New LSC owner with questions

[Musical123]

Hi,

I just picked up a used LSC v1 (100/50W) and think it is just great. I have a couple of questions:

It doesn't seem to be as loud as I thought it might (compared to my 60W Mesa SOB). Don't get me wrong, it is loud. Could this be a tube problem? or maybe the cabinet is different than what I am use to?

What does the LED but the input jack do? It goes green when channel 1 is selected and off when channel 2 is selected. Is this normal?

Lastly, I am thinking of getting new tubes. In the past I used JJ's. What are other folks using?


Thanks

 

[madryan]

The LED thing is normal.

The amp has a couple of different modes and depending on how you're running it will be much louder or quieter seeming.

Try this. Put everything on standby. Switch the loop to hard bypass. Then turn your channel volumes down to zero and turn everything up to max power (100w) now take it off standby and turn up your channel volumes for each channel with the gain set wherever you like it. Chances are it'll be really loud now. You've removed the entire loop and master volume from the circuit.

Also, I don't like JJ tubes at all in the Lonestar. I gigged one for years and that amp likes really bright tubes. You want some 9th gen Chinese for everything in the preamp except V1 and the PI. Get a NOS Jan GE 12AT7 for the PI and get a couple of different tubes to try out in V1.

What I do with most amps tube wise is pull the chassis out of the head case. Set it upside down on a towel. Pull the shield off V1 and plug everything in as normal (you won't be able to hook up the reverb no shut it off) then play a bit with whatever you've got in V1 at a volume that lets your amp shine but doesn't fatigue your ears. Wear earplugs if you must. Pull the plugs and listen to the tone for 10 seconds. Put amp on standby, Pull V1, switch tube with something else, let warmup for 15second, Amp off standby and play for 10 seconds. Is the tone better or worse? Make a note and then put the same tube back in you started with and do this with all your tubes trying to rate each new tube against the same "Control" tube.

Then, the next day after your ears are no longer fatigued (they will be at the end of the tube rating session) try your top rated replacement tubes in a run-off to see which one you like the best.

V1 is really the spot you'll hear the most difference from. I usually take my favorite tube and slap it in V1 and then my second favorite goes in V2 or I keep it in my spare box in case V1 goes Microphonic.

If you want I'll PM you my phone number and you can call me today if you have any other questions.

 

[Musical123]

Hi Madryan,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question in such detail. I really apprecaite it.

I tried doing the max power experiment and it didn't change anything. Like I said earlier, my amp is loud, but not as loud as my 60W Mesa SOB. Maybe it is the cabinet or something? maybe a bad tube?

where do you recommend to get the tubes you mention?


Thanks again.

 

[boogiemon]

try this:

on the back:
speaker in the 8ohm jack
rectifier switch up (won't matter in 100 watt mode though)
effects loop out/off
reverb down
slave out down

on the front:
mini power switch(es): up for 100 watts
power switch to the right (non-tweed, full voltage)


if this isn't as loud as it should be then it's probably the tubes.
i'd check all four power tubes, v1, v2 & the phase inverter (v4 or v5, i don't remember which)


good luck.

 

[Musical123]

Cool, I think I am getting the hang of this complex amp. This amp gets loud, just not as loud as my 60w SOB (poor mans Mark 1 remake). I talked to Chris at Mesa today (I was ordering a screw for the handle) and he said that the LS would probably not sound as loud as the SOB just due to the nature of the design.

1 more question, how does the Solo button on the Foot Switch work? I hit the button, the light goes orange, but no change in sound (volume or tone).


Thanks in advance for helping this newbie out.


Regards

 

[madryan]

There's a solo knob. When the Solo button is engaged and you turn the solo knob up it should make the amp louder. Thus, the solo button acts like a volume boost that is set by the solo knob. The loop needs to be engaged for this function to work.