Your Favorite Amp, Guitar & Pedal Combinations.

[László]

I like all of my amps with all of my guitars, same with pedals, and like to mix and match often, but I do have some 'go-to' combinations. You probably do, too.

It's always interesting to share this info and see what other players are up to, so I'll start the thread off:

Most Classic/Predictable But So What, It Sounds Wonderful:

McCarty Singlecut with HXDA, H9 Delay

Most Americana:

594 Soapbar or McCarty Trem with DG30 set edge-of-breakup, Pettyjohn Chime more for color than dirt, H9 Delay

Most Bluesy:

McCarty Trem with Mesa Fillmore set to low-medium gain, no pedals, or occasionally pushed just an oonski with a Pettyjohn Edge..

Best Black Panel Fender Style Clean Tones:

20th PS Anniversary Ltd with Mesa Lone Star, Pettyjohn Edge, Pettyjohn Filter, H9 Delay, H9 #2 Hall Reverb

Most Omigosh, I Think I'm Channeling Robin Trower:

20th PS Anniversary Ltd with HXDA, Suhr Alexa, Pettyjohn Filter, H9 Wah, H9 #2 Delay

Biggest Surprise Love-Fest Ever:

CU24 30th PS with Mesa Fillmore set edge-of-breakup, Pettyjohn Chime more for color than dirt, H9 Delay

There are plenty of other combinations I use for various projects, but this is a good start!

 

[toothace]

My basic signal path is McCarty into KTR into Lehle splitter to the HXDA and Archon. HXDA when I want a more "classic" tone, and Archon when more modern/crunchier. Both together==> Holy Schneike Glory-of-the-Guitar-Gods tonage!

 

[Mark Ray]

ROCK

My '95 CU22 w/Dragon 1's into Marshall JCM800 50 watt 1/2 stack (slant 1960A cab)

 

[bodia]

My Red Westie into anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CandidPicker]

....Snork...whu? Sorry, was dozing.

Either my McCarty or SE HBII Piezo into a variety of effects, amps, or cab presets within my Fractal FM3.

Specifically, the 1987X Marshall and 4x10 Bassman model cab, the Bassman Model amp into the 4x10 Bassman model cab, the "D" ODS-100 model amp and "Stumble" 4x12 model cab, the Fuchs ODS-50 model amp and 4x12 Pre-Rola Greenback 160 model cab, or a work in progress, the Band-Commander model amp and LT TV Mix 4x12 cab.

The Fractal has more than I'd ever need, and it's enjoyable to tweak parameters and learn how to work with new stuff. It's like owning numerous amps and cabs but not requiring the storage space. Big plus there.

 

[veinbuster]

Dirty blues: Dirty 100 into the Mark III crunch

Dark and stormy: dragon or violin (braz neck) into Mark III crunch
(aside, some day I should video the Peruvian versus Brazilian neck)

Jazzy: hollowbody with piezo on into the clean channel of the Mark V

Jangle Rock: something with 3 pickups (SAS, NF3...) into Mark V channel 2

Waking the neighbours: anything through the Arctic Screamer into the MDT

 

[jak3af3r]

McCarty-Wampler Ego- Wampler Euphoria-Strymon BlueSky-Dumble clone.

That'll get blues, jazz, classic rock, country, funk, etc.

 

[Simon Says]

I like all of my amps with all of my guitars, same with pedals, and like to mix and match often, but I do have some 'go-to' combinations. You probably do, too.

It's always interesting to share this info and see what other players are up to, so I'll start the thread off:

Most Classic/Predictable But So What, It Sounds Wonderful:

McCarty Singlecut with HXDA, H9 Delay

Most Americana:

594 Soapbar or McCarty Trem with DG30 set edge-of-breakup, Pettyjohn Chime more for color than dirt, H9 Delay

Most Bluesy:

McCarty Trem with Mesa Fillmore set to low-medium gain, no pedals, or occasionally pushed just an oonski with a Pettyjohn Edge..

Best Black Panel Fender Style Clean Tones:

20th PS Anniversary Ltd with Mesa Lone Star, Pettyjohn Edge, Pettyjohn Filter, H9 Delay, H9 #2 Hall Reverb

Most Omigosh, I Think I'm Channeling Robin Trower:

20th PS Anniversary Ltd with HXDA, Suhr Alexa, Pettyjohn Filter, H9 Wah, H9 #2 Delay

Biggest Surprise Love-Fest Ever:

CU24 30th PS with Mesa Fillmore set edge-of-breakup, Pettyjohn Chime more for color than dirt, H9 Delay

There are plenty of other combinations I use for various projects, but this is a good start!

