Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood is a name that resonates across the modern guitar world. Known for his time in progressive metal band Periphery, as well as his top-tier production work and collaboration with Bare Knuckle Pickups, Nolly is widely respected for crafting some of the most harmonically rich and defined high-gain tones in the industry.
From developing signature humbuckers like the PolyPaf set—which marries classic humbucker sounds with a modern touch—to guiding countless metal and hard rock tones in the studio, Nolly has earned a reputation as a go-to authority on guitar tone.
But while many assume that dialing in a massive high-gain tone is all about the amp and distortion settings, Nolly insists that it all begins with the player.
“For high-gain tones, I’d say that the player and how they’re playing is absolutely critical, even though the amp is distorting the signal so much,” he explains. “It’s about matching the player’s technique and intensity with the right pick and string gauge to create a signal that’s not overly heavy on the low-end—and that produces pleasant overtones at the intensity they’re playing.”
Even with proper playing technique, Nolly points out that additional sculpting of the tone is often necessary—typically with the help of an overdrive pedal like a Tube Screamer or Boss Super Overdrive. These pedals aren’t just about adding distortion; they’re favored for their naturally narrow frequency response, which helps eliminate excessive low-end.
This low-end control becomes especially important when palm-muting, one of the trickiest aspects of high-gain playing.
“Anyone can dial in a really fat, thick, saturated guitar tone for single notes,” he says. “But what happens when they palm-mute? Does it just fall apart? A lot of the time it does.”
According to Nolly, while fat low-end can sound powerful, it often undermines clarity, making fast, articulate riffs sound muddy. He argues that part of the problem lies in common misconceptions about EQ settings.
Many players associate metal tones with a “scooped” EQ—high treble and bass, with low mids—a style made famous by early Metallica records. But Nolly says that setup was specific to the design of amps like the Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+.
“That amp’s tone stack comes before the distortion. So you have to scoop the mids there just to avoid a boxy tone. But people saw those V-shaped EQs and thought that metal tones should always lack midrange.”
In fact, since the 1990s, most high-gain tones actually depend heavily on a strong midrange presence, as distortion tends to flatten the overall EQ. Midrange is essential to keeping the tone full and present in a mix.
Nolly also challenges the once-popular belief that high-output pickups are the holy grail for metal.
“High-output pickups made sense when players were using amps—like Marshalls—that naturally cut low-end. A powerful pickup helped push more signal and fill out the bottom. But today’s amps already offer plenty of low-end, so it’s more about managing it.”
Now, players are leaning toward medium-output pickups with stronger midrange presence, or lower-output pickups that are specially voiced for modern distortion use. These options help maintain clarity without sounding harsh or scooped.
He notes that active pickups like EMGs and Fishmans, which remain popular among metal guitarists, are also voiced with heavy low-end filtering. This tightens the tone significantly but can make them overly bright and aggressive in the hands of heavy pickers.
“You actually almost can’t use those with players that are too aggressive because they’re already so toppy and they exaggerate that pick attack,” he says.
Ultimately, Nolly’s insights dismantle the myth of metal tone as a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, he presents it as a nuanced art form—where every detail from pick attack to pickup voicing plays a crucial role.
So whether you’re chasing crushing palm-mutes or soaring leads, Nolly’s advice is clear: tone starts with the player, and everything else should be tailored to enhance that foundation.
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