robelinda2
Well-known member
yeah i saw that page, i thought i was looking for the Lonestar Classic, but its just a normal Lonestar yeah? As opposed to the special?
- Thread starter Lucidology
- Start date
Antoine
Well-known member
Lucidology, just a little correction here, the Lone Star Special doesn't have EL84's pre-amp tubes, and EL34's power tubes, in fact both are power amps tubes so it's impossible to have EL84's as pre-amp tube, the LSS has just 12ax7 pre-amp tubes and EL84's power amp tubes (same as the Vox AC-30 or some Matchless amps or Peavey Classic 30...)
Both Lone Star amps share the same 12ax7 preamp tubes, but they differ with poweramp tubes, the LSC has EL34's and the LSS ahs EL84's
Lucidology
Well-known member
Yes Antoine.. thank you so much for the correction..
somehow in my mind I combined the Stiletto Ace powertubes with the Special's...
However, the EL34's are the option with the Lonestar Classic.. 6L6's are the power tubes that come with the amp... the Lonestar Classic actually has a switch that instantly will bias the tubes if you choose to use EL34's instead of the 6L6's...
Rob.. it's the regular Lonestar (classic) I'm talking about
(as reviewed in that article...)
not the Lonestar Special...(that's a very different beast...)
They don't call it the Lonestar Classic on the website... but that's the nickname it's gotten since they released the Lonestar Special last year...
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Antoine
Well-known member
No probs Lucidology 
and thanks to you for the 6L6's correction on the Classic !
and thanks to you for the 6L6's correction on the Classic !
roburado
Well-known member
Yeah...I should have said that I haven't tried the Classic, but I have tried the Special. Just kind of never got around to it. Hmmm...maybe today, I'll give the Classic a little workout. Anyway, I still hate the Special.
Lucidology
Well-known member
Rob.. are you on the market for a new amp?
If so, these aren't inexpensive,
but it's an "amp for life"
as JP Buttercream pointed out...
Might be worth selling a few items for it...
If so, these aren't inexpensive,
but it's an "amp for life"
as JP Buttercream pointed out...
Might be worth selling a few items for it...
robelinda2
Well-known member
if the right amp came along Lucid.............
will try and find a Lonestar to play this week.
will try and find a Lonestar to play this week.
Weird...I just played the LoneStar Special today and I was like, "Dream Amp!" Then I played the classic and it was okay, but completely not me.
But then again, the only use I have for saturation in a tube amp is for the saggy tweed-stuff, and I loved the 5-watt pure class A mode. The 30-watt diode rectifier mode was nice and sparkly, but in a way that contrasted nicely to my JC-120, which is currently the amp I favor.
But really, am I the only one who preferred the special?
But then again, the only use I have for saturation in a tube amp is for the saggy tweed-stuff, and I loved the 5-watt pure class A mode. The 30-watt diode rectifier mode was nice and sparkly, but in a way that contrasted nicely to my JC-120, which is currently the amp I favor.
But really, am I the only one who preferred the special?
Lucidology
Well-known member
Great rundown of the Special...!!
It still has chime & sparkle,
but doesn't stay clean as you turn it up....
I think a lot of people looking for strickly
a Tweed sound will prefer the Special over the regular Lonestar....
In fact, a lot of folk who are into
low wattage Vox amps will probably also prefer the Special,,,,
The Lonestar is more of a
Fender Blackface clean (i.e.Twin, Super Reverb)
as opposed to the Special being more of a
Fender Tweed or Vox clean (i.e. very early breakup..)
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SteveB
Well-known member
Somebody stop this thread! You guys are making me want a Lonestar amp!
I'll have to try one next week now... and all this NAMM teasing from Dargin, too! Ugh!
I'll have to try one next week now... and all this NAMM teasing from Dargin, too! Ugh!
Lucidology
Well-known member
While I was demo-ing the amp in the store
(Guitar Showcase in San Jose..)
One of the sales guys, Jack,
called a friend of his who is one of the main dudes
at the actual Petaluma Mesa Boogie factory...
He gave me the rundown on where to start
in order to discover the best settings...
What most people don't understand
about the active, tube controlled EQ knobs on the Lonestar amps
is that noon (straight up) is actually a neutral setting...
So a turn to your left is a minus... turn to the right is a Plus...
On most amps neutral is at the start of the knob, 6:30 (-0)..
This was a great help in setting the controls to taste...
Plus, in the overdrive channel when the gain knob is being used
(as it can be bypassed all together for just a big ol' Texas blues sound...)
then the Treble knob becomes yet another gain stage possibility ...
(as also becomes the loop level knob turned up past noon..)
Often players who like are looking for a lot of gain & try it out in the store,
come out saying it doesn't have enough meat available for them...
It's only because you have to learn to dial it in...
& those who aren't looking for a lot of meat (gain)
have less of a learning curve...
Plus, this amp is capable of a lot of Bass...
Thumping bottom-end bass for those that want it..
(I use the bass at about -1 on the gain channel..)
About 11:00 on the clean channel..
Andy Timmons described the Lonestar something like this:
"Ya gotta love an amp where you get to turn up the treble,
instead of having to instantly back it way off as you usually do
on almost any other amp ..."
(I'll find his interview about the Lonestar & post it for the exact words..)
(Guitar Showcase in San Jose..)
One of the sales guys, Jack,
called a friend of his who is one of the main dudes
at the actual Petaluma Mesa Boogie factory...
He gave me the rundown on where to start
in order to discover the best settings...
What most people don't understand
about the active, tube controlled EQ knobs on the Lonestar amps
is that noon (straight up) is actually a neutral setting...
So a turn to your left is a minus... turn to the right is a Plus...
On most amps neutral is at the start of the knob, 6:30 (-0)..
This was a great help in setting the controls to taste...
Plus, in the overdrive channel when the gain knob is being used
(as it can be bypassed all together for just a big ol' Texas blues sound...)
then the Treble knob becomes yet another gain stage possibility ...
(as also becomes the loop level knob turned up past noon..)
Often players who like are looking for a lot of gain & try it out in the store,
come out saying it doesn't have enough meat available for them...
It's only because you have to learn to dial it in...
& those who aren't looking for a lot of meat (gain)
have less of a learning curve...
Plus, this amp is capable of a lot of Bass...
Thumping bottom-end bass for those that want it..
(I use the bass at about -1 on the gain channel..)
About 11:00 on the clean channel..
Andy Timmons described the Lonestar something like this:
"Ya gotta love an amp where you get to turn up the treble,
instead of having to instantly back it way off as you usually do
on almost any other amp ..."
(I'll find his interview about the Lonestar & post it for the exact words..)
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roburado
Well-known member
Man, try that in any other region of the country. Not going to happen. That's sweet!
I remember when Mark Snyder was a Mesa Rep in the NY area. I think maybe someone like that would be able to give you information like what you got, Lucid, but I doubt many people are going to be able to go into a store and have a salesman call his buddy who happens to work for Mesa.
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Roxy
Well-known member
I love the LS Special for tweed/Vox blues tones. When you get some time, read Randall Smith's paper on Class A and the LS Special.
The LSS can be a bit more "brash" sounding, but for old blues it's awesome. The Classic is more jazzy "upscale" sounding. I love them both.
For those interested in further MESA discussion checkout:
http://forum.grailtone.com/
The LSS can be a bit more "brash" sounding, but for old blues it's awesome. The Classic is more jazzy "upscale" sounding. I love them both.
For those interested in further MESA discussion checkout:
http://forum.grailtone.com/
fsmith
Well-known member
Somebody stop this thread! You guys are making me want a Lonestar amp!
I'll have to try one next week now... and all this NAMM teasing from Dargin, too! Ugh!
Steve,
While you're at it check out the new Stiletto Ace as well. If you require any sort of gain this can be one mean sumbitch. I'm really liking the cleans as well. Fat Clean is just incredible. It may not be as nice as the Lonstar's clean but it was much more versatile for me in having so many different voices in one amp. For a 2 channel amp it really delivers. It was earvana from the first chord.
fred
francric
Well-known member
You don't need to have a salesman call Mesa, you can call Mesa directly. They are a friendly, knowledgeable staff willing to help and answer all questions.
Yes, check that place out. Lot's of good people and answers.
Antoine
Well-known member
A very good forum, i'm there too, speaking with forumers of my so lovely Mesa Boogie MarkIV Head and Recto cab
man I totally forgot about this site IBANEZ 2007
just click on the artists headline then (electric guitar) and choose Andy Timmons. There will be two vids. One showing his rig and beautiful sounds of Lonestar and second when he is playing one of the song from Resolution (don't look at Ib@nez guitars though )
just click on the artists headline then (electric guitar) and choose Andy Timmons. There will be two vids. One showing his rig and beautiful sounds of Lonestar and second when he is playing one of the song from Resolution (don't look at Ib@nez guitars though
)
robelinda2
Well-known member
Philip thank you very much!!! More Timmons is what we need! Great videos on that Ibanez site, man i love his playing.
SteveB
Well-known member
Curse.. er, umm... Thank You, Fred!
That amp sounds pretty cool, too. I've seen them in my local store but never plugged in.
Lucidology
Well-known member
Very True... the Stiletto Ace is also a great amp....
Before I choose the Lonestar Classic,
I bought the Stiletto Ace...
It's a screamer... loads of gain, closed back, EL34's...
Cutts like a knife, yet also can be very smooth & full sounding at the same time...
The notes are very immediate & percussive...
The reason I brought it back, though the cleans were very good,
they were just not that Blackface, pristine type of sparkley clean I prefer...
The cleans on the Stiletto are very fat as described by fsmith,
but they still maintain a tiny touch of grit even at it's cleanest setting...
Mesa describes this sound as a British clean,
whereas they call the Lonestar's, an American clean....
I hadn't played the Lonestar yet because
I was so taken by the powerful surge of the Stiletto Ace...
It's very seductive...
However, when I played the Lonestar,
I immediately knew it fit my funky,
loud Jazz Fusion & Smooth Jazz style much better...
It's has more bloom to the notes ...
However, both Amps sustain beautifully...
