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for inaccurate playing. We like to think of these modes as having the built in qualities of a good teacher. What you put in is what you
get out. However, should you spend much time at all plugged into these modes, we guarantee you will become a
master of nuance.
These modes are sure to make you a better player if you give them the chance. Though at times they are more revealing, you will find
that they
hold up better in a mix and are much more behaved on a stage full of live microphones. Usually they are also much
better for any kind of rhythmic high gain playing where you need urgent attack and tight cut-off points. Use the DYNAMIC
VOICE to enhance the lows and highs and you will find
LEAD 2 to easily have the hugeness of lows, but with an added tightness and
articulation that simply can’t be obtained in Lead 1. There are many times when these frequencies work much better in the studio or
in a larger live band situation. They
cut through and stay focused much longer allowing your part to be heard and yet not get in
the way of other parts. In other words, LEAD 2 sits nicely in a mix. So with this overview of this super cool group of lead circuits,
lets get mode specific.
LD 2 GREEN: Unlike the LEAD 1 modes, all three LEAD 2 modes are actually very similar in their respective amounts of gain. In
LEAD 2, the gain is enhanced differently in each of the three modes by focused boosting of frequencies. This enables the player to
choose a particular mode for specific ranges of the instrument or simply for a given song or a certain part therein.
LEAD 2, as we said, was derived from the basic
MK II
style design, so we thought it fitting to dedicate two of the three modes to
previously raved over classic
Boogie
amplifiers, the
MK IV
and the
Mark II C+
. These are represented in the Green and Yellow
modes respectively.
The Green circuit is taken directly from a
Mark IV
Lead channel. Green is
focused
gain. It uses the con-
cept of the
Mark IV’s
Mid Gain, a feature added in 1989, to enhance the attack and to lower the medium midrange “meat” of the
sound. By enhancing this part of the spectrum a rich, bold, yet singing quality is produced.
Thick
would be the best way to describe
its’ character, while
Punchy
would accurately describe its’ attack. It does saturate the note fairly completely, especially at high gain
settings, but the attack envelope is so right at lower gain settings, that roots players usually love this Green mode.
Its’ thicker mid-
range punch really helps melody lines played on the high strings, particularly high on the neck. With higher Gain and Drive
settings the high notes soar and sing, yet don’t get too soupy to be heard in a big mix.
Green is especially helpful in getting rid of
unwanted
fret buzz or other annoying idiosyncrasies of an instrument that may be set up wrong. It tends to cover up buzz leaving
just the note with greater purity. This is most apparent when a weak single coil is used for soloing.
LEAD 2 Green is the cure for this
dilemma. It adds the needed frequencies and its’ gain is the steroid habit these weaklings need to deliver a bold lead voice.
Green
is the mode of choice anytime you need to deliver a statement and you don’t have the luxury of several tracks. It is single
note authority at its’ expressive best.
NOTE:
As we mentioned earlier in the Lead 1 Red description, the setting of the GAIN control in all modes is crucial to achieving the
sound you are looking for. Each mode has its’ magical optimum setting for this control and we can only give you our view and a few
factory settings to demonstrate our thinking on this. Ultimately, it may vary for each mode, guitar, player, and environment and it’s on
you to discover what fits your situation. In Lead 2 we have come to a simple “rule of thumb” you might say as to where we prefer the
GAIN control to achieve the best blend of attack and quality of tone. Try this first, then deviate from there in all three Lead 2 modes.
We like to see the Gain at either
7.0
or
7.5
(depending on your instruments output)
for lower gain blues sounds or very articulate
medium gain solo sounds. When higher gain or straight up radical rock sounds are in demand, a GAIN control setting of
7.5
or
8.0
again depending on pickup output)
should be more than enough.
With higher than recommended Gain settings a flubby, indistinct attack will occur that the BASS control will have difficulty in
removing.
Lower than optimum Gain settings will produce excessive high harmonic content, thin the notes out and even add
a
buzzy quality to the sound. Like we said...Try these first. Check the factory settings, as they were created to demonstrate what a
balanced tone would be for each mode. If you find these lacking, then by all means...EXPLORE!
LD 2 YELLOW: This
is
Boogie.
This mode is the sound that started the craze that became what is slanged as the “California” sound
or the “L.A.” guitar tone. Lukather, Landau, Keaggy, Lynch, Gillis, Prince, and Metallica catapulted this sound into the forefront of hit
making guitar sounds throughout the eighties. Metallica continues to search high and low for pristine
C+
Heads to add to their amplifier
collection - deeming them essential for recording, but you don’t have to! The
Yellow mode is the reincarnation of the fabled
Mark
II-C+
Lead mode. Its blend of bold punch and evenly stacked liquid harmonics produces a lead voice that transforms any player who
LEAD MODES:
(Continued)