Recommend me amps for lower gain tones

[Dave Merrill]

I have a Class A 30 Brilliant preset for most of my guitars. I use it sometimes, it’s a work in progress.

I've got one with a clean scene with a compressor, the other 7 increasingly dirty, last 3 with a drive. Gets a bit messy up the high end there, but it's cool.

Real-world Vox amps are one of my favorites for trying out guitars in stores. They're commonly available, sound and feel great, clean or dirty. Might actually get one someday. But I'm spoiled - those 8 scenes, my favorite add-ons right in the box, etc. Still might get one, for times i want an actual amp, who knows...

 

[JoKeR III]

Tried it out. It is nice. Had to cut pretty deep on the input lows. Tried the fractory cabs you listed too. I made presets with the Matchless EF86 and regular D30, the Div/13 CJ Boost, and the DrZ Rt66 and Maz38. The Nuclear and Deluxe are 2 amps I use but not in the lineup for the band I’m in. New toys to screw around with. Thanks guys!

That combination of IRs is pretty versatile, I use them quite a bit with all types of amps. Forgot to mention that I use the 2x12 Matchless Chief Speaker Impedance Curve in the Amp Block

 

[vika12]

FAS Buttery

 

[cole lewis]

Supro.

 

[Paul Bradshaw]

I've been using the Vibra King through a bigger cab IR (4x12 Ownhammer in this case) for a pop gig I was doing recently adding in some preamp sauce in the cab block

That with I think the OCD drive, covered some nice ground

Just switching amps for a really heavy saturated lead tone

My go to otherwise is usually the class a brilliant 30, but depending on the guitar can be perhaps a bit too wiry up top

For some reason I like to put those sorts of amps through 'bigger' sounding IRs/cabs as opposed to their matching cab counterpart

 

[makeitstop]

I like the Carr Roamer (Rambler).

 

[skolacki]

Keep them coming! I’m digging the Supro. The Vibra King I have a 1/2 finished preset for already. It’s a nice amp model.

 

[Stefan27]

The CA3+ Clean is pretty killer for that 80’s clean sound, very pristine and full sounding.

 

[Greg Ferguson]

There’s a “Princetone” factory preset that is a great starting point for the Princeton amp models. Change the cabinet to your favorite, then work through the scenes starting with the guitar’s volume reduced and start rolling it up, then switch to the next scene and repeat the process.

It’s a fun amp and can cover a lot of ground, just like the analog version can. Yek’s page covering it is useful too.

 

[skolacki]

Just went on shift so won’t be touching my gear for a few days. I left off with the Carr Rambler. Lot of clean headroom and takes drives well. I’ll try the CA3+ clean and Princeton later this week. Thanks guys.

 

[cole lewis]

If using a model with a lot of clean headroom like the CAE (which is my fav as well) instead of ending up cranking the gain on the model, try the method of a clean boost like a RC booster model to add more gain as well as the Klon or another drive with more gain. So instead of just using one drive try using the RC or similar model to get the CAE closer to where an amp like a Bassman might sound when clean but right on the edge of breakup. Try both drives on, try to get a nice balance between the two and it'll be awesome sauce.

If you've seen the Andy Timmons vids on TPS, this is the way Andy goes through different shades/levels of gain with his Lonestar set quite clean. (another amp with a lot of clean headroom) boost, then drive with more gain, then drive with lots of gain or the Lonestar drive channel occasionally.

 

[skolacki]

If using a model with a lot of clean headroom like the CAE (which is my fav as well) instead of ending up cranking the gain on the model, try the method of a clean boost like a RC booster model to add more gain as well as the Klon or another drive with more gain. So instead of just using one drive try using the RC or similar model to get the CAE closer to where an amp like a Bassman might sound when clean but right on the edge of breakup. Try both drives on, try to get a nice balance between the two and it'll be awesome sauce.

If you've seen the Andy Timmons vids on TPS, this is the way Andy goes through different shades/levels of gain with his Lonestar set quite clean. (another amp with a lot of clean headroom) boost, then drive with more gain, then drive with lots of gain or the Lonestar drive channel occasionally.

