Is the LSS right for me?

[oilpit]

Hello all!

I am currently in the market for a new amp, I have been looking at 2 Boogies, the LSS and the Express 5:50
I am currently leaning towards the LSS, but I though I might as well run it my some experts...

I am going to get a head, and run it through my Marshall Greenback laoded cab...

I play rock, blues, that kinda thing...
Cream, Zeppelin, Aerosmith, GnR and Van Halen are some of my favorites, I whip out the Metallica, Vai and Satriani from time to time, but that is not a priority...
Guitars I play are Les Pauls and Telecasters, the LPs have low to medium output PAF style pickups, Tele has a standard tele bridge and a SD mini humbucker in the neck...

I realize that most of my influences play EL34 based amps, and I have been a Marshall man all my life, but I have a great Marshall already and I want something with more versatility and warmth to it.
I want a very singing fat lead tone, I like a lot of midrange and treble, I usually back off on bass as I have found it makes my Les Pauls sound muddy, the amp is mostly for home playing and small shows...
so I ask you, which amp is better for my application the express or the LSS?

 

[zwish]

First and foremost, both of these amps are great! If it were me, I'd get the LSS or an LSC (which I just bought!!!). I work at a Mesa dealer and have put in a good amount of time with all of the mesa amps and while I love the Express series, I just greatly prefer the tone coming out of the Lonestar. I was torn between the LSS and the LSC and while I played the LSS first and was smitten, I ended up picking up the LSC because of the clean headroom. With that being said, you can get PLENTY of clean headroom out of a LSS but I guess I was just going for the 6L6 tone. If you've played them side by side I just feel that the lonestar and in particular the LSS has something special about it. Anywhere you set those knobs the thing is going to sound pretty **** good. As for the drive issue and wanting to bust out some Satriani or something like that, I know exactly what you are talking about. I grew up a metal head and still love the stuff but most of my playing now with bands is clean/od tones, nothing much heavier than Alice in Chains or some other 90s stuff like that. If you stick on OD pedal on the drive channel of either one of these amps you can get some amazing, creamy lead tones. Again, both phenomenal amps. I just prefer the Lonestar. It's just got some magic in those channels.

 

[babow2]

The last post summed up a lot . I owned an LSC and an Express. From the artists you described, you will have a hard time getting the heavier tones out of the LSC than the Express. The cleans on the LSC are heavenly, but it isn't voiced for harder rock, higher gain playing. It won't get you into metallica, Vai or even Van Halen lead tones without some pedals If you've got pedals, then you are golden.

The Express also has a suprisingly good clean tone, but it is voiced more modern, and isn't as lush as the LSC. however, it has much more gain on tap and a broader palette of available tones especially in the rock, classic rock, moving towards metallica vein. Again, it isn't a rectifier or a mark IV, but it is voiced to have much more gain than the LSC.

So, my $.02 would be if you are after gorgeous cleans and more rootsy OD tones go for the LSC. If you want more modern tones and a wider palette, go with the Express.

 

[oilpit]

I'm first and foremost a blues and classic rock player, so I think I am going for the Lonestar...
I have a Boss Bluesdriver a Vox Satchurator and I am looking at either a BB Preamp (That seems to be THE pedal for the lonestar :lol: ) or another boutique pedal to get...
Thanks for all the help!

 

[ja22y]

Just because of the influences you mentioned, you should check out the Mark V also, and you might not need any drive pedal at all.

 

[babow2]

Yeah, but the Mark V is twice the cost of an LSC or Express, both of which are readily available used, while the Mark V is so new that you either buy new at full price or the rare one for sale used is still priced close to new. If money were no object, then sure go for a V, but I am guessing that he is looking at amps that are in around the $1,000 neighborhood because that's where he "lives". Just an assumption, but I agree if money is no object, a IV or V would rock the house.

 

[Don]

So, my $.02 would be if you are after gorgeous cleans and more rootsy OD tones go for the LSC. If you want more modern tones and a wider palette, go with the Express.

