Lone Star Classic, Express 5:50 Comparison?

[Resonator]

I'm a recent Lone Star Special owner converted from Fender. I absolutely love my LSS 410. Before I bought the LSS, I tried the LSC and LSS at home, side by side. The LSS won out, but not by a lot. So, my plans are to buy a LSC in the next year. I've been reading some great reviews on the Express 5:50 and how great the cleans are. I'm a clean freak for the most part with some nice blues crunch thrown in to.

My question is, how do the LSC and Express 5:50 compare? Is there a big drop off with the Express? How do the cleans compare on the two amps? I will say, I don't like flab in any amp. Not to say that this would be a problem with either amp.

What I envision is, having either the Express or LSC with 112 and using it with the 410's on the LSS and vise-versa. Using the other amp for a cab.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, Res 8)

 

[wilerty]

I replaced my Twin with an Express 5:50 2X12 and also play mostly clean or crunch. Since I only play in my basement, I never would have bought an LSC, although I did compare them when I purchased the 5:50. I play in the 5 watt mode 90% of the time. As a clean player for 46 years, my opinion is that they are both so good that, unless you need the power, there is no reason to buy the LSC. If you were a high gain player than that may be a different matter, and I'm not saying that from my experience, since i wouldn't be a good judge. I'm saying that because of what others have said here.

 

[Resonator]

I replaced my Twin with an Express 5:50 2X12 and also play mostly clean or crunch. Since I only play in my basement, I never would have bought an LSC, although I did compare them when I purchased the 5:50. I pay in the 5 watt mode 90% of the time. As a clean player for 46 years, my opinion is that they are both so good that, unless you need the power, there is no reason to buy the LSC. If you were a high gain player than that may be a different matter, and I'm not saying that from my experience, since i wouldn't be a good judge. I'm saying that because of what others have said here.

Bill, are you saying that at lower volume (at home), the LSC and Express 5:50 are close enough that I wouldn't miss any tone I would get from the LSC?

 

[simonich]

I replaced my Twin with an Express 5:50 2X12 and also play mostly clean or crunch. Since I only play in my basement, I never would have bought an LSC, although I did compare them when I purchased the 5:50. I pay in the 5 watt mode 90% of the time. As a clean player for 46 years, my opinion is that they are both so good that, unless you need the power, there is no reason to buy the LSC. If you were a high gain player than that may be a different matter, and I'm not saying that from my experience, since i wouldn't be a good judge. I'm saying that because of what others have said here.

Bill, are you saying that at lower volume (at home), the LSC and Express 5:50 are close enough that I wouldn't miss any tone I would get from the LSC?

I'm also a LSS owner and have been thinking about a 5:50 for 6L6 cleans. I was thinking about the 5:50 vs. the LSC because of price, and the fact that if I wanted a "lonestar" like clean, I could take the LSS preamp into the 5:50 power amp. Granted, you don't get the LSC 100/50/10 power, or the tweed setting, or a rectifier switch. I haven't tried this yet, but felt I'd actually get more interesting options with an express pre and the LSS pre, into either EL84 or 6L6 power.

I'm curious if you've thought about it this way?

 

[Undecided]

I've owned both, and I think the 5:50 and LSC are very different amps. In particular the gain channels are where I hear the biggest difference. The LSC has a thicker/fatter gain character while remaining well defined in the bass -- closer tonewise to the LSS (my main amp). The Express sounds great, just not as rich to my ears --- reminds me more of the gain channels on the Nomad and Subway family of amps, which I really like too. I think it all depends on how much variety you want between the LSS and your 2nd amp. You can't go wrong with either though.

 

[simonich]

I've owned both, and I think the 5:50 and LSC are very different amps. In particular the gain channels are where I hear the biggest difference. The LSC has a thicker/fatter gain character while remaining well defined in the bass -- closer tonewise to the LSS (my main amp). The Express sounds great, just not as rich to my ears --- reminds me more of the gain channels on the Nomad and Subway family of amps, which I really like too. I think it all depends on how much variety you want between the LSS and your 2nd amp. You can't go wrong with either though.

Yep, clearly both are good amps. My understanding is the LSC and LSS share the same pre-amp. So it stands to reason they would be similar tonewise. The difference comes in the power section. That's why I was thinking about an express. I can get a different set of pre-amp channels from the Express, but also feed my LSS pre into the 5:50 power section to get some different cleans using 6L6 power.

