would this work?

[daz]

If i put another tone stack just like the one in my schematic below right after the input stage to EQ the pre distortion signal? What i want to do it breadboard a tone stack and clip it in there at V1's pin 1 plate, then play with it till i find the tone i like and then replace all the pots with set resistors to create a pre distortion EQ as i have seen done before. If this won't work, why? Will it just kill the gain to the point i'd need another tube to get that same gain i have now? Or would it just lose a little which i could make up for by raising the grid leak resistors? Any thoughts at all ?

[Hardtailed]

That's how the Mesa Mark serie works basically, except the replace the post-gain TS with a graphic EQ.

It does kill some of the gain though, which is why the Mark IV has an insane amount of gain stages in lead mode (I think it's something like 5 or 6 stages before hitting the PI, I'd have to look at the schem again).

I believe you have opened the pandora box with your amp