trouble! I stole my Sisters $20 Sears Acoustic from her when I was 5 and never gave it back. She had just gotten a Baby Grand Piano for her birthday and kinda forgot about her Guitar....thank goodness, for good! Unfortunately, and it truly was an accident, I had my Sisters Acoustic propped up against my bed and we had Hardwood Floors. My Father, walked into my room, it slid down on to the Floor just as he was taking a step annnnnd....well, let's just say, the Soundhole suddenly got much larger! I truly believe he got more upset than I did! Yes, I started crying...I was only about 8 or 9 at the time but, I believe he got so upset for making me upset. My Brothers friend, next door, worked as a Guitar Tech at a local Music Store and gave me another cheap Acoustic to borrow until I got another. Both my Brother and Sister are much, much older than I. 9 and 7 years respectively. I do believe I was an "Uh-Ohhhh!" I'm from Memphis, TN so I couldn't escape Music! The Great Guitar Caper happened right after unloading our car after returning from my Grandma's for Vacation. My Uncle....Father's Brother.....was also a Musician out of Ponca City, OK. He had a Recording Studio as well as, after Glenn Miller was killed in an accident during WWII, I'm not sure what year his Orchestra regrouped, my Uncle also played Guitar in the Orchestra for a few month's, filling in for a new daddy! I'm sorry...didn't mean to make this a life story... He wasn't an Original Member but they would use my Uncles Studio to rehearse before they would do small tours throughout the Midwest. 1 year, the Guitarist became a new daddy and asked him to fill in for a few months until his wife was up to, not only handling a new baby but being married to a Musician!!...lol... Anyway, my Uncle made a mistake during this 1 visit to my Grandmother's. I took my Sister's Acoustic Guitar....I was about 6 or 7....so 1969/70...... ooops, just gave away my age! I don't think he thought I'd even get close to what he wanted to show/see how bad I'd be, but try me. He wanted to learn the 12 Bar Blues....basically, what most of the Swing Era Orchestra music was based off of. The look on his face....I not only nailed it the 1st time through, I retained it throughout our 2 or 3 week visit. He handed me my Guitar back and I could hear him virtually in shock, I guess, at my father....my Uncle was much older than my father as well....that if he didn't encourage me, I was a "Prodigy" and would probably be somebody big someday. My dad didn't like it. My Father was a Scholar, worked for the Department of Defense, writing the books for everything taught Mathmatically as well as in Electronics/Electrical Circuitry. He literally was a true Genius. He'd have nothing to do with it. I didn't understand what my Uncle was talking about at that age so I didn't give it much thought. It wasn't until I was about 16 before my Sister told me kinda what my Uncle meant. I didn't have time to get upset with my Father due to him passing suddenly a couple of weeks later. Both siblings had married and moved so I had to stick around to try to keep my mom from falling apart. that....it didn't work so I'll leave it at that. Please forgive me, for some reason, telling you about my personal life....my fingers just started going! I guess my point is, I'm disabled now and can't play live much. I still have a few Guitars left...2 Acoustics a 5 String Bass and a Custom Made WD Music Strat. I don't think Epiphones are worth the cost so, if you ever wanna sell her, I'm a sucker for old, off brand Guitars and a LP is the only style I don't own. I have my Studio, it's just a Desktop DAW with CD Burner from Tascam. It's a Tascam 2488 NEO. I just write off and on to leave some sort of a legacy for my family and primarily my 2 Grandkids. Sorry for bothering you and wasting your day. Take care.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Hey Keith. No need to apologize... thanks for sharing your journey. Makes me appreciate my Hondo II a little more. It's currently the oldest guitar in my collection and has a feel that isn't duplicated. Quick funny story, once had a friend who owned a Gibson LP "fretless wonder" (frets were unusually flat). He asked if I wanted to trade for a couple of months. I jumped on that! But even though the sunburst Gibson was gorgeous to look at, it was a struggle to play. When we eventually traded back, my friend admitted that my Hondo played better than the fretless. If I ever decide to let her go, I'll keep you in mind. :) Keep on strumming!

[@keithdarling8290]

@SandcastlingGuy I loved the Fretless Wonders and wish they still made them. That was back when you could buy Gibsons for UNDER $600!! Hahaha Ahhhhh, those were the days! Take care and have a great day.....wherever you are on this "Spinning Rock!!"

