Lone Star Classic, Lone Star Special Comparison

[Resonator]

I stopped in the music store where I bought the Lone Star Special to buy a Monster Cable. I talked to the owner about the LSS I bought and told him how much I loved it. I told him the only draw back I've run into so far, is my Gretsch Nashville with TV Jones PU's doesn't sound as good as it did with the DeVille 410. Long story short, He talked me into taking the LSC home and do a side by side comparison for a week or so. I wish I had never brought the LSC home today. Now I want both of them. They are both outstanding amps. You can get very similar tones out of both, but they are also very different. The LSS is more articulate overall. The LSC is warmer and has a three dimensional tone. But, you can get both the amps to sound very close to the other with a little tweaking.

I spent the better part of the day just doing comparisons using only the first channel with cleans. It's a draw so far. The LSS is a little better than the LSC when using a strat or tele. But, the LSC is not far enough off to make this the only reason to buy the LSS. In fact, if you didn't have them side by side, you wouldn't know the difference.

I had to stop for today. Everything (sounds/tones) was running together. I'm going to dig in on the second channel with a little blues tones tomorrow. This is fun!

Res

 

[joe.h]

i did the exact thing i brought home a lsc i already have a lss 2x12 and a/b them and found you could get them to sound the same some what i just find the lss with humbuckers too chimey and breaks up too soon where as with the lsc and humbuckers they were made for one another so i custom orderd a lsc 2x12 so now i will have the best of both worlds reading the posts i think there are already a lot of guys that have both amps for the same reason

 

[Resonator]

Joe, my only problem is I can only afford to buy one of these amps (for now) and it's going to be very, very difficult to figure out which one to keep. I was told I could keep the amp of my choice and bring back the other. They're the same price. I just bought an American Deluxe Strat and a Baja Tele in the last six weeks. Add the LSS/LSC and that's a bunch of money. :shock: :? 8)

Res

 

[joe.h]

well if your baja tele is your main guitar i would definitly go with the lss that baja tele has a sweet sound i bet it just's chimes out of that lss i have a tele deluxe and it sounds better in my lss 2x12 than the lsc imho but for humbuckers i have a les paul custom with burst buckers pro's i put in then had it rewired to pre 1960 the lsc 2x12 is the one for me. hard choice to make between amps both are very good.

 

[longhair55]

Looks like I did the right thing then,..I sold my Les Paul to help fund a LSS,(that way the LSS only cost me $50)..And I kept my strat's.

 

[Resonator]

I stopped in the music store where I bought the Lone Star Special to buy a Monster Cable. I talked to the owner about the LSS I bought and told him how much I loved it. I told him the only draw back I've run into so far, is my Gretsch Nashville with TV Jones PU's doesn't sound as good as it did with the DeVille 410. Long story short, He talked me into taking the LSC home and do a side by side comparison for a week or so. I wish I had never brought the LSC home today. Now I want both of them. They are both outstanding amps. You can get very similar tones out of both, but they are also very different. The LSS is more articulate overall. The LSC is warmer and has a three dimensional tone. But, you can get both the amps to sound very close to the other with a little tweaking.

I spent the better part of the day just doing comparisons using only the first channel with cleans. It's a draw so far. The LSS is a little better than the LSC when using a strat or tele. But, the LSC is not far enough off to make this the only reason to buy the LSS. In fact, if you didn't have them side by side, you wouldn't know the difference.

I had to stop for today. Everything (sounds/tones) was running together. I'm going to dig in on the second channel with a little blues tones tomorrow. This is fun!

UPDATE! A friend and I spent a couple hours last night and about three hours this morning comparing both amps. What I had said in the original post about "The LSS is a little better than the LSC when using a strat or tele. But, the LSC is not far enough off to make this the only reason to buy the LSS" was incorrect. After setting up the LSS for playing the Baja Tele and American Deluxe Strat to where the tone was maximized, I couldn't get close with the LSC. The LSS is superior when using these guitars. Great balance and very articulate. Going from the LSC to the LSS was like pulling a blanket off the amp. You can really hear the difference when playing them side by side.

The LSC is better with the Gretsch, but not enough to make a big difference. I can get good tones through the LSS with the Gretsch. The LSC is just better for this guitar. Since I play the Strat and Tele 85% of the time, the LSS is the amp for me. I'm taking the LSC back today. No sense in keeping it and tempting me any further.

I'm glad I brought both amps home. It gave me the time you really need when comparing amps. It's so hard to do comparisons in the music stores. You can get a pretty good idea, but it's not like having it at home where you can really dig into it.