But I've got to go try this and play around with it first obviously. I'll post what I find...

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I have owned both....and currently have a LSC and a RK II (LSC Cleans)..

....and the only reason why I took the 5:50 back was because all the amps I had were heavy, real heavy (as is the 5:50) and I needed something light and portable for the ultra small gigs, Express 5:25.

Now here's the deal between the LSC and the 5:50. As aforementioned they are completely different amps. However, comparing only the clean tones...they are very comparable, the 5:50 leaning towards a mix between Mark IV & LSC clean, but with the lush reverb of the LSC.

If you were only evaluating the amps for the clean tone --only, then I would say the 5:50 wins out based on price point..the cleans are that good. Like I said the cleans are like a mix of LSC and Mark IV cleans.

On the other hand, if you are a Texas Blues/Rock player and need that big texas tone, then you need the LSC, when the volume goes up, there's just no comparison between the 5:50 and the LSC.

Again, conversely, if you need an ultra versatile amp to cover alot of genres, I think the 5:50 is the best amp Mesa makes right behind the pricier Mark IV and RK II

All that said, if you already have a LSS, it only makes sense to buy its big brother, the LSC

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I replaced my Twin with an Express 5:50 2X12 and also play mostly clean or crunch. Since I only play in my basement, I never would have bought an LSC, although I did compare them when I purchased the 5:50. I pay in the 5 watt mode 90% of the time. As a clean player for 46 years, my opinion is that they are both so good that, unless you need the power, there is no reason to buy the LSC. If you were a high gain player than that may be a different matter, and I'm not saying that from my experience, since i wouldn't be a good judge. I'm saying that because of what others have said here.

Bill, are you saying that at lower volume (at home), the LSC and Express 5:50 are close enough that I wouldn't miss any tone I would get from the LSC?

+1, I'd have to agree with that statement....at home, bedroom/living room levels, they are both comparable. The LSC flexes its muscle and superiority when played live, although the 5:50 is no slouch.

 

[MONGO]

I own the LSC in both head and combo. The LSC beats the express side by side for me. I wouldn compare the two tone wise. The LSC has a 50 watt option and so the power is the same there if need be but if you want more clean headroom the LSC has the 100 for that not just for more volume. The LSC is the best amp I ever had and the special a close second

 

[wilerty]

Resonator: I think I compared them at 50 watts at a little louder than basement level.

However, what I will say is that at what I consider basement level, my 5;50 sounds better at 5 watts than it does at 50 watts turned down, which should be expected. Once the volume goes up the 50 watts gives you a tighter lower end. I assume there could be an argument that the 5 watt 5:50 could sound better than the 10 watt LSC, but in real life, they are both excellent.

Since you came from a Fender amp, assuming it was a Twin, Super, Bassman, Hot Rod, etc, I'm surprised you didn't end up with the 6L6 LSC. Coming from a Twin, which I consider the clean bench mark, it was a very easy decision for me ... I got the Twin cleans, with so much more.

An additional indicator of how much I like the 5:50 is that I used to use a Boss ME-50 (GT-8) in front of the Twin. I like the crunch and blues so much in the 5:50 that I'm not using the ME-50 any more and I just got a Boss DD-20 and RV-5 to use in the loop. Most people wouldn't even need the RV-5, but I still play vintage instrumentals (Ventures, Shadows, etc) and like the variety of reverbs.

To my ears, they both sounded terrific and I would have been very happy with either one. I didn't need the extra power or the high gain ability of the LSC so I went with the 5:50.

 

[JAZZGEAR]

wilerty, that was well stated......nothing really to add to that.

You can't go wrong with either amp.....but if you like liquid leads (ala Mark IV), you won't really get that with the LSC.....but you will with the 5:50.