[@brianconner3082]

Well played sir!!

[@tonyhao9344]

Hey @SandcastlingGuy I Just bought The Rock Guy TH-U ROCKGUY PACK! My Boston Tone chasing is pretty much over now.. TH-U Nails it. 🤤 You should demo it if you haven't already got it..

[@michael_caz_nyc]

It's really close. Impressive. I have owned: all the Super-Noisy Rockman stuff. I wish someone would make a pedal? oNe LovE from NYC

[@hawaiirealmedia5610]

Hey, I really liked your show. You did a great job of recreating the sound. The only improvement I would suggest is that your sound should have a bit less room tone. I think Boston was more of an "in your face" guitar sound. But not by a lot; you got amazingly close. Since you've gone to great effort, now try to reproduce your favorite Boston recording with or without vocals. Nice job on this one!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Thanks for the ideas.I did do a snippet of my own Boston song on one of my other vids... but why stop there, right? :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6uvknRterOrl68

[@tommypasquale5150]

and def leppard used a rockman too!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

They obviously knew where to find a good sound.

[@TigerJim83]

Hi mate, Thanks for your video! I wasn't able to replicate the tones you had, but I appreciate what you did. Just curious what you think of the TH-U Rockguy? For $29 you get a Rockman and it sounds great. For someone who chases that Boston tone, what are your thoughts?

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Hi James. Downloaded the trial today and played around with it. It visually looks awesome, but when I started doing some audio comparisons to my own presets...well...the jury is still out. It just didn't wow me like I'd hoped. Maybe Overloud nailed the original sound, and my memory of the original Rockman isn't quite what I'd thought. Still contemplating...

[@davegoodwin1848]

Which Boston tone? Rickman or the first album sound done with Marshalls?

[@journeyquest1]

Marshall plexi cranked w attenuator, chorus/ delay, eq.

[@cplaylist8238]

Wow! Very nice tone! I've played around with it myself it has been a tough one! But thanks to matching your exact settings I was able to get the same results! I think you did an awesome job! I've messed around with Bias FX and Amplitude and to me yours is the best! PLEASE FIGURE OUT THE SECOND AND THIRD STAGE ALBUM SOUND AND MAKE A VIDEO ON THOSE!!! PLEASE!!!???

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Glad to hear the set up is working for you! As for the next two albums, the tinkering has begun!

[@cplaylist8238]

Sweet! Thanks!

[@The_Gaming_Substitute]

Hey buddy! Is there a certain pedal under $100 that could slightly clone the sound?

[@bandarna]

You need a Dimarzio super distortion pickups to sound like Boston. Put them in your guitar, you said your pickups suck. Its basicslly that, and a cranked marshall with punched mids. A wah wah pedal for leads.

[@tonyhao9344]

Nice work, I always try to get the Boston tone, never quite get there. I have THU but don't use it much. Do you have the .ovp file for download for this pre-set? I still have a Rockman Soloist that I compare my Boston attempt tones to, get close but not quite. Do you know if Tom was using the P90 pictured in his Gold top for recording? P90s have a very different sound. I finally got a LP with a P90 though its a 2020 Epiphone. Hard to get Gibsons with P90s down here in New Zealand.. Thanks again!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

I've always wondered about the P90's too. Don't know if they made it to the albums or not. But isn't it crazy that all these years later were all having fun with Tom's sound? Oh, and I've got the ovp file over on "Overloud TH-U Users Group" on FB.

[@tonyhao9344]

@@SandcastlingGuy Thanks I’ll go check it out. 🙂 🤙

[@yactabay]

Nope, sorry man but I don't agree this is close. It has some elements of it but no. Man and all that work. Hope you find it someday for all of us. Not even the Rockman rack gear sounds like it.

[@yactabay]

Edit: Just saw the other video. Way better but just reduce the distortion a bit. That second version is really good. Now below or above I leave the post as I placed it yesterday

[@ZeekMX]

You've made a mistake. You're trying to play two guitar parts at the same time. The peace of mind solo section you're playing was done by two guitarists. Tom and Barry.

[@mwooten777]

Very nice! Could you include the actual preset in the notes? Thanks!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

It's a custom preset. Check out the 8:03 mark for closeups of each component.

[@mwooten777]

@@SandcastlingGuy Appreciate, but that's not nearly as easy as just loading a preset. :) I thought there was a you could share a preset, but maybe I'm wrong? Either way, thanks!

