Five flavours of greasy from your rig — thick, hot, vocal, dripping
RIG: Suhr S w/ ML pickups → SD-9 → AC+ → Badger 18 (DRY) · Mobius in Badger FX loop · Timeline → BigSky → Mesa 5:25 (WET, 100%)
"Greasy" isn't a single tone — it's a quality. Thick low mids, slightly compressed, hair around every note, a vocal honking midrange, just enough hair on the top end to sound like something's cooking. The Badger 18's EL84s + 5Y3GT rectifier sag does 60% of this work for free. Your single coils with ML pickups do the next 30%. Pedals add the last 10% — the texture, the spit, the bark.
Greasy is...
Thick. Vocal. Mid-forward. Slightly compressed. Hair without buzz. Sounds wet even when dry.
Greasy isn't...
Fizzy. Scooped. Bright. Sharp. Over-saturated. Modern-metal precise. Cold or sterile.
The Strat secret
Neck or position 4 (neck+mid). Tone rolled to 6-7. Guitar volume around 8. Pick close to the neck for warmth.
The amp secret
Badger 18 clean, EL84s sagging, NOT cranked into distortion. Pedals provide the dirt. Amp's job is compression and warmth.
Mobius stays in the Badger's FX loop on the dry side — modulation is part of your core tone, not the wet ambience. Timeline + BigSky both 100% wet into the Mesa 5:25 (Channel 1 clean, 5W Class A, Mesa onboard reverb OFF — the BigSky owns the room). Dry stays present from the Badger while the Mesa floats delays and reverb from a different physical space.
G1Texas Bacon
SRV territory · Hot fat lead · Stratty but compressed
The classic greasy — thick, hot, slightly compressed Texas blues lead tone. SD-9 set Henderson-style (tone almost off, level dimed) into the AC+ Channel A as a clean boost. Amp clean. The greasiness comes from the EL84 power section getting hit hard by a fat, low-passed signal.
Suhr S — Guitar
PickupBridge or Pos 2
Volume8
Tone7
Bridge for the bite, Pos 2 for the cluck. ML pickups have enough output and warmth to drive the SD-9 properly without being thin.
Boss SD-9
Drive2 o'clock
Tone8 o'clock (almost off)
Level5 o'clock (dimed)
The Henderson/Landau setting per its designer. Tone almost off kills the harsh high end. Level dimed compensates and slams the next stage. THE secret to greasy.
Xotic AC+
ChannelA only
Gain A9 o'clock (low)
Volume A1 o'clock
Tone A11 o'clock
BoostOFF
Fat clean boost stacking on top of the SD-9. Adds the second gain stage that gives that "lifted-up" feel without adding fizz.
Suhr Badger 18
ModeHi (full output)
Power5
Gain3 (clean)
Bass4
Mid7
Treble4
Presence3
Amp clean. Mids pushed to 7 — the honking, vocal greasy character. Treble pulled back to keep the SD-9 from getting harsh. EL84s do compression work, not gain.
Timeline — wet path
TypedBucket
Time375ms
Repeats10 o'clock
Mix100% wet
Filter1 o'clock (dark)
Grit10 o'clock
Warm analog-flavoured delay, repeats degrading. Sets up the wet amp.
BigSky — wet path
MachineRoom
Decay10 o'clock (short)
Mix100% wet
Tone11 o'clock (warm)
Pre-delay8 o'clock
Tight Room reverb — adds slap and space without smearing the lead. Tone rolled warm to match the greasy vibe.
Mobius
StatusBypassed
No modulation. Greasy is direct. The SD-9 compression IS the texture.
Why this is greasy
Three things stack: (1) Single-coil bridge with tone rolled back loses the icy ceiling. (2) SD-9 with tone almost off feeds a fat, dark-but-saturated signal into the amp. (3) EL84s at Power 5 are sagging slightly under the boost. Mids at 7 push the upper midrange where the human ear hears "vocal." Every note has a slight forward-honk quality, like the guitar is talking through a tube of bacon fat. Backing off the guitar volume to 5-6 cleans it up beautifully — that's your control surface.