My thoughts exactly! I bought an Express 5:50 for it's modern sounds because I already had a Vibrolux Reverb and 5E3 clone for their more complex, vintage tones.

 

[oilpit]

I always associate the mark series with a V shaped graphic EQ, which is the OPPOSITE of the settings I tend to dial in...

I wouldn't be opposed to one, but aren't they sort of metal machines?

 

[babow2]

Metal machines? No. Yes, they do Metal, and Metallica put them on the map for that. However, they are really tone machines. It is easy to fall into that perception given how many metal players use the Mark IV and how much focus is put on metal tones. But, can you say Santana?! Larry Carlton? Petrucci? The Mark IV was, and Mark V is, the latest iteration of the original Mesa Boogie dual channel amps, combining a fender-derivative clean tone with the cascading gain sustaining lead tones "invented" by Randy Smith and Mesa.

Take me for example. I am an old fart playing in a party dance cover band. No metal, no really hard rock. Nothing that would rip the skin off your face. I have no metal type tones in my arsenal. I used a Mark IV for 9 years, moved on and came back.

Channel 1 is Mesa clean, their ubiquitous derivation of Fender, now their own.
Channel 2 is good for all kinds of classic rock tones from just slightly overdriven to more classic power rock. You don't have to CHUGGA CHUGGA. There are Stones and Kinks and Tom Petty and ZZTop and AltRock and on and on in there. Channel 3 gets you mesa's soaring, high gain, singing, sustaining brilliant lead tones. that is if you don't go looking for CHUGGA CHUGGA.

I am not taking away from metal, or any genre. The point is that the Mark IV, and now the Mark V, have about as wide a sonic palette as you can get (as a broad general statement), as opposed to being "metal machines"

Kind of like saying a Swiss Army knife is basically a knife for cutting.........

 

[thejay]

Good post babow2. I personally thought the Mark series was driven by the Metal genre that is why I never really looked at them.. so thank you for opening my eyes and possibly costing me more money!

 

[babow2]

Hey Theyjay,
Glad I could help lighten your wallet and stimulate my local economy here in petaluma. I happen to live in Petaluma, home of Mesa! No, I don't work for them, or get a commission for posting. :lol:

I keep eyeing the Roadster, like you have. I had a Road King v1. I got rid of a Mark IV when the 4 channel RK came out, seeing it as MORE! I never bonded with the tones, though, especially the clean tone. I hear the Roadster has Lonestar like cleans. I also had one of those- loved the cleans, but not enough gain for me. So, after leaving the Mark IV on a series of other Mesas, I came back to it 6 years later and kick myself for ever cheating on her. As my producer engineer buddy says- "Somtimes you have to move to realize you already were living in paradise."

Anyway, no one can have just one!

 

[thejay]

Yea I hear ya...

Wish I was closer to some Mesa dealers, gotta drive around an hr just to get to one. Probably a good thing otherwise I'd have another Mesa as well.

I love the Roadster though and as far as clean tones I have my Ch 1 set to FAT and Ch 2 set to BRIT. They have been set there for quite a while and have not moved. I'd love to give a Lonestar a whirl though and a Mark due to your comments.

 

[oilpit]

I have to ask, how do you non-metal Mark users set the graphic EQ?

 

[babow2]

I use mine for a slight boost, so it is in a V shape, with the middle slider (750) being about at center (0db) and every thing angled up from there in a V.
I have my amp set up so that Channel 3 is the lead channel, and is already at a volume to get up and over the band, loud enough for solos. However, I use the EQ when I need a little more presence or emphasis on the guitar in the mix. We have a keyboardist who plays multiple parts. Some songs focus on keys and others on guitar. The amp is set to be balanced in the overall mix, but sometimes I need to stand out a little more on a "guitar focused" song. So, I can use the EQ to bring the guitar a little more forward/present in the mix.

I also have a BBE Boosta Grande on my board for a pure volume boost, when I need to use a clean boost of Ch.1 or 2 for a lead.