[@gitarman666]

Axe Fx 3 gas a pretty hood “Rockman” sys

[@TheeRocker]

Good try,,, I remember in '76 taking an amp into another amp, push the mids on one and drop the bottom on one. half cocked wah as well. but I used two wah's one in front, one at the tail. So I had a wah in a wah thing for lead, inside the cocked wah. Something like that, been a while lol. But captured everything except his illusive resonance alien space effects... Which is what I always wanted lol. I heard him say there are only two ever made, and he has them. lol, rightfully so :D . I'm a huge fan of the first rocker with a home studio production Tom Scholz :D

[@TheeRocker]

Oh,, also,,, use driven fuzz on one amp pushed into distortion...

[@AudaciousAce1989]

By “resonance alien space effects” you may be referring to his hyperspace pedal. You can make one with an analog delay I believe, there are videos on how to make a hyperspace pedal on youtube

[@TheeRocker]

@@AudaciousAce1989 nooooo frigin way !!! I had no idea he called it a hyperspace pedal. Nice,, I'll have to check that out... I would think the delay needs an LFO or Filter for the sweep, driven by an expression pedal ?

[@Hadouken5150]

The ticket would be a Marshall plexi or JCM 800 and some chorus and reverb. Too easy.

[@edjazz39]

How do you do a pick slide?

[@SandcastlingGuy]

It's pretty much holding the pick like a scraper against the lower wound strings (I mostly use the E and A strings ). Back in the 80's after a Petra concert I found a used guitar pick on the ground. Upon examination, there were two deep grooves along the edge. I''d watched the pick slide being done on Bob Hartman's "Judas' Kiss" solo, but I was very surprised at how damaged that poor pick was. I don't usually dig that deep with pick slides (keeps my picks from getting too ragged). But, ymmv. Go ahead, give it a shot. See what sounds good!

[@tommypasquale5150]

why? the rockman has been out since the 80's. its Tom's design, his sound. period.

[@PainterDans]

😎👍

[@eross21]

what do you use for midi foot pedals to turn pedals on and off?

[@SandcastlingGuy]

I've got a KMI SoftStep midi pedal that works pretty well for individual pedal effects.

[@matthews77]

did you recieve the new impulse response and mic update yet??

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Yes, but haven't played around with it yet. Looks really interesting for sound shaping.

[@lahcenebelbachir7929]

@@SandcastlingGuy Would love to see a demo/review from you of the new features.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

@@lahcenebelbachir7929 you asked - Boston tone using IRs just posted! Enjoy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6uvknRterOrl68

[@LightWingStudios]

Needs a TAD more Mid Range. :)

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Or maybe cowbell? 😉 Seriously though, I think you're right.

[@mciuan]

Nice tone but keep chasing.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Affirmative... Never stop learning! :)

[@nicklebac6753]

Hey man how do I download the presets?

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Hey, NB, I uploaded the preset file to the "Overloud TH-U's Users Group" on Facebook.

[@nicklebac6753]

@@SandcastlingGuy I’m on the page but I can’t see it? It’s a public group but I don’t have a Facebook account

[@SandcastlingGuy]

@@nicklebac6753 Once on the page, goto "Files" at the top.

[@whataboutrob442]

Mesa isn't going to get you close to his sound.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

Yeah... that's exactly what I thought too. I suppose if I had a *real* Marshal with a PowerSoak and all, things might have been different. But since I'm using modeled amps, the split Mesa seemed to work. The adventure continues!

[@86FxBdyCpe]

Or just get a Rockman, done.

[@florida1716]

not even close!

[@SandcastlingGuy]

I'll keep at it then!

[@stinky_nut_blast]

Have you tried the GOAT simulator padal from a reverse engineering japanese company ? What do you think of it ?

[@SandcastlingGuy]

I haven't even heard of it.... but sounds interesting. Technology keeps advancing.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

For those looking for a demo of the GOAT version/clone of the Rockman Distortion Generator, here's a good video to check out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5S9ZaWCf6eJq5Y

[@stevencirile]

Or buy an original Rockman! Like I did …cool box.

[@SandcastlingGuy]

But that's cheating. Lol. If I ever spot an affordable one, I might just pick it up. Loved my original one, but boy could it eat batteries.