Popular late 80s/early 90s heavy guitar tones were "scooped", as in, mid range was turned down considerably if not altogether cut. Yet if any amateur guitarist attempts this sound, their guitar signal is lost (practically absent) in the mix.
The explanation seems to be that guitars are very mid-rangey instruments which can't compete with the bottom and top end produced by the bass and the drummer's cymbals. So how the Dickens did the likes of Van Halen and Metallica get away with it?
Also, I've been looking at different tone types produced by different amp types. Apparently British amps (Marshall, Vox etc) have a pronounced upper mid voice. American amps (Fender, Mesa etc) have more of a scooped sound.
Fender's reputation is for having incredibly loud amps that retain a perfect clean sound almost all the way up. How did they become the amp of choice for Motown acts etc with all that brass to compete with if they had a scooped sound? How come the guitars aren't completely lost in the mix?
How is it that a scooped sound works for some people and not others? What am I missing?
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