best pedz for killer lead tones

[John Matrix]

Between my amp and my pedals I've got "raw and nasty" and "huge and fuzzy" totally covered. I'm looking for something that can take me to the realm of smooth, infinite, singing sustain. I wanna be able to whip out the Top Gun theme and have it send my soul up into the clouds with Goose and Maverick. I want the tones that will make grown men weep. When I bend a note I want my face to involuntarily contort into that face that's somewhere between "What's that smell?" and "I'm about to jizz everywhere." What have you got for me?

[retinal orbita]

Hmmm, that sustain thing is where I turn to a Muff....

[Tristan]

There's several options, I usually do both at the same time.
1. Use a delay (the right kind of delay) for your lead sound (I use a Deluxe Memory Man for this purpose)
2. Put a (dirty) boost and/or a compressor in front of your main drive / fuzz (I use a Amp 50 or Philosopher King for this purpose)

[friendship]

you know what you need don't you

look in your heart

you know it to be true

[Casavettes]

TAFM

[O Drones]

Fuck-Pharoah-Win

[rfurtkamp]

That's as much the right delay and verb as the gain choices.

All three will vary radically based on your guitar and amp choices too.

[John Matrix]

I've got some good delay goin on and that def helps a lot. I have plenty of gain happening between my pedals and my amp, the hard part is making the lead parts cut in the mix. A clean boost might be what I really need.

[coldbrightsunlight]

TAFM

Can totally do that. Also see muffs wit mids! eg LSTR

[Casavettes]

I've got some good delay goin on and that def helps a lot. I have plenty of gain happening between my pedals and my amp, the hard part is making the lead parts cut in the mix. A clean boost might be what I really need.

at least for me
when im not cutting through a mix its because of EQ issues and too much gain happening rather than the actual volume
then i boost the insane amount of gain happening and it ends up overpowering everything
unless thats what you're going for!
boost could help too, but figured i'd throw that out there.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, and a lot of those studio-type lead tones (or significantly pro live stuff) is any one or more of: good sound tech/mixing, EQ as mentioned, rest of the band staying out of the way of everything, controlled volume.

The actual pedal can get you there but it's more than that.

An example of what you're looking for would be helpful as well to narrow it down, plus what you're currently using.

[sonidero]

you know what you need don't you

look in your heart

you know it to be true

TS...

Get a Mini-Fuck...

[tjlong]

on the rare occasion i want to play "rock lead guitar" i.e. overdriven but not fuzzy, that 80s buttery, slightly gritty lead sound with the sustain:
any bridge humbucker > EP Booster (most clean boosts work too, but i like the EP best) > amp with gain and EQ dialed in just right