Lone Star Classic Questions??

[Resonator]

I'm looking for a new amp and the LSC is on my short list. Here are a few details about myself and what I'm looking for.

I play clean most of the time. The rest of the time it's a lite blues crunch. Never high gain. I play old finger style Chet, and Merle Travis. Some bluesy jazz, older country and older rock 'n roll. My guitars are PRS McCarty, PRS Johnny Hiland, Gibson ES-339 and Tele. I'll be using it for home use only. I like Amps with a Fender tone, in the vain of my HRD (clean only). I think that covers it.

My questions are: 1, Will the LSC cover my needs? 2, Will the LSC Tone hold up at low volume? Usually the higher the watts used, the cleaner the tone. I'm afraid of the 100 and 50 watts being to much for home, and the 10 watt not having the crystal clean tone of the high watt settings. 3, which configuration? 112, 212 or 410? 4, does it work well with single coils and humbuckers, or is it better with one or the other?

Of all the settings/switches this amp has, what works well and what doesn't cut it?

I'm being very anal about the amp I buy this time. I'm tired of buying amps I think will work, to find out that they work for some things and some guitars, but not others. I've lost a lot of money on buying and selling amps (still fun though). I thought I had "THE" amp . Last year I bought a Lone Star Special 410. Great amp with the guitars I was using, Tele and Strat. Since then I've bought a PRS McCartry, PRS Hiland and a Gibson ES-339. I've never been able to dial the Humbuckers in with the LSS and sold it recently.

There you have it, the whole story.

Thanks, Res

 

[zappaslaughter]

I think the LSC or the LSS will fit your needs nicely. I have the old 50/100 LSC, and I play at hom through it, using the output as a master. It does sound better pushed,more responsive, stc, but It still sounds great. I imagine the 10 W option turns the LSC into a great home level amp.

 

[madryan]

The Lonestar Classic as all about clean headroom. I run mine fairly loud and it just sounds better and better. It's fine for living room use too. To me the clean channel just sounds better and better the louder it gets turned up.

 

[rvschulz]

just to pile on ... your tone requirements SCREAM LSC. that is the "easiest" natural tone that this amp does - clean to slight blues breakup. it dials in other tones, but this is where it lives first - 6L6 territory.

i usually run ch 1 in 100 watt mode for the real clean headroom. then i run ch 2 in 50 watt mode for breakup at lower volumes. my main guitar is a 335 with a classic 57 in the neck and BB 1 in the bridge. i also like my hwy 1 '06 strat a lot in the clean mode ... can you say Jimi ??

good luck - i tried to hold out for a decent 10/50/100 combo but gave up - i don't KNOW that the 10 watt option is a killer for me, personally ... the 50/100 older combos out there are great deals.

 

[CGM]

I have an LSS. and I've been thinking of the LSC for just that, plenty of headroom, as I was alway a Fender Twin man. The twin is just too loud....even for most band situations. I could never turn it up over 3.
With the LSS I get good saturation and in IMO plenty of headroom. I keep the 1 channel in the 30 position and the 2nd in the 15 or maybe 30 . It works great both ways.
If you put the speaker in the optional out you get 5 more watts for a total of 35 and a little more headroom. I play in a band and we just mike it on stage if it isn't loud enough. We have an outdoor gig in a few weeks and I'm not the least concerned about being clean. I have to have clean.
We do old Thunderbirds stuff, and some old blues w/clean licks. I love this amp. Like I said I'm thinking about the LSC next year ( because of the 6L6's)but I'm afraid of the too much power to use thing. I'm seriously considering another LSS instead. Just my 2 cents.....CGM

 

[cb101]

I see that you have already owned an LSS and didn't particularly like it with humbuckers. In that case I would definitely suggest the LSC. Tons of clean headroom and a nice blues overdirve if needed. We use the slave out to a board for recording and it's great. This has to be the most versatile amp we have ever owned and that includes our Shiva and a Two Rock Signature we have been using for the past two weeks. The one thing we really like is that the amp is dead quiet and I mean dead quiet. We play the same type of music you do, no high gain, metal or serious overdirve.

 

[djw]

Ditto pretty much all of the above. I don't think you're going to be disappointed with the tone at lower levels, especially the clean channel; if you were happy with the LSS in that respect, I don't think the LSC's threshold of goodness is that far above the LSS in terms of real volume.

The drive channel definitely thrives on a bit of volume, but even there you can probably have some fun at lower levels. Its strength is definitely as a mid-gain beast.

I play a Les Paul and a Strat through mine, and both sound fabulous. I don't even really need to change settings. I tried my amp out in the store with my paul; I think I sat in that little room with them for about 2 hours just amazed at how spankin' the combination sounded.

The clean channel is incredibly versatile and addictive. I tend to like it with a bit of dirt, which for me is with gain at about 2:00 thru 50 watts: very responsive and clear. I don't think the 10 watt thing is going to be a problem, especially if you're talking about home use. If you need more headroom, 50 watts will give you plenty and still sound full at low levels. Trust me.

I can't say enough good things about this amp. I have some clips of my lousy playing with various settings, which were all recorded at apartment levels, if you're interested. No pedals, just guitar and amp. The "CloneCheck" clip was done after I did my "Reeder Mod".

PS: I sometimes wish I had a head and cab config or the 2x12 combo which make everything a bit deeper and fuller sounding; but I play out a bit, and even so my 1x12 combo is more than adequate for my own needs.

 

[zappaslaughter]

"lousy playing"...come on man. Those clips rock!

 

[djw]

"lousy playing"...come on man. Those clips rock!

Gee whiz, thanks ZS!