Trouble getting a good lead sound with the LSS

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Talus

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It's funny, no matter what I do to the EQ, I get a brilliant clean sound, and and equally good crunch sound. This amps versatility in these two areas is unrivaled by anything I've ever heard.

However, when it comes to a good lead sound I'm feeling kind of lost. I'm looking for something that's fairly high gain, yet still smooth and warm.

I've been playing around with the EQ to no avail. Usually I keep the bass between 9-11. Low if I'm using drive and higher if I'm just using the gain. For mids and treble I've tried just about everything, I just can't get it to sound as smooth as I want. With the drive on I'm finding it's giving me part of the sound I want, but a harsh edge with it that I can't seem to get out.

Also when I'm just playing by myself I tend to have the prescence either off, or around 8-9, and with my band around 9-11. I find that even the slighest bit of it starts giving the amp this "tin can" kind of feel, basically sucking all the warmth out and leaving this cold harsh make your ears bleed kind of sound.

I've played around with all of the presets from the manual, and while I like most of the channel 1 stuff, all of the channel 2 stuff shares that cold harsh sound that's just not good... At all.

I'm of the opinion that I'll need to invest in an OD or distortion pedal, simply because I'll need to have, a clean, crunch, low gain lead, and high gain lead, all easily available without having to run back and forth to the amp to change my settings around. I'm confident between the two channels and the solo switch I can get the first three covered.

So for OD pedals. I went out and borrowed a Maxon OD9, MXR Zakk Wylde OD, Ibanez TS808, a Boss DS1 and a very old ProCo RAT.

The DS1 is just not a nice pedal, except when combined with another pedal, it sounded great with the MXR pedal, and fairly nice with the 808 and OD9.

The RAT seems to contribute more to that harshness that I'm looking to avoid, but at the same time has a very unique sound that I almost kind of like. It seems to combine well with the TS808 and OD9, not so much with the MXR

The MXR is cool since it doesn't seem to change the one of my amp at all, and actually would be ideal if I could just get the amp setup in a way that I want. Doesn't seem to change or colour the sound in any way, it's just more gain.

I expected the TS808 to blow me away with the amount people talk about them. It really didn't. Not quite as smooth and warm as I expected, a little thin on the top end, and a fairly undefined bottom end. I'm not sure if this has to do with the way the amp is set, the way the pedal is set, or if it's just the way the 808 is.

The OD9 was a pleasant surprise, it actually sounded very much like a higher gain TS808, with more of a warm fullness. Or I could simply say, it's got more balls.

My best sounds so far have been a combination of 2 or even 3 of these pedals. None of them alone really seemed to blow my socks off, which considering their prices they most certainly should. As I said I don't know if it's how I've got thing's set up, or if it's just the pedals themsevles.

It's been suggested that I look into the Tone Bone series of pedals, anyone have experience with these? And are there any other pedal suggestions?

Also someone suggested a compressor to smooth thing's out. I don't really have much experience with them, but from what I've noticed is in order to get the smoothness I want I seem to have to squash it to the point where the dynamic range is crippled far more than I want it to be. I don't know if I'm being overly anal about it, since I'm assuming dynamics are much harder to hear in a band setting as opposed to simply playing by myself or not.

My band primarily plays blues with some classic rock styled stuff in the mix. At home I play a little of everything, from Satriani, to Jazz, to Metal to everything else in between. I do have a boss GT-8 wich can get most of the sounds I'm looking for, but at the same time, even with bypass turned on it takes away too much of the tone of the amp. So in the long run I'd prefer to be able to sell it to invest in pedals instead of keeping it around.

This has been a monsterously huge post, far more than I intended, so if you've made it this far, thank you. Any input on anything mentioned here would be highly appreciated.
 
A Gibson ES-335 primarily.
But I also use an Ibanez SZ530 and RG570.

The SZ has some fairly hot sounding Duncan Designs in it, and the RG has a set of fairly weak Dimarzio knock offs in it. Well they're actually nice sounding, they just don't suit the guitar very well.
 
I hate to inform you of this but the LSS was made for single coils -- of course not according to Mesa. I had the LSS and coaxing a good sound out of it was very challenging w/humbuckers.

Do a search on this forum and you will find many threads with this complaint.
 
I had a LSS for about a year, I was playing a 58 Les Paul RI through it most of the time.

JAZZ posted his at the same time I did, now that I see his post, I say +1 to that.

I hate to say this, but I sold mine because I couldn't get a good lead tone.
The bridge was OK, but the neck pup was way too muddy for me.

I guess I'm just not a class 'A' guy.

The Mesa I use now is an Ace 1x12 combo. I love my LP through it.

I hope some durrent owners of the LSS can help you out.

- dstefani
 
I like this amp quite a bit

Really feel it shines with single coils also

I set channel 1 for clean 5 watts, awesome tone
I set channely 2 for slightly overdriven "tone as Thick as Texas"
An occasion overdrive to bump it up a little

and thats where it really shines

I have gotten a pretty decent warm crunch out of it
but if you're looking for high gain crunch, thats not its
strong point.

this is not an amp to do a Metallica Tribute band with

Stevie Ray Vaughn on other hand.....
 
rickc007 said:
this is not an amp to do a Metallica Tribute band with

Stevie Ray Vaughn on other hand.....

You know the funny thing, with a combination of the RAT and the OD9, I actually got a fairly convincing Metallica sound.

But I wasn't looking for a high gain crunch at all, just lead.

Oddly I can't even come that close to an SRV sound either. I used to be able to come up with an extremely convincing sound with my 335 before. I can get something kind of similar with the middle position on either of my Ibanez guitars (one actually has a single coil mind you). But it's either too clean, or lacks the warmth.

My dad has a strat though so when I talk to him next I'll see if I can borrow it and give it a shot.

Either way, the general consensus everywhere I'm asking seems to be the same thus far. So since I'm still within my 30 day trial range I have the option of returning it for something else. Any suggestions on other amps to look at?

As mentioned before, I'm primarily playing blues, and some classic rock, for my gigs, so it needs to be strong there. Yet I'm dabbling in almost every kind of music, so I need something that's got enough versatility that it can do thing's like Satriani with the help of an OD pedal.

I'm open to pretty much any brand of amp but Fender, and the price range should be about the same as the LSS.

Anyway thanks for the comments so far.
 
Talus said:
You know the funny thing, with a combination of the RAT and the OD9, I actually got a fairly convincing Metallica sound.

But I wasn't looking for a high gain crunch at all, just lead.

Oddly I can't even come that close to an SRV sound either.

Any suggestions on other amps to look at?

As mentioned before, I'm primarily playing blues, and some classic rock, for my gigs, so it needs to be strong there.

I'm open to pretty much any brand of amp but Fender, and the price range should be about the same as the LSS.

Anyway thanks for the comments so far.

Interesting, I just started ganging overdrives together, have a Blue Driver fed by a Keely Java Boost, put my Mashall over the top

I love this amp as a home amp, would not be my first choice for a gig amp
Very curious why no Fender...

Anyway, my recommedation, go to the nearest music store, grab an F-50 now on closeout price, 20% off is not a problem, Great clean, Great Gain channel for blues, click in the Contour for MONSTER Lead and it's only set you back around $900 new.
 
rickc007 said:
I love this amp as a home amp, would not be my first choice for a gig amp
Very curious why no Fender...

Just something about their clean tones bother me. Too much top end twang, and not enough definition on the bottom end. Maybe I just haven't played the right one, I can't say for sure, but all that ones I've played so far seem to share those characteristics.

Which is why I'd hate to give up the LSS, it's really one of the only amps with a clean sound that really impressed me.
 
My dad just brought over the Strat, and I can totally see what everyone is saying. Hell I have to play this guitar upside down (since I'm left handed and this guitar is not) and I still sound better playing leads than on any of my guitars.

Options... Take back amp or spend another $1000+ on a strat... Hah maybe not. But it's amazing I barely had to much with any of the tone controls, it just sounded good.

So is the LSS just not all that good at handling the kind of gain that humbuckers put out or something?

I also tried out a tube preamp, which actually did wonders for my lead sound... And totally destroyed the clean and crunch. It's like a never ending battle.
 
With my LP it just sounded too spongy, like I said about, especially the neck pup.

For just about the same price you can get an Ace. I love the way it sounds with my LP, or any of my guitars for that matter.

- dstefani
 
I agree w/ everyone's take on it ..single coils much better than HB >I have a Tonebone Trimode wh/I didn't like with the amp but my OCD sounds great w/ it .
 
The tone in this link is done with humbuckers and the amp, but no overdrive pedal:

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=9599

But you can't get there with standard Mesa tubes. Check the tube forum if it is anything like the direction you are thinking.
 
timmerel said:
The tone in this link is done with humbuckers and the amp, but no overdrive pedal:

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=9599

But you can't get there with standard Mesa tubes. Check the tube forum if it is anything like the direction you are thinking.


I should revise my statement aforementioned in this thread regarding Buckers & the LSS. You can get a really nice smooth tone at moderate to low volumes (closer to the lower volumes).

The problem I had was when having to crank it to live performance volumes...it was very very difficult to control the muddiness, especially on the neck P/U.

But the sound of this amp still rings in my head when used with a Strat(and I am a strat guy at the core) -- so I will be revisiting this amp in the near future.
 
Actually that specific track was done with the output volume around 1 o'clock (and I don't play stadiums, so it does for me :D ), but good tubes do clean things up remarkably compared to the stock Mesas. As delivered channel 2 wasn't that great for me with overdrive.
 
JAZZGEAR said:
I hate to inform you of this but the LSS was made for single coils -- .

I'll agree with this 100%. Yes you can play it with buckers but this amp works so much better with single coils. I've had my LSS for over a year and my Gibsons and PRS's rarely get pluged into this amp.


brianf
 
Won't you know it....one would think that with all the negativity towards the LSS in this thread......

Has had me thinking of the beautiful tones of this amp (Buckers not widthstanding), I am setting out tomorrow to buy the LSS at my local GC -- seems they just got a AAA flame front panel model in today :mrgreen:

Just don't plug the bucker equipped axes into it....I don't care :wink:
 
I prefer the sound of my Gibbys thorugh the LSS as opposed to my Strat. Then again, I retubed with JJ's...

To each their own.
 
Jazzgear go for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love mine I do find it easy to get that SRV sound w/ my TA Classic on a Blues setting and I just run my OCD through the Blues Setting ..

I am still working w/ the Modrn Voicing to get a sound I like but I really dont change amp settings much during a gig ...I usually change Guitars or pedals
 

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