Guitar AUV3 Final Guide — Folk & Country Clean Tones

Taylor T5z

// Hollow-body Hybrid · Neck Humbucker · Middle Single · Piezo Body Sensor · 3 Modes

EXPERIMENT FRIENDLY

Tone philosophy: Your primary clean voice here is the neck humbucker through a warm Fender clean — full, woody, fingerpicking-friendly. The T5z is also your playground for experimentation: three pickup modes give you three distinct characters to explore with different ToneX models. Suggested starting point: clean and warm. Branch out from there.

Scarlett Solo — T5z

Gain knob~50%

Humbucker peaks−13dBFS

Piezo modeLower to ~40%

Inst buttonON

Air modeOFF

ToneX — Clean Foundation

Primary modelFender Deluxe / Vibrolux

Input gain−2 to 0 dB

Cab simOFF → use IR loader

Presence3–4 (warm, not bright)

Piezo modeBypass ToneX entirely

Pro-C2 — Opto Mode

Pro-C2 Opto · gentle & musical

Attack

35ms

Release

Auto

Ratio

2.5:1

Threshold

−18dB

Knee

Soft 6dB

GR max

3–4dB

Pro-Q3 — Natural Phase · Folk/Country Warmth

Pro-Q3 Natural Phase · Dynamic cut on 400Hz

85Hz

Cut

Warmth

180Hz

+1.5

Box ★

400Hz

−2

DYN EQ

Clarity

2kHz

Air

10kHz

−1

★ Dynamic EQ on 400Hz — cuts the hollow-body boxiness only when it becomes problematic, leaves warmth intact at lower volumes

Pro-R2 — Warm Room

Pro-R2 Room · Character ~50%

Space

Room 40%

Decay

1.4s

Pre-delay

18ms

Mix

18%

Lo cut

180Hz

T5z Tone Exploration — Three Pickup Modes

Mode 1 — Neck Humbucker · Warm Folk/Country Clean

ToneX modelFender Deluxe / Vibrolux

CharacterFull, warm, round

Best forFingerpicking, ballads

ToneX gain0 dB — keep clean

Presence3 (warm, not cutting)

Pro-C2 modeOpto 2.5:1

Mode 2 — Middle Single · Jangly Country Brightness

ToneX modelVox AC15 / Matchless clean

CharacterChimey, sparkly, open

Best forRhythm, country strum

ToneX gain+1 dB

Presence5 (let it chime)

Pro-C2 modeClean 3:1 faster attack

Mode 3 — Piezo/Body Sensor · Acoustic Character

ToneXBYPASS — skip entirely

Route toAcoustic IR loader

CharacterAcoustic-leaning hybrid

Best forSinger-songwriter, open tunings

Scarlett gain~40% (hot output)

Pro-C2 modeOpto 1.8:1 very gentle

Experimental · Light Breakup Texture

ToneX modelTweed at edge of breakup

CharacterWarm, slightly hairy

Best forCountry leads, expressiveness

ToneX gain+3 to +4 dB

Presence5–6

Pro-C2Punchy mode 3:1

Complete Signal Chain — Primary (Neck Humbucker)

Scarlett Solo In1→ ToneX (Deluxe clean)→ Acoustic IR→ Pro-C2 Opto→ Pro-Q3→ Pro-R2 Room→ Scarlett Monitor Out→ Spark Edge In3

Save Loopy Pro templates per mode: Create three saved configurations — one per pickup mode. The gain staging difference between the humbucker (~50% Scarlett gain) and the piezo (~40%) is enough that switching mid-session without adjusting will either clip or give you a weak signal. Pro tip: in Loopy Pro, use input trim on each track to compensate for the output level difference between modes rather than touching the Scarlett hardware knob.

Telecaster

// Solid Body · Bright Single-Coils · Hot Bridge · Classic Country Machine

OLD SCHOOL COUNTRY · TWANG

Tone philosophy: The Telecaster is the defining instrument of old school country. Clean, twangy, and bright with that distinctive bridge pickup snap — think Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, early Waylon. The goal is preserving every ounce of natural Telecaster character: the click, the spank, and the chime. Resist the urge to smooth it out too much.

