Crunch Tones

Jarick

Jarick

Experienced
I've had the Axe 3 for about a month and really enjoying it. I've got clean and high gain tones I really dig but the in-between "crunch" tones I'm struggling a bit with. I tend to either have a nice bluesy "edge of breakup" or something that's too saturated.

So I'm curious from other users:

What do you consider a "crunch" tone? (maybe a song as an example?)

How do you get your crunch tones? What amp and/or pedals are you using?
 
I would suggest you go have a look at 2112's ada mp1 tonematch. that preamp (unmodded) didn't have enough umpf to get too far beyond crunch so would seem like a good example (to me anyway). Perhaps i'm not as picky/discerning but take a jcm800(Brit 800) with no boost in front, put the gain at 85% and that is what I think of when I think crunch. higher out humbuckers (perhaps even emg dare-i-say-it) makes it about right.
 
Probably means different things to many people. Will be interesting to see.
Like @mistermikev "crunch" jumps right to hot humbucker straight in to JCM800 for me.
No idea what they actually recorded with, but the rhythms on Black 'N' Blue - Hold on to 18 always remind me of of stock JCM800.
 
I like the Nuclear Tone, Class-A 15W TB and the Deluxe Verb Normal. The parameter combination that has been my "secret ingredient" for edge of breakup tones are the Input Dynamics and Output Compressor in the Dynamics page. I set the Input Dynamics @2-3 and the Output Compressor @2 with the type set to Feedback. Seems to add just enough hair to put a grin on my face.
 
Agree with iaresee. Good crunch/rhythm tone is like asking who’s my favorite Beatle. The range of tones that work is much wider so I always try to find something that works in the groove and is complimentary to keys and other guitar player. My favorites lately have been the Vox style amps: DC30 and the Morgan AC20. They’re really versatile and go from clean to mean pretty well. Since FW8, I’m really digging the JTM45 to get that 70’s crunch vibe. That one also cleans up and sounds magnificent on neck pickup when I switch to single coil mode. You could spend years finding really cool crunch tones.
 
curious said:
Agree with iaresee. Good crunch/rhythm tone is like asking who’s my favorite Beatle. The range of tones that work is much wider so I always try to find something that works in the groove and is complimentary to keys and other guitar player. My favorites lately have been the Vox style amps: DC30 and the Morgan AC20. They’re really versatile and go from clean to mean pretty well. Since FW8, I’m really digging the JTM45 to get that 70’s crunch vibe. That one also cleans up and sounds magnificent on neck pickup when I switch to single coil mode. You could spend years finding really cool crunch tones.
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Yeah that's why I'm curious what people's definitions are and how they like to get there.

Sometimes I hear "crunch tone" and it's like a high gain Dual Rec. And other times it's like a little Fender turned up so it's just starting to distort.

For me, crunch = AC/DC. High enough gain that it's clearly distorted and you the chords sustain, but it's not super saturated and there's a lot of clarity.
 
I like the 50 watt Plexi. Set guitar to neck pickup, volume to half, set your EQ as desired, then dial in the gain to just before it starts distorting. Now turn up the volume on the guitar and it should break up nicely and get a great crunch when you hit the bridge. You’ve also got everything between that and clean just playing with your volume and pickup selector. At least that’s what happens on my HH Tele. You might have to play with it for a bit with other guitars and other presets.
 
I built a good crunch tone with the SLO88. I have my gain at 4 and I used the drive inside the amp block instead of using a drive pedal. Or you could always take one of your high gain tones and lower the volume on your guitar too.
 
+1 more the the AC20. Excellent crunch tones. I've always liked to hit the Dr. Z Rt. 66 with a treble booster too- really cool crunchiness there. Thick with clarity.
 
I was messing around with the Saturation parameter last night and earlier today and really like the crunch that can be found on the voxy and tweed type amps. I'm finding the response or feel to be different than increasing the Input Drive, really digging it.
 
Jarick said:
For JTM45 users, how do you like to dial it in? Are you taking out a lot of bass and boosting mids/treble?
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Depends on the guitar and pickups but with most guitars I’d start with BMT set at noon and dial them in to taste. I would agree bass probably gets turned down to 3-4. I left mid alone and treble at just above 6. But really important to go to EQ page and take out the highest and lowest freqs. Also, adjust high cut and low cut in the amp block to get rid of fizz at top end and and flub at bottom. JTM works really well in the mid area of the sonic spectrum.
 
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