Clean channel sounds better with overdrive pedal

Ok, I think I've been in denial as I've been playing thru a LSC for a year and a half now. It's always made more sense (especially given what I've read) to run my overdrive pedal thru the dirt channel.

Being that I go for SRV type tones, I've been running the dirt channel with a moderate breakup.

But I'm finally coming to grips with something I'd heard before but denied to myself... My OD (Barber Small Fry) pedals sound better in front of the clean channel. And this is not because I'm going for a cleaner tone. I'm dialing in the same level of dirt with the OD pedal that I was getting out of the dirt channel.

I'm getting better highs and lows with identical EQ settings. Furthermore, because the clean channel is cleaner on its own, I think I can dial in more bass before getting mud (I'll confirm this at a gig this weekend when I can turn the amp up more).

Is anyone else coming to the same conclusion?

Is this what the Weber mod is all about?

Have you done the reeder mod? I did it recently and now both channels really are a true clone of eachother (at least to my ears).

No, I've not done the Reeded mod. Is this something better suited for a technician who works on amps or is it an easy mod?

Secondly, I don't really want the dirt channel to clone the clean channel, but it does seem that the clean channel has a better top end that I'd like to hear out of the dirt channel...

Most amps sound better with the dirt pedals in the clean ch. I'm not sure about where you got this info on pedals in the dirt ch. You gotta have a transparent dirt ch (Reeder mod) and a transparent dirt pedal for it to work. And use lower gains. Actually the Small fry is a very good pedal for this and I can get a decent tone out of my Traynor's dirt ch. But I rarely use a dirt pedal in my dirt ch.

I seem to be in the minority in that I love the dirty channel of the Lonestar. For heavier tones I picked up a Digitech Hardwire SC-2 Valve Distortion. The pedal is absolutely marvelous. It picks up where channel 2 leaves off giving you the full rich tone of a cranked Dual Rectifier.

I have noticed this too with my LSS. I use an MXR Dist+ from the eighties just to put a little fuzz in the signal and it sounds much better in ch 1 than in ch 2 which I have set up for a little overdrive already.

polishcomedy said:

I seem to be in the minority in that I love the dirty channel of the Lonestar. For heavier tones I picked up a Digitech Hardwire SC-2 Valve Distortion. The pedal is absolutely marvelous. It picks up where channel 2 leaves off giving you the full rich tone of a cranked Dual Rectifier.

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I agree, post Reeder mods the clean channel rarely gets used. I was playing along with some Deep Purple today with no effects, channel 2, and my LSS and Strat really sounded like Blackmore circa early 70s, just beautiful. For extra dirt I stick on a Danelectro Cool Cat drive pedal, the silver one. This pedal pushes the distortion up as far as I need it, (I can do Randy Rhoads stuff etc with this pedal engaged, I have no need for any more gain than this), and sounds rich and warm, amazing for something that cost about 25 quid.