Just played a F-30, now I'm confused????

[tele_jas]

I went to check out the Lonestar (again) on my lunch today. They have the LSS and LSC, both the 1x12 combo, and I decided I liked the LSC better.... I guess I'm just a 6L6 guy when it comes to cleans.

Well, I was about to leave and I plugged in to a F-30 for the heck of it and I was blown away! It seems like the baby of a Lonestar and a Rectifier, it's got a nice clean tone and a mean distortion channel (and I was playing a stock tele). It's actually got 3 footswitchable tones at your feet. The only thing it doesn't have that I need is a solo boost. It's even got a very deep reverb, not real long on the decay, but very Fender-ish sounding reverb.

Now I'm confused (as if I wasn't before). I can get a used Lonestar classic for about $1250-$1500 or a used F-30 for about half that and use a pedal in the loop for a solo boost.

I'd love to hear from someone that has both the F-30 and a Lonestar to see how you think they compare to each other.

 

[mikeyp]

I went to check out a LSC twice. On my second visit I tried an F-50. I left with the F-50. Not saying its better then a LSC but it sounded just as good to me for for $600 beans less. Food for thought.

 

[TheRazMeister]

Tele, you and I seem to be on the same wavelength as far as amps.. I also liked the F-30, especially the gain channel. The clean wasn't quite on par with the F-50 or the LSC, but I got a nice "that was using an F-30?" comment from the store clerk when he came over to check out how I was doing. I'll be getting one some day soon, if not for anything but to save my back on carrying the ROV. 8) I'd still check out the Crate V32 or V3112 if you get a chance...brand new they go for less than $600. It's not a mesa, but it's different.

I went to check out the Lonestar (again) on my lunch today. They have the LSS and LSC, both the 1x12 combo, and I decided I liked the LSC better.... I guess I'm just a 6L6 guy when it comes to cleans.

Well, I was about to leave and I plugged in to a F-30 for the heck of it and I was blown away! It seems like the baby of a Lonestar and a Rectifier, it's got a nice clean tone and a mean distortion channel (and I was playing a stock tele). It's actually got 3 footswitchable tones at your feet. The only thing it doesn't have that I need is a solo boost. It's even got a very deep reverb, not real long on the decay, but very Fender-ish sounding reverb.

Now I'm confused (as if I wasn't before). I can get a used Lonestar classic for about $1250-$1500 or a used F-30 for about half that and use a pedal in the loop for a solo boost.

I'd love to hear from someone that has both the F-30 and a Lonestar to see how you think they compare to each other.

 

[tele_jas]

Tele, you and I seem to be on the same wavelength as far as amps.. I also liked the F-30, especially the gain channel. The clean wasn't quite on par with the F-50 or the LSC, but I got a nice "that was using an F-30?" comment from the store clerk when he came over to check out how I was doing. I'll be getting one some day soon, if not for anything but to save my back on carrying the ROV. 8) I'd still check out the Crate V32 or V3112 if you get a chance...brand new they go for less than $600. It's not a mesa, but it's different.

Hey RazMeister, it does seem like we like the same tone/s. If you say the F50 cleans are better, I may have to check that one out?!?!? As far as the Crate V3112 goes, I tried one out and I thought it really rocked!! But, I didn't like the clean channel as much as the Boogies or even the Vox Valvetronix I played, it was kind of Vox-y. I actually took home a VFX5212 and liked the distortion channel ALOT, but the clean was too brittle.

I'm really looking for something different than the traditional "Recto" sound, something I could do a country gig with but still work as a backup if my RK ever dies on me (and something smaller to use for practice), and the LSC was going to be it..... but the F-series is pretty nice too and I could save a little loot that way too and probably turn around and sell it for about what I paid for it and get a Lonestar later if the F-series isn't cutting it.

I may go give the Crate another try and maybe the Traynor too. But my heart is set on a Boogie, but not sure which one yet.

 

[TheRazMeister]

The F-50 and I know there are those who disagree, didn't do it for me on the gain channel but the cleans were pretty awesome, very "alive". I agree about the Crate, it was definitely a class A type tone. I liked the gain channel on both the Crate and the F-30 better than the F-50 but give the it the clean nod. Keep us up to date on what you find...

 

[oyster]

I definitely preferred the F-30 vs F-50 for tones from clean to driven, that OD channel is really sweet, beats almost anything out there IMHO.

