Anyone care to share rock crunch preset set up for single coils?

cragginshred

cragginshred

Fractal Fanatic
I have always struggled to get a good crunch tone in the Fractal. Turn down gain and it gets thin fast. I know most here do not agree but that is my experience

Below is a video of the real amp tone I need live. My Anderson tele has a killer single coil that handles a fair amount of gain for a rock Plexi type tone.

**Words and descriptors of tone are not the purpose of this thread. It is to share pre sets. I will add what I am using when I'm home. Please let me know if there is a favorite on rig exchange or one you will share here, thanks!

Real amp context. Fractal smallbox sounds nothing like this so likely a Marshall will do

 
Are there ANY presets that you could give as an example of "I like this tone" even if it's not exactly what you are looking for?
 
elvis said:
Are there ANY presets that you could give as an example of "I like this tone" even if it's not exactly what you are looking for?
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The tone I am shooting for is pretty clear in the YT clip of my real amp above. I can post what I am using but it's basically a modified Austin buddy Marshall pre set.
 
This is my Dirty Shirley Strat and Tele preset. Keep in mind what you monitor through makes all the difference. In your video you're rocking a 4x12 cab. If you were using a load box and IR with that amp head monitoring through studio monitors, comparing it to the fractal would probably be pretty close. Try these presets cranked on you you best monitoring system.
 

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cragginshred said:
The tone I am shooting for is pretty clear in the YT clip of my real amp above. I can post what I am using but it's basically a modified Austin buddy Marshall pre set.
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What I mean is, have you found an amp model or settings that don't have the problem you're having? Even a different amp. It's not obvious to the listener exactly what bugs you. I kind of get that you don't want it to get thin when you turn down, but ...
 
When someone says that their tone gets "thin" when they turn down the gain, that suggests that there's not a lot of room volume to support a lower-gain sound.

In your video above, you've got tons of volume going on. Can you record an example of a tone that you tried to dial in but weren't happy with — at the same room volume as the above clip?
 
Try the 4x12 Rumble-12L 121cabs (Factory 2, 904-908). They will fatten up any amp. Here is an Atomica that sounds pretty close (to me) to the uploaded vid when using the Rumble cab. Different versions of that cab IR cover a wide range of fatness.Screenshot 2023-06-26 at 2.27.04 PM.png
 
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that tone didn't sound thick to me, just sounded loud. also was a little more gain than I'd consider crunch.
 
Rex said:
When someone says that their tone gets "thin" when they turn down the gain, that suggests that there's not a lot of room volume to support a lower-gain sound.

In your video above, you've got tons of volume going on. Can you record an example of a tone that you tried to dial in but weren't happy with — at the same room volume as the above clip?
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The context of my use is live so as mentioned may times one needs to dial a live tone in at live volume. And the above clip was loud but not band loud. I always value you input Rex you have helped me numerous times over the years!!
 
GuyJames said:
This is my Dirty Shirley Strat and Tele preset. Keep in mind what you monitor through makes all the difference. In your video you're rocking a 4x12 cab. If you were using a load box and IR with that amp head monitoring through studio monitors, comparing it to the fractal would probably be pretty close. Try these presets cranked on you you best monitoring system.
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The Tele one is good, thanks! I tweaked it a bit and here it is for those following this and up for sharing pre sets. I have always said the forums have way too many words and not enough clips and pre set sharing. We all have different tones in our heads and my tone is likely not your tone, but if we share we can vary them to make em work, so keep em coming all!
 

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cragginshred said:
The context of my use is live so as mentioned may times one needs to dial a live tone in at live volume. And the above clip was loud but not band loud. I always value you input Rex you have helped me numerous times over the years!!
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Thanks for the kind words. I get that you context is live, but I think it would help if we could hear what you tried that turned out to be too thin.
 
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Rex said:
Thanks for the kind words. I get that you context is live, but I think it would help if we could hear what you tried that turned out to be too thin.
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Trying my pre set would be much more effective than an iphone clip. Or sharing what you use for a 'rock crunch' would be great as well! 'Crunch' to me is Ac Dc but we will call it rock crunch to not be confused with a light crunch which is what others may trend towards
 
Here's my most recent live preset for one band, I made a couple of versions of it for hotter/humbucker guitars and then one for use with my "tele". Like you OP I had a craving for tele/bridge SC sounds and picked up a Godin Stadium '59 in 2019 I think it was. LOVE their necks and it's super versatile with the HDR switch.

When I was still searching for a satisfying live sound last year I came across this thread where @PETER NORTHCOTE recommended the Supremo Mix 2x12 IR (found in legacy bank #95) and it allows me to dial in some snarl on any amp without being harsh or boomy. Perfect as well for my crunch sound in my Scene 2, which is the Shiver model with input boost on, and IMO gives me what you're asking for.

If you needed a bit more gain on that scene for your rock crunch, you could step on Drive 1 (when I use this live I tend to stay on the per-preset layout)
 

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For my vintagy strat and tele, getting nice crunch tones has as much or more to do with the guitars' tone knob positions (always somewhat (or a lot) rolled off) than with amp settings (as opposed to my humbucker guitars where good crunch tones are always on tap with guitar tone full up and all adjustment at the amp/cab settings).
 
strabes said:
How are you monitoring the Fractal unit?
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Presonus desktop monitors and headphones when wifey is in the house. The biggest thing that helped was finding the balance between running the normal gain not too low and more specifically not too high in the Plexi amps. The Treble gain is usually ran closer to noon and the normal very low, typically close to the bass level which is also very low on Plexi's to not be muddy but also not to low =a thin tone
This has not been mentioned in the thread

Also the best OD pairing. For instance the Klon pairs well. The IR thing is another factor. Which is your favorite with the Plexi and can you post the pre set here to sample?
 
strabes said:
And the tone in the video is your camera mic recording the live 412 in the room with you?
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That's the back live rig. Unlike most on the forum I'm able to crank a real tube head through a 4x12 in my studio. I only use my FM 9 for bedroom writing and rehearsing!
 
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