Can't seem to get an actual clean tone with HB bridge pickup on ANY preset

Yes and the physical amp reacts the same way. EOB tone is usually the one everyone chases for good reason - extra character.
 
Colorado Axeman said:
I've been through loads of presets, including the "LA Studio Clean" - and it's always hot overdriven with my HB bridge or bridge/neck positions. I can get it to sound clean on the neck PU if I pick softly. I don't have active or overly hot pickups - using Seymour Duncan APS-2H Slash HB's in both positions (8.3/8.9k ohm output). I've got my input levels set so I'm not in the red. I get some really nice overdrive tones, but it's escaping me why I can't get a good clean. What next?
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One more thing to check; can you get a clean tone bypassing the Amp block in any of the presets you've tried. Again trying to determine what is causing the distortion/overdrive you're experiencing with the pickups/guitar you're using.

As far as determining what is considered a 'clean' tone, this video has been posted a few times but it's relevant to the direction this discussion has taken.
 
JoKeR III said:
As far as determining what is considered a 'clean' tone, this video has been posted a few times but it's relevant to the direction this discussion has taken.
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I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree here. Tim's description of his tone, as well as the way it sounds, to me is not clean but edge of breakup.
Even the tones he describes as squeaky clean in that video are not totally clean to me, close but not quite... they still have a slight edge to them...

Not saying they are not great and useful tones! I just would not call them clean but definitely slightly distorted.

Regardless of your definitions of what is sconsidered clean, the FM9 should be able to produce perfectly clean tones when properly setup to do that.
 
srooijens said:
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree here. Tim's description of his tone, as well as the way it sounds, to me is not clean but edge of breakup.
Even the tones he describes as squeaky clean in that video are not totally clean to me, close but not quite... they still have a slight edge to them...

Not saying they are not great and useful tones! I just would not call them clean but definitely slightly distorted.

Regardless of your definitions of what is sconsidered clean, the FM9 should be able to produce perfectly clean tones when properly setup to do that.
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The FM9 is fully capable of pristine clean tones, something no one is questioning or debating nor suggesting that it's impossible to have a truly clean tone. That said, picking dynamics can make a lot of pristine clean tones sound crunchy if picked/strummed hard enough.

Yes, the 'clean' tones in the video are not clean, that's the whole point of the video. They are tones that translate as clean but are really edge of breakup tones. It shows that some tones players think are clean really aren't and demonstrates how to get bigger, fatter tones that sound clean by adding some gain.
 
I have found I like my cleans in the same place Tim has them in the video. Also, maybe I'm alone but I can't stand the sound of a pristine clean tone on the bridge pickup (humbucker or single coil, but especially single coil). To me a clean bridge pickup sounds thin and has way too much treble. When they are pushing a slight grit they sound a lot better. The character really comes out!

I really like the way my McCarty 594 with the 58/15LT Pickups sounds when I dial in a tone that has just enough breakup on the bridge pickup and cleans up when I switch to Neck. To my ears, the Citrus A30 Preset Dirty Ch is about as clean as I like it. With the 594 the Studio Clean FM9 sounds fantastic. The JTM45 Preset Cleaner is money. Just a little bit of that humbucker snarl on the bridge pickup. If I pull the tone knob to tap the coil I get a sparkly Strat like sound on both pickups. It is just absolutely fantastic!

I would love to know how you define a good clean @Colorado Axeman. Are you looking for that bell like clean of a Strat Single Coil? I'm sure you are aware, but you'll never get that with a humbucker. Even a PAF style pickup like the 58/15LT has 40% more resistance than my Strat pickups. So a "hotter" signal is hitting the amp. It sounds a lot rounder a fuller which I think can give the impression that it isn't "cleaning up".

If you want to try really clean. Go to the Shiver Preset. On the Amp block roll the Gain down to ~3.4. Roll the Master Volume down to ~3.0. You'll have to push the level up to around 1.0 to get the volume back. It is very clean, and lifeless. Even on my Custom 24 with 85/15 pickups which are a little hotter than the 594. Just like running any amp super clean.
 
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