Tube distortion pedals don`t cut through the mix?

For the past year, I`ve been gigging with a solid state FullDrive 2 overdrive pedal and some tube-based ToneBone distortion pedals. I also use a Gibson SG and a Reverend Hellhound amp. I use the ToneBones as my main distortions and use the Fulldrive2 as a boost for solos. I run the gain about 1/2 way. When playing by myself, I like the tone. But when I play with my band, it seems like my tone doesn`t cut through.
The other player in my band uses an old solid state Crate 40 watt amp from the 80`s. His tone really just cuts through the mix. His tone isn`t as warm as mine, but it isn`t necessarily buzzy either. Also his solos seem to sustain very well.
At my last gig, I was disappointed, as usual, that the other guitarist`s tone was cutting through very well and mine was just lost, especially since I`m supposed to be the "lead guitarist" on about 90% of the songs. In the middle of a set, I decided to use my FullDrive 2 (instead of my ToneBones) as my main distortion. We were playing songs by Billy Squier, Cheap Trick, REM, and Foreigner at the time. THe FullDrive 2 was great for that stuff. My rhythm guitar really cut through. Unfortunately when it came to playing solos, it just didn`t sustain as well as the ToneBones.
I also noticed a similar thing a couple years ago when I debuted my new SIB Varidrive at a gig. I thought the SIB Varidrive sounded great when playing by myself, but at the gig I was disappointed to find out that it didn`t cut through the mix at all. I ended up using my FullDrive 2 for the rest of the night.
So I wish I had a pedal that was warm and can sustain like my tube pedals, but cut through the mix like my solid state pedals.
I`m curious how other gigging guitarists feel about tube distortion pedals as compared to high quality solid state pedals. Have any of you had the same experiences that I have had with tube pedals?

I been gigging now for over 15 years and I have only played in I think 3 bands that had more than one guitarist and that was way back. but I have gone through everything from tube screamers, rats, Hughes & Kettner, Tube Works and then some but I always come back to the 2 pedals I have had forever a Boss DS-1 distortion and a Boss OD-1 over drive now I think its the OD-3, the yellow and orange pedals. After all they wouldn`t still be making them if they weren`t so dependable and tonally versatile. And unlike the Tube Screamer and other unmentionables they were never discontinued. In general I don`t think anything tube base is really all that great for distortion. The over drive pedals were made specifically to push a tube amp over the point of clipping. I use 2 amps both for deferent reasons one is a tube amp its a Carvin X-60B head and the other is solid state, an Ampeg VH140c. The ampeg has distortion like I have never heard, till this very day it is the most powerful thumping monsterus thing I have ever laid ears on. zack wilde used a tube version of the same head. They made a Lye Jackson Custom model for a while. I use both pedals with my Carvin and occasionally I use the Over Drive with my Ampeg on the clean channel for some 70`s early 80`s cover tunes. Anyways I think those pedals are timeless and they are both solid state analog circuitry. Even the retardedly priced way over talked about peace of crap original Tube Screamer (you couldn`t give the thing away when it originally came out in 1980 something or other) is solid state.

No offense, but sound like you got too much shit between your guitar and amp...a good sound man or an eq pedal boosted at just the right freq, will determine if you stand out in the mix or not...just a small boost in the mid to upper mid..its not necessarly a volume issue either

My signal path is: Guitar -> Arion Tuner -> Fulltone Clyde Wah -> Ross Phaser -> Fulltone FullDrive 2 -> ToneBone Classic distortion -> ToneBone Hot British Distortion -> Boss CE-3 Chorus -> Amp
It seems like a lot of stuff, but actually the only pedal that seems to alter the tone when it is not on is the Boss Chorus, otherwise, the original guitar signal remains pretty much unaltered. I use a lot of pedals, because my band covers all kinds of rock music from the 50`s through today.
I`ve thought about using an EQ to further tailor the tone of my distortion, but it means that when I use distortion, I`ll have to press both my distortion pedal and my EQ pedal. I don`t want to leave my EQ pedal on all the time since I`m happy with my clean tone, it sounds good and clean tones always cut through just fine.
In the past I`ve tried using an A/B box to split my signal after my phaser into a clean path and a dirty path, like this:
Guitar -> tuner -> Wah -> Phaser -> A/B Switch A(clean path): -> Chorus -> Amp B(dirty path): -> distortion pedals -> EQ -> Amp
I tried recombining the signal at the amp input using a Y-adaptor. I remember that using the Y-adaptor didn`t seem to work well for recombining the signals. I forget the exact problem I had, but it seemed like the one signal path interfered with the other. Does anyone know how I can successfully split and recombine the signals at the amp and make it so switching between the two signal paths is as easy as stepping on one switch? Perhaps that`s a whole other