Res

 

[Ivabiggun]

Hi, just wanted to get some opinions here. I posted about this problem a few weeks ago, and wanted your help. When I play my LSS with single coils the tone is very thin and harsh on certain notes. I can hear out of tune notes or harmonics. This is most noticible on the first to third strings from the seventh fret on up. I was using Vintage Noisless p/u's with staggered pole pieces. I put in a set of EMG highZ's with flat poles and that has helped somewhat. I made sure to adjust them to the proper height. This does not happen with humbuckers. I thought it might be because the amp is 1 1/2 years old and maybe some tubes need replacing. Also the f/x loop is very hot and causes my Boss DD-6 to distort. I set up the loop according to the manual and still get some digital distortion. This did not happen with an Alesis Nanoverb, I suppose because it has an input control. Other that that I love this amp. It is the finest piece of gear I have ever owned. Any suggestions?
Ivabiggun

 

[Resonator]

Hi, just wanted to get some opinions here. I posted about this problem a few weeks ago, and wanted your help. When I play my LSS with single coils the tone is very thin and harsh on certain notes. I can hear out of tune notes or harmonics. This is most noticible on the first to third strings from the seventh fret on up. I was using Vintage Noisless p/u's with staggered pole pieces. I put in a set of EMG highZ's with flat poles and that has helped somewhat. I made sure to adjust them to the proper height. This does not happen with humbuckers. I thought it might be because the amp is 1 1/2 years old and maybe some tubes need replacing. Also the f/x loop is very hot and causes my Boss DD-6 to distort. I set up the loop according to the manual and still get some digital distortion. This did not happen with an Alesis Nanoverb, I suppose because it has an input control. Other that that I love this amp. It is the finest piece of gear I have ever owned. Any suggestions?
Ivabiggun

Did you call customer service at Mesa/Boogie? I've heard from several people how knowledgeable and helpful they are.

 

[Ivabiggun]

Yes, I even took it to a place called Hendrix Sound,(no relation) He was personally recommended by Mesa customer service. He was able to duplicate the sound I was hearing. He called Mesa to no avail. I should mention that I have an Ibanez Artcore 335 copy w/ Pearly Gates installed, and an RG470 w/EMG's, an '81 bridge, SA middle and an "H" in the neck that I do not have this problem.
Ivabiggun

 

[Maury]

Can you coax some nice clean headroom out of the LSS without it clipping too soon? I had a 22-watt Subway Rocket that was nice but I fell in love with the Fender Twin "bouncy" clean headroom. I bought a ROV and it has the headroom I want, but its distortion isn't exactly for me. I LOVE the Lonestar and Lonestar Classic (100w and 50w) but I'm nervous... would the 30w LSS have enough juice for me?

 

[Ivabiggun]

Maury, my lss has plenty of clean headroom. If you use the 30 watt setting you will get lots of it. I used it on one gig so far and never had the global master above about 11 o'clock. I had no trouble being heard in a two guitar band.

 

[Maury]

Thanks Iva. I think I need to consider one of these. I've been holding out for the LS or LSC and with your input I'll also try the LSS. Soon as I sell my ROV.

thank you

 

[Johnson]

How much does a used 1x12 Lonestar classic go for? What would be a good price?

 

[Ivabiggun]

The ones I have seen lately on SleezeBay :wink: have gone for between $1200.00 and $1400.00. Thats not to bad considering they are 1695.00 new, for the 1x12 combo.

 

[pusher]

I just want to clarify one point:

Does the LoneStar 30 watt have enough headroom to play crystal clean tones loud enough when you're next to a loud drummer and a crazed keyboard player??
I sold a 20 watt Top Hat because it kept breaking up during rehearsals.

Right now I have an old but killer Studio Pre and a 50/50 amp combo with two single 12" cabs that I LOVE but I need to get my rig smaller. The LoneStar sounds awesome but I'm worried that it doesn't have enough headroom. I wish they made a 50 watt. . .(not 100).

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

pusher

 

[Ducky]

I just want to clarify one point:

Right now I have an old but killer Studio Pre and a 50/50 amp combo with two single 12" cabs that I LOVE but I need to get my rig smaller. The LoneStar sounds awesome but I'm worried that it doesn't have enough headroom. I wish they made a 50 watt. . .(not 100).

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

pusher

Don't think you can get crystal cleans out of a 30w with a crazy loud drummer, but if your mic'd you can ...

The LSC is 100/50W (The new one goes down to 10W)

 

[boogiemon]

I just want to clarify one point:

Does the LoneStar 30 watt have enough headroom to play crystal clean tones loud enough when you're next to a loud drummer and a crazed keyboard player??
I sold a 20 watt Top Hat because it kept breaking up during rehearsals.

Right now I have an old but killer Studio Pre and a 50/50 amp combo with two single 12" cabs that I LOVE but I need to get my rig smaller. The LoneStar sounds awesome but I'm worried that it doesn't have enough headroom. I wish they made a 50 watt. . .(not 100).

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,

pusher

it's possible to have a LSC in the the smaller, LSS cabinet. i know, i have one. It's still plenty heavy, but not much more than the LSS.

 

[Bikedude]

Someone said, "Going from the LSC to the LSS was like pulling a blanket off of the amp". That's the same thing I discovered when I changed out the 6l6's to EL34's in my LSC. More articulation, and a nice blossom to the notes when played with a strat and tele. I really like the switch to the 34's, and I think next I'll experiment with a mixed set of 34's and 6l6's. as others have done. Best of both worlds.

 

[Maury]

Bikedude, eith the 34s can you get a clean "bark" on channel 1 without a brown-out clip?

 

[AMP10]

Pusher...you can absolutley get a crystal clean tone with a full band on 30 watts...I do it every night...with my strat set to neck pup, I can hear every single note I play over a loud as fook drummer and a keyboard player...I rarely ever have to mic the amp...the only time I ever did was when my band opened for George Clinton last year at Lupos Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI. www.myspace.com/urbanburnreggae---see for youself