Selling my LSS and getting the Carvin Legacy II?

[axman53]

Hi, all. I've owned the MESA Lonestar Special for about a year and half. I like it well enough, but the idea of having 3 channels and MIDI is appealing. The LSS is great as a 2-channel amp and the clean channel works great for me. The dirt channel is OK for a slightly overdriven sound, then I use pedals to push it in various directions. The DRIVE switch doesn't do much for me, even though I modded the amp to make the DRIVE switch footswitchable. The problem is that you'd really want to shape the tone differently on channel 2 with DRIVE engaged, so it's not that useful live. For me the holy grail would be, clean, crunch, scream all by choosing channel 1, 2, or 3, without a bunch of overdrive/distortion pedals to get what you want. I play mostly classic rock, not a shredder, no metal, and I like a nice clean channel with headroom. So has anyone here traded a LSS or LSC for the Legacy II? What do you miss from the MESA if anything? Any comments, especially on how you perceive the differences in these two amps, appreciated.

My guitars: Carvin DC-135, Fender American Tele, PRS Mira

Oh, one more thing! The MESA is a 30/15/5 watt amp, and I use it exclusively set to 30W. If I get the Carvin, I would probably always use it at the 25W setting unless we were in a larger venue. Typically I mic the amp live and keep the stage volume at a very reasonable level. Thanks.

 

[toneguy86]

Hi, all. I've owned the MESA Lonestar Special for about a year and half. I like it well enough, but the idea of having 3 channels and MIDI is appealing. The LSS is great as a 2-channel amp and the clean channel works great for me. The dirt channel is OK for a slightly overdriven sound, then I use pedals to push it in various directions. The DRIVE switch doesn't do much for me, even though I modded the amp to make the DRIVE switch footswitchable. The problem is that you'd really want to shape the tone differently on channel 2 with DRIVE engaged, so it's not that useful live. For me the holy grail would be, clean, crunch, scream all by choosing channel 1, 2, or 3, without a bunch of overdrive/distortion pedals to get what you want. I play mostly classic rock, not a shredder, no metal, and I like a nice clean channel with headroom. So has anyone here traded a LSS or LSC for the Legacy II? What do you miss from the MESA if anything? Any comments, especially on how you perceive the differences in these two amps, appreciated.

My guitars: Carvin DC-135, Fender American Tele, PRS Mira

Oh, one more thing! The MESA is a 30/15/5 watt amp, and I use it exclusively set to 30W. If I get the Carvin, I would probably always use it at the 25W setting unless we were in a larger venue. Typically I mic the amp live and keep the stage volume at a very reasonable level. Thanks.

Carvin makes great stuff with really reasonable prices. I recently bought some PA gear from them and they were great for customer service and I know for a fact that these are some of the best speakers and monitors I've ever owned. I've also been thinking of getting one of their amps as a backup too. I have a couple of friends who rave about them.

Interesting configuration in your set-up and I can see why you might want to go this route. Will you miss anything? Not sure. I run my drive channel real differently and am considering the Reeder mod. What you say about the change in tone when you engage the drive is right on. I liken it to stepping on a TS808 tubescreamer with a low end boost switch of some kind--suddenly you have all this mids and low end thing going on. It works for some guitars and setups. From what you say, going with the Carvin and stompboxes eliminates a lot of this issue. I say go for it. You can always sell the legacy and find a used LSS if you change your mind.

Oh...I noticed you use a Mira. That is the one PRS that really gets me excited. How do you like it?

Mark

 

[jjboogie]

Traitor!!! Seize him!!!!! :evil:

 

[axman53]

Oh...I noticed you use a Mira. That is the one PRS that really gets me excited. How do you like it? Mark

Hey, Mark.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I love my Mira. It has a great SG vibe but my fingers and a real SG neck don't get along well. The Mira has by far the most favorite fit for my hands of all my guitars. And amazingly light! Barely know its on my shoulder. Unfortunately, I don't ever take it out on gigs because I need the versatility of the Carvin to cover the songs we do. If I had the luxury of changing axes from tune to tune, I'd have the Carvin and the Mira with me for sure. The PUPs sound great on the humbucker side, real SG/LP bite. They switch to single coil mode with an attendant drop in output, significant enough that I would probably never use it single coil mode live as there would be too much compensation to be done. But I certainly didn't buy the Mira for its single coil sound!

 

[plan-x]

Traitor!!! Seize him!!!!! :evil:

Ha ha. Good one. :lol:

Hmmm, back in 04' Went shopping for amps. I went to Carvin and tried the legacy v1 combo (and every thing else in their store), wasn't impressed. Then hopped over to the Fret house and played some Nomads, a Maverick, a couple of Marks, (edit) as well as the F-50 & 100 and still was not impressed. I was looking at only the mesa's that were on sale, but decided to give that new LSC a try. That was the one!!! Now I was impressed. I went to GC a couple weeks later, demo'd one again and decided this was going home with me. That's my tale.

It's been said that there's only a couple of really good ch switcher's out there. Meaning good clean and good drive ch's. One is the Rivera, and the other is the Electra Dyne. But alas...they've only 2ch's.

