How close is the RK II clean (ch.1) to a Lone Star really?

[AutoBoogie]

Hey Guys,

I'm trying to decide if I should order a RK series I, and get a Lone Star for clean, or if the Series II is REALLY that close, if not identical (due to the Lone Star circuitry), can I get away with just a RK II? For those of you that have played both, or owned both, if you could explain the difference/closeness if the clean of RK's VS Lone Star it would be most appreciated. Keep in mind, I only use 1 pure clean channel, and one pushed for those nice clean/pushed tones.

 

[LnTh]

I'm not sure how strict you're on cleans but I just can see how anyone can dislike the cleans on a RKII or a Roadster, now that I own one. It's just... heaven..

I'm pretty sure lonestar cleans are just as kickass too, if not more, but I don't think it's worth buying 2 amps.

That said, I'm still GASsing for a Lonestar because of its warm overdrive tone but that won't happen for a loooooong time

 

[mrd]

As far as I know, the series II RK cleans ARE the Lonestar cleans. They took the voicing directly out of the Lonestar and plopped it into the RoadKing.

Don't quote me, but I seem to recall hearing or reading that somewhere...

 

[kingster911]

It's true..I don't know the schematics or inner-workings of the circuits that make up the Lone Star clean channel but I know that it is in the RKII which brings me to a burning question I've had for some time. Since it is the Lone Star CLEAN channel that's cloned in the RKII, does that mean that the only LS circuitry is on CH 1 CLEAN on the RKII?

 

[123thefirst]

One crucial difference, if you get the RK combo, would be the speakers and cabinet. If you want the LS sound you'll need an open back C90 speaker cabinet (such as the Road King 2x12 or 4x12 cabinets).

Kingster - according to the catalog the FAT mode also comes from the LS (Thick I think it's called on the LS)

 

[alex1fly]

I thought the reverb came from the Lonestar and the Fat mode came from the Mark series amps? For the Roadster, at least. Cleans using the Tweed setting on my Roadster with EL34s sound basically identical to the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe I just sold.

 

[LnTh]

I thought the reverb came from the Lonestar and the Fat mode came from the Mark series amps? For the Roadster, at least. Cleans using the Tweed setting on my Roadster with EL34s sound basically identical to the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe I just sold.

Roadster = Road King II as far as sound goes.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

Trust me when I tell you:

RK II >= Lonestar Cleans

I know I owned them both for a while. Sold the Lonestar, and the RK II (only because the RK II combo was too heavy -- I am buying the RK II head in '08).

IMHO the RK II beats out the Lonestar in the cleans dept because the RK II does not suffer from the darkness and bassy'ness inherent in the LSC...

Plus in the RK II the cleans can be preset to EL34s if you need to get real skinny in the mix...then you can set channel to to 6L6s for a MArk I type of clean, etc.

Then there's the vastly superior Tweed mode of RK II channel I, it is total tonal bliss.

The RK II is a no brainer if money is not a road block.

My .02

 

[2britz]

If you can't get along with the cleans on a RK2, something else is wrong in your rig. Love me some RK2 cleans and brutalz gain too

 

[123thefirst]

I thought the reverb came from the Lonestar and the Fat mode came from the Mark series amps? For the Roadster, at least. Cleans using the Tweed setting on my Roadster with EL34s sound basically identical to the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe I just sold.

That's how it's written in the manual. But the manual wasn't changed in that regard from Series I to Series II. Neither for the Roadster. I'd guess that the truth is that FAT on the Series II is melange of Mark I and LS Thick.

The CLEAN, FAT and BRIT modes on Series I are nothing at all to underestimate IMO. They're slightly different sounding but very worthy also.