Is there a better amp for Fusion Style Leads and tone than what I have?

[cobrahead1030]

Any Mesa mark series. I have the III and the 25w V, and both do the fusion lead sound well on the lead channels with GEQ bypassed.

I will say I am always amazed when I hear somebody so against using a boost and it usually starts off with a comment how a 3000 dollar plus amp shouldn't need a boost ..etc..etc..

I look at it from another angle ... So my amp is almost perfect but I wish I could just get the low end to track a bit tighter or I just want a bit more sustain at lower volume etc.. So a easy solution is adding in most cases a 150 dollar or less boost of some kind .. Hell even the tried and true Boss SD 1 will do wonders for many high gain amps that are almost perfect but need just that little bit extra.

I don't care if I have to add a boost to make the amp perfect and
Guys who can't wrap their head around this always amaze me and they ususally say their amp has plenty of gain and at that point I realize they are not using a boost correctly as in many applications it really has nothing to do with needing more gain as its more about the feel and response that a boost will give you.

I enjoy a good boost pedal as much as anyone. But I do prefer the simplicity of just being able to plug straight in.

As it happens, my two favorite amps to hit with a boost are my SL67 & Deliverance; I like playing them with & without one.

 

[HowieJams]

sounds great

 

[HowieJams]

I build one that does .... I have a few versions ... but the basic one has a 9 volt spot

View attachment 455327

I will check YouTube for some videos, thanks

 

[harddriver]

sounds great

Those were Blakes clip and he's here on RT so he may comment on what he thought about the MKVII. For me the Mark VII didn't have that round overcompressed tone like my Mark IIIC+ that I had when I had a Mark amp. The MKVII still could have that bite to the crunch and with the lead tones you could still dial in those liquid lead tones if desired and for that alone it was impressive for me and I am a 100% Marshall player but I enjoyed playing that amp.

 

[rsm]

Fair point , but for me having an amp with a boost in front is 1000 times more simple then say an Axe FX or the like which drives me insane with everything it has loaded into it.

3-channels in my JP-2C (and Bogner Helios Eclipse) provides flexibility, I can dial three tones I need. I'd often use only an EQ pedal in front to provide a boost or lead tone.

I used MFX in 4CM for many years when I needed effects, and still do - VP4 in 4CM with my JP-2C. I just started building my first actual pedal board in over 10+ years ...

nothing better than going guitar direct into a 100W tube amp, but that has limited practical use for me.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

you were right, broke out my SD-1 and it was great

SD-1 is like the Ford F150… it gets the job of getting up the hill done.

 

[Floyd Eye]

SD-1 is like the Ford F150… it gets the job of getting up the hill done.

But the F-250 with the 7.3 PowerStroke will rip the front of your house off and drag it up the hill with it.

 

[romanianreaper]

I like having one amp, maybe two, and then a bunch of guitars. I feel like the Victory has that sound you are talking about. The SLO 30 is a great amp for you to have as well.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

But the F-250 with the 7.3 PowerStroke will rip the front of your house off and drag it up the hill with it.

You lost the plot.

 

[Floyd Eye]

You lost the plot.

Jerk.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

sounds great

I have a Mark VII and it is my all time favorite channel switcher. There is almost no tone you can't get or close enough to fool almost anyone if you put in the time to learn. I dial in a blackface like clean in fat mode channel one. Channel 2 in VII mode can sound very Plexi like especially when I use an external eq on this channel. And channel 3 I have in IIC+ mode but IIB and IV mode are great as well.

 

[Rottweiler]

OK, I decided to meet in the middle and try my Boss SD-1 running on battery power, no extra power supply needed so no clutter.
If I used my TS808 mini which I like as it is true bypass I would need to run a power supply.

Well, you all were right, the SD-1 just added that liquid sustain and makes everything so much easier to play.

I tried it tonight with my SLO-30 and my Victory MKX, it was almost magical.

So now that you've opened that door, different amps like different boosts. To me, the SD1 is great with my Pittbull, but I like the sounds I get with the Blues Driver circuits more with a plexi like amp. It sounds a little more hifi to me than an SD1. These guys around here will have great reccomendations for you and can likely describe the differences in the circuit better than I can. @griff10672 makes a bunch of different boosts and can make them tweakable.

I went through about 5 different boosts with my amps. It is fun to buy one used and try it out. If it isn't your thing, they are easy to resell. Sort of like the amp hunt but much more affordable.

 

[bubucci]

Naylor, juicy as Mark amps but still smoother with perfect sag/clarity/cut in mix ratio. It is like PTP wired Ecstacy on boosted blue channel. I have also JP2-C and lead tones are still too agressive for those tone but maybe it should be fixed with Presence/750Hz knob/slider.
In this category fits vintage inspired amps like Bogner Goldfinger, Budda (ripped Naylor ? ) or Marshall 50W Jubilee, not those new one, those sound very brash/harsh.