Lonestar Special or 25:5 Express for more British El84 tones

Dutchman · Feb 21, 2007

I think the "NEW" tones I'm after are going to have to come from an EL84's.
My last amp purchase was a 1981 Mark IIB, and that was a long time ago. So I hear all these wonderful new sounds and start bloating up, just full of GAS.

I have figured out no one else does what Boogie does with an amp, they are the entire package. Not PTP anymore but solid PCB's.

So it's going to be a Boogie with EL84's!!!! (although the London 18 does sound great, it doesn't have effect loop or channel switching)

I already have real Blackface Fenders in Mint condition so I'm looking for more of the VOX voicing.

Reverb is not necessary.

Any provoking thoughts?????

KDS · Feb 21, 2007

Nothing especially provoking but the Express 5:25 is very smooth, sweet, and Vox-like. I played one a couple of weeks ago and I was very impressed. It lasted one day in the store befoe someone took it home.

I really like how solid Boogies are built. I would pick up one of these two amps before I would buy a Vox.

I hear you on the bloating! GAS sucks!!

timmerel · Feb 21, 2007

Have a listen to the overdrive sound in this link to get an idea of some of the tones from a LSS.

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=9599

enigma · Feb 21, 2007

5:25 will definitely give you a Vox like tone on the 2nd Channel. LSS, on the other hand, is just one sweet, blusey amp to me.

JAZZGEAR · Feb 21, 2007

enigma said:
5:25 will definitely give you a Vox like tone on the 2nd Channel. LSS, on the other hand, is just one sweet, blusey amp to me.

enigma, I owe you an apology man. I got a chance to try the 5:25 again today. This time with my own axe, a Tom Anderson Hollow Cobra...and let me tell you this amp screams and has more clean headroom than the LSS, which ironically I A/B'd side by side in a private sound room.

The LSS is still the sweeter sounding amp (especially in the 5 watt setting)...but to be honest, the LSS does not sound $700 better. So for the $$ I would definitely go with the 5:25.

This 5:25 could turn out to be an achilles heel pain to Mesa as was the Studio Pre......low cost, but big time sound...that outperformed the more expensive units and ultimately impacted the sales of the higher priced units.