 

[toneguy86]

Oh...I noticed you use a Mira. That is the one PRS that really gets me excited. How do you like it? Mark

Hey, Mark.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I love my Mira. It has a great SG vibe but my fingers and a real SG neck don't get along well. The Mira has by far the most favorite fit for my hands of all my guitars. And amazingly light! Barely know its on my shoulder. Unfortunately, I don't ever take it out on gigs because I need the versatility of the Carvin to cover the songs we do. If I had the luxury of changing axes from tune to tune, I'd have the Carvin and the Mira with me for sure. The PUPs sound great on the humbucker side, real SG/LP bite. They switch to single coil mode with an attendant drop in output, significant enough that I would probably never use it single coil mode live as there would be too much compensation to be done. But I certainly didn't buy the Mira for its single coil sound!

I played one once. Awesome tone and feel. It is lighter...they must chamber the things as I think they are mahogany.

Mark

 

[toneguy86]

Oh...I noticed you use a Mira. That is the one PRS that really gets me excited. How do you like it? Mark

Hey, Mark.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it. I love my Mira. It has a great SG vibe but my fingers and a real SG neck don't get along well. The Mira has by far the most favorite fit for my hands of all my guitars. And amazingly light! Barely know its on my shoulder. Unfortunately, I don't ever take it out on gigs because I need the versatility of the Carvin to cover the songs we do. If I had the luxury of changing axes from tune to tune, I'd have the Carvin and the Mira with me for sure. The PUPs sound great on the humbucker side, real SG/LP bite. They switch to single coil mode with an attendant drop in output, significant enough that I would probably never use it single coil mode live as there would be too much compensation to be done. But I certainly didn't buy the Mira for its single coil sound!

I played one once. Awesome tone and feel. It is lighter...they must chamber the things as I think they are mahogany.

Mark

 

[toneguy86]

Traitor!!! Seize him!!!!! :evil:

Ha ha. Good one. :lol:

Hmmm, back in 04' Went shopping for amps. I went to Carvin and tried the legacy v1 combo (and every thing else in their store), wasn't impressed. Then hopped over to the Fret house and played some Nomads, a Maverick, a couple of Marks, and still was not impressed. I was looking at only the mesa's that were on sale, but decided to give that new LSC a try. That was the one!!! Now I was impressed. I went to GC a couple weeks later, demo'd one again and decided this was going home with me. That's my tale.

It's been said that there's only a couple of really good ch switcher's out there. Meaning good clean and good drive ch's. One is the Rivera, and the other is the Electra Dyne. But alas...they've only 2ch's.

Actually the Electra Dyne is technically one channel I think. It feels like two.

 

[jjboogie]

Traitor!!! Seize him!!!!! :evil:

Ha ha. Good one. :lol:

Hmmm, back in 04' Went shopping for amps. I went to Carvin and tried the legacy v1 combo (and every thing else in their store), wasn't impressed. Then hopped over to the Fret house and played some Nomads, a Maverick, a couple of Marks, and still was not impressed. I was looking at only the mesa's that were on sale, but decided to give that new LSC a try. That was the one!!! Now I was impressed. I went to GC a couple weeks later, demo'd one again and decided this was going home with me. That's my tale.

It's been said that there's only a couple of really good ch switcher's out there. Meaning good clean and good drive ch's. One is the Rivera, and the other is the Electra Dyne. But alas...they've only 2ch's.

Have you tried the Mark V?

 

[plan-x]

Traitor!!! Seize him!!!!! :evil:

Ha ha. Good one. :lol:

Hmmm, back in 04' Went shopping for amps. I went to Carvin and tried the legacy v1 combo (and every thing else in their store), wasn't impressed. Then hopped over to the Fret house and played some Nomads, a Maverick, a couple of Marks, and still was not impressed. I was looking at only the mesa's that were on sale, but decided to give that new LSC a try. That was the one!!! Now I was impressed. I went to GC a couple weeks later, demo'd one again and decided this was going home with me. That's my tale.

It's been said that there's only a couple of really good ch switcher's out there. Meaning good clean and good drive ch's. One is the Rivera, and the other is the Electra Dyne. But alas...they've only 2ch's.

Have you tried the Mark V?

Haven't even seen one yet. But...I will be down in Rancho Cucamonga's GC soon and they have a good selection of boogies. Boogie won't let any dealer carry their amps within 30-50? mile radius of the Hollywood store. Which makes life difficult for So-Cal folk. On top of that, there are only a few places that have a good selection and latest offerings.

 

[axman53]

Can anyone get their LSS to sound like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLXAMWNZc0

Sheesh, I'd kill for that tone. I can't get my LSS into that sweet breakup territory no how. That amp sounds so rich, the LSS doesn't come close. Do I really have to spend $3K on a PRS amp to get that? Doesn't seem like I should have to.

 

[Leroy the Massochist]

Xotic RC will give you the chime/eq. Seems to give you the bits that are missing in the LSS eq. I leave it on now all the time with the gain wound back and use it to eq top and bottom end.

Also got my ears open to the Lovepedal Englishman.

If you would kill for the PRS tone what would you do for this tone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xjo4BP_kM

Cheers

 

[plan-x]

Can anyone get their LSS to sound like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLXAMWNZc0

Sheesh, I'd kill for that tone. I can't get my LSS into that sweet breakup territory no how. That amp sounds so rich, the LSS doesn't come close. Do I really have to spend $3K on a PRS amp to get that? Doesn't seem like I should have to.

That guitar is what's getting that tone. The LSS can do that stuff with the Reeder mod.

Leroy the Massochist: If you would kill for the PRS tone what would you do for this tone?

Couldn't they find some better players for that :shock: :lol: :wink: