Pedals that stack with the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → high gain)

Run mid-forward into Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo for more high gain on top

Goes in front of the amp

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (low gain → high gain)

Into a low gain tone, Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo brings a pull toward high gain that's missing

Goes in front of the amp

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (low gain → high gain)

Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo leans this low gain tone toward high gain, which it doesn't make on its own

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)

Klon Centaur pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)

Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's smooth balances out the bright tone

Goes in front of the amp

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → high gain)

Run mid-forward into Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo for more high gain on top

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)

Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)

Nobels ODR-1 pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)

Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)

Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)

Where this leans bright, Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo answers back smooth

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)

Where this leans bright, Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo answers back smooth — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.

MXR Dyna Comp leans toward bright, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → shimmer)

Put Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress after Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo in the signal chain, clear of Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's own gain stage

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → shimmer)

Keep Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's high gain voice out front: Catalinbread Cloak goes in Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's effects loop so its shimmer voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)

Put Hungry Robot Moby Dick V2 in Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's effects loop, clear of Mesa Boogie Mark Five:90 1x12 Combo's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop