New LLS owner!

[Rojoyinc]

I watched some youtube demos on this amp and bought one. found it on ebay. 6mo old.

A few questions (love it) but it's not sounding like most I hear on yourtube. Theirs are more SPANKY (and I'm using strats as well)?

Also - is there suppose to be much vol difference in 5-15 and 30?

I'm using the output knob to keep it down, but still - if playing at 5w and switching to 15 or 30 - I hear very little differnce in vol. None at 5-15 a little at 15-30. Is this normal?

Also the normal - thick and thicker seems to be VERY little. (is that description the same as normal full fuller?) all I hear is on THICKER it seems to add a little boost to the treble?

Just wondering... I do love it, but would like to love it more = )

 

[GeoBull]

The sound:
Maybe the tubes? Mine sounds great; haven't heared the YouTube videos.

5-15-30:
There is a noticeable but not incredible difference in volume for me. Not as much as on my LSC. If you've got the Output way counter-clockwise perhaps you're not going to be able to hear the difference much; push it farther clockwise or hit hard-bypass and see what happens.

Normal-Thick-Thicker:
I hear very noticeable difference using this on both my Lone Stars; it doesn't affect ch 1 as you probably know.

If you haven't read the manual it's very helpful:
http://www.mesaboogie.com/manuals/LS_Special.pdf

Congrats on the amp; I love mine; have three Mesas and a Dr. Z and use the LSS the most.

 

[Chris F]

I echo GeoBull. And the LSS has a reverb to die for. Great amp. Takes some time and tweaking to get used to. I used the proposed settings which came with the amp as a starting point to looking for great sounds. And there's lots of them in the LSS.

 

[AJ_Newkirk]

Congrats on the new amp!

Sounds like you need to consider a retube if you are hearing volume level issues and lack of "spank" or liveliness in the tone.

There are a few threads here that discuss tube recomendations which you may want to search for & check out.

 

[ja22y]

welcome to the club.
You should hear distinct differences between the modes. Not just volume but the tone get dirtier as you lowered the power.
For me I don't hear alot of different in thick/thicker/normal. There're some differences but very little. For me it's not 'thicker' but more like a filter frequency shift

 

[enigma]

I don't know how long you've had it, but give it yourself sometime to really adjust to your taste. It's one of the best Mesa amps in my opinion.

For me, I can really hear the subtle differences in the thick-thicker mode.

As someone wrote, there's no huge difference in the volume b/w 5-15-30 w modes, but definitely an appreciable difference in tone.

I like my ch. 1 at 30W, and ch.2 at 5 W.

Congrats on the LSS!

 

[jrkooshman]

congrats! I love my LSS and just gigged with it last week. I have never had any issues, but I did retube the amp. Let me tell you this- I loved the amp before I retubed with NOS, but afterwards, I was ecstatic. Even the sound guy at the last gig commented on how he loved the tone. The manual settings are awesome, and really do give a bunch of different tones. That manual is a bible.

I definately encourage you to read this thread -
http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?t=4465&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

seriously, I stopped using OD pedals except for fuzz after doing this.

 

[eweise]

to really here what the thick/thicker switch is doing, turn the treble way up. In my opinion, it a fairly subtle difference with the treble at 12:00.

 

[Rojoyinc]

thanks all - I do love it - but wanna love it even more = )

Some more dumb questions:

1. Why the 5-15-30w setting? SINCE there is also a attenuator (vol over ride) knob... you know the one with the SOLO vol setting). Like why not keep it a 30w amp - for the fuller tone, up the master and attenuate it down to bedroom vol at the end of the line?

2. I've always used a POD XTL with my digital amps. When I first got into guitars (about 4 years ago) I couldn't hear the difference in tube vs digital amps. Now with some experience - I can and I appreciate the tube sound. It's SO HARD to define... but if I had to - it sounds like the tops of the wave pattern are rounded or smoother than digital wave which sound rather peaked? Does that make since... there is a smoother rumble to the tube amps. I wanted a LSS for a while now, and well thought I'd settle for a Champion 600 (5w) So I ordered one - I was so PLEASED with this little amp and it made me want the LLS even more, so I got this one too. I love them both. the champ REALLY shines using my Boss micro BR (little recorder/effects unit) up front as it offered nothing more than vol and with a little crunch set before it... (guitar to micro BR to champ) it really is AWESOME. The BR doesn't really help the LLS... just the opposite (I found that strange, other than well it's 200 vs 1800.00)
hehehe

3. So anyway - I'm use to using a POD XTL on the digital amps I had. Is it of value to use the POD XTL on the LLS? SOMETIMES (rare) as I tend to prefer blues tones) and clean (John Mayer punchy tones) but sometimes I wanna thrash a ltitle - or a little Satriani. Or some Ozzy (crazy Train) and want some old british/marshall tone. Does this make my LSS degrade to a digtial amp? (doesn't sound like it - still sounds pretty tube-esk) just curious of others out there do this (that have more experienced ears that Id o). Like - I'd like to add a distortion pedal, maybe a delay pedal - I know many of you do - but isn't this the same as me using those two features of the POD XTL pedal?

Thanks

 

[ja22y]

I'm not an amp tech but my understanding is the output volume is not a true attenuator like a THD hot plate, it's like a 'master volume' on a marshall. Tube amp generally sounds best when the power tube breakups. The output volume just reduces the signal level going to the power tube, therefore you're not driving the tube hard at low level. By turning off a pair of tube (15w) or running on one tube (5w), you're driving the tube hard to get the same listening level. That's where you get that great tone that only tube amp has.
I have a Boss gt-6 that I sometimes use to add color. Nothing wrong with using Fx or modeling or both. I use the modeling stuff when I play covers since I can get a very wide range of tone just by stepping on a button.