Express to Lonestar?

[ifailedshapes]

So! I've been all over the place lately as far as my GAS goes. My dad owns (and I'm the only one that ever plays) a Mark IV Widebody combo. I have a love/hate relationship with that amp, and the Mark V fixed every single gripe I have with the Mark IV. Naturally, I've been lusting for a Mark V since its release. However, when reality sets in, I realize that's just way too much amp for me. I'm not intimidated by it, but I don't think I would use channel 3 very often because the music I play doesn't really mesh well with that sound.

My dream amp is a Stiletto/Lonestar in one box, and since that won't ever happen, I'll just have to own two amps someday. This, though, does not mesh well with a conversation I recently had with my wife where I told her I was going to make a concerted effort to be content with what I have. (See what happens with you pay attention at church!) What do I have? Well, good question! My rig is an American Deluxe Strat into an Express 5:25 1x10" with a T.C. Nova System for effects. I run the Nova in front of the amp for those who care.

After playing many different guitars, I'm pretty confident I'm a Strat guy. I love the Nova System for what it does. The only part I'm not content with right now is my amp. I have considered putting a Celestion G10 Gold speaker in to see how that improves the sound. I've considered ordering a gold jute grill from Mesa to customize the look of it. I really want to be content with what I have!

I remember back to the first time I played a Lonestar (and all of my subsequent return visits.) That is an amp that loves my Strat. I have had people just stop what they were doing in the store and listen to me play because the sound is really THAT good! One day while at my local dealer, I saw a used Express - and it came home with me. I think the cleans are very impressive, especially for such a little amp. The dirty channel has a lot of balls, too, but I'm not sure how well I dig the sound it. Anywho, more on that in a second.

So, finally to my point. I am posting this in the Lonestar forum because I want your guys' point of view. Do you feel that there is enough of a difference between the sound of the Express amps and the Lonestar amps to justify trading up? What about Channel 2? I'm not overly impressed with the second channel on the Express, and I've read many posts about people doing the "Reeder Mod" to improve the second channel of their Lonestars? I'd love to hear from people who both have and haven't modded their amps!

Please be as detailed as you want. Nothing is off limits in this discussion, and I won't be offended by anyone's opinion either way. For fun, here is the color combination I would chose if I were ordering a new amp today. - http://mesaboogie.com/gallery/gallery.php?id=537


Thanks!
James

 

[Don]

I'm not a Lonestar owner though I tried one when I bought my Express 5:50. I liked the clean sounds from the Lonestar best and the dirty sounds of the Express best. I do really like the Express' clean sounds though.

I alos tried the Express 5:25 1x10. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the Lonestar or 5:50! In fact, I consider the upgrade from a 5:25 1x10 to a 5:50 1x12 to be huge!

It really depends on what your needs are. I am a blues guitarist playing in a band that plays blues, classic rock, rockabilly, a couple of country songs... and the 5:50 suites my needs just a little better than a Lonestar.

 

[jsabo]

I alos tried the Express 5:25 1x10. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the Lonestar or 5:50! In fact, I consider the upgrade from a 5:25 1x10 to a 5:50 1x12 to be huge!

This. Theres a massive difference between the boxy 1x10 5:25 and the 1x12 5:50. will sound much fuller, and still (if its in your price range) the 5:50 2x12 will sound that much more FULL.

I own a 5:50 2x12 and love how full and "3D" the sound is, particularly from the clean channel.

 

[Don]

I alos tried the Express 5:25 1x10. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the Lonestar or 5:50! In fact, I consider the upgrade from a 5:25 1x10 to a 5:50 1x12 to be huge!

This. Theres a massive difference between the boxy 1x10 5:25 and the 1x12 5:50. will sound much fuller, and still (if its in your price range) the 5:50 2x12 will sound that much more FULL.

I own a 5:50 2x12 and love how full and "3D" the sound is, particularly from the clean channel.

I found the difference between the 5:50 1x12 and 5:50 2x12 to be more subtle than the difference between the 5:25 1x10 and 5:50 1x12.

