Lonestar Classic 2X12 distortion question

[kadesh1961]

Hey, new to the forum and I have a question. I just bought a use Lonestar 2X12 and begun to spend some time dialing it in. As everyone already knows the clean tones are terrific, however I am having some challenges with the drive and gain settings on channel 2. They seem very garbled no matter where I set it to. No pronounced frequencies, muffled and little sustain. If I clone channel 1 and 2 (no drive) they sound very much the same, very punchy and clean. I am not sure if there is a problem in the drive stage or I am just not dialing it in right. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Hi,

I have my LSC since June this year, and I have to say that I had problems in the earlier days with channel 2. Have to say that it was down to me not the amp - which sounded great from day one. I use a strat and found that ch2 with Drive engaged and the thicker switch, just sounded really wooly, especially if I wanted to use the neck pick up. The thing with the LSC I found in the end was to go with your ears not convention, I now have the bass almost entirely rolled off when drive is set high and use the bridge pick up increasingly for lead. Totally against what I have done in the past. However I am also finding that by using the 10w mode and driving the power stage hard, I don't need the drive as high, so can play around with the tone more.

This is a bit of a ramble, but I was getting so hacked off with only thinking I could get one tone out of ch2 (albeit an amazing one that got comments straight away) that I thought about whether there could be a problem with the amp.

This amp sounds amazing out of the box, but you have to be prepared to learn about the ways that the controls all effect one another. It is not something I had come across before in such a severe way, but you learn to love it as it gives incredible versatility.

What guitar are you using and what are you current ch2 settings?

D

 

[BigMac5]

I had a hard time with Ch. 2 also at first. I'm really happy with it now, the tone is still thick and cuts through awesome with the band..

For me I had to turn the Bass down and turn the treble and presence up, it made a huge difference.

My setting are:

Drive- 1:30
Gain- 3:00
Treble- 1:00
Mid- 3:00
Bass- 9:00
Presence- 3:00

Hope this helps!

 

[plan-x]

Try my setting "mild crunch that cuts mix" in the data base. Keep the presence high.

 

[kadesh1961]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the help. I am starting to get the feeling that it is me and not the amp. One thing, I mis-represented the amp, it is a Lonestar 2X12, I had assumed it was a Classic but I was mistaken.

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2006/0706_MesaBoogieLoneStar.php

Main guitar used is a 1993 American Strat maple neck with Lindy Fralin Blues Special Pups. I will try all of your suggestions and get back to you, keep 'em coming![/url]

 

[plan-x]

I believe your Lone star 2x12 is the classic, aka LSC, so not to confuse it with the Lone star special aka LSS.
Now, I am a classic rocker era late 60's thru to about the early nineties with the seventies and eighties being my main stay. The tones of that era are marshall all the way. The LSC 2nd ch doesn't cut it. I have played 30 plus years. I have only found a couple of usable sounds on that 2nd ch. The one I reccomemended in the data base "mild crunch that cuts mix" and full throttle for feed back effects like when ending a song. All the other settings have issues. I believe the LSC maybe voiced vintage from before my era. I've even considered getting it modified. Actually I retubed with some JJ's and added an ext speaker with some webers and that helped enough to get a low-med gain sound that could beat out my OD stomp boxes. But as for killer high gain this amp is not built for that. I had this amp for 2 years now and have relied on my dirt pedals for the most part. The clean ch is the "Star". Maybe that's why it's called the Lonestar, ha ha....get it. I would Recommend retubing. Google "Eurotubes"

 

[kadesh1961]

Hey plan-x, I think that you are bang on with your comments. I have been messing with the "LSC" for about 10-12 hours and I can't seem to get a good high gain sound from channel 2 (with my Strat) that is until I plugged in my old Boss GT-5 in, that seemed to help but it is solid state and not the tone I am looking for. El Degas has a real snarl to it with out any additional effects needed.

Tell me what you think of this stomp box, has anyone used it, any comments?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6X-AVfVGUk

Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic.

