Warm sustaining solo tone advice - advanced parameters?

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Wildwind

Experienced
I’m not sure how to express this. I’m looking for a fat, warm solo tone (mainly using Strats, vintage output) that sustains without farting out badly on long, singing notes. I often need a tone like this for certain hook lines in the songs that we do. If I get the gain up enough for the sound I want, I end up with initial attack overtones I don’t like. And I don’t want a super saturated type of sound – I want pickup changes to create a tonal change.

Currently I’m using the Carol Ann Triptik Modern, have also used Trainwreck, Dumble, and others. And I’m on the right track – I just can’t get quite the tonal behavior I want.

So I’m looking for a clean-ish sounding solo tone that sustains and flows. I hear this on CDs sometimes (those studio guys obviously are cheating…). Is that a better way of saying it?

I don’t understand enough about the amp parameters/tone stack stuff. Is more power amp distortion better? What other parameters do I need to explore? I play with them, but I am clueless as to their effect or what combination will work and I get nowhere.

Compression is cool – actually like that tone – and I suspect that’s a part of the equation. Again, don’t know how to make that work to my advantage in this case.

So what I’m asking is what amp parameters or FX will help me get this kind of tone. Sorry I can’t be more clear – it’s not easy describing a tone in words.

Thanks!
 
Try mixing some clean in with a lead tone. Sometimes the clarity of a good clean will enhance a lead tone, plus more complex chording is possible without mud.
 
I'll try to find a clip - don't have one in mind offhand. It seems the modern country guys are especially good at this sort of thing.

Scorch, that sounds right - but how do I go about that? Dual amps? I'd prefer to stay with a single amp, but I'll try anything.

I know some overdrives have the ability to mix clean signal with the drive, but don't know how to get that with an amp, hence the advanced parameters. I believe there is magic in there - just no idea how to find it.

Thanks for the responses. I will be doing considerable tone search as this week goes on.
 
Pick a cleanish amp and put it in a parallel row under the amp1 block. Link it to the same cab above, or try a second cab parallel as well. Then join that row to the main one. Tweak both, and mix levels(amp level) to taste. You can get a nice singin tone with articulated and defined chords.
About the right amp choices, your ear will be the best judge. But wreckers, fenders, shiva can all pair well with a more distorted amp.
 
Intriguing! I will try something like that. I get pretty close with the Friedman HBE in terms of the effect I'm after, but I'm looking for a different flavor of tone for this purpose. The Friedman has been my go-to solo amp for a good while - I'll keep it around or something very similar. My quest is for a second tone for prettier things, if that makes sense.

But this really has me thinking. Unfortunately I don't think I'll have time today to try it - but tomorrow at the latest.
 
Some special knobs that you might have left untouched, because they are not the usual ones:

You could play a bit with the 500 Hz slider of the eq section. Less of it for rhythm, more of it for solos.
You could increase bias by 0.25 and maybe preampbias by 0.25. Adds a bit 'sing' somehow.
Sag and dynamics define how hard your action gets responded, lower sag and dynamics for harder pick action or rise them to flatten it.
Sometimes it's a good idea to not having both kind of highs, treble and presence, try wich one you could lower and rise the other instead.
 
I'm a big fan of a mild overdrive in to a compressor in to an amp for warm, sustaining leads.

I get good miles out of the BB Pre for this. I usually run it in to a COMP block setup for Pedal 2 type compression with a fairly slow release rate on it. I can post some typical settings tomorrow when I'm near my Axe-Fx II. The BB Pre has this nice, fat sound to it -- doesn't really get very terribly with the default EQ settings, even if you dime the tone knob.
 
i get the tone you are speaking of in one of two ways:

1) clean amp with tube screamer used for overdrive, tone control to the left to roll off some highs.

2) use an eq before the amp model and put a frown face eq to it....mostly mids.

3) use the mesa mkII amp and set the mids cranked (7-8 ), highs depends on the bite you want (5-6), and the lows set below (2-3). because the eq is placed early in the gainstage, this is kinda the same as doing step #2 with an eq in front of the amp.

i currently use the 3rd method, which results in a creamy smooth lead tone. i'm also using the uber 75-v30 mix cab.
 
Great responses guys! Much appreciated! I'll try them all. I do think you are getting it, wasn't sure I was making any sense.
 
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Many ways to mix clean with OD. I started out with a SparkleDrive dirt pedal. I could get some very nice chimey and long sustaining lead tones with it.

Fast forward to the AxeII. A filter in parallel with a OD patch, a clean amp in parallel with an OD amp (especially an amp that is cathode-biased). Even an TS808 patch with the gain all the way down and the mix at 50% (or less).

The idea is to excite the preamp subtly, without burying the subtle harmonics. That's why a Class-A amp works best because they do that naturally.
 
So you're suggesting a Class A amp for this? This parallel processing thing is interesting - not doing much of that other than delays/verbs. Trying it with amps and drives - not something I thought about. Still don't know why I should, but obviously I have much to learn. Thanks - will explore these tomorrow.
 
Sorry I let this get cold - hectic week. I finally got some time tonight, but only had time to begin exploration of the earliest ideas - adding a second amp.

This is VERY intriguing! I've switched both amps in and out quite a bit. Currently I'm running Friedman HBE (my usual go-to solo amp for rockier things) alongside an AC30TB. I had tried three different Fenders previously for the second amp, plus a Plexi and Carol Ann Triptik Modern for the first amp.

All sounded good. As noted by scorch, I immediately noticed increased string definition for chords - that alone makes this worth it. And it does seem to give me more of the behavior I want. I'm actually running drive levels pretty low - 4.0 on both amps, masters are well up. I did turn on my comp block and switched it to a pedal comp - I like it so far.

I haven't explored the drives or other suggestions yet. There are like thousands of combinations, one reason I've avoided the dual amps. But it's far easier - and much more musical - than what I had with the old HD500 (I abandoned it completely despite the great vision I had for tonal nirvana).

Back to what I did try - I originally just used the one cabinet (which is running in stereo, a formula I like a lot for most things), but added an AC30 Mix IR during my last run. I have to quit - wife just got home and it is pretty late. But I'll dig into this more tomorrow. Obviously swapping IRs in and out is a big deal, but I tend to keep those for last, that final perfect tweak.

Again thanks for the great suggestions. I may not get to them all, but only because this is sounded so good. I think being able to keep the drives lower is helping a bunch. Tomorrow I'll dig into the advanced parameters as suggested too.
 
Ahhh...thanks Cooper, will start with that tomorrow. You oughtta know...

But the Pick Attack - turning it down does what? Softens the attack? I've messed with it briefly, not really sure of the best way to exploit it.
 
Wildwind said:
Obviously swapping IRs in and out is a big deal, but I tend to keep those for last, that final perfect tweak.
Click to expand...
Swapping IRs is such a big deal that it should be one of the first things you do, not the last. Saving IRs for last is like swapping out the canvas after you've completed the painting. :)
 
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