Pickup: Bridge / Pos 2Vol: 8Tone: 7Pick: middle positionDig in
G2Mayer Slick
Continuum era · Smooth singing lead · Tube-screamer warmth
The OTHER greasy — smoother, more vocal, less bark. AC+ Channel B (3-band EQ, hard clipping) does the lead voice. SD-9 sits behind it as a kicker for solos. Neck pickup territory. Singing-through-honey tone.
Suhr S — Guitar
PickupNeck or Pos 4
Volume8
Tone6
Neck pickup with tone rolled back is the sweet spot. ML neck pickup has that woody, vocal quality — perfect for this.
Boss SD-9
StatusOFF (kicker for solos only)
Drive1 o'clock
Tone8 o'clock
Level4 o'clock
Bypassed for rhythm. Kick it in for the solo and you get a fatter, hotter version of this tone.
Xotic AC+
ChannelB only
Gain B11 o'clock
Volume B12 o'clock
Bass11 o'clock
Mid2 o'clock (push)
Treble12 o'clock
CompHard clipping
Channel B Hard clipping = early breakup, smooth overdrive. Mids pushed gives the vocal singing quality. Bread and butter setting.
Suhr Badger 18
ModeHi
Power6
Gain2.5
Bass5
Mid6
Treble4.5
Presence4
More Power than G1 — at 6 the EL84s start natural compression. Gain just below 3 keeps the amp clean while the power section squashes.
Timeline — wet path
TypedTape
Time450ms
Repeats11 o'clock
Mix100% wet
Wow/Flutter10 o'clock
dTape — the warm tape echo. Subtle wow & flutter add organic motion. Each repeat darker than the last.
BigSky — wet path
MachinePlate
Decay12 o'clock (~2.5s)
Mix100% wet
Tone10 o'clock
Pre-delay10 o'clock
Mod8 o'clock (subtle)
Plate reverb — the singer's reverb. Dense early reflections, smooth decay. Warm. Mod adds life so it doesn't sound static.
Mobius
TypeChorus dBucket
Speed9 o'clock (slow)
Depth10 o'clock
Mix15%
Barely-there chorus. Test: off, tone collapses. On, it blooms. You shouldn't hear "chorus" — just dimension.
Why this is greasy
The OTHER kind of greasy — not bacon-grease, but olive-oil-on-warm-bread greasy. Smooth, rich, vocal. The AC+ Channel B Hard clipping produces an organic compression curve that responds to pick attack — light strokes stay clean-ish, hard strokes push into singing breakup. Neck pickup with tone at 6 means there's NO ice, only warmth. Mids pushed on the pedal AND the amp creates a forward midrange voice that sustains beautifully.
Robin Trower / vintage Marshall · Univibe-soaked lead · Slow molasses
The slowest, thickest greasy. Univibe modulation makes the tone literally drip — slow, syrupy pitch movement underneath sustained notes. Both AC+ channels stacked (A→B). Amp at edge of breakup. For slow heavy blues and ballad solos.
Suhr S — Guitar
PickupNeck
Volume7
Tone5
Tone rolled to 5 is dark, but the Univibe and amp breakup add midrange life. Wide vibrato territory.
Boss SD-9
StatusOFF
Out of the way. The AC+ stacked configuration is doing all the dirt.
Xotic AC+
RoutingA → B (stacked)
Gain A10 o'clock
Volume A12 o'clock
Tone A10 o'clock
Gain B9 o'clock
Volume B2 o'clock
Mid1 o'clock
Bass / Treble12 / 11
CompSoft
A into B — Channel A as the dirt, B as the EQ shaper and output stage. Soft clipping for that fluid lead. The AC+'s killer feature for greasy leads.