Thanks again for the help, any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[plan-x]

I've been considering a tube pedal myself. My friend sold me his barber LTD & DD once he got his Twin tube. I really love those pedals but he gave them up (for a price) over that Twin Tube. I would say that a tube based pedal is the most natural sounding of OD's. That being said, I find that unit also to have basically one sound. Their EQ is somewhat limited. You can hear that also on the video demo. The Radial Tone Bone pedals offer more flexability in tones and EQ. Here's there line uphttp://www.musiciansfriend.com/navi...-guitar-effects-pedals?N=100001+338518+202509 I'm gonna stick with my OD's for now.http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/plan-x/X-MAS2006021.jpg

 

[fishyfishfish]

I purchased the high gain kit from euro tubes and found that fixed some of the problem. One thing I do now is run the treble at 3:00, and the presence at 2:00 for some more dirt.

 

[richt]

I have to give some more appreciation for the Twin Tube Classic. I use mine with an Express 5:50 1x12 and it complements that amp very nicely.
The rhythm channel on the Twin Tube classic has just the perfect amount of drive and bloom and can be pure rock power if pushed. It sounds great through the clean channel of the Express. The lead channel has a very liquid tone and great sustain as well, and is very inspiring with some reverb or delay. With the gain channel on the Express set to Blues mode, I get an excellent soulful lead tone from that, and having the lead channel on the Twin Tube Classic as my second lead tone, it works out very well.

Cheers,

Richt

 

[agefender]

When I first got the lonestar I used the second channel For sustaining lead type sound I think i set it something like the 'singing lead' on the instant gratification settings. Now I just set the second channel with just a little more bite. I use stomp boxes for more gain I have a byoc screamer,mighty mouse ,and large beaver,also a bb preamp. Rc booster is on the way.When I first played the amp i was a little disappointed in both channels. Now i am very happy with it I totally agree with Funky Monkey- as in don't go with convention but with your ears. On the clean i turn the master to 2.00 bass to 9.00 then dial in mids and treble I also use the diode rectifier tracking and have send level at 2.00.As far as the original question I am in the same boat and will revisit the drive switch. useless info......but my 2 cents worth

 

[plan-x]

I got the high head room tubes from Bob at Eurotubes and it helped out. I,m thinking about going winged C next time around. They are supposed to sound good and last longer too. I think the most significant settings I did was to reverse the drive and gain. I run the drive up high (2:30) and the gain down low (10:00). It says in the manual that will give a thinner sound. Bass 10:00 and mid down way low like 7:00. Treble at 1:00 and presence at 4:00. Also running 4 ohms on the speakers will help thin out the sound. If I could scoop the mids more I think it would start to sound really good. The mid control is really low almost like a bass control its kind of odd. Not very effective for the mids. Maybe an EQ pedal could coax the rest out of that drive channel. Anyone try that with any success.

 

[boogiemon]

Sorry y'all are still in search mode for tone on the 2nd channel.
it's all subjective of course, but for what it's worth, my strat just wails through my LSC (stock tubes, no effects, etc.).

peace,

 

[lukeness]

believe it or not, the 2nd channel with my PRS Hollowbody is what sold me on the amp. It's a perfect gritty distortion in my opinion. If you're looking for Recto... it might not fit the bill, although I believe it can get pretty close.

BTW, I also set the Bass down a lot.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Sorry y'all are still in search mode for tone on the 2nd channel.
it's all subjective of course, but for what it's worth, my strat just wails through my LSC (stock tubes, no effects, etc.).

peace,

Boogiemon, you are so right! Tone is totally subjective. I am with you, I can get some pretty high gain out of my LSC with no effects. I have a BB preamp that I use with it for those occasional covers where I need to get into Rectifier territory, but that is very rare. I can pull off Satriani, Van Halen, 90's Clapton (SLO100) without the pedals. If only I could play the notes too

I think the LSC is one of those amps you go on a journey with. I got incredible compliments from other guitarists about my tone at the first gig I played with this amp 4 hours after I got it - using the instant gratification settings... I'd never had that before.

It is easy to get a great tone out of this amp, but there is so much versatility in it you have to put in some time to find YOUR tone amongst all the permutations of options and tone stack.

As long as you bought the right amp for your style of music in the first place, you can be sure you'll find your tone and a load of others in this baby.

I'm 6 months into my LSC relationship, I am still amazed at how it can purr, roar and sing.

FYI - I don't work for MESA, i'm just a bit too excitable over this amp

D