I'd like to hear a 5:25 1x12. They weren't available when I bought my 5:50.

 

[ifailedshapes]

I play my 5:25 through a 1x12" 3/4-back extension cab sometimes. I'm still interested in the Lonestar. Does anyone have extensive experience with both? I know the Special and 5:25 use EL84s and that the Classic and 5:50 use 6L6s. I know how those tubes sound, and I know there will be subtle differences between them. I'm looking for more broad spectrum analysis, though.

Anyone?

 

[ifailedshapes]

Bump!

 

[jsabo]

stiletto and lonestar in a box?

have you tried the electradyne? doesnt get as nasty as a stiletto, but youll get some british sounds out of it and a clean tone rivaling that of a lonestar

 

[MBJunkie]

I have owned all amps (and still own some) mentioned by the OP (except the Stiletto), and yes, even the ED 112 combo not mentioned by the OP.

The amps mentioned that I know longer own are the LSC combo, LSS combo, Express 112 combo, and ED 112 combo.

The amps mentioned that I still own are the MkV 112 combo and the MkIV widebody combo. Clearly, my number 1 go to amp is my MkV combo because of its incredible versatility and great tones offered. It would be a mistake to categorize the MkV as strictly a high gain amp....even in channel 3. There are some very nice lower gain sounds achievable with the V in channel 3 for those that bother to check it out. Also, the V offers excellent cleans in Ch1 with the option to set ch1 up for a broken up sound that is devine in the tweed mode.

Channel 2 of the V offers a very wide variety of sounds (even when just experimenting with the crunch mode). Yes, clean and high gain sounds are offered in the "crunch mode" of channel 2 alone.

Anyhow, getting back to the OP's question regarding "Lonestar vrs Express"......I'd have to say its a tossup for me. Personally, between these two amps, I preferred the clean sounds of the LS and the high gain lead/crunch sounds from the Express (especially the crunch mode).

However, I no longer own either of these amps because the V is the best amp that I have ever owned for my needs!

To the OP....the ED may suit your needs nicely as an alternative to other amps being considered, and can achieve very nice sounds in all modes. However, I felt there were significant compromises when footswitching between the modes that I found to be unacceptable for my needs. YMMV

 

[Jared Purdy]

You didn't really mention what kind of music you play? I play blues and some classic rock. I've had a couple of amps, and I decided I wanted to have a number of tones in a 112 combo. That search brought me to the LSS. I tried the Classic, it is too big and too loud for my needs. I also tried the 5:25, and it's bigger brother, and I wasn't overly thrilled with either of them for all around playing, and I think I narrowed it down (for me) to the size of the cab: too small for the sound I wanted.

Then I came across the LSS. Problem solved. I've had it for a bout a week. The first channel gives you cleans better than a Fender Princeton Reverb (I know, I have one), and the second channel allows you to play around with more British inspired tones - and further, if that is your cup of tea. The switchable 5 watt setting is sublime. I leave it on the 5 watt setting most of the time, but every now and again, I'll jump to 15, or 30 watts, as the tone does shift a bit, and variety is the name of the game with this amp.

It's an amp with tremendous capability, just as the booklet says, and the sound is fantanstic. And, it looks nice!

When I bought my Peavey Classic 30, and my Fender PRRI, within days, I couldn't stop thinking about the things that needed to be changed. For the Peavey, it was the cab, the tubes, the speaker, the OT. For the Fender: the front baffle, the speaker, the tubes, the OT. I ended up getting rid of the Peavey, fortunately, before I sunk a nickle into it. The Fender, I sunk $400 into a Celestion G10 Gold alNico, tubes and an OT, and I built my own 3/4" birch ply front baffle. It does sound great now, but if I had known, I could have bought a hand made PTP clone for less than that! Even so, PTP, or PCB, as good as it sounds, it's a one trick pony. You won't be saying that about the LSS.

I'm a long way from being in a positin to say that "I've played them all", but I have played a few, and at this point, the LSS is a keeper.