Suhr Badger 18
ModeHi
Power7
Gain4 (edge of breakup)
Bass5
Mid6
Treble4
Presence3
Drive at 4 = edge of breakup. Gain just under Power-1 means the amp is also adding gentle saturation. Three gain stages cumulatively = thick.
Mobius — UNIVIBE
TypeVibe
ModeChorus (not Vibrato)
Speed8-9 o'clock (slow)
Depth1 o'clock
Headroom12 o'clock
Mix75%
THE greasy ingredient. Slow Univibe makes the tone breathe and drip. Don't run it fast or it sounds like a phaser. Slow and deep.
Timeline — wet path
TypedBucket
Time540ms
Repeats12 o'clock
Mix100% wet
Filter2 o'clock (very dark)
Grit11 o'clock
Long, dark, gritty repeats. Echoes recede into the smoke.
BigSky — wet path
MachineHall
Decay2 o'clock (~4s)
Mix100% wet
Tone9 o'clock (very warm)
Pre-delay11 o'clock
Mod10 o'clock
Big, warm, dark Hall. The room behind your lead. Notes melt into atmosphere.
Why this is greasy
The Univibe does 60% of the work here. Slow chorus-mode Vibe creates a continuous, syrupy pitch shift that makes every sustained note melt. Stack that on stacked AC+ channels (A into B) and the Badger at edge of breakup, and every note has THREE layers of harmonic distortion AND continuous pitch motion. The dark gritty Timeline and warm Hall BigSky on the wet amp wrap everything in smoky atmosphere. This tone CAN'T be played fast. It demands slow, melodic phrasing — which IS the point.
Pickup: NeckVol: 7Tone: 5Pick: fingers or thumbSlow phrases only
G4Funky Cluck
Greasy rhythm · Position 2/4 sparkle · Compressed Strat chicken-pickin'
Greasy doesn't have to be a lead tone. This is greasy rhythm — thick, percussive, slightly broken-up funk and blues comp. AC+ Channel A as a low-gain compressor/booster. Amp clean with mids pushed. Position 2/4 quack stays clear while still having grease.
Suhr S — Guitar
PickupPos 2 (bridge+mid) or Pos 4
Volume8
Tone8
The "in-between" positions are where Strats cluck. ML pickups have classic Strat quack with slightly more body than vintage.
Boss SD-9
StatusOFF
Too much grit for comping. Save it for the solo.
Xotic AC+
ChannelA only — always on
Gain A8 o'clock (almost off)
Volume A2 o'clock
Tone A12 o'clock
Boost+15dB on
Min gain, max volume, Boost engaged. Pure clean boost that slams the amp's front end while the Boost switch adds top-end sparkle. Hits the EL84s like a fist.
Suhr Badger 18
ModeHi
Power6
Gain3
Bass4
Mid6
Treble5
Presence4
Slightly more treble than lead patches because rhythm wants definition. The AC+ Boost adds percussive top.
Mobius — slight chorus
TypeChorus
ModedBucket
Speed10 o'clock
Depth10 o'clock
Mix15-20%
Just enough to make the clean cluck three-dimensional. Seasoning, not a feature.
Timeline — wet path
TypeDigital
Time120ms (slapback)
Repeats9 o'clock (1-2 repeats)
Mix100% wet
Filter12 o'clock
Slapback delay — the rhythm secret. Each chord stab gets one quick repeat. Doubles the percussive feel.
BigSky — wet path
MachineRoom
Decay9 o'clock (short)
Mix100% wet
Tone12 o'clock
Pre-delay8 o'clock
Short, tight Room. Just enough that you don't sound dry — slapback does most of the spatial work.
Why this is greasy
The trick: using the AC+ as an always-on clean boost with Boost engaged — percussive treble articulation of a Tele "spank" without losing the Strat's quack. Mids at 6 on the amp keep chords thick. The slapback delay doubles every chord stab, creating that vintage Booker T / Steve Cropper rhythm depth. Tone knob at 8 keeps cluck alive but the AC+ Boost adds warmth-around-the-top so it never gets icy. Greasy that grooves.
