Looking to "liquify?" my lead tone

[joey1294]

Though I love my current rig for rhythm stuff, I feel as if my lead tones are always too harsh and like I'm fighting with the guitar try and keep some sustain. I'm playing on the neck pickup which in the past has always gotten me closer to this feeling, and I actually felt more comfortable with my lead tone when I was playing a Boss ME-50 into a Fender Hot Rod (I'm looking for something along the lines of Michael Romeo and John Petrucci, however I also really like Guthrie Govan's dialed back lead tones)

Now I've upgraded a little bit and got myself an Orange TH30 with a 2X12 cab as well as a small assortment of pedals at my disposal (Boss DM-2 Delay, MXR Phase 90, Fulltone OCD, and a Line 6 MM4 modulation modeler).

Now I'm definitely not playing the nicest guitar in the world and I know that's certainly a factor, but the reason this bothers me so much is because I feel that I was much happier with my lead tone playing through a $400 multi-effects unit.

I'm not looking to make any drastic changes to my setup because of financial restraints, but I'm thinking picking up a decent reverb pedal may help a bit (looking at the TC Electronic Hall of Fame).

Maybe I just need to experiment a bit more. I've always been afraid to really crank the gain because I'm usually standing 2 feet from the amp and afraid of feedback, but maybe that extra bit of gain is what I need to get my sound closer to what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the help!

[scottkahn]

Here's the thing... you won't get anywhere close to Petrucci's tone, or his awesome "liquid lead tone," playing through an Orange amp. You need a VERY different amp.

Petrucci has always played Mesa/Boogie, and his typical "liquid lead tone" was Mark-series tone, as in the Mesa Mark IIc+, Mark IV, and Triaxis. All of these amps have 6L6 power tubes in common. Your Orange has EL-84, which are a lower powered cousin to EL-34 tubes, and they are generally never going to give you a robust, meaty, modern metal tone. They're just not designed for it. And 6L6 amps tend to have a much tighter response, so again, that Orange amp isn't going to respond the same way, and it's not going to have the sharp note definition of a Mark-series amp from Mesa.

Your Boss ME-50 probably had some modeled Mesa tones that were closer to your goal, so it does make sense. Guthrie's amp of choice from Suhr uses EL-34 tubes. Definitely a more vintage sounding amp than Petrucci's choice of gear. But even there, EL-84 tubes do not deliver the same kind of tone as EL-34.

Sadly, if you're finding inspiration in prog rock inspired artists, Orange is one of the worst choices of amp companies to play. They're much better for alt rock and grunge than finesse playing. For that, 6L6 amps are where you should look. Budget constrained, check out the Laney Ironheart, or the Carvin V3. More money, go for Mesa Mark V or Dual Rectifier Roadster, or various ENGL amps or the Bogner Ecstasy.

Scott

[joey1294]

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely check out some of those amps and maybe do a little research on tubes as well.

[Mike Creel]

I must admit, I was a little surprised to see Scott replying to this post. I've read Modern Guitar Rigs front to back a few times and used it as a reference for a few years. Great book. it helped me make the trans from Combo amps to racked gear. Thanks Scott, awesome book.

[scottkahn]

No need for surprise, here, Mike! Glad you enjoyed my book -- hope you have the second edition, as the full color and updated content made it even better.

I'm always happy to help people with gear questions.

Best,

Scott

[davel]

It´s mostly in the compression, which probably is why the cheaper stuff earlier felt easier - it was more squashed with less dynamics. More gain will certainly help out, but sticking a random Tubescreamer in front with the distortion low and a bit of a level push will probably do the trick. The OCD doesn´t really add the juicy squish that a TS-type pedal has. You´d need to adjust the EQ on the amp to bring back some lows, though.

And if that doesn´t help you probably need to look at another amp, like Scott said.

[MARIOVERKILL]

Hey Joey,
If you want a cheap solution,try a compressor like a boss cs2.Use it lightly and don't be afraid to try it in the FX loop of the TH30.It is not the best way to get good tone but it will give more sustain.You may not like the loss of dynamics but you can borrow or rent a pedal and try it.

Mario

[Hugo]

Maybe a little late, but you could try the Mesa FluxDrive boosted by a TS before it.