Nice, we share some love to gear I can tell.

H9Max (got the dark version and just about to pull one in red). Great delays, one that never had that annoying digital sizzle on repeats. I really dig it's footprint too.

I also got the Fillmore. 50w head with Fillmore 2x12 on C90's. I have just scored two Mesa Vintage 30's from late 90's and I will be adding another 2x12 with these. My Fillmore shined with closed back V30's and I'm hoping to get a piece of it back. IMO this amp is the best thing ever that came from Boogie. Amazing cleans and age of breakups, so much pick dynamic control and great high gains when pushed with booster which brings me to my pedals. I'm still a bit Lonestar sick but Fillmore does everything I want

Pedals... I have few but two I would find hard to live without are:
- Xotic EP. I'm using one since they came out. Only thing changed is the colour. I'm a sucker for limited edition pedals and currently have one in red (I like red ). I'm a meat and potato type of a guy, good clean and good drive and I'm 90% home. Don't do cover bands, don't need to sound like whomever - in a sense I stuck in the 90's. All I need is fast and solid attack, clarity for powerchords and sparkle.

- second pedal I would found hard to live without is Kingtone Octaland mini. I just dig that upper scream to solos. Octaland tracks like no other analog octave up fuzz, yet has ability to be a clean octave up and this is how I use it - either of my 24's -> octaland -> EP -> drive mode on Fillmore -> some H9 slapback or dual delay - done!

I do use other pedals but they are mostly enhancers. I have heavily modified LAA Custom Wah (company owner is a ********, but wah is decent), Chasetone Secret Pre (makes everything +1 bigger), Origin Cali76 (very gentle compression on clean channel) and Boss EQ-200 (every preset is cut here, bumped there depending what overall volume I play). Zipped with ES-5 and external switch for bank toggle and tap tempo. I have a plan to add another H9 and to change ES-5 for Morningstar sometimes later this year for few reasons.

In a single sentence: My Custom24, EP Booster and Fillmore does 95% of me

 

[Toolmaster Of Brainerd]

Yamaha Pacifica -> Wampler Tumnus -> Archon. When I see the phrase 'singing leads', this is the tone that pops into my head. If I want it to sound 80s I hit the TC Flashback in the effects loop. I think this would sound good with basically any guitar with decent pickups. The Pacifica is just what I play the most. Someday it will be a PRS.

 

[Tony M.]

Favorite tone ever?
Am I allowed to talk about equipment I no longer own because
I have no brain or is the discussion limited to stuff I currently own?

 

[WEDGE]

Right now it’s my Knaggs Severn into my Mesa Royal Atlantic 100 combo, and if needed I have a gold J Rockett Archer Ikon to push it. Does nasty dirt. Clean my Silver Sky sounds pretty damn good into the same rig.

 

[Boogie]

Hmm…probably Mr. Clean + KTR + BB Preamp + El Cap + Super Dallas. For the most amazing buttery cleans, scratch the BB and add the Flint harmonic trem. That combo turned heads opening on the country tune Smoke. Sultry power.

 

[Simon Says]

Hmm…probably Mr. Clean + KTR + BB Preamp + El Cap + Super Dallas. For the most amazing buttery cleans, scratch the BB and add the Flint harmonic trem. That combo turned heads opening on the country tune Smoke. Sultry power.

I used to be a massive BB Pre nerd. It's still on my top 5 overdrive list next to AC booster which AFAIK they stopped making. I'm not really that massive on ODs and my current pedalboard sports non but I still have a couple. The one that I got recently is Kingtone Duellist and I **** you not - the right side on glass settings got me all warm. Other pedal that I really like is Norland ODR-C. Man behind the company was a Nobles ODR-1 designer in the 90's. The vibe is there but with additional controls it easily takes you from Nashville to Texas with a twist of a midrange knob - monster pedal.

I should do a little pedalboard with few ODs just for fun.

Side note: that albino DGT is a shagg, man!

 

[László]

Favorite tone ever?
Am I allowed to talk about equipment I no longer own because
I have no brain or is the discussion limited to stuff I currently own?

Of course!

Nice, we share some love to gear I can tell.

