Lone Star Reeder Mod #1: Channel 2 Pot-Swap

[SimonRoseUK]

Having read so much, although happy with CH2, got my tech to do the mod on my LSS.
Using both Gibsons, found it easier to get the OD I wanted but the big benefit for me was making it easier to dial in the tones on the amp.
As a user of both CH1, CH2 and CH2 with drive, I was finding it a tad tiresome dialling in the tone based on size of room as the increase/decrease in volume needed impacted the tone/drive, as I guess it would. Now I can use a base set up for each channel.
BTW, whilst at it, he modded the reverb out so that I can use a footswitch for both reverb and the drive setting - this is invaluable.....nice if it hadn't been a separate FS to the channel selector, but then again......nice touch. LOVE the LSS

 

[adrianni]

To me, the most shocking experience was to see that the clean channel and the drive channel sound the same if the drive is disengaged and the Thick/Thicker/Normal switch is in the normal position.
And of course, it became hard to get a sound that I actually didn't like. I have no idea how this can be achieved by swapping two pots of the same value - more or less because I measured them before the mod and I got slightly different values. 999Kohms as opposed to 1002Kohms if I remember correctly. And I don't remember which is which because it was a long time ago. But I never looked back, it works fantastic. This is a good amp.

 

[Pongo]

As djw put it:

I suppose the point of this mod and the discussion is to get the amp's OD to a happy place without adding pedals or other outboard gear.

So really, for everybody who has done this mod, it's essentially no different from using an EQ pedal aside from the convenience of dialing in a truer Channel 1 clone without having to push an additional button... right?

I still may do it regardless (for fun and because I can't help myself, not out of necessity), but am curious if people who have done this mod agree or disagree with my assessment? There isn't exactly a plethora of high-quality A/B test videos available to go over, so I'm basing my opinion primarily on written reviews.

(for what it's worth, I love the drive channel, but do use an EQ on songs that require tighter high gain sounds)

 

[adi effinsky]

Hi all,
Do you think a similar mod could be done on the HI mode of the Fillmore 50? I loved the 50 head I briefly had but the Hi mode, which I needed the most, had lots of harmonics purposely shaved off. It made it sound too dark at its core (impossible to dial back in through EQ) and made volume knob tone clean-up subpar. This didn't happen on the other channels. I therefore got rid of the amp but if a mod could be done so that the HI mode sounded congruous with the other 2 modes... I could get it back.

Thanks in advance!
A

 

[Pascal]

Hi! I’ve been a lonestar user for nearly 10 years and I’ve always ran the second channel (drive switch OFF) treble not higher than one o’clock (I find it harsh past it), but cranked the presence at 3 or even 4 o’clock. As for the bass, all the way off, and the mids never above noon, past it I find it too dark sounding.

I now one complaint about this channel is its darkness, but when I recently looked at other user’s setting, espacialy Andy Timmons, and when he uses the second channel, he sometimes set the treble and the presence before 12 o’clock. If I did this, my sound would be flat as if my guitar’s tone control was turned off.

I’m starting to wonder if my amp always had a problem. It’s not as dark when I engage the drive switch, but still not as bright for my taste. When I read the user manual, it’s said that the second channel, drive off, is a clone of channel one. To my ears, they could not be more differents! And the Mesa’s Manual suggested factory settings always sound awfull when I try it. Andy timmons does, and it sounds « normal », warm, but not dead.

On the other end, I recently watched a Thatpedalshow video about gain stacking and both treble and presence are at 3 o’clock, just as me.


Anyone experiences it? I can get greats sounds, that’s not an issue, but I wonder why I have to crank my presence while some run it nearly off.

Thanks!