Dialing in a Cleaner Tone on a Crunchy Valve Amp

[BluesGuy]

I’ve got a 30-watt valve combo that breaks up pretty early. I love the overdrive, but sometimes I need a really clean rhythm tone and it’s hard to get without turning way down.

Any tips for getting more headroom without buying a new amp?

[GearNerd]

Using lower-output pickups or rolling back your guitar’s volume knob can help a surprising amount.

[StudioPro]

You might also try an EQ pedal in the effects loop or front end.

Cutting some mids and boosting a bit of top end can make a slightly breaking-up tone perceive as cleaner, and it gives you another level of control without changing the character of the amp itself.

[MetalPlayer]

Try lowering the gain and increasing the master volume if your amp has separate controls. That sometimes keeps the preamp cleaner.