 

[jamme61]

I had the LSC and brought it back, I loved the clean sound but couldn't get the right crunch tone out of it. I switched tubes (el34's) but the same results. Now for $400 less I bought a express 5:50 and the reason is I get the same clean sound that I love, but the blues setting on the 5:50 is what I couldn't get out of the LSC, or R2 on my MKIV. I'm a classic rock guy and chn1 and 2 on the express are all I need. Also on the other amps when I would switch from clean to my 2nd channel crunch it was always a bad match, the sounds just didn't fit right, tone wise. With the express when I go from chn1 clean to chn 2 blues it's different, with more dirt but it's not from another world, so they fit well together. Al;so this 5 watt mode on the express is really killer, it sounds great, I don't remeber the LSC sounding that good. Maybe because it's so cheap compared to the other Boogies, people don't belieave it but, this amp is awesome for my style classic rock blues ect. last night at rehersal we did Almans, SRV,Beatles,grand funk, Zep,Eagles,Kiss, Dion,Jay black and the americans, Who,Humble pie, this amp kills on all this stuff.

 

[Newysurfer]

I had the LSC and brought it back, I loved the clean sound but couldn't get the right crunch tone out of it. I switched tubes (el34's) but the same results. Now for $400 less I bought a express 5:50 and the reason is I get the same clean sound that I love, but the blues setting on the 5:50 is what I couldn't get out of the LSC, or R2 on my MKIV. I'm a classic rock guy and chn1 and 2 on the express are all I need. Also on the other amps when I would switch from clean to my 2nd channel crunch it was always a bad match, the sounds just didn't fit right, tone wise. With the express when I go from chn1 clean to chn 2 blues it's different, with more dirt but it's not from another world, so they fit well together. Al;so this 5 watt mode on the express is really killer, it sounds great, I don't remeber the LSC sounding that good. Maybe because it's so cheap compared to the other Boogies, people don't belieave it but, this amp is awesome for my style classic rock blues ect. last night at rehersal we did Almans, SRV,Beatles,grand funk, Zep,Eagles,Kiss, Dion,Jay black and the americans, Who,Humble pie, this amp kills on all this stuff.

+1

 

[JAZZGEAR]

I had the LSC and brought it back, I loved the clean sound but couldn't get the right crunch tone out of it. I switched tubes (el34's) but the same results. Now for $400 less I bought a express 5:50 and the reason is I get the same clean sound that I love, but the blues setting on the 5:50 is what I couldn't get out of the LSC, or R2 on my MKIV. I'm a classic rock guy and chn1 and 2 on the express are all I need. Also on the other amps when I would switch from clean to my 2nd channel crunch it was always a bad match, the sounds just didn't fit right, tone wise. With the express when I go from chn1 clean to chn 2 blues it's different, with more dirt but it's not from another world, so they fit well together. Al;so this 5 watt mode on the express is really killer, it sounds great, I don't remeber the LSC sounding that good. Maybe because it's so cheap compared to the other Boogies, people don't belieave it but, this amp is awesome for my style classic rock blues ect. last night at rehersal we did Almans, SRV,Beatles,grand funk, Zep,Eagles,Kiss, Dion,Jay black and the americans, Who,Humble pie, this amp kills on all this stuff.

+1

-1 You have to know what the amp is intended for B 4 investing in it. Its moniker says it all; its a Clean/Texas Blues amp...no more no less. So the Crunch is not going to be like that of a Stilletto, Mark IV, RK, et al. :shock:

 

[Strat N My Stuff]

Speaking of monikers, not the Lewinski kind, I generally don't put much creedence them. Well, I don't put much creedence in Monica Lewinski either. I would have to agree that Mesa seems to have matched amps and names rather well.

My experience in finding which Mesa would be my first, left me with the opinion and understanding that this thread has managed to articulate. I guess that since the Express models were new I didn't get a clear understanding of their niche or I just had to go through the process in order to make sure I needed to spend the $ I did on the LSS.

What I'm not saying that I meant to is....

I found the Express 5:25 really noisy, which I now know was in part due to the tubes and I believe also typical of a lesser expensive model where production costs may come into play. The E 5:50 gets my vote between the two. That being said, there is no doubt that in terms of "speed", I was able to find and adjust tones much quicker than I am able to with my LSS. The contour EQ makes the amp work IMHO. Hence Express.

The Lone Star Classic likewise lives up to its name. I just haven't figured out how putting a moniker in your eye could possibly help you see???

 

[Resonator]

Resonator: I think I compared them at 50 watts at a little louder than basement level.

However, what I will say is that at what I consider basement level, my 5;50 sounds better at 5 watts than it does at 50 watts turned down, which should be expected. Once the volume goes up the 50 watts gives you a tighter lower end. I assume there could be an argument that the 5 watt 5:50 could sound better than the 10 watt LSC, but in real life, they are both excellent.

