Line 6 Spider III help

Hey guys, just got a Spider III combo and I was wondering if any owners have any tips on how to get the best possible sounds out of the amp. I can't seem to get a good lead sound out of it...just brutal distortion

What are the names of the channels on it?

Clean, Twang, Blues, Chrunch, Metal, Insane...I'm looking for a way to get a smoother lead tone while retaining the distortion. The rhythm sounds are nice, giving me that "chugga chugga" sound, but when i play leads, it seems lifeless

Whats the difference between the Spider II and Spider III?

Originally Posted by: alucard0941Whats the difference between the Spider II and Spider III?

It's got a bunch of (mostly useless) artist presets, and for each model there are two modes. Thats kinda just an educated guess...you have a Spider II?

I've got a spider II. I can get some decent tones out of it, but you really have to tweak a lot. The preset channels are atrocious. I really don't know what they were thinking when they made them. For a decent lead tone, I use the "Insane" channel. Turn down the gain to probably 6 or 7. I don't like scooped mids, but whatever floats your boat in that department. I give it a fair amount of mid and treble to give the tone some bite. Add reverb and delay to your preference.

Originally Posted by: Homebrew1709It's got a bunch of (mostly useless) artist presets, and for each model there are two modes. Thats kinda just an educated guess...you have a Spider II?

yea, its a good practice amp but it lacks character on alot of signature tones it advertizes. Its very versitile, but not great at anything.

Yeah I have a Spider II and I usually go with the Metal channel. Turn down the gain a little to 6-7 and add a little bit of Tape Delay. That usually works for me but I think most of the tone I get comes from my guitar more than the amp.

Thanks for the tips, guys. I've spent some more time with the manual and i've managed to get some useable tones...it's got bone crushing distortion, but lead tones leave something to be desired...

Yeah I gave in and bought an overdrive pedal. That livened up the channels a bit.