The best clean tone you've come across

[iaresee]

Case in point!

I was listening to the quick mix we got from the venue we played Sunday morning (we did Rock and Roll Playhouse at BNH Stage in Concord, NH). I'm on the left. Very dirty. But at high volumes, in the room, that sounds clean and cuts like a knife through hot butter.



This is a Two Rock J35-based preset with my Silver Sky. Excuse the singer getting lost and stepping on my solo. We fined him the requisite $5 for that.

 

[Seven2Eleven]

Clean means different things to different people. As some people have pointed out, their clean is always a little dirty.

I'm a fan of what I call "big clean" (The Mayer/SRV thing). For that, my main clean tone is actually the Austin Buddy Steel String Singer hack. You can search the forum but in a nutshell, try the Ampeg SVT bass amp model but change the tone stack to "skyline" to make a dumble steel string singer amp. It's a huge, high head room, ultra clean amp but overdrives beautifully when crank it with drives.

 

[iaresee]

the Austin Buddy Steel String Singer hack

That preset from his packs is monster. REALLY works well if you like to touch your volume knob.

There's a Bassman preset from @Cainer that's similar excellent and rewards people who like to adjust tone and volume knobs on the fly.

 

[blandified]

I personally like the ODS clean and more recently the Suhr Badger with the gain low.... sparkly cleans.

 

[Dave Merrill]

Some compression helps cool out peaks than can clip or poke eardrums or make you turn down.

 

[Seven2Eleven]

Shameless plug for my own preset: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/another-john-mayer-archetype-for-fm9t.218200/

I tried to clone all the presets from NDSP Mayer plugin that feature the Dumble Steel String Singer by taking the Austin Buddy SSS hack and tweaking it a little. I thought it came out great.

I also threw in a Clean and Slightly Dirty Vibroverb as well. Check this out for some good cleans

 

[iaresee]

Shameless plug for my own preset: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/another-john-mayer-archetype-for-fm9t.218200/

I tried to clone all the presets from NDSP Mayer plugin that feature the Dumble Steel String Singer by taking the Austin Buddy SSS hack and tweaking it a little. I thought it came out great.

I also threw in a Clean and Slightly Dirty Vibroverb as well. Check this out for some good cleans

While I love this and the one from @Aja when I'm alone, in the context of the band I couldn't make either of these work. I was lost in the mix with both of these presets.

 

[Dave Merrill]

While I love this and the one from @Aja when I'm alone, in the context of the band I couldn't make either of these work. I was lost in the mix with both of these presets.

Try a compressor?

 

[Seven2Eleven]

While I love this and the one from @Aja when I'm alone, in the context of the band I couldn't make either of these work. I was lost in the mix with both of these presets.

Damn sorry to hear that. It works for me pretty well in a mix, but there are always so many variables in a live mix.

 

[Seven2Eleven]

Try a compressor?

There is a post amp compressor but it's very subtle.

However, for my main clean tone when I play live, I like to use a pedal compressor up front with mix around 55%. I think it helps lift everything a little

 

[State of Epicicity]

For my humbuckers, I've found the best cleans to be AC30 based. The AC15 is my current favorite, but the Wrecker Rocket, the Class-A 30W Brilliant, and the Class-A 30W all provide gorgeous cleans. Also the Archon Clean with Bright on and MV cranked is gorgeous if I keep the treble on the amp around noon but keep the presence high.

 

[Carvin82604]

Give the shiv clean a try!!!

 

[marc0810]

For my funk cleans I like the clean scene from James Valentine’s live preset, works really well and I think it cuts through.

 

[iaresee]

Try a compressor?

A compressor does nothing to help you carve a space out in a mix.

 

[Dave Merrill]

A compressor does nothing to help you carve a space out in a mix.

It can let you place an instrument where you can hear it without it poking where it doesn't belong.

Anyway, I'm just making words, do your thing.

 

[iamdave]

Try reducing the Input Trim. That was the ‘aha’ moment for me, especially with humbucker guitars.

View attachment 166092

Yea, I noticed that when we switched to in-ears. Thx, I reduced my input gain.

 

[mr_fender]

One of the reasons an edge of breakup tone often works better than a squeaky clean one live is due to the amp's natural compression as it starts to break up. The more consistent level helps it sit better in the mix. Using a compressor can help you get a similar punchy fatness while still staying totally clean if needed.

 

[nomoretubes]

Ca3+ for razor blade cleans like on records
6g3 deluxe for real world thiccc cleans

 

[Aja]

While I love this and the one from @Aja when I'm alone, in the context of the band I couldn't make either of these work. I was lost in the mix with both of these presets.

Dang sorry to hear that.
Heres some raw guitar tracks from a song Im working on for an artist. I didnt eq or add compression or anything. They fit great for my style!

 

[iaresee]

Dang sorry to hear that.
Heres some raw guitar tracks from a song Im working on for an artist. I didnt eq or add compression or anything. They fit great for my style!

Three guitars in my band.