Scarlett Solo — Telecaster

Gain knob~55%

Peak target−12dBFS

Bridge pickupCan run hot — watch halo

Noise gate (first)Brusfri at −50dB

Inst buttonON

ToneX — Tweed/Princeton Clean

ModelFender Tweed / Princeton

Input gain+1 dB

Cab simON — 1×12 or 2×10

Presence6 (let the Tele breathe)

Depth4

Pro-C2 — Clean Mode

Pro-C2 Clean · 8ms lets twang through

Attack

8ms

Release

120ms

Ratio

3:1

Threshold

−14dB

Knee

Medium

GR max

3–5dB

Pro-Q3 — Country Tele Voicing · Dynamic cut 8kHz

Pro-Q3 Linear Phase · Dynamic bell 8kHz for Sony headphones

90Hz

Cut

Low

180Hz

−1

Honk

600Hz

−1

Twang

3kHz

Air ★

8kHz

−2

DYN EQ

★ Dynamic EQ at 8kHz — cuts brightness only when you dig in hard, keeps the Tele's natural chime at lower picking volumes. Essential for Sony closed-backs.

Pro-R2 — Short Room/Spring

Pro-R2 Tight · short · country feel

Space

Room 22%

Decay

0.8s

Pre-delay

8ms

Mix

12%

Width

Narrow/mono

Complete Signal Chain

Scarlett Solo In1→ Brusfri Gate→ ToneX (Tweed)→ Pro-C2 Clean→ Pro-Q3→ Pro-R2→ Slap delay (opt)→ Scarlett Monitor Out→ Spark Edge In3

Country slap delay option: Old school country tone loves a slapback delay — single repeat, 80–120ms, no feedback, very low mix (10–15%). Add it after Pro-Q3 and before Pro-R2. This is the signature sound of 1950s and 60s country records. Keep Pro-C2 in Clean mode with the 8ms attack — that brief window before the compressor kicks in is where the Telecaster's pick attack and string snap lives. Don't let the compressor eat it.

Stratocaster

// Solid Body · SSS · Positions 2 & 4 Quack · Folk & Country Versatility

FOLK · COUNTRY · SONGWRITER

Tone philosophy: The Strat's strength for folk and country is its sweet, glassy clean tone — especially in position 4 (middle + bridge) for that distinctive quack, or position 1 (neck) for a warmer fingerpicking voice. Think James Taylor clean, or the chiming country rhythm of early Eagles. The goal is never harsh — always musical and open.

Scarlett Solo — Stratocaster

Gain knob~52%

Peak target−13dBFS

Positions 2 & 4Output drops ~2dB — normal

Noise gate (first)Brusfri at −52dB

Inst buttonON

ToneX — Blackface Clean

ModelFender Blackface / Deluxe

Input gain0 dB — stay clean

Cab simON — 2×12 Alnico

Presence4–5 (musical not harsh)

Depth4

Pro-C2 — Mastering Mode

Pro-C2 Mastering · near-invisible

Attack

20ms

Release

Auto

Ratio

2:1

Threshold

−20dB

Knee

Soft wide

GR max

2–3dB

Pro-Q3 — Folk/Country Strat Voicing · Dynamic 3kHz

Pro-Q3 Zero Latency · Dynamic bell 3kHz

80Hz

Cut

Body

250Hz

−1

Quack

1kHz

+1.5

Edge ★

3kHz

−1

DYN EQ

Silk

10kHz

★ Dynamic EQ at 3kHz — Sony closed-backs emphasise this range; auto-tames harshness when picking hard without losing the Strat's natural sweetness at lower volumes

Pro-R2 — Open Plate

Pro-R2 Plate · opens headphone stage

Space

Plate 50%

Decay

1.2s

Pre-delay

15ms

Mix

16%

Width

Wide stereo

Complete Signal Chain

Scarlett Solo In1→ Brusfri Gate→ ToneX (Blackface)→ Pro-C2 Mastering→ Pro-Q3→ Pro-R2 Plate→ Scarlett Monitor Out→ Spark Edge In3

Position compensation: Strat positions 2 and 4 output slightly lower than 1, 3, or 5 due to pickup cancellation. Rather than adjusting the Scarlett knob, add +1.5dB on Loopy Pro's input trim for those positions. Pro-R2 in stereo Plate mode is particularly effective for folk and songwriter work through Sony closed-backs — it creates the sensation of playing in a room rather than directly into your ears, which is the closest you'll get to the feel of an acoustic space without FRFR.

Taylor 316ce

// Acoustic-Electric · Grand Symphony Body · ES2 Undersaddle Pickup · Hot Output

FOLK · SINGER-SONGWRITER · FINGERSTYLE

Tone philosophy: The 316ce is your primary songwriter and fingerpicking instrument. The Grand Symphony body gives you a wide, full sound with strong low-end — gorgeous live but needs careful management through headphones. The goal is natural, open, and warm — like sitting in a well-treated room, not processed.

