Lonestar Classic vs. Special

[forgivenman]

Hi everybody. I just joined this board and have learned a ton! I currently have a Green Stripe MK III and just bought a Lonestar classic 212 (it hasn't come in yet though). I noticed, after paying for the Classic of course, that everyone has been raving about the sound of the Special. In fact I was surprised by how much I found here regarding the Special and not the Classic. Now I'm second guessing myself. Has anyone tried out or happen to own both of these? What are the sound differences? I know I can switch the Classic's 6L6's for some EL's but will that really make a huge difference? Thanks so much for all your time!

 

[vibeman]

both great. special ? thinner and less bass. little headroom. Great tones but I prefer the classic 2-12 combo over the special. Had both and love the classic. If you like a 6l6 tone its the ****. so dont really compare them as they are different by great lengths.


I play the classic at 50 watts and it is as fat as 6l6 can get for tone. Early breakup but not mush which is what the special does if cranked up all the way. The special has its place but its just not as fender and marshall like. More of that 84 tone and great at that.

 

[user 1198]

Don't second guess yourself, you made the right choice. You have the advantage with the LSC in that you can use 6L6, EL34, 6V6, and EL84 (with yellow jacket adapters) power tubes. Plus the LSC has tons more clean head room. Both the LSC and LSS are great amps, but I preferred the LSC.

If you want Fender type cleans the LSC is the right choice. If you want more of Vox AC-30 type of vibe, then the LSS would be a better choice.

I think the LSC has a bit of a marketing problem because they put the word "Special" in Lone Star Special amp. It makes it sound like the amp is a better version of the Lone Star, when in essence it is really a different beast all together.

 

[forgivenman]

Thanks for the enouragment- I feel better! It should be here tomorrow- I'm really excited. I'm hoping it will be a worthy replacement for my Mark III- I love it but the shared EQ drives me nuts!

 

[ol4t]

I played both side by side. I had a Twin, wanted a Vox but hated the construction of the new Vox amps. The Classic was LOUD, clean, like the Twin. For me, having the Special with a good A/B is a versatile mix. I love mine, practice everyday with the 5w setting. If had only one amp, I probably would get the Classic though.

 

[speedy mcfeely]

I love my LSS. I know that I rave about it quite a lot on this board, but it is killer.

The reason for me picking the LSS is the Class A power amp. It just has a different vibe than the LSC. It is not better or worse, in fact the preamp circuits are the same, it is just different.

The LSS is better for the player who likes a Matchless type clean over a Fender type clean; and likes the feel of the power amp saturation that comes from a class A circuit, over that which is produced from a class AB circuit.

Really it is a matter of taste.

 

[rockhound76s]

Has anyone tried out or happen to own both of these? What are the sound differences? I know I can switch the Classic's 6L6's for some EL's but will that really make a huge difference? Thanks so much for all your time!

check out this thread....I recently went through the decision to buy a LS Classic or Special, and was able to come up with a solution that gave me the best of both worlds....

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=5741

 

[forgivenman]

Ok, first things first- without even trying, I was able to quickly dial up the sound in my head that I've always associated with the ideal Fender clean. I was expecting this so I was pleased, but not honestly surprised. However, I was, and still am, completely surprised at the gain structure of Channel 2. I've noticed in the past that the majority of people who buy Marshall's, especially the JCM series, are always disappointed by the sound. Without even trying I was able to stumble my way into my idealized Marshall crunch. This blew me away- it was a very Eric Johnson vibe and the gain was set to normal- how cool is that!?! Switching to "thick" and "thicker" gave me what I used to think of as the "Marshall on steriods" sound, but now I just call the "Mesa" sound. My amp is the 212 version and I don't know if that makes a difference, but I'm really glad I got this. Thanks to those of you who have replied to my topic, I really appreciate your advice. I'm still curious about the LS Special though however, I'm not sure that I feel like I'm missing out!

 

[forgivenman]

Ok, first things first- without even trying, I was able to quickly dial up the sound in my head that I've always associated with the ideal Fender clean. I was expecting this so I was pleased, but not honestly surprised. However, I was, and still am, completely surprised at the gain structure of Channel 2. I've noticed in the past that the majority of people who buy Marshall's, especially the JCM series, are always disappointed by the sound. Without even trying I was able to stumble my way into my idealized Marshall crunch. This blew me away- it was a very Eric Johnson vibe and the gain was set to normal- how cool is that!?! Switching to "thick" and "thicker" gave me what I used to think of as the "Marshall on steriods" sound, but now I just call the "Mesa" sound. My amp is the 212 version and I don't know if that makes a difference, but I'm really glad I got this. Thanks to those of you who have replied to my topic, I really appreciate your advice. I'm still curious about the LS Special though however, I'm not sure that I feel like I'm missing out!

 

[TheRazMeister]

Hey Rockhound...how do you like your edwards LP? MY LP STD sounds absolutely wonderful thru my ROV and I was looking to get another LP. They rave about the Edwards at Harmony Central but I'm always leery of copies, especially since Edwards aren't really made in Japan as orginally thought.

Has anyone tried out or happen to own both of these? What are the sound differences? I know I can switch the Classic's 6L6's for some EL's but will that really make a huge difference? Thanks so much for all your time!

check out this thread....I recently went through the decision to buy a LS Classic or Special, and was able to come up with a solution that gave me the best of both worlds....

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=5741

 

[rockhound76s]

Hey Rockhound...how do you like your edwards LP? MY LP STD sounds absolutely wonderful thru my ROV and I was looking to get another LP. They rave about the Edwards at Harmony Central but I'm always leery of copies, especially since Edwards aren't really made in Japan as orginally thought.

I'm diggin the Edwards, man. It plays great. The one I have is the John Sykes model pictured below. The guitar tech that set it up is a certified Gibson tech, and he raved about it, and said that the neck joint was more solid than Gibson LP Customs. The cool thing about them is the ebony fretboards, which you don't get on any other LPC copies (in the US at least) . Also, the finish on mine isn't nitro, its poly. The guitar is very resonant unplugged, but I didn't care for the pickups (duncan distortions). No matter how much I adjusted the height of the bridge pickup, i was always getting this harsh treble sound. They also were noisy with my efx, so i stuck EMGs in there....81 in the bridge, 89 in the neck with a push/pull pot for tapping the neck. The only thing I don't like is that the fretboard binding doesn't go over the ends of the frets like on my Gibson. Some people feel that it doesn't make a difference, but to me the Gibson's neck seems faster.