Looking for better mid-gain tone from Laney Ironheart Studio

[Tzar27]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a way to get a little bit of a better crunch/mid-gain setting on my Laney, more akin to the gentler prog tones of Rush or Thank You Scientist. I can get great clean and high-gain tones already... but that's it. The natural breakup of the clean channel isn't that appealing, and the rhythm and lead channels mostly just flub out when the gain is lowered. When boosted, or the gain or volume is raised until the tone is better, it goes straight into metal territory. This could very well be the Nazgul being temperamental, and not any fault of the amp. My settings are incredibly modest at the moment, so I'm not worried about getting my aggressive tones back in the event of a pickup swap.

Current signal chain is Carving DC727(Maple Neckthru/Alder wings/maple top/SD Nazgul and Sentient) - Ibanez TS9 (as boost) - Laney IRT Studio - MXR Carbon Copy - Bugera 212V-BK

Ideas I've had:
-get a second OD and set it up to use with the clean channel
-replace the Nazgul with an Alnico V pickup or swap the ceramic magnet for an Alnico V

So yeah. Any other ideas or suggestions for pickups or pedals would be swell. I'm absolutely open to an entirely new set of pickups, as I'll have another guitar to put the Nazgul and Sentient in. The Carvin is just my main axe.

 

[Petar Bogdanov]

Try rolling the volume control on your guitar to 8 or 9, to tame the aggression. In my experience, the lead channel has better mid-gain sounds. The amp doesn't really do low-gain, you're best off getting a pedal specifically for that.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

I'd look more into another overdrive to push the clean channel into mid-gain. I've been using my Duncan 805 for this with excellent results and flexibility or if you're already using a TS-type pedal for high gain sounds you could change it up with a transparent or Klon type pedal like an EHX Soul Food.

Also, you mentioned using a Nazgul. Are you on the bridge pickup all the time or do you also use the neck pickup for clean/mid gain sounds? If you are, the choice of neck pickup can really affect overall response for mid-gain. I tend to like something that's lower in output and not too dark, that way I get nice clarity/articulation when I add in gain with a pedal and nothing gets too bloated or honky in the mids.

 

[Hachetjoel]

I'd get new pups for sure if you want good low - medium gain tone, the two overdrives might work if you're willing to tap dance. I'd recommend adding the bogner wessex, if you want just one overdrive grab the 805 run it like a normal overdrive but with the gain on 3 instead of zero and up the treble a bit. Turn the gain down on your lead channel to compromise for the added gain on the over drive. I think if you want good hard rock tone and good metal tone ionizers or a illuminators may be great, or you could go old school Evo /paf7 vhiis would be another great choice. If you're dead set on SD I'd say Pegasus /sentient but they would be far below a lot of other options they are too focused in their design and lack versatility which is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Great Satan]

Whenever i want that low-med gain sound i switch over to a gretsch eletromatic.
Don't underestimate the impact of your guitar/pickup's tone; you get a nice chimey paf-style humbuckers guitar & you can get some very chewy mid-gain rock tones even out of the highest gain amps.

 

[wakjob]

Mmmmm... low to medium gain sounds are my wheelhouse.

I actually like hotter pickups backed off & lowered from the strings.
This approach sustains well enough while retaining the aggressive voice of hot pu's.

Vintage output pickups can be hit or miss, and expensive in trial and error.

I'd go with your ts9 with the gain dimed into the clean channel.
Try that first. It's a zero risk buy in.