my setup -and the key to a pro sound- I go out of my guitar into an Ibanez PPE1-if you can find one BUY IT- it is a parametric eq and it allows you to shape your pickup sound very precisely and you can change the parameters based on different guitars and save them.then i go into my preamp,from there I run into a Furman PQ6-Again a parametric eq(Stereo) then into my effects,then a bbe type unit if you like then ALL TUBE poweramp out to cabs.
the key is to have an EQ before the preamp and one after it before the poweramp.This is a pro live setup and will establish ANY tone you desire.