Looking for a Fat, Smooth Lead Tone

Try Erik Stams legacy profiles.

Quote from penatuna

Try Erik Stams legacy profiles.

lol, I was just about to type the same thing.

Quote from penatuna

Try Erik Stams legacy profiles.

Quote from elvisscottyandbill

I have been using clean profiles for the most part so far and have found some great ones. But in going thru a few of the lead and distortion profiles I keep getting a lot of background noisy, high gain stuff that sounds icepick thin on my high e string when I do the following drill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUcm0Pq3McI

2:44 mark

I am playing a '59 Gibson Les Paul Standard (R9) so it may be the pickups are too hot, I don't know. Anyway the sound is thin and when using legato barely audible. What I'm looking for is a clear fat distorted tone as in the video.

Any suggestions as to rigs or perhaps using a TS on top of a good clean profile? I've been trying everything I can find but can't get the tone I'm looking for. Basically I want to be able to hammer down on the high e and get a clear fat tone like pressing a key on a keyboard.

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You're using a $6300.00 Custom Shop R9 and you can't find one clear and fat high gain lead tone?

What studio monitors are you playing through?

This. Playback system is critical under this respect,

When I first got my Kemper, I would hear examples of profiles I liked, download them, and then be disappointed because they all had too much gain and sounded buzzy, compared to the clips. And, all the stock rigs had the same issue. Sound familiar?

Your Les Paul likely has a fatter output than many other guitars - my old LP Custom has so much low end it can make anything clip. My other guitars were made in the 80s, or have '80s pickups in them.

Turning the Gain knob down on the Kemper front panel works really well, BUT, you don't want to have to do that with every Rig you try.

There is a really simple good, quick fix. And, it doesn't involve doing anything to your guitar.

First, find a clip or video of someone using a Les Paul and Kemper, with a gain profile that sounds OK to you (it doesn't have the be THE profile, just one that isn't too buzzy).

Load the same profile into your Kemper, and play your Les Paul.

If the profile sounds like it has too much gain, you can adjust the Input section of the Kemper to let your guitar get the same sounds you are hearing in the clips (turn the distortion sense down until the sound is pretty close to what you heard) You can STORE this input setting, and name it. If you decide you want more/less gain, no problem. Just adjust away, and store another INPUT setting.

Here are a couple Rig Exchange profile suggestions that may be what you are looking for (even if you don't change your input settings):

AGL SOME MARSHALL - he included Boosts in the stomps of the rig - try it with them all off, first. But, there is a fat tube screamer here, too. This rig gets darker with louder guitars.

JUBILEE OPEN sm57+C3 - this is one of mine, so it has been Les Paul tested;) If it has too much gain with your guitar, turning the Gain knob down a little will mellow it out.

Good thread !
I,ve found many but one rare one is the MV-45 Dynacord, either cranked or full mid boost.
Also try joptunes, JTM black flag and if you want definition try his latest AC 30's.

Your TS may solve the prob. Marshall's can sound buzzy and thin on the high E. It,ll take some time sifting thru all the Marshall profiles to find the one that works best w "your" Lester.
I,ve had really good success using a Ghetto Stomp to calm down ice pickie gits. And use it mostly on a pushed profile instead of a clean one.

The commercial 5150 by Andy and from the rig exchange Soldano by L. Barta I use a lot.
The Legacies mentioned in this thread I like too, but are thinner,

Perhaps silly, but did you try to turn input noise gate down?

Thanks for the Rig compliment!

If that is a clean sound for you, your pickups are not hotter than average - so, no need to calibrate the input. (With my pickups, this profile has some gain). Adding a little Tube Screamer can give you more gain, and that midrange hump that is a TS. Pure Boost works well to give more sensitivity and gain without changing the tone. The Rat (do they call it a Mouse?) is also a good way to add a little more distortion to a Jubilee, if you set it to not add too much brightness along with the grind.

One other thought: Hammering down on the high E string *is* thin and sharp with a Les Paul, if you really spank it. Using gainier rigs can give you that kind of attack, with less pick pressure. Try hitting the string not quite that hard. Enough to get the bark and bite, but not quite enough for it to rattle.

Eriks Legacy rigs are a great basis for that kind of sound. Another Rig Exchange profile that can be used for liquid, singing gain is ACM-JSX C3 MEMO5. I think I pulled the gain back quite a bit, and may have tamed the high end, but you may not need to do that as much as I did.

If you are getting Ice Pick tone with hammer ons, then its not coming from your picking hand. Is it a specific fret? Or just part of the neck? You may be due for a Winter truss rod adjustment.

A few things to try:

1. Add a little Direct Mix in the Amp block (2 - 3 max.). This is an old studio trick for punching things up.
2. Turn down Presence a little.
3. Turn down Gain in the Amp block and add a Waveshaper in an effects slot - try the Soft Waveshaper at a low drive setting. More gain stages at lower drive settings tend to give smoother distortion. Wave shapers can be used after the Stack too.
4. Put an EQ before or after the Stack and add some mids and dial out some highs. Rmpacheco's Morgan profile has a couple EQs that are a good reference for EQ settings.
5. Try slight adjustments to the High Shift in the Cab block (probably dial it down just a little).

Keep the adjustments small, a little goes a long way to tweak a profile for your touch.

Quote from elvisscottyandbill

a. I am playing through an Atomic CLR active wedge. Outstanding tone for cleans. Nothing wrong with the monitor.

b. As I said, I am looking for a fatter tone when doing legato, not picking.

c. I found your post to be extremely rude. Mentioning the price of my guitar coupled with your restatement of my inability to find a good lead tone. Once again, I am talking only about when using legato as in the example I cited. Take your condescending attitude somewhere else pal. It doesn't belong in here. Understand me?

Relax, I was kidding around...apologies if I offended you.

It just seems unusual that you can't find a single high gain lead tone that doesn't sound 'thin' when using a solid body mahogany guitar with humbuckers.

When you use a pick the tone is a fat lead tone but when you use your finger to 'pull off' (legato) the same tone tone is now thin?
If you 'tap' the same note with let's say your right hand index finger, or 'pull off' with a different finger does the tone sound 'fatter'?
The reason I ask, I have a pretty weak baby finger, when I pull off legato style with my baby finger I'm not always happy that I got enough 'skin' on the note which makes it sound kind of 'flimsy'...in other words, my lack of good technique is my problem.