Finding your Tone

My tone revolved around delay and reverb ( add gain to taste ) for years it was a Boss DD3 and the amp reverb ( Mesa MK2 ) for gain I have mainly used pedals even starting a pedal company so I could get the gain I wanted.
a few years ago I tried out a friends TC Electronics ( a G Major I think ) really liked the quality, later tried a Nova System and have been using them ever since, I don't use 1% of what it can do but I really like the sound.
My switch to all PRS has also improved my tone, or ability to get my tone more often- less fighting with setup and such more playing equals better sound !!!
and last but not least amps - I have had a Mesa MK II most of my adult life ( since 82 ) it has been my tried and true friend but always a pedal platform.
Lately I have been experimenting a-bit ( Eqnater , Marshall , PRS ) and tried others ( Kemper, Bogner ) but then as fate would have it I played Sergios MKV and well I knew that was it , tho the PRS H is still killer the 3 channels on the MKV just make it easier with all the guitars and other than the Nova no pedals.

I have the g major. It has a lot of cool stuff but I find the TC Electronics stuff to be very difficult to figure out. Manuals leave out too much important detail and the unit is anti intuitive. I was foolish enough to be tricked into buying the original ART SGE. It was the easiest processor to figure out bar none. That's all I'm going to say about that.
 
I appreciate the advice, but we all use in-ear monitors with iPads to control our own monitor mix. I'm just thinking that I need some kind of preamp that gives me amp-like sound and controls. I'm hoping the AMT ss-11 will give me that guitar direct to amp sound that I'm looking for. But anyway, I don't want to hijack this thread with my issues. :)

So what are you playing the guitar into now? Amp, modeler, ???
 
My issue is, I have more than one "my tone." When I play Trower, I want to sound like Trower. When I play Hendrix, I want to sound like Hendrix. VH, Rush, etc. the same. So, the idea of "my tone" being one guitar and amp and this is DTRs tone, then NO. I like a variety of tones. That's why I have more than one guitar and more than one amp. If I was a LP>Marshall and that was "my tone"or Strat into Deluxe and that was my tone, then that would be different.

I think this is influenced both by what you play and by what you like. If I play a variety of other peoples music, I'm more inclined to not want to use the same gear all the time. If I played in an original tunes band, I'd be more inclined to simply take the Archon and one or two guitars and define a tone for that band. But I'm not using a Strat>Fuzzface to play Megadeth or Ozzie or Van Halen, And I'm not using my C22 Semi Hollow to play Hendrix and Trower either.

If I had to pick one guitar and amp to do "everything" and be "my tone" it would be NF3>Archon. That with a Barber Gain Changer can do ANYTHING you ever want.
 
Depends on the pedal. Some are tone/dynamics shapers, and some are effects.

I use two Pettyjohn pedals to shape tone and dynamics. These pedals are “always on” pedals.

The first is the Pettydrive 2; I use its first channel to ever-so-slightly lift the tone hitting the front end of the amp. Not to make the amp clip, just to make the picking more dynamic, add some additional harmonic content. With it, I’m able to turn the guitar volume down but not lose definition.

The second channel on the pedal is set to be a more traditional overdrive, and it’s both a tone shaper set for very low gain, and an effect when set higher. In addition, it has a tilt EQ and a cut control.

I also use a Pettyjohn Filter, an EQ pedal that’s got a parametric mid EQ, a high frequency boost/cut at guitar-friendly frequencies (switchable), and a low frequency boost/cut that’s also got selectable frequencies tailored to guitar. Its circuitry is based on recording console EQs from the 60s. This one I set up for subtle changes to accommodate different pickups, amps and cabs, and of course, to shape tone to fit in certain types of tracks.

Both of these pedals give the sound a nice overall polish (probably the best way to describe it) the way a characterful mic preamp makes a mic sound better.

My other pedals are Suhr’s Kokoboost that I’ll use for a mid-boost, their Koji Compressor, their Tremolo, and their Alexa chorus. Good pedals, and I use these more as effects. Also an Eventide H9 gets used for effects.

I also run a dedicated Suhr buffer to maintain signal integrity at the pedalboard input and to drive the cable runs to the amps in my studio room without signal loss. A nice feature of this buffer is that it has two isolated outputs, so I send one output to the pedalboard in the usual way, but the other output is set up to bypass the effects on the pedalboard, and run into a dry amp when I want to go wet/dry.

This setup works well, though I do tend to shake things up with a different pedal every so often! :)

I totally agree Les. My compressor and chorus are on mostly on because of the tone I get. All my other pedals are mainly for effects
 
So what are you playing the guitar into now? Amp, modeler, ???

I'm using an iRig stomp box into an iPad running Amplitube software. There is a lot of versatility in the set-up without a lot to lug around. But it still sounds digital and does not have the warm sound a tube amp has. I recently ordered an AMT ss-11 classic, which has two 12ax7 tubes. It's basically an amplifier preamp stomp box. I'm hoping that I can get closer to the sound I'm looking for with it.
 
I'm hoping that I can get closer to the sound I'm looking for with it.
It should be better. I’ve heard good things about those. If I’d caught you earlier, I’d have suggested an Atomic AA3 or AmpliFireBox. But, that pedal should be good.
 
My issue is, I have more than one "my tone."
Right there with you. My heroes -- tonewise -- tend to have multiple tones as well -- Mike Oldfield, Steves Hackett, Howe, and Wilson, Alex Lifeson, Buckethead, et al.
I'm using an iRig stomp box into an iPad running Amplitube software. There is a lot of versatility in the set-up without a lot to lug around. But it still sounds digital and does not have the warm sound a tube amp has. I recently ordered an AMT ss-11 classic, which has two 12ax7 tubes. It's basically an amplifier preamp stomp box. I'm hoping that I can get closer to the sound I'm looking for with it.
You're headed in the right direction. Digital is great for modulations like phase, reverb, and chorus, but -- IMHO -- still has a long way to go before the distortion/dirt/fuzz are ready for prime time. You can still use the iRig for all that other stuff, or even some distortions if you want digital distortion->modulations->analog distortion. Just a suggestions, you're going to do whatever you want with it anyway.
 
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