Gear Review: Arch/Matheos guitarist Jim Matheos on his Mesa Boogie MKIV

In 2010, Jim Matheos (current member of the progressive rock powerhouse Fates Warning and OSI) and John Arch (former vocalist of Fates Warning) teamed up to form the new progressive metal band, Arch/ Matheos. The band’s debut release, Sympathetic Resonance, Is due in stores on September 13th and I was able to catch up with Jim Matheos to discuss the gear he used to obtain his signature sound.

What one piece if gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
Jim: Hard to pick just one piece, but a big part of my sound, live and in the studio, would be my Mesa Boogie MKIV.

What about it makes it so important to you?
Jim: It has a very unique sound, I think. Not to overdriven or saturated like a lot of modern metal recording. It also has wide variety of options. Very subtle changes in many of the tone parameters or EQ can affect the overall sound drastically. It’s taken me a long time to learn my way around it.

What are the major pros and cons?
Jim: It’s not easy to get a great metal sound right off the bat, but if you work with it you can get some great and unique sounds.

How long have you had it, how do you use it, would you ever change it?
Jim: I’ve had this particular one since 1991. I’ve used it on every recording I’ve done since then and on many tours.

Check out the song: “Stained Glass Sky”