LSS Clean Thanks

[Leroy the Massochist]

I have now sorted my LSS clean sound. I implemented many of the changes people recommended and also went back to the manual.

WOW RTFM.

I have plenty of headroom to play songs like Wipe Out by the Hudu Gurus and then change to a articulate dirty sound to play Whole Lotta Rosie and then do some Laryy Carlton jazz or then back to dirty Foo Fighters.

No problems with clean headroom with a loud drummer. What an amp.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

So what's the trick? I'm thinking about one for a backup for my Blue Angel but was worried about headroom. The Blue Angel has no gain, just volume, so it stays clean untill the power tubes break up.

Best of luck.

Murph.

 

[GeoBull]

I have now sorted my LSS clean sound. I implemented many of the changes people recommended and also went back to the manual.

Yes, what were the changes you implemented: settings, tubes, guitar settings, etc.

 

[ja22y]

I got plenty of clean headroom without changing a thing.
Of course set the power to 30w.
The most critical thing is to plug the speaker into the 8 ohm 35w optional jack. You will notice that it's like lifting a blanket off the speaker. When plug into the mains, it loses the both low and high punch and sounds compressed.
With single-coil I set gain at 10'oclock, adjust EQ, presence and volume to taste. I like mine a little dark so presence is at 10'oclock.
I was surprised to note that the clean has some of the Fender's characteristic. It's like sticking el84 into a blackface (if possible).

 

[Leroy the Massochist]

First I changed to the 35 watt thingy in the back. This made a difference say 10% for headroom.

To be honest my 18month old found the next thing, the send level at the back was turned to max with Loop In, I could not work out why I was say 20% louder. (I think the manual recommends not to, I find the section on Loop In, Hard By Pass confusing) This then enabled me to use the "Sparkling Clean" settings, page 4 of the manual. I was now too loud but clean so I have pulled the gain back to 11 oclock and the master back to 10 with Output volume at 9 and solo at 10 I am massively loud and no headroom or too much compression happening.

It has been a load off my mind, I had started looking for a new amp. I have had by baby now for 18 months and it rocks. The looks on peoples facers when I play Gonna Go My Way by Kravitz as this thing oozes and spits tone and now I have an outstanding clean sound as well for rock, surf or jazz.

My next chapter is can I EQ the gain channel with a graphic eq to be a bit more like EL34. Seems to need a bit more low mid and high mid. Would be an interesting discussion, can you eq out the differences of el84, el34 and 6l6

 

[GeoBull]

First I changed to the 35 watt thingy in the back. This made a difference say 10% for headroom.

I tried this today; liked it in some ways (30w setting sounded great) not in others (5w and 15w sounded good but broke up immediately)

I'm looking forward to checking out your settings. BTW...I've found the Mesa manuals to be very well done.

It has been a load off my mind, I had started looking for a new amp. I have had by baby now for 18 months and it rocks.

I actually picked up a Dr Z Maz 38 Sr and now have it along with LSC and LSS. Initially, I thought it would be easy: I'd just dump the LSS. However, it hasn't been that easy: Dr Z has its place and wins on tone (over both amps ultimately); however, the Lone Stars also sound great and I must say I just can't see parting with the LSS at this point. With casters, really easy to transport, very versatile, GREAT grit, love the amp.

 

[Leroy the Massochist]

Geo Bull, you and I see to be wrestling with the same things.

Please note all my comments are in respect to amp volume in a band situation, none are in respect to playing at home. Comments I have read about the amp being dark can only be at below band volume as I play with the bass above twelve and my guitar tone backed off to about 7 as I find the amp very bright.

I have found with this amp I can get more tones just from playing differently. Eg if I want to play ACDC I am heavy on the d G B E strings, if I play blues I use the same settings but use my fingers, some times I play hard other songs softly, for modern rock I am heavy on the e a g strings. If I play la grange I can do eg the intro clean with my fingers on the dirty channel and then using my pick and hitting hard can crank the solo.

I do find it hard to get a brown sound and find the amp a bit thin. I have found the manual settings on page 4 the best for me. Make sure you turn that loop volume to max and you will have one loud mother of an amp.

With the hole ipod thing I have been listening closely to amp sounds on a variety of styles and generally in isolation the sounds are average, it is how the amp sounds packaged with the guitar that is really important. A lot of sounds that I prevously thought were classic are actually thin and fuzzy but combined with other instruments sound great/huge/wish I sounded like that.

 

[Leroy the Massochist]

Grammatical error in earlier post

"massively loud and no head room"

I mean

"no headroom issues", plently clean even banging open g hard

 

[ja22y]

Make sure you turn that loop volume to max and you will have one loud mother of an amp.

I found that with the loop enable, it change the tone as couple more tubes are now in the signal chain. Crank it to max does indeed pump the volume but it also adds gain and noise and thus the clean is no so clean. Since the fx loop is in series, I think basically the signal gets boosted through another low gain stage, that's why you get the volume.
I usually hard bypass the fx and just use the master. With the master at 3'o, it't plenty loud for band or small/medium gig. BTW, with master pass 1'o, the amp starts to introduce hiss. At 3'o or more the hiss is obvious but in band situation, it doesn't matter much.

 

[Barracuda]

..To be honest my 18month old found the next thing.....

.. I have had by baby now for 18 months and it rocks....

You've been a Dad twice in 18 months - very cool and good timing I say!