Slow blues lead · Maximum grease · All the gain stages, all the time
The deepest, most saturated greasy on the page. Every gain stage on. SD-9 → AC+ A → AC+ B → amp breaking up. Univibe on. Long warm delay and Hall reverb. The tone for a 12-minute slow blues solo at 3am.
Suhr S — Guitar
PickupNeck
Volume9
Tone6
Volume at 9 (not 10) leaves 1 number of headroom for a final push during the climax.
Boss SD-9
Drive3 o'clock
Tone8 o'clock (almost off)
Level5 o'clock (dimed)
First stage. Saturates and fattens the signal. Tone almost off — same Henderson/Landau extreme setting.
Xotic AC+ — stacked
RoutingA → B
Gain A11 o'clock
Volume A12 o'clock
Tone A10 o'clock
Gain B10 o'clock
Volume B1 o'clock
Mid3 o'clock (max push)
Bass / Treble11 / 10
CompSoft
Stacked with mids dimed. Gain stages 2 and 3. Soft clipping for buttery saturation.
Suhr Badger 18
ModeHi
Power7
Gain5 (breakup)
Bass4
Mid6.5
Treble3.5
Presence2
Amp itself in breakup. Drive 5 = clear amp distortion. All pedals on = 4 gain stages running. Presence at 2 stops upper register from getting strident.
Mobius — Univibe
TypeVibe
ModeChorus
Speed8 o'clock (very slow)
Depth2 o'clock
Headroom11 o'clock
Mix85%
Very slow, very deep. Each note swirls. Headroom pulled back adds a touch of saturation to the modulation itself.
Timeline — wet path
TypedTape
Time620ms
Repeats1 o'clock
Mix100% wet
Wow/Flutter12 o'clock
Bias10 o'clock (dark)
Long tape delay, lots of repeats. Each one warmer and more degraded. Feels like memories.
BigSky — wet path
MachineHall
Decay3 o'clock (~6s)
Mix100% wet
Tone9 o'clock (dark)
Pre-delay12 o'clock
Mod11 o'clock
Huge, dark, slow-decaying Hall. Notes disappear into the room slowly. Modulation keeps the long tail alive.
Why this is greasy
Maximum-grease tone — 4 cumulative gain stages (SD-9 + AC+ A + AC+ B + Badger breakup), Univibe making everything ripple, massive wet path sustaining every note for 6 seconds. Why it doesn't turn to mud: SD-9 tone almost off (cuts harsh top), AC+ tone at 10 (rolled warm), Badger presence at 2 (kills icy top), guitar tone at 6 (woody). Every gain stage adds LOW MID saturation, not high-end fizz. So thick you can chew it. Best at one note per bar.
Pickup: NeckVol: 9Tone: 6Pick: lightly, near neckOne note. Hold it.
The Five Principles of Greasy — Memorize
Tone knobs always rolled back. Guitar tone 5-7, pedal tone left of noon, amp treble & presence low. Greasy lives in the upper mids, NOT the highs.
Mids pushed everywhere. Amp mids 6-7. Pedal mids past noon. The "vocal honk" of greasy is upper-midrange emphasis. Scooped mids = NOT greasy.
Power tubes do the compression, not preamps. Badger Power at 5-7 keeps the EL84s sagging. Gain on the amp stays low (2-4) on most presets. Compression is the SECRET of greasy.
Stack gain stages at LOW gain each. Four pedals at 9-11 o'clock gain each = thick saturation that breathes. One pedal at full gain = harsh fizz. Cumulative low-gain = vintage tube stack character.
Modulation is seasoning, not a feature. Univibe in chorus mode (NOT vibrato), Mobius chorus dBucket at 15-25% mix. You shouldn't HEAR modulation — you should miss it when it's gone.