lonestar tubes

[klangart]

Hi,
what tubes are a goof fit for the lonestar 212, for a clean, funky,fusion style. les paul classic.
I heard JJ`s. I had lots of problems with mesa tubes, brand new.

thanks

 

[fishyfishfish]

I have used both JJEL84's in my F30 and JJ6L6's in my old LSC with great results. The only other new tube I would recommend would be TAD 6L6GC. Good luck!

 

[davidp158]

I have a Lonstar Classic, with EL34 power tubes. I bought the amp used from a friend, who never changed the tubes, and I suspect they are tired. I am willing to do a complete re-tube, but have a few questions/comments:

Power tubes:
• I like the compression of the stock EL34 tubes, and I supposed EL34 power tube compress somewhat more than 6L6 tubes.
• As the LSC is rather loud, I prefer to avoid tubes that may increase this. Between EL34 and 6L6 power tubes, does one tend to be louder than the other?
• As the LSC's bias is set, how can I select non-Mesa power tubes that will work well with the bias setting of my LSC?
• How hard is it to bias the LSC? I have a meter and have biased a few amps, but they had contact test points and adjustable potentiometers which make the process easy.

Preamp tubes:
• The high treble response with the current tubes is a bit "fizzy" and dull. I can dial in plenty of treble, but there's a cloudy-ness to the clean channel that I hope new tubes will take care of. BTW, I don't want sharp, brittle treble. Just a bit clearer tone.
• I play a mix of alt-country, roots rock, and blues, and the LSC is a wonderful amp for these genres. My tone preference favors Fender and VOX amps, over Marshall and high gain amps.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I have used both JJEL84's in my F30 and JJ6L6's in my old LSC with great results. The only other new tube I would recommend would be TAD 6L6GC. Good luck!

 

[davidp158]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I read here that some users buy tubes from Doug's Tubes, so I emailed them with a description of the music I play, and my concern about buying non-Mesa tubes that match up well with the pre-set bias of the LSC. The reply I got (below) doesn't give specific answers to my questions, so maybe I have to give them a call to discuss it in person.

"Whichever way you lean, I recommend the RUBY EL34BSTR or the 6L6GCMSTR's and our Mesa 12AX7 tone kit. We have either NOS JAN Philips or Electro Harmonix 5U4GB's."

Regarding JJ tubes, I put a full set of JJ tubes in my Dr. Z MAZ Jr (18 watts with EL84 power tubes), and the tone became somewhat darker. The amp still has plenty of high end, but overall the amp lost a bit of its dimensional quality and harmonics. The MAZ Jr is a much different amp than my LSC, but I don't want the LSC to become darker, as the low end is a bit mushy already.

 

[klangart]

http://thetubestore.com/mesa-lonestar.html

 

[davidp158]

Does the Tube Store test and burn in their tubes?

There is a big price difference between their regular "Value" re-tube set ($150) and premium re-tube set ($362.60). Can anyone comment on the difference in tubes they offer, and the advantages? Does the "matched sections" offer any appreciable improvement in tone?

Value set:
2 pairs (Matched quartet) - Tung-Sol 6L6GC-STR$43.95
5 - JJ ECC83-S / 12AX7$9.95 (+ $5.00 for matched sections)
1 - Electro-Harmonix 5U4GBEH$12.95

Premium set:
2 pairs (Matched quartet) - Winged "C" (SED) 6L6GC$49.95
5 - JAN-Philips 12AX7WA$49.95 (+ $5.00 for matched sections)
1 - Electro-Harmonix 5U4GBEH$12.95

http://thetubestore.com/mesa-lonestar.html

 

[klangart]

I'm new to tubes, alway had solid state, so I'm learning here

 

[davidp158]

Some good general info on tubes:
http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/Primers.html

I'm new to tubes, alway had solid state, so I'm learning here

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

What's wrong with your Mesa valves btw???

 

[davidp158]

I purchased the LSC used from a friend. He's a good guy, but he's not much on maintaining his gear and the amp is 4 or 5 years old. A few years ago, I purchased a mid 70's Deluxe Reverb from him. He was the original owner, and never changed the tubes, or even used the standby switch. Its a safe bet that the the power tubes in my LSC need replacing. The preamp tubes may be OK, as the amp may not have been gigged a lot, but its worth swapping those out (one at a time) to see if there is any tonal difference/improvement.

What's wrong with your Mesa valves btw???

 

[fishyfishfish]

I would leave the pre's alone unless a tube gets micro-phonic or starts hissing. As for the power tubes, I re-tubed my LSC when I thought it was time (after a year or so of gigging three times a week) thinking that I would hear a big difference in tone. I didn't. As for buying them, most of the major tube suppliers sell tubes that are spec'd to Mesa's fixed bias so you should be able to pop them in and go.
You could also run 6V6's in the LSC for a little less volume. Download the manual on line and it tells you how to do this.