If you are playing really loud you might run into clipping with the more limited headroom of the F-30, more noticeable on your cleans especially if you need pristine clean tones. Personally, this is not a disadvantage because when I did drive it hard in the store the tone warmed up and still sounded really good, perhaps even "better". This is a matter of taste though but it is another reason I like the F-30 more. Try the amp out and crank it up.

 

[Guitar55]

I've heard that the Crates aren't very road=worthy. They sound good, though.

 

[TheRazMeister]

Well, they're certainly not built like Mesa's...They do have a 5 year warranty but that doesn't do you much good if its your main amp.
I bought the V32 for our Church so it stays in 1 spot the whole time. So far it's been a great amp and it hangs with just about everything I've asked it to do. We don't do Heavy Metal but will do close to Neal Schon/Journey level overdrive sounds and the Crate is perfect with a little bit of delay or chorus.

I've heard that the Crates aren't very road=worthy. They sound good, though.

 

[tele_jas]

I just tried the F-50, and I liked it better than the F-30. I tried the Lonestar Classic again and I liked the cleans better on that, but I liked the F-50's distortion better. I guess I have to remember, this isn't going to be for my main amp, it's going to be for a "clean" amp, a practice amp and a backup amp. I've got my main amp already, "the King". I can always start with the F-50 and then work my way up to the Lonestar classic if I feel the need to.

I found a F-50 for $750 shipped in mint condition, I guess if it doesn't work out I can get pretty close to that back out of it? Unless I run across a LSC priced pretty reasonable, the F50 is probably where I'm headed.. but I still gotta try out the Traynor again before I get anything.

 

[Dann'sTheMan]

I am one of the ones who likes the tones of the F-50, both clean and dirty, over the F-30. That said, the F-30 quite rightly has its fair share of fans.

Like you tele_jas, I love the cleans on the Lonestar Classic, but prefer the distortion on the F-50. Indeed the F-50 contains my favourite range of drive sounds in the Boogie line up - but this is obviously my personal taste.

All of the F-series are excellent amps, and there is a knowledgeable and friendly "brotherhood" of F-series owners over at HCAF,

Big smiles,

Andy.

P.S. FWIW, the F-50 is one of only a handful of amps ever to win UK Guitarist magazine's top "Gold" accolade (the other F-series and the Lonestar Classic have been tested too - got "Choice" awards IIRC). You can read the review here.

 

[tele_jas]

I don't think I'll be happy unless I get the Lonestar or a Bogner Shiva, but I gotta spend the money on something or it's going to get nickel and dimmed away and I'm gonna hear "lets use that cash you have instead of writing a check for this", so I'll probably end up getting a $500 guitar and then getting my son a smaller childs guitar for his 4th b-day next month (maybe he'll leave mine alone then :wink: ).

 

[PRSman]

I just got my F-50 combo with a 1x12 extension cab a few months ago and it's by far the best Boogie I've ever owned, and I've had several over the years including a Mark IIB, SOB (in head and combo formats), and a Studio 22. I love the gain settings, especially with contour. The clean tones are unbelievably good sounding. Best bang-for-the-buck amp on the market today IMHO.

 

[dylan7620]

i've been playing alot on my bud f-50 which i retubbed for him.... in the easy 1x12 format its quickly becoming my new favorite amp. i found the clean to be great. IMHO i don't think that the LSC has better cleans. and this has one of the most perfect gain channels i've ever played (the NOS tubes paly into this too) if i just wanted amazing cleans the blue angel would be my choice, but if I was looking for great clean amp that has plenty of gain for harder rock when needed the f-50 would be it. funny, i never liked open back combos very much but this one seems to be changing my mind.

 

[Dann'sTheMan]

i've been playing alot on my bud f-50 which i retubbed for him.... in the easy 1x12 format its quickly becoming my new favorite amp. i found the clean to be great. IMHO i don't think that the LSC has better cleans. and this has one of the most perfect gain channels i've ever played (the NOS tubes paly into this too) if i just wanted amazing cleans the blue angel would be my choice, but if I was looking for great clean amp that has plenty of gain for harder rock when needed the f-50 would be it. funny, i never liked open back combos very much but this one seems to be changing my mind.

Hi dylan7620,

Totally agree with your evaluation of both the clean and gain channels on the F-50 - it's my favourite Boogie because to my ears and tastes, it's so perfectly voiced on both channels.

I'm particularly interested to learn what NOS tubes you've put in your bud's F-50? How would you describe their differences with the stock tubes? I may well give them a try come next re-tube (I currently have JJs and TAD 6L6WGC-STR R.C.A BLACK PLATE REPLICAs in mine).

Big smiles,

Andy.