Looking for input - LS over an Electra Dyne?

[dudleydawson]

Having spent most of my time over in the ED forum... i've heard bunches of tales of those choosing the ED over the Lone Star's and why...

i'm looking for the other side of the story. I've had my ED for a few months... i really really like it. I get it. I respect it. but i'm considering trading for a LSC... (i know i know... another grass-is-greener post - how novel!)

the low/med gain sounds of the ED are VERY cool - hairy, grindy, crunchy, dirty breakup - definitely the strength of the amp IMO.
but i'm used to a smoother break-up - and a smoother lead sound in general...
and i have no complaints about the ED cleans at all! but i'm guessing that if i like the ED cleans, i'll love the LSC cleans...

a popular consensus (at least on the ED side of things) seems to be that the ED OD blows the LS OD's away.
i'm beginning to suspect that this may be true for rhythm playing or those looking for crunch/punch/grind sounds... and i find myself craving smoother chewy leads... (i almost prefer running a BB preamp gained up on the ED clean channel to the ED OD channel)

mandatory gear note - i play a strat with HB's - a SD alnico pro II/JB with a 5 way switch. i generally like to use the neck pickup for most lead work, and the JB to cut through for higher gain rhythm playing.

any input?
anyone want to trade for a med ED head w silver piping? :lol:

 

[shoemocker]

This topic is interesting to me because I'm a Lonestar classic devotee and after seeing all the enthusiasm for Electra Dyne, I went and got one. After spending a few hours with both amps and an A/B switch in the basement where I could play as loud as I wanted to, I decided to sell the ED. I thought the sound of both amps was just about the same on both the clean and dirty channels but with the lonestar, you have more control over the volume levels. I also found the lonestar had potential for more distortion in the dirt channel. To sum up: both amps sound great, Lonestar is more versatile and easier to fine tune.

 

[J.J]

This thread is very interesting to me. I am looking at both these amps as my next amp to upgrade my Express 5:25.

I played the LS classic 4x10 and the 2x12 ED side by side in the shop a few days back. I have previously played an ED head with a 4x12 stilleto cab and loved it. This time though, I was surprised that I left the shop awe by the LS and not thinking much about the ED. Maybe I just didn't like the v30s in the ED combo.

 

[lostcause]

Seriously considered the ED. Already had the LSC.
I like the 112 ED better than the 212 ED. The funny thing about that is I dont like c90's and dont really like Mesa combos.
I run my LSC head through a 212 cab with V30's and would have bought the ED head.
I played the LS and ED side by side on a number of occasions using my own cabs and guitars. While I really liked/like the ED it just didnt shine enough above the LS to make me want it. Any thing it could do the LS could do close enough with the addition of a couple of stomps in front of the clean channel and then I still had the fluid/creamy lead channel at my disposal. I actually found the LS more versatile.
It was bad because I had serious GAS pangs for the ED and it just went away with out much of a fight after spending time with both together. Stiletto GAS has remained intact all this time though.
If I didnt already own the LS and didnt know my way around it like I do now I may have taken the ED over it in the same shoot out and found a stomp to put in front of it to get me those fat "smooth chewy lead" sounds. I did like the BB Pre in front of it.
I still rate the ED highly. Just didnt feel like it was going to give me anything stand out different to what I could already achieve. Just more Mesa.
The only thing that I found in the ED I didnt like( Could be what I like about it also) is the tight, quick decay feeling it has. Even through well worn in speakers.
Both are great amps. Both have that Mesa sound. Both sound great and both can be made to sound kind of close enough similar with the addition of a couple of stomps. Close enough for me anyway. I just like the Lone Star better ymmv.

 

[ziehmrd]

