Looking for mid to high gain profiles for smooth fusion jazz type of tone - thoughts?

  • Hi,


    I am trying to go for a tone that is a cross between Frank Gamble, Shawn Lane. Smooth and yet articulate at the same time. I have a Suhr Modern with stock pickups, rosewood neck and basswood body. Another Suhr also rosewood but Alder body. Again stock pickups.


    What I notice about the tone I typically get from these guitars is that they are very articulate but maybe too much so. Aggressive pick attack. I am looking for something smoother. Hard to describe. I want something that on neck pickup doesn't turn to mush on low notes, but stays articulate and smooth at same time if that makes sense. Neal Schon's tone on the live in manilla concert is also quite awesome.


    Anyway, just curious what you would pick. Maybe something commercial if no one thinks free profiles would do the trick.


    thanks!


    Brian

  • I may be totally wrong but I would go with medium to low output humbucker pickups, with tone more on the bright side.


    Would get some vintage Marshall type head with some boost before preamp and then tweak to taste.


    I had a similar idea when did my first profile yesterday and shared here...just search author claretimus and try :) there is one studio and one direct.


    I like Shawn Lane's tone with a Les Paul...dig his tone on some live performances. But personally I am chasing something similar to Yngwie in Alcatrazz's No Parole to Rock and Roll... Yet it is like ver articulate without being mush on low end...not high gay yet still singing ...

  • I have a similar guitar and using the green screen stomp with the tone below 5 (adjust to taste maybe around 3) helps before a hot Marshall type amp. Try using it like a volume boost without much drive on the stomp

  • so much depends on the right pickup and it's relative height to the strings.
    a single coil in the neck position with most likely yield too much bite/twang.
    not all humbuckers are suited for this either, it's tricky to balance warmth and definition
    and if that wasn't enough your technique also plays a big part.
    the neck humbucker in Steve Morse's signature guitar is really dark sounding, yet he manages to make it sound stunning.


    I've had good results with P90, good balance between lots of mids & definition.

  • Couldn't agree more on the importance of choosing the right pickup and finding the sweet spot for setting the pickup height, especially with single coil pickups.

  • Try mbritt’s 69marshall 50. It’s great as is, no pedals...nice mids and cleans up well when
    git vol. is rolled off.
    It’s in the Kemper free pack from Britt.
    When you find the profile, then dial in your pups. This will apply to
    whichever amp you choose. Then you can scroll thru and find other profiles
    that sound good with that guitar setup.