I also got the Fillmore. 50w head with Fillmore 2x12 on C90's. I have just scored two Mesa Vintage 30's from late 90's and I will be adding another 2x12 with these. My Fillmore shined with closed back V30's and I'm hoping to get a piece of it back. IMO this amp is the best thing ever that came from Boogie. Amazing cleans and age of breakups, so much pick dynamic control and great high gains when pushed with booster which brings me to my pedals. I'm still a bit Lonestar sick but Fillmore does everything I want

You bet, our tastes seem to be very much alike! I have the 50W head as well. It's the first Mesa since the Tremoverb was introduced that I ordered immediately upon hearing it the first time. Great amp for some of the stuff I do, and good-sounding at just about any volume.

I decided to take a chance and order a California Tweed 212 in black with the Alnico Jensen Blackbirds. The combination sounds fantastic. I have an amp switcher that lets me switch the amps into any cab instantly, and it sounds great with all of the cabs - C90s, V30s, open and closed back. Just a versatile amp.

The cab sounds amazing with the Fillmore, but not so great with the DG30. Just goes to show how varied some of these combinations can be.

Hmm…probably Mr. Clean + KTR + BB Preamp + El Cap + Super Dallas. For the most amazing buttery cleans, scratch the BB and add the Flint harmonic trem. That combo turned heads opening on the country tune Smoke. Sultry power.

Count me as another BB fan. It's a great preamp/OD, and I think it shines with the transparency of the PRS amps. Been a while since I had one. Great pedal. So's the KTR.

 

[Drew]

Right now my favorite combo is an Ibanez PIA into my Mark V 25 with the widebody open back 1x12 Cab. When called for, I have an MXR Phase 95, Boss Waza CE-2W, & Holy Grail Reverb.

Runner up and purely for those 70's and early 80s era Rush sounds, I run a Heritage H535 with a Friedman BE-OD pedal into the clean channel of the V and of course a healthy dose of the CE-2W in CE-1 mode.

 

[BrianC]

PRS CU24 > Friedman

 

[WEDGE]

PRS CU24 > Friedman

LOVE Friedman’s stuff. I want a Smallbox so bad I can taste it but the used market for them is almost nonexistent or stupid expensive and might as well buy new. Which one do you have?

 

[markd21]

My current favorite signal chain is:

MEV -> Zen Drive -> Startouch ABY -> (A) Victoria Electroking -> (B) BOSS FRV-1 -> Roland JC40

I can use this rig for everything I play. The pedal has enough range to really change the tone going to the amps. I like the spring reverb in front of the Roland because it gives an extra twang with some depth into the clean amp. I don't use the Roland reverb or chorus. It's dry. The Victoria is set to where it's got some hair, but is still mostly clean. It's set darker than the Roland, which I run very bright.

 

[Simon Says]

Of course!



You bet, our tastes seem to be very much alike! I have the 50W head as well. It's the first Mesa since the Tremoverb was introduced that I ordered immediately upon hearing it the first time. Great amp for some of the stuff I do, and good-sounding at just about any volume.

I decided to take a chance and order a California Tweed 212 in black with the Alnico Jensen Blackbirds. The combination sounds fantastic. I have an amp switcher that lets me switch the amps into any cab instantly, and it sounds great with all of the cabs - C90s, V30s, open and closed back. Just a versatile amp.

The cab sounds amazing with the Fillmore, but not so great with the DG30. Just goes to show how varied some of these combinations can be.

California Tweed hit the shelfs after I got the Fillmore but I think I still would get what I did. I always had a sweet spot for Mesa Boogie. Mark series (especially MK4) and later mentioned Tremoverb and Lonestar which I still craving for. I may get a 1x12 combo just for the pedal platform build I mentioned earlier. The reason I like Fillmore so much is its split personality. Sure its a classic rock orientated amp but pushed it goes way beyond. I bet it is it's cathode bypass R/C that does that signature Mesa Boogie thing. I fiddled a bit with valves too until I found a perfect mix and now I can relate to Fillmore as a Swiss army amp without Swiss army control layout - it surly can do it all.

I was thinking to go with Ampete switcher when I still had Rivera and two Oranges (RVMK50 and AD30TC) but I always played mostly Fillmore anyway and was a bit of resistant blowing 2k for a rig to flip between amps. I would do it if I would be tone hungry or a dentist but I'm meat and potato bedroom geek and mid-range healtcare umpalumpa so I passed. I sold my other amps and got cash for deposit for this 35th Anniversary CU24 I can't live without

 

[László]

California Tweed hit the shelfs after I got the Fillmore

Same here. I got the Cali Tweed 212 cab with the Blackbirds quite a few months after getting the amp head. The reason I got it was to try the speakers.

I think the Cali Tweed's great sounding, and maybe someday I'll have a project come in that I need it for, but for now...I'm good with the Fillmore for that type of sound.