Pedals that stack with the Gallien-Krueger Fusion 500 S
← everything about the Gallien-Krueger Fusion 500 S
All 7 ranked by how well they pair, from rig co-occurrence and tone-complementarity evidence
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
33% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → low gain)
A RAT 2 out front gives the Fusion 500's organic, harmonic-rich preamp the low-gain grind it doesn't produce on its own.
Goes in front of the amp
Ashdown Geezer Butler Signature
Ashdown
30% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → low gain)
The Fusion 500's organic, hybrid tube preamp gives the Geezer Butler's doom-voiced distortion a warmer amp voice to push into.
Goes in front of the amp
Beetronics Swarm
Beetronics
30% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (transparent → fuzzy)
On a bright hybrid-tube stage rig like the Fusion 500, the Swarm's fuzz harmonics stay clear instead of turning to mush.
Goes in front of the amp
MXR M117R Flanger
MXR
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put MXR M117R Flanger after Gallien-Krueger Fusion 500 S in the signal chain, clear of Gallien-Krueger Fusion 500 S's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Pigtronix
13% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)
Philosopher's Tone Micro's boutique sustain-focused compression evens out bass dynamics ahead of the Fusion 500's hybrid tube preamp.
Goes in front of the amp
Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
Dunlop
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run the Carbon Copy Mini in the Fusion 500's loop — dark analog slapback on top of its hybrid tube-preamp warmth. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Meris Polymoon
Meris
10% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run the Polymoon in the Fusion 500's loop for complex, modulated delay beyond the amp's own hybrid tube-preamp warmth. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop