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

[anomaly]

Mesa JP-2C. You can get smooth. glassy, compressed sustaining lead tones in channel 2 or 3; you can get full, rich, pristine or edge of breakup jazz / fusion cleans in channel 1.

I'm running a Fractal VP4 in 4CM; and usually only have a compressor or envelop filter in front; typically use chorus / modulation and delay in the loop. It's "my everything but classic/hard / psychedelic rock" amp which are my Marshalls.

That said, I normally use my Fender Super Twin with my D'Angelico Style B when I want cleans but the JP-2C is more conveniently located here, so I use it more than the Fender.

A Mesa Mark with a simulclass power section would deliver a tiny bit better I think? At least for the leads. A Mark III, IV or original IIC+,.

 

[skoora]

You could always sub-contract out the leads…

 

[HowieJams]

What about putting an EQ in the loop in front of the EQD pedal? Get an MXR 10 Band and use it as a subtle clean boost and tone shaping tool. You can essentially use that as a lead channel if you dial it in right.

Just using the SD-1 out front seems to be working

 

[anomaly]

Just using the SD-1 out front seems to be working

Try a tubescreamer style pedal, they are a bit smoother than the gritty sd-1.

 

[rsm]

A Mesa Mark with a simulclass power section would deliver a tiny bit better I think? At least for the leads. A Mark III, IV or original IIC+,.

IDK. I considered a Mark VII vs the JP-2C; the VII is more versatile, but most of that versatility I'd never use. The JP-2C had more of what I wanted with nothing I didn't want (except reverb).

 

[rsm]

for a smooth drive pedal --> Zen Drive.

IMO


I'm having @griff10672 make a dual drive pedal with Cornish SS-3 and G-2.

The SS-3 is a transparent "Soft Sustain" overdrive tailored for crunchy rhythms and blues leads, while the G-2 is a higher-gain Germanium/Silicon hybrid fuzz-distortion modeled after a cranked 1970s Marshall stack

 

[espquade]

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.

That is a great amp and one I should of kept as it was so fun right out of the box, but I hated the VII mode as it was so sludgy and I just couldn't find a use for it. I wish they would of put the 2C+ mode and the IV mode in different channels instead of just one as then it would of been perfect.

 

[inyarak74]

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.

Found on the road dead

 

[inyarak74]

What about putting an EQ in the loop in front of the EQD pedal? Get an MXR 10 Band and use it as a subtle clean boost and tone shaping tool. You can essentially use that as a lead channel if you dial it in right.

This right here, gotta have it runnin thru the loop. For me. But I’m not sure you can run it with just 9v

 

[Floyd Eye]

Found on the road dead

Spoken like a guy who never drove a 7.3 Power stroke with a 6 speed manual transmission.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

That is a great amp and one I should of kept as it was so fun right out of the box, but I hated the VII mode as it was so sludgy and I just couldn't find a use for it. I wish they would of put the 2C+ mode and the IV mode in different channels instead of just one as then it would of been perfect.

It is a little different to dial than a typical Mark channel and getting the JJ preamp tubes out helped as well. For 80's rock tones I wouldn't change a thing. But I would have also enjoyed it set up in the way you mentioned. It sounds almost identical to low lead on the Engl Artist I had. Had em side by side and it was tough to tell which was which.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

Spoken like a guy who never drove a 7.3 Power stroke with a 6 speed manual transmission.

I'm not a Ford guy but if they made that exact Super Duty with that motor today, I'd be all over it. It's right there with the 12 valve Cummins imho.

 

[inyarak74]

Spoken like a guy who never drove a 7.3 Power stroke with a 6 speed manual transmission.

lol just joshin ya Floyd. First on race day

 

[inyarak74]

Spoken like a guy who never drove a 7.3 Power stroke with a 6 speed manual transmission.

Like you I suppose, not much I haven’t drove when it comes to work.

 

[HowieJams]

Try a tubescreamer style pedal, they are a bit smoother than the gritty sd-1.

I ahve a TS808 mini

 

[HowieJams]

for a smooth drive pedal --> Zen Drive.

IMO


I'm having @griff10672 make a dual drive pedal with Cornish SS-3 and G-2.

The SS-3 is a transparent "Soft Sustain" overdrive tailored for crunchy rhythms and blues leads, while the G-2 is a higher-gain Germanium/Silicon hybrid fuzz-distortion modeled after a cranked 1970s Marshall stack

I am going to try the SD-1 and maybe my TS808 mini before I start going down more rabbit holes if you know what I mean.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Like you I suppose, not much I haven’t drove when it comes to work.

The last truck I loved was a '97 F-250 with a 7.3 Powerstroke. Couple weeks after I paid it off I rolled it down an embankment. Cab, roof and commercial ladder rack were all the same level when they pulled me out of the passenger side floorboard. I'd be dead if I were wearing a seatbelt. I really miss that truck. Currently I have an '05 Ram 1500 with the Hemi. It's okay.

 

[HowieJams]

I just got done playing both my Soldano Astro 20 and my Laney Dual Top 60.
The SD-1 just makes everything better, I have found my solution.

The Astro 20 is great for the tones I am looking for, even more so with the SD-1.

Beleieve it or not, the solid-state Laney does well also, and since it has its own built in boost and reverb, I could just use it as is.

All 3 of my tube amps are great for the tones I am after with the SD-1.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

I played around with this last night. I’d try and ep booster into your Astro personally. With some delay in loop.

 

[HowieJams]

I played around with this last night. I’d try and ep booster into your Astro personally. With some delay in loop.

I have the delay in the loop and the sd-1 out front, I am totally happy with it.
Now, I will do the same with my SLO-30 and my Victory MKX.

One thing that makes a huge difference, everything sounds great with my Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s, my other guitars as great as they are don't always sound as good without some tweaking except for my R9 and SG/Les Paul 61 RI.