Lonestar Classic/Special/MkV for Dead and Classic Rock?

[oldlefty]

I know, I know... "What- another Classic/Special thread???"

I've looked over all the related threads for the past two years and didn't find exactly what I was looking for. I'm an old fart, played on and off since high school. Focus on Garcia's Dead tone, but I also re-live the past with Beatles, Stones, Who, stuff. I have a Tele, a (suprisingly nice) 335 knock-off that I put a DiMarzio PAF (w/split coil) and electronics upgrade package in, having a Garcia Tiger tribute built this year. Current amps are a Fender Champ 12 with Vintage 30 and a Vox AD 120. I play almost entirely at home just for my own pleasure/frustration.

My local music store has a used MkV combo that has me interested, but i'm not sure I need all that since I'm not really into hi-gain. My HotCake gives me all the dirt I need (and more). Looking at the more likely options I'm getting more interested in the Lonestar Classic- and maybe the Special. I don't need a lot of volume. Garcia's tone was based mainly on the Blackface tonestack and lots of headroom. There's a nice V1 Classic for sale nearby, but obviously it doesn't have the 10 watt switch.

My gut tells me that what I think would work best is the Classic V2 (and its TONE). Would the V1 be too much volume for home practice, which is about all I do? Can you tame the 50 watts? The Special looks interesting due to the lower wattage options, and its Voxiness doesn't scare me away. But I'm reading that the Classic has "that tone" that I think I would regret not having. Would the Special have all the headroom and tone I'm looking for at just practice levels? And, would the Mk V have both amps in one package (if I could find them somewhere in the fighter cockpit)- and it's just down the street? All that said, you can tell I'm leaning toward the Classic for Blackface tone reasons. Anyone in a similar situation (ha!)? Advice? Thanks.

 

[Vogelsong]

I sold my LSS to get a mark V. In the end it came down to this.

I needed 6l6 tubes, the el84 in the special just sounded to thin to me. When I decided I wasn't happy and needed to move on I started playing other amps. I was never happy with the tone unless I was playing something with 6l6 or el34's.

I also wanted a third channel this kept me from the LSC had it not been for that I would have gone that route. But in the end I got the Mark V and it does it all. It goes down to 10 watts also, and believe me at 10 watts the tone is amazing.

Just because it does High gain doesn't mean you have to. There are times I set mine up for a crystal clean channel 1, a channel 2 that breaks up nice, and a channel 3 that is more on the heavier blues tone but not really high gain.

If you can afford the V do it, guarentee all your bases are covered and if you ever decide to go and do something new you have the versatility.

My .02c

 

[420danno]

I play the same stuff. Love my LSC. See my other post about tube versitility.

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=52700&p=376245#p376245

 

[420danno]

PS: Last summer I got to do a Dead tribute with the Buffalo Phillharmonic and the LSC shined. Nails that edgy Jerry stuff and you can always push it with metal pedal for his Hell in a Bucket tone (although I'm not a fan of his heavy overdrive sound, I prefer his clean and edge tones with a little slap back in the effects loop ie althea)

 

[oldlefty]

420danno: Thanks for your comments. I read about that Dead/Buffalo Phil concert last year but didn't make it over (I'm north of Syracuse, grew up in Buffalo). I should have made it to the original Dead/Buff Phil show (41 years ago today!) but I was away at college then. I do remember seeing The Band at Kleinhans.

There is a V1 nearby at a good price, a V2 farther away at a higher price. I'm thinking that I'd really like the 10 watt option since I'm playing mainly at home, but I don't know that for a fact. Is it worth $500 for that 10 watt switch?

 

[420danno]

Don't have it. Cant say I would miss it though. I'm running the THD yellow jackets, so my "50 watt" is actually 20 class a Watts and that's fine for the basement. I'll see this weekend if 70 simlclass is load enough for my band. Unless you record I can't see needing 10 watts. I can crank the 20 and it's loud but not piss my wife off loud.

 

[Goerman]

OL,

I just added to one of the other threads on this topic. I definitely love to play the same stuff as you (plus country, rockabilly and even some jazz influenced rock - I add this because it is pertinent to my answer). I'm not too into extreme gain stuff but not saying I don't like it. I do have a LSS and its is a great amp. Just picked up a Mark V combo and I am blown away. It does so much more! So far I would say the Mark V likes to be louder, however it also sounds awesome at lower levels (I just finished practicing with the Mark V while my wife is directly downstairs watching TV and not one complaint! she even commented on the tone!). I have to concur with Vogelsong, if you can swing it go for the the V!

 

[Vogelsong]

Which way did ya go?

Here's a V waiting to be gobbled up...

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=53195

 

[oldlefty]

Thanks guys. I went with the LCC. I found a V2 that I liked on the Bay, have only had a little time with it so far due to traveling, but I like it a lot. It has the clean headroom tone I want, and way more gain on Ch 2 than I'll ever need.

While traveling earlier this week the rental car was from Texas- the plate said "The Lone Star State". Made me smile.