Since you came from a Fender amp, assuming it was a Twin, Super, Bassman, Hot Rod, etc, I'm surprised you didn't end up with the 6L6 LSC. Coming from a Twin, which I consider the clean bench mark, it was a very easy decision for me ... I got the Twin cleans, with so much more.

An additional indicator of how much I like the 5:50 is that I used to use a Boss ME-50 (GT-8) in front of the Twin. I like the crunch and blues so much in the 5:50 that I'm not using the ME-50 any more and I just got a Boss DD-20 and RV-5 to use in the loop. Most people wouldn't even need the RV-5, but I still play vintage instrumentals (Ventures, Shadows, etc) and like the variety of reverbs.

To my ears, they both sounded terrific and I would have been very happy with either one. I didn't need the extra power or the high gain ability of the LSC so I went with the 5:50.

I'm also surprised I didn't end up with a 6L6 amp (Fenderish). When I was trying out both the LSC and LSS, I was having a hard time deciding. My American Deluxe Strat and Baja Tele were heavenly through the LSS but my Gretsch Nashville with the TV Jones HB's was missing the richness I was getting through the LSC. That being said, the single coils were so fantastic through the LSS, I had to have it no matter what I was getting with the humbuckers. After talking to Customer Service at Mesa, I tried the LSS 410 version. The 410 is much better than the 112 or 212 to my ears. The LSS 410 also brought out the tone I was missing on my Gretsch with the LSS 112. I was told that three of the four people in Customer Service have the LSS 410 over the 112 or 212.

There's a music store about 40 miles from me that specializes in boutique amps. I've probably tried most of whats out there in amps. The LSS 410 is the the best I've ever played through, Period! (IMHO). I'll have this amp as long as I'm still playing. That being said, I'd still like to have a 6L6 amp to go with it. I'm so impressed with Mesa, I'm going with either the Express 5:50 or LSC. After reading all the responses from the forum members, I'm leaning more to the Express 5:50.

What I'd like to do, is be able to use each amp with the other amp as a cab. So use the LSS through the speakers of the Express 5:50 or vice-versa. Or run the 410's and the 212's at the same time.

What ever I decide, this is going to be it for amp purchases for me. How many times have I said that over the last 30 years LOL? Then All I have left to buy is that PRS Johnny Hiland Signature Guitar.

Res

 

[simonich]

That being said, I'd still like to have a 6L6 amp to go with it. I'm so impressed with Mesa, I'm going with either the Express 5:50 or LSC. After reading all the responses from the forum members, I'm leaning more to the Express 5:50.

What I'd like to do, is be able to use each amp with the other amp as a cab. So use the LSS through the speakers of the Express 5:50 or vice-versa. Or run the 410's and the 212's at the same time.

What ever I decide, this is going to be it for amp purchases for me. How many times have I said that over the last 30 years LOL? Then All I have left to buy is that PRS Johnny Hiland Signature Guitar.

Res

Wow, that's exactly the position I am in. I need a 6L6 to compliment my LSS, and also leaning toward an Express. I suspect if I go that route, I'll grab a 4x10 cab and do exactly what you're talking about, play each through the other's "cab".

 

[wilerty]

Resonator: My Johnny Hiland has very quickly become my favorite guitar. Personally ... I would buy the Hiland before another amp.

 

[Resonator]

Resonator: My Johnny Hiland has very quickly become my favorite guitar. Personally ... I would buy the Hiland before another amp.

I'm going to order the PRS Johnny Hiland as soon as I figure out the color I want. I was told that it could take anywhere from six weeks to a year for it to come in. The LSC or Express 5:50 will not be an issue as far as finding one right away. I'm thinking about ordering the Violin Amber Sunburst. I saw another PRS model guitar in this color and it was absolutely beautiful.

So the short answer is, I'm going to go for both the guitar and the amp :shock: :shock: 8)

Res

 

[wilerty]

When I bought mine, Magdon Music, just outside Scranton, PA, had 5 Hilands in stock. I chose a 10 Top Black Cherry.

If you want, give Jack Gretz a call there to see what they've got left. I bought my 5:50 there also. Where are you from?

http://www.magdonmusic.com/index.html