I haven’t tried stacked drives on my FM3 because of cpu constraints. I used to run a Wampler Tumnus (Klonish pedal) into an OCD into my tube amp which was set for a low drive rhythm tone. Sounded good and probably still does if I ever plug it in. Some of the drives are low cpu so I’ll look into this when I have time. I haven’t tried this method yet, amp clean and all the drive and distortion from pedals. Except a brief stint with the Carr Rambler which was promising. Andy Timmons tones are great but he could plug into anything and sound amazing.

 

[unix-guy]

If using a model with a lot of clean headroom like the CAE (which is my fav as well) instead of ending up cranking the gain on the model, try the method of a clean boost like a RC booster model to add more gain as well as the Klon or another drive with more gain. So instead of just using one drive try using the RC or similar model to get the CAE closer to where an amp like a Bassman might sound when clean but right on the edge of breakup. Try both drives on, try to get a nice balance between the two and it'll be awesome sauce.

If you've seen the Andy Timmons vids on TPS, this is the way Andy goes through different shades/levels of gain with his Lonestar set quite clean. (another amp with a lot of clean headroom) boost, then drive with more gain, then drive with lots of gain or the Lonestar drive channel occasionally.

The CA3+ Clean sounds very nice with the MV set high.

The model is of a preamp but of course includes a power amp. Not sure which one but I like it!

 

[unix-guy]

The CA3+ Clean sounds very nice with the MV set high.

The model is of a preamp but of course includes a power amp. Not sure which one but I like it!

I revisited this one last night for the first time in a while. I think I prefer the default MV of 4 now.

With my normal RCB Drive block in front I only had to lower Bass to about 2.5 and then adjust Gain to what I was shooting for - between 3-5 was great!

I'll probably play on it more tonight with a different guitar and see how I like it.

 

[Vito Porkleone]

I love a lot of some amps already suggested: Tx Star, D/13 with a really low-gain Klon in front is awesome, and the JTM45 really hits a lot of marks for me as well as the Bassman (same amp mostly). Something to try is also the Euro (blue channel at lower gain and reduced input gain - really nice for certain things). Flavors...

 

[cole lewis]

I revisited this one last night for the first time in a while. I think I prefer the default MV of 4 now.

With my normal RCB Drive block in front I only had to lower Bass to about 2.5 and then adjust Gain to what I was shooting for - between 3-5 was great!

I'll probably play on it more tonight with a different guitar and see how I like it.

One of my favorite things about the higher headroom amps with MV like the CAE personally, after getting a HSS guitar finally for my first time. Well actually my second time but the first one lasted like a week.

I like how I can use the bridge + middle position that is more output, it still stays clean, then if you want more output on the singles without going full drive, something like the RC booster works great to get the output closer to the bridge + middle position.

Your settings are basically the same as mine. I think my MV is just at stock.

OP said he was using P90 so if this kind of thing helps with a P90 guitar I'm not really sure.

 

[Ryan Pullin]

Brit 2203 High with single coils

 

[skolacki]

I love a lot of some amps already suggested: Tx Star, D/13 with a really low-gain Klon in front is awesome, and the JTM45 really hits a lot of marks for me as well as the Bassman (same amp mostly). Something to try is also the Euro (blue channel at lower gain and reduced input gain - really nice for certain things). Flavors...

For a low gain Klon I drop all bands 2db in the eq and set it to pre. Works like an input trim. Even with the drive at zero it’s still a nice boost. I tried the Euro Blue not long ago. I’ve tried the JTM45 a few times but not since the new firmware. I’ll be able to continue my amp hunt in a couple days.

 

[David McCarroll]

Supro.

Indeed. My go to noodling preset has the Gibson Skylark, the Spacetone and the Supro running at various just on gritty levels - all three are lovely sounding little beasts.

 

[skolacki]

Well I’m off shift and revisited my new presets. Pretty happy with them. The best ones are the Maz38, the Supro, and the /13CJ. The Carr with drives is good too. I’m using Dynacabs almost exclusively now. Mostly the Stealth cabs but the new presets are using the 1X12 Jr Blues. So they all sound more similar than different. I tried the CA+ clean. Master around 4-5 and sounds good using drives for the dirt. If you guys are using Dynacabs with these amps, which ones are you using?