Scarlett Solo — 316ce

Gain knob~35–38%

Peak target−16dBFS

ES2 outputHot — start lower

Verify withHard strum first

ToneXBYPASS — not needed

Signal Routing

First pluginPro-Q3 HP at 80Hz

Second pluginAcoustic IR loader

IR typeGrand Symphony / Orchestra

ThenPro-C2 → Pro-Q3 → Pro-R2

Phase modeNatural Phase in Pro-Q3

Pro-C2 — Opto Gentle

Pro-C2 Opto · Stereo Link 50%

Attack

50ms

Release

Auto

Ratio

1.8:1

Threshold

−22dB

St. Link

50%

GR max

1.5–3dB

Pro-Q3 — Natural Phase · Grand Symphony Correction

Pro-Q3 Natural Phase · two instances (HP first, then full EQ after IR)

80Hz

Cut

Box ★

320Hz

−2

Nasal

750Hz

−1.5

Presence

3kHz

Air

12kHz

+1.5

★ −2dB at 320Hz is the single most important adjustment for the 316ce — removes the Grand Symphony body resonance that becomes "boxy" through headphones

Pro-R2 — Concert Hall

Pro-R2 Hall · long · wide · 25ms delay

Space

Hall 70%

Decay

2.2s

Pre-delay

25ms

Mix

24%

Width

Wide stereo

Complete Signal Chain

Scarlett Solo In1→ Pro-Q3 HP 80Hz→ Acoustic IR (GS body)→ Pro-C2 Opto→ Pro-Q3 (main EQ)→ Pro-R2 Hall→ Stereo widener→ Scarlett Monitor Out→ Spark Edge In3

ES2 practical tip: The ES2's three saddle sensors can occasionally have one that's slightly hotter than the others — if you notice one or two strings jumping out in the mix, this is the culprit. There's no fix in software (it's a hardware pickup balance issue), but the Pro-C2's Stereo Link at 50% helps smooth this out subtly. The 25ms pre-delay in Pro-R2 is critical for the singer-songwriter context — it creates the sense of being in a real performance space, which is grounding when playing folk and country in headphones.

Taylor GS Mini

// Compact Acoustic-Electric · GS-Go Passive Undersaddle Piezo · No Blend Control

FOLK · TRAVEL · CAPO WORK

Tone philosophy: The GS-Go is a simple passive undersaddle piezo — pure, direct, no body sensor blending. What you get is honest undersaddle character: slightly bright, very clear, detailed pick noise. The goal is to warm it up and make it feel like the acoustic instrument it is — the IR loader and Pro-Q3 do most of this work. Keep everything gentle and natural.

Scarlett Solo — GS Mini / GS-Go

Gain knob~40–43%

Peak target−15dBFS

GS-Go outputPassive — may need +2dB vs 316ce

No blend knobSingle source — EQ shapes all

ToneXBYPASS — not needed

Signal Routing

First pluginPro-Q3 HP at 100Hz

Second pluginAcoustic IR loader

IR typeParlor or small body

AvoidDreadnought IRs — too big

Phase modeNatural Phase in Pro-Q3

Pro-C2 — Opto Very Gentle

Pro-C2 Opto · barely there

Attack

60ms

Release

Auto

Ratio

1.5:1

Threshold

−24dB

Knee

Soft 8dB

GR max

1–2dB only

Pro-Q3 — Natural Phase · GS-Go Piezo Correction

Pro-Q3 Natural Phase · taming piezo character, adding warmth

100Hz

Cut

Warmth ★

200Hz

Woody

900Hz

Piezo

2.5kHz

−2

Air

10kHz

+1.5

★ +2dB at 200Hz adds warmth the passive GS-Go lacks. The −2dB at 2.5kHz is the most important cut — that "quacky" piezo nasal quality lives right there.

Pro-R2 — Intimate Room

Pro-R2 Small room · keep it intimate

Space

Room 28%

Decay

1.0s

Pre-delay

10ms

Mix

16%

Character

Bright 40%

Complete Signal Chain

Scarlett Solo In1→ Pro-Q3 HP 100Hz→ Acoustic IR (parlor/small)→ Pro-C2 Opto→ Pro-Q3 (main EQ)→ Pro-R2 Room→ Scarlett Monitor Out→ Spark Edge In3

GS-Go passive piezo reality: Unlike the ES-B, the GS-Go has no onboard preamp or body sensor — it's a straight passive undersaddle transducer. This means it needs more EQ work than the 316ce to feel natural. The −2dB cut at 2.5kHz is the most important single adjustment — passive undersaddle piezos have a characteristic nasal honk right there that is the main reason they can sound "plastic." The +2dB at 200Hz adds back the warmth the small body and passive pickup both lack. Keep the reverb small and intimate — a parlour-sized room suits the GS Mini's character far better than the concert hall you'd use on the 316ce. The GS Mini is a close-mic, living room folk instrument at heart; let the reverb reflect that.

Clean TonesFor Five Guitars

Clean Tones
For Five Guitars