Tips for getting your favourite tone

Im really enjoying my Grandmeister 36 and only have about 4 go to tones stored at the mo after doing a couple of gigs. 
I'm still finding my way around the amp and I'm keen to explore the best way to achieve a just breaking up chimey clean as well as a full fat lead roar 
I quickly found that the amp is more responsive on the 18w than the 36w setting but I haven't had enough playing time yet to explore the lower power settings as the only time I get to have a quick play is at rehearsals and sound checks etc. 

I've always used my guitar vol pot to achieve the chimey not quite clean tones that I love, so having a clean channel is a bit alien to me 
What's your fav go to tones and how do achieve it?
Cheers

I guess I always have a target tone in mind - so then I pick one of the four channels that closest matches what saturation I think I want and go for it.
I like dynamics in my solos, so I use the 36w mode for soloing. The crunch channel is my fav. I use the clean channel with the gain almost all the way up, like the not quite clean tone you mention.
I have an active power soak, so I never use the internal "get the GM really hot" soak modes - the amp has semiconductors, so I try to minimize the heat.
The internal effects are good enough, so I don't bother with 4 cable method.

I have played live 2 times with it, only had it about 3 weeks, still making adjustments etc. But indeed, it is very flexible and capable of many types of sounds. I still like how H&K sounds on the clean channel (especially with higher gain), that rich full range tone, like a piano string to some extent. Really nice and flexible for many types of songs. So far I have found playing the clean channel at 18 watts with the volume over 1/2 and gain around 2-3 o'clock gives a real nice full and harmonic tone if you hit the string hard. Very natural. This was also a quality of the Tubemeister 18 I had previously so I am happy it seems to be an H&K characteristic. I play with the treble at around 10 -11 o'clock mids around 1-2 and bass around 11. The amp, with stock tubes, is a indeed little bright with my guitar. A PRS MT408 which has hot bridge pickups. I think the Pups will account for some of the differences some people write about in their first impressions. I use an H&K 112 cab and have daisy chained to an old 2x12 Carvin cab (4ohm) on the other side of the stage that really sounds good. This also lets me use more watts without making on stage level too loud from the 112.

New tubes - I have 2 JJ 12AX7 and 1 JJ 12AT7 coming this week to smooth it out a little. I am putting the AT7 in the inverter position to cut the power a little so the Lead and Ultra channel will be a little more manaegable. They are pretty over the top right now.

I am primarily using Stompbox mode right now, but I have taken the factory presets and tweaked about 24 of them and renamed them using the iPad app. So eventually I will try using the program mode. The Midi footswitch is essential I think to get the flexibility it can provide.

Awesome so far!!!

I tend to set up using 1 watt setting getting an idea of the tone that I am looking for when I am at home. Mainly because I cant push things to loud at that point.
I have found the valves seem to really react when pushed around the 7/8 on the master volume.
While at home I will spend a good amount of time trying to get a tone I like. Once I have something I tend to I will make a copy on my main channels (1-10) at the wattage that I normally use for gigs which is 18. When I get to the studio I try to get in 10 mins early so I can go through the new tones at the new wattage. This mainly gives me the opportunity to adjust for any differences in changing the wattage have had.

A couple things I want to do in the future are to change the Valves. I was thinking some Sovtech EL84s. Just to see
Another thing I want to try is pushing the volume a little further and using a sound shield while on 36watts. Just to see if it will create a nice tone that doesn't overpower the stage.

So far I have about 10 tones I use regularly.
4 different lead and rhythm tones for a les paul style.
4 " " for a Fender Strat
a couple for songs where I replicate Keys rather than guitar. (The Who "Won't get fooled again" LedZep "No quarter")

I don't often use clean. Often using the volume on the guitar to achieve this. However I recently created clean overdriven preset. The gain on the channel is very high. and volume is really driven. Lovely AC/DC angus young feel. roll off the volume on the guitar and get a really nice clean tone.

I usually go in with an idea of what I'm looking for as well. I have 2 Switchblades so I'm used to these amps. I go to each channel and dial in a base sound for them. Then I set up presets using various levels of gain for each sound with fx on each. I use 20 presets for each of the 2 guitars I gig with when I use the GM alone. When I bring my TC G Major I use about 30 sounds for each guitar. Same levels of gain, and a lot more fx. I play in a few bands, and try to have a sound for everything.

I don't bother much with 1 or 5 watts. I also don't try to use them at home. Even 1 watt is a bit too loud around the house for me. I'd rather save the amp from the heat.