I like the tube pedals because they feel more like an amp to me, but I kind of agree with you, they may not be the best for getting a distorted signal. I noticed when I owned my Varidrive, that it sounded best when I first fed the signal through my Fulldrive 2 then fed that into the Varidrive. The fulldrive 2 gave the tone some focus. The Varidrive seemed a little murky when using it on its own.

band situation. I dont own a tonebone, but i know they`ve got an EQ and some tone switches: use it!
Next time when playing with your band dail in some extra mids and a tad more treble/presence. Try experimenting with your EQ between the songs during rehearsal. Either on your amp or effects. Try doing that with your eyes closed, let your ears decide the sound not your eyes...

You need a looper. That`s the easiest way to switch multiple pedals on and off with a single stomp. Check http://www.monkeyfx.co.uk or http://www.loooper.com

If you want a pedal that can cut through anything, get a Boss SD-1. You just sacrifice some low end to get there though.

frequencies when playing by myself (they annoy me, just like crash cymbals), but perhaps when playing with the band, those same frequencies are the ones I may need to cut through.
Yesterday I discovered that ToneBone now has a user manual for their pedals. I downloaded it and tried the sample settings. Some of their samples had the pedal setup in ways that I never would`ve tried. They tend to set the pedal up so it is brighter than I usually like it. I`ll have to try them at my next rehearsal.
Paying careful attention to guitar tones on records also seems to back up your position. I was learning a Cars song the other day while wearing headphones. When I concentrated on the guitar parts, I discovered that the guitars are much brighter and harsher than I thought they were. But I suppose in context with the rest of the band, it sounds good.

<snip> Please post your results!

home alone can easily mush out in the band mix.
Fwiw, there have been times when I used a bunch of stuff in my effects chain: two distortions/ods, wah, chorus, echo, and Korg Rotary sim. Even had a Deja Vibe in there till it got stolen.
When I did used all these things I usually ran in stereo-putting the distortions and wah before the main amp, running a feed from that (combo) amp`s effects loop out through the modultation-delay stuff and returning it into the effects loop `in` of the slave combo.
It usually worked great. Kept the chorus on all the time, with very low settings to get a spread which was heard on stage and about halfway through the smallish clubs we play.
When I got tired of the half hour set ups/breakdowns (even with an SBK pedalboard)- or at hit and run casuals- I began running it all through one combo using the same `before amp/effects loop` relationship. It got mushy. I put a Boss EQ in there- before the amp. It allowed me to cut through, though I was always tweaking and looking for a better tone (combo brain was frequently a Peavey Classic which cuts fine without all the effects).
I have a Marshall 30th Ann/6100 combo which I occasionally pull out. That thing is a `cut` monster. It`s always been my opinion that one of the bonuses of (the right) Marshalls is besides the legendary tones - and you get 4 or 5 flavors from the 6100/TSL - they automatically cut through the mix.
The Marshall 30th Ann is one of the collectors editions and a bit fragile. If the gig is `normal` (one or 2 nights inside in a club) it usually gets it`s shot. When I take it, only one distortion is used - a Jerry Donahue pedal for mild breakup on the clean channel. The 2 overdrive channels handle medium to high gain stuff fine- with no needed from a booster or EQ.
For practices and for hit and run casuals I now use my Line 6 AX2 modeling amp which has been my home practice amp since 1998.
I`ve finally got some gig volume patches dialed...the same `cut` issues apply to modelers maybe even more than tube pedals and amps. It`s working out nicely. Quick set up, some great tones from 2 or 3 presets. The only compromise is the effects, which run from very good (delays, wah) to mediocre (chorus, modulation stuff).
The AX2 design is at least 5 years old and it`s been discontinued. I believe the new Flextone IIIs have addressed the effects issues. We`ll see when they hit the stores next month.