When I was shopping for Mesa amps, it came down to the Lonestar and the Electradyne. I liked both amps and wound up buying the Electradyne. I got it home and started playing and the tones that I heard when I demoed it (Played both amps quite a bit on different occasions) were there. Nice cleans, tight bass response and that killer crunch. However, I started to notice the lack of a fluid lead sound as you mentioned. No matter what I did, I realized the lead tone, although good, did not seem as touch sensitive and I couldn't get that singing lead I was looking for. With the Lonestar I got all that and was able to get a nice in tune feed back at resonable volumes. No matter how high I turned up the ED, I couldn't get that. I also started having frustration with having to adjust the mode settings for each tone. I've heard a lot of folks just set the knobs once and it works for them for all the modes, but it didn't for me. After about 3 days of playing this amp, I boxed it up and it sat in my music room for about a week before I took it back to Guitar Center and ordered the Lonestar.
I feel the Lonestar cleans are slightly better and the gain tones much more to my liking. As far as the amount of gain, I think the Lonestar has plenty although it is smoother and the bottom is not as tight as the ED. Combine that with the fact that the Lonestar has 2 discrete channels and reverb, three power settings, adjustable effects loop etc., etc. it's just way more flexible and for my taste (These things are all a matter of personal preference) the Lonestar is a much better fit.
The Electradyne is a great amp with great tone, but for me, the Lonestar wins.

 

[dudleydawson]

exactly the kind of feedback i was looking for - thanks guys.
i really like this amp... just feeling more and more that the LS is more my style.

 

[djw]

Wow, it's kind of refreshing to read all this LS > ED feedback. I know it's not a contest, but I've been kind of wondering WTF is wrong with me since most of the assessments I've read to date gave the ED the edge. But for me and what I do, the LSC just smokes the ED. Not even close.

I haven't had the time at home with an Electra Dyne to be completely fair to it. I did give it a spin a few times at GC, in the iso room with a couple of different guitars, so I was able to run it through some paces. The ED was pretty killer, for sure, and if I had enough money + room for more amps than I have, I'd grab one just to enjoy cranking it once in a while. Great amp. Usable. Has some real character. Mean *** mid-gain tone. Very cool.

But I brought the LSC home after trying it under the same exact same conditions, and found I couldn't get it to do anything I didn't like in almost 2 hours of wailing away on it. It just does everything I want it to. And for all the rep it has from that gorgeous clean tone, the fluid buttery lead tone is spectacular and very, very responsive. I've even come to really enjoy the mid-gain feeling on the drive channel just by backing off on guitar volume; it's different, but very cool.

It's been 3 years since I got my LSC, and the honeymoon just goes on and on... it makes me want to play. I think I'd have a lot of fun with an Electra Dyne, but I have this sense that it doesn't quite have the dimensions that the Lone Star does.

I like the cleans on both amps a lot, though they're quite different. The ED I tried seemed like it broke up up top like a Marshall but kept some of its low end oomph like a Fender. The LSC breaks up like you wish you could get a blackface Twin to.

 

[toneguy86]

Not sure I can add a ton here, but I own a LSC and have played the ED a lot. Personally I have to say that it took awhile to find the sweet spot on the LSC. Like a lot of Mesa amps, LSs do take awhile to get a handle on. The ED is simpler in many respects, but honestly I found nothing there that I couldn't get with the LS and, in fact, the LS is more versatile in many ways. As others have said, the LS channel one can be a spot on overdriven super reverb or twin sound with loads of touch sensitivity and character. I discovered the magic of running my drive higher then my gain on channel two and now have a smokin marshallish tone that I get tons of compliments on.

The other features the make the LS unique include the solo boost, which I actually use as a way of adding a stepped down clean channel of sorts on channel one. I ride my volume controls a lot and have a pretty hairy wide open sound for solos on both channels. To get a nice R&B/funk clean rhythm sound, I back my volume control way down and kick on the solo boost. It works great.

Anyway...in no way am I putting down the ED...just giving a few more props to the LS.


Mark

 

[Telecastermaster]

I have yet to play an ED but I wanted to put in my 2c on the learning curve with the LSC.

I have owned mine for about 2 years now and have struggled with the tone up until recently. For me what did "it" was changing to Mesa Boogie EL34 tubes. I play through a Reader#1 mod, version 1 head, and matching 2x12 cab with C90s which to my ears was too loose on the bottom end no matter the EQ settings. Previously having possibly stock original 6L6's (I bought it used) to me the EL34s gave it a Marshall overtone yet maintaining the LSC overall sound and tightened up the bottom end just right. I hate using that "Marshall" description but its the easiest way I can describe it. I have since fell in love with the amp. I think that the sound of the LSC is so complex and versatile that it just takes a while for each person to capture what they truly want but when they do, its really great. My discovery isn't over either, I want to try some different 6L6's and EL34's of different manufacture to see what I can get out of them.

Now if I can just stop drooling over the amp and practice more I would be set! :lol: