seeking a "Punchy Clean Tone"

[stanton_g]

I'm looking for a really punchy clean tone (Hendrix Little Wing, SRV Texas Flood). I've been trying various presets and modifying amp sag, compressor settings, cab variations, etc, but still not finding the "secret sauce". I'm not finding that "in your face" punch that resembles simply plugging into a tube amp so I assume I'm not looking at the proper combinations. Any suggestions/recommendations that could assist would be greatly appreciated! I'm typically a Les Paul/PRS player but for this I'm using a Strat. TY you to any and all in advance.

 

[FractalAudio]

That punch is simply volume. It's psychoacoustic.

 

[yek]

For a full-body clean tone, try ODS-100 Clean with the 4x12 Rumble cab.

 

[Seven2Eleven]

Shameless plug for my own preset: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...archetype-for-fm9t.218200/page-2#post-2756406

It's my take on the John Mayer Plugin and it uses Austin Buddy's Steel String Singer hack as the basis for my favorite clean tone. It's huge and punchy.

Like @FractalAudio said, the "punch" is volume. Make sure you play this preset LOUD to get the effect

 

[JoKeR III]

Don't overlook the volume control on the guitar. Rolling it off has a lot to do with getting the glassy, punchy tone a la Texas Flood, especially on the neck and neck/middle positions on a strat.

 

[DrGreencock]

Agreed, you really need to give it juice in the room to get the punch.

Clean tones that sound and feel "ok" in my headphones really come alive when I'm at the gig and doing soundcheck at proper levels, hearing the venue PA pushing it. Same is true at home when I turn up my wedge or cab. Definitely increases overall playing enjoyment, just like turning up the real amp in the room

 

[TheloniusJ]

For a full-body clean tone, try ODS-100 Clean with the 4x12 Rumble cab.

This. I've started making this the base of most of my clean tones. This amp does everything I like so well. For a bit more "punch" I really like to push it with a the Klone (gain almost all the way down) or Microboost.

 

[steveforward]

try the USA MK4 Rhythm 1 with two JC120 IR's (57A) (see pics) roll back your volume pot. works for me.
I love compression, esp. the dynamicomp.

 

[Therickyjones]

Quick random thoughts: 1x15 VIBROVERB MIX, Plexi 1970 with high @2, normal @4, low bass and the rest around 7. Set output compression to 2. Turn the bass / gain up a little higher than you want and roll the guitar back to 9. Also, a big part of the Hendrix rhythm tone is playing close to the fretboard with lots of artificial / pick harmonics - Brendon mowat smith made a video recently that illustrates this.

 

[bdrepko]

Matchless Chiefman 1 is a good clean with a little bit of grit.

 

[jowala]

To me punchy means dynamic, so you'll want a model with a lot of clean headroom, like the double verb, with the gain not to high. Any pedals and compressors will reduce dynamics. All guitar dials on 10 to maximize the volume range. The other piece is playing style. You've got to pop those strings to take advantage of the headroom. New strings don't hurt, either.

 

[Scott Peterson]

My clean tone is my Deluxe Reverb preset: lower gain and guitar volume slightly rolled off, using single coils (yes!) or split coils (meh). You can DIG in or up the guitar volume for the gritty, or play with feel and dynamics to get that punchy thing (with just enough push), assuming you have volume. IMHO, the key is the actual room VOLUME, combined with the guitar interacting with that volume, that makes it all work. You don't need to do anything other than play near the speaker output with the guitar; you'll get what you want. Cliff noted that you need volume. I agree. The key to all the punchy clean amps is the interaction with the guitar's pickups and your playing